High Times has announced the highly anticipated return of the legendary Cannabis Cup. With judging kit sales launching Friday, Nov. 7, at select New York City partner dispensaries, the Cup will be the first edition held in the Empire State and the first event of its kind since recreational cannabis was legalized in New York in 2021. Unlike previous years, the 2025 Cannabis Cup is exclusively an open judging process, featuring kit drops at participating retailers across the state.
The relaunched Cup format touts transparency through its consumer-judged “People’s Choice” award format. Submissions opened on Oct. 10, with New Yorkers voting Nov. 7 through Jan. 7 for top products across a wide range of categories.
“The Cup is BACK, baby, and this time, the power is back to the people and consumers are the judges,” said Josh Kesselman, Publisher of High Times and the founding force behind RAW® Rolling Papers. “It’s like we’re going on tour, rolling into markets the Cup hasn’t hit before while having fun and celebrating the plant, the people and the pure joy of getting lifted together. We’re not just bringing it back… we’re taking it higher and elevating human consciousness.”
Launched in the late ‘80s by High Times, the Cup has long stood as the global benchmark for cannabis quality and innovation. The New York launch will be the first major event under the stewardship of Matt Stang and his Cannabis Cup team. In this iteration, the Cup is being reimagined for a new era—one where consumers themselves crown the best in cannabis.
While the Cup historically relied on 28 to 35 expert judges, the format has evolved into crowdsourced rankings, offering up to 228 kits per category in statewide competitions across the country. This shift now forms the foundation of the Cup’s new era.
“As a native New Yorker, I can’t be more excited about bringing the Cannabis Cup to New York,” said Matt Stang, co-owner of High Times. “It’s the greatest feeling in the world to bring it back to the greatest city in the world.”
Each judge kit includes official competition entries from top brands, a physical scorecard and a link to the official Cannabis Cup Judging Portal, where participants score entries on aesthetics, aroma, taste, effects, and overall quality. Judges are encouraged to post their experiences to social media for a chance to be featured by High Times and recognized during the Awards Show. All scoring remains confidential until the winners are officially announced.
“Good cannabis doesn’t need hype. It needs tasters. This Cup puts hundreds of them on every entry and gives brands the kind of feedback you can build on. No influencers, no mystery judges; just people who know good weed when they feel it,” added High Times Editor-in-Chief Javier Hasse.
Judge kits will be available for purchase starting Nov. 7 through select licensed retailers and online at CannabisCup.com, where a full list of participating dispensaries and partners will be released. 2025 pricing is included in the graphic below:
“The community finally gets to help crown the champions of cannabis, and I couldn’t be happier that this next chapter kicks off in my home state of New York, ”said Kesselman.
Key Dates:
- Friday, November 7, 2025: Judge Kits On Sale
- November 7, 2025 – January 7, 2026: Judging Timeframe
- Wednesday, January 7, 2026: Judging Deadline
- Thursday, January 15, 2026: Winners Announced
For more information, please visit cannabiscup.com or follow High Times on Instagram @hightimesmagazine.
