Humboldt County Cultivators Take Top Honors at the Emerald Cup [More Winners Added]

On May 13, the 19th (almost annual) Emerald Cup celebrated cannabis cultivators, manufacturers, and retailers. Though the legal cannabis industry has faced growing pains and economic collapse, farmers from arguably the hardest hit county, showed up and showed out, taking home several top honors.

Jason Gellman holding up awards for his Ridgeline Farms cannabis.

Southern Humboldt’s prodigal son, Jason Gellman of Ridgeline Farms, took home 1st place for Mixed Light and Mixed Light Breeder’s Cup, with Ridgeline Farms new Lantz strain. He also placed 13th and 17th in the sungrown category.

Forbes quoted Gellman in a recent article talking about the Breeder’s Cup win, “Winning with Lantz and winning the Breeders Cup is definitely the highlight. It took my pops and me four-plus years crossing strains. I spend the summers growing them out to look for the winner. It’s a lot of work, but keeps my lifelong profession and passion exciting.”

Ridgeline Farms awards displayed on the big screen at the Emerald Cup Awards 2023

However, Gellman didn’t celebrate his wins alone, instead championing his fellow Humboldt County cannabis producers, stating, “We showed up big this year. It was pretty amazing.”

Huckleberry Hill owner, Johnny Casali, took home three 1st place honors in the CO2 Cartridge, Icewater Hash, Preroll – Infused Solventless Extract categories as well as 2nd place in the Preroll – Non Infused category. Casali said, “We had a Whitethorn Rose runaway,” talking about Huckleberry Hill’s signature strain.

Casali’s Whitethorn Rose strain was the top winner for his farm, Huckleberry Hill.

For Casali and Gellman, both legacy farmers that have watched the rise and fall of the cannabis industry over the span of their lifetimes. “This year’s Emerald Cup took on a special meaning for many of the farmers out of southern Humboldt. Too many farmers to name …took home first place trophies. …One thing that seemed consistent with the winners was [that] family legacy strains dominated the podium,” Casali told Redheaded Blackbelt. Like Gellman’s Breeders Cup win that was bred with his father, Huckleberry Hill’s award-winning strain, Whitethorn Rose, was a true family collaboration. “This was a strain I bred to one I grew with my mother over 40 years ago,” he stated.

Other top honor winners from Humboldt County solidified the county’s cultivators as some of the best in the state.

Rebel Grown took 1st and 7th place in the sungrown category as well as 8th and 14th in the same category for collaboration strains. The Humboldt County cultivator won the Sungrown Breeders Cup also.

[Screenshot of Ridgeline Farms hyping fellow Southern Humboldt cultivator, Johnny Casali of Huckleberry Hill]

Sol Spirit Farm of Willow Creek took 1st place in the 3rd Party Certified Sungrown category.

Arcata Fire dominated the cartridge categories with their collaboration with Humboldt Trees placing 1st in the Live Rosin Cartridge category, and the top three spots in the Solventless Cartridge category with 1st and 3rd place collabs with Humboldt 36 Farms, and their 2nd place collaboration with Royalbudline.

Arcata Fire x Humboldt 36 Farms also placed 3rd in the Preroll – Infused category.

Popular Space Gem placed 1st in both the Edibles – Gummies category and the Alternative Cannabinoid Edible category.

The top honors in the Rosin category went to Humboldt based Fully Melted and Sacramento based Alien Labs for their Zkittlez collaboration.

Though the local cannabis economy has taken a hit, Humboldt continues to produce award-winning cannabis products while supporting each other along the way. Legacy farmer Casali stated, “All in all, Humboldt brought home a majority of the trophies and let the world know once again who grows the best weed!”

For the full list of the Emerald Cup winners, click here.

Our news partner, KMUD News, has additional reporting on the Emerald Cup Awards below:

Update: It was brought to our attention that we may have missed some of the Humboldt County winners.

Out of Arcata, Erin and Josh Hamilton of Royal Key Organics took home first place in the Pre-roll Non-Infused category.

Southern Humboldt farm, Lost Coast Cannabis, placed 16th in sungrown flower with their Lempire Farmaseed collaboration on Wicked Sour. Due to an entry mistake, the collab was attributed to the farm’s Instagram handle named after cultivator, Douglas Rose’s nickname instead of the farm’s name. The Wicked Sour sungrown flower was grown in Humboldt but was listed under Lempire Farmaseed’s county of Mendocino.

If you are a Humboldt County winner at the Emerald Cup, reach out to us at [email protected]. We’d love to celebrate your win with you.