Best in Grass
A cannabis competition judged by consumers, which gives the scorecard to everyday shoppers. It was founded in 2024, began in Michigan, and has since run in other states.
- 571results on record
- 2024–2026years in our data
- 3editions
- 180matched to strains
- Phoenixlatest location
01Beginnings
Best in Grass is a cannabis competition and awards show judged by consumers, who buy judging kits from dispensaries. It was founded in 2024, and the first statewide edition was held in Michigan that year13. One Michigan columnist says its founders are former executives of the High Times Cannabis Cup1. That is background only. Best in Grass is its own event, separate from the Cannabis Cup, and the two should not be confused.
A podcast interview says the pandemic pushed Mark Kazinec, whom it calls the founder, away from the exclusive Cannabis Cup model and toward a People's Choice format2. It also follows his career from traditional marketing, through High Times, to building a nationwide awards platform driven by consumers2.
An April 2024 local TV report named Joey Posney as founder instead. It said the idea was to let real, paying customers give the industry an honest voice3. The sources credit different people, so the exact list of founders is not documented here.
02The story so far
The 2024 Michigan edition planned for 2,600 judges and 25 partner dispensaries, from the Upper Peninsula down to the Ohio and Indiana borders3. Judging ran until May 19, 2024, and the awards show was held on June 18, 20243. The kits held Michigan products from 14 counties, in categories such as indica flower, sativa flower and edibles3.
The contest also ran an Illinois edition in 2024. A blogger reviewed an infused pre-roll kit from it in a post dated September 4, 2024. The blogger found it fun but hoped later rounds would include more standout products4. That is one reviewer's opinion, not a verdict on the event.
Metro Times calls the 2026 Michigan round the third annual edition5. The sources do not say whether that number counts only Michigan rounds or every edition. That coverage lists Kazinec as co-founder and COO5, while the podcast calls him founder2. The podcast also says the program has grown to 10 states, but gives no date and does not name the states2. The previous year's category winners included the Michigan brands Uplyfted and Wojo Co.5.
03Culture and community
The idea is to make everyday shoppers the judges. The podcast describes the event as the Oscars of cannabis, with an awards gala to match2. Judges score each entry on how it looks, smells, tastes and feels, along with other criteria, and brands get that feedback after the show5. City Pulse reports that the judging is blind, so judges do not know which brand made the product they are scoring1.
A judge who fills in the whole scorecard gets entry to the awards show and 20% of the kit price back as store credit5. The 2026 Michigan round has 15 kit categories, from flower and pre-rolls to rosin products, gummies and drinks5.
Dispensaries are part of the scene as well. In 2024 a Bay City dispensary sold out of its Moon Rock kits3. The 2026 entrants include well-known Michigan brands such as Hytek, MI Loud, Wojo Co. and Peninsula Gardens1.
04Where it stands
A City Pulse column dated May 13, 2026 reports that the 2026 Michigan kits went on sale on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 30 dispensaries across the state1. The competition describes itself as the biggest consumer cannabis competition in the US1. That claim comes from the organizers, and this page has not checked it independently.
Supply is limited. Metro Times says there are only 100 to 300 kits per category, shared across the 30 dispensaries5. The City Pulse column places the contest in a difficult Michigan market, with sales down and dispensaries closing. It describes a win, or even a placing, as something brands can use to sell more product1.
05What's next
The 2026 schedule was announced ahead of time. Judges had to submit their ratings by July 12, 2026, and the winners were due to be announced live on August 13, 2026, at the Royal Oak Music Theatre5. The sources used here were written before that show, so the results are not documented on this page.
Beyond that, the podcast says the team's technology roadmap includes a Yelp-style platform for reviews and recommendations, but it gives no date2. The episode listing also has a segment on upcoming events and expansion plans. The available text does not say what those plans are, so they are not documented here2.
The results, in our data
CannaLib holds 571 results from this cup across 3 years (2024 to 2026), 180 of them matched to a strain in the catalogue.
Recent first-place strains
| Year | Strain | Category | Entrant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Jungle Juice | Flower - Hybrid | Aeriz |
| 2026 | Gmo | Flower - Indica | Aeriz |
| 2026 | Meyers Lemon | Flower - Sativa | Lost Dutchmen Cannabis Co. |
| 2026 | Strawberry Cough | Vapes - Non-Rosin | ROVE |
| 2026 | Trop Cherry | Flower - Grams | HOUSE OF SACCI |
| 2026 | Lemon Tree | Flower - Eighths | Royal Genetics |
| 2026 | Her Majesty | Pre-Rolls - Non-Infused | Lion Order |
| 2026 | Mendoz Stomper | Flower - Hybrid | Lifted Meds |
| 2026 | Dark Rainbow | Flower - Indica | Juniper Cannabis |
| 2026 | Lemon Head | Flower - Sativa | MT Kush |
| 2026 | Blueberry | Pre-Rolls | Sacred Sun Farms |
| 2026 | Blueberry Muffin Bbm | Flower - Indica | Somatic |
| 2026 | Cadillac Rainbows | Flower - Micro-License | Stay High |
| 2026 | Durban Poison | Flower - Sativa | Enchanted Botanicals |
Editions on record
- 2024 · Corona Ranch, Phoenix
- 2024 · The Strand Ballroom
- 2024 · The Enclave
- 2024 · Park West (awards show)
- 2025 · Massachusetts
- 2025 · New Jersey
- 2025 · Rhode Island
- 2025
- 2025
- 2025 · Oklahoma
- 2025 · New Mexico
- 2025 · Illinois
- 2026 · Phoenix
- 2026 · New York
- 2026
- 2026 · New Mexico
Sources
- Michigan cannabis is having a rough year. These brands want you to judge them anyway – Lansing City Pulse
- Building the “Oscars of Cannabis” — Inside Best in Grass
- ‘Best in Grass’ competition brings boost to Michigan cannabis industry
- Reviewing the Best in Grass Competition
- Best in Grass puts Michigan cannabis consumers in the judge’s seat - Detroit Metro Times
Written from the sources above and checked on 2026-10-29. Spot an error? Tell us on the contact page.