Copa Cannabis Uruguay / Copa Cannábica de Uruguay (AECU)
A Montevideo cup that began in 2012, grew up alongside Uruguay's 2013 cannabis law, and is documented here through its 2015 and 2016 editions.
- 55results on record
- 2012–2025years in our data
- 13editions
- 28matched to strains
- Uruguaylatest location
01Beginnings
An Associated Press report on the 2016 Copa Cannabis, republished by Vanguardia, calls that edition the fifth and says the competition began in 2012 in Uruguay1. Nothing else about the start is recorded in the sources: they don't say who came up with the idea, where the first contest was held or how big it was.
The contest grew up alongside a major legal change. Reporters covering the 2015 edition noted that Uruguay's 2013 law had made it the first country to fully legalise cannabis production and trade2. The same coverage names Juan Vaz as one of the organisers2. The articles never mention AECU (the Cannabis Studies Association of Uruguay), so any link between AECU and the cup, or between Vaz and AECU, is not confirmed by the published sources.
02The story so far
The 2015 edition, reported on 19 July 2015, was the fourth. Organisers described roughly 120 competitors and more than 170 samples2. Prizes were split into categories for outdoor and indoor cultivation and for extracts made with and without solvent, and there was also a special award for professional clubs2. The jury preselected only 30 of the samples2.
AP's 19 July 2016 report on the fifth edition says awards went to clubs, self-growers and extractions1. Judges came from Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Mexico1. The sources document no other editions by date.
An undated Fox News article covers a Montevideo contest that it calls the first 'Cannabis Cup', and it names winners such as Guillermo Amandola in the self-grown outdoor category3. This piece may describe a different event, or a different edition, from the Copa Cannabis that AP and El Universal covered, so we keep its details separate and do not merge them into the 2015 or 2016 story.
03Culture and community
The 2015 contest took place in a bar in the Parque Rodó neighbourhood, on Montevideo's coast2. The coverage put learning first: an organiser said the young participants were there to learn2.
In 2016 the contest was reported as relaxed. Food and paraphernalia were on sale while several rock bands played, and alcohol was the only thing not sold1. The reporting does not say how many people attended.
The legal backdrop shows up in the details too. The 2015 prizes included a special award for professional clubs, which the law allows to produce cannabis for up to 45 people2. The contest Fox described, which we treat separately, was held in a private building in Montevideo where bands played rock music3. The two sound similar, but no dates or names in the sources show they were the same event.
04Where it stands now
The most recent edition documented in the sources is the 2016 one, reported by AP on 19 July 20161. The sources do not say whether the cup has run since then, how it is organised today or whether the organisers have released any updates. They also say nothing about the status of AECU.
05What's next
The sources include no announced plans for the cup. The only forward-looking line in the 2016 article is about the market, not the contest: it says pharmacy sales of cannabis would become available in the coming months1. It says nothing about future editions, venues, dates or format.
The results, in our data
CannaLib holds 55 results from this cup across 13 years (2012 to 2025), 28 of them matched to a strain in the catalogue.
Recent first-place strains
| Year | Strain | Category | Entrant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | California Orange | FLORES – CLUBES CULTIVO EXTERIOR | Club Cannábico Punta del Este |
| 2016 | Skywalker Kush | FLORES – CLUBES CULTIVO INTERIOR | Club Cannábico 420 |
| 2016 | Chocolope | FLORES – AUTOCULTIVO EXTERIOR | Guillermo Amándola |
| 2016 | Sour Power | FLORES – AUTOCULTIVO INTERIOR | Eduardo Bandera |
| 2015 | Shark Attack | BEST CULTIVATOR – INDOORS | Lio |
| 2015 | Cinderella 99 | BEST SOLVENT | Maico |
| 2015 | 24 Carat | BEST CLUB – INDOORS | CC Sativa |
| 2015 | Bubba Kush | BEST CLUB – OUTDOORS | CC Shiva |
| 2014 | Grapefruit | Hash / Extrações | Coruja |
| 2014 | Cinderella 99 | Extrações | Coruja |
| 2014 | Lavender | Erva / flores | Diego Garcia (club El Piso) |
| 2013 | Exodus Cheese | Outdoor Cup | Yerman |
| 2013 | Northern Lights | Indoor Cup | Marcel B |
| 2013 | Chem Fire | International Cup | Manu |
Editions on record
- 2012 · Casona, barrio El Prado, Montevideo, Uruguay
- 2013 · Montevideo (nightclub), Uruguay
- 2014 · Villa Serrana y Montevideo, Uruguay
- 2015 · Uruguay
- 2016 · Casona histórica (El Prado), Montevideo, Uruguay
Sources
- Concurso en Uruguay elige las mejores muestras de mariguana (Vanguardia / AP, 19 July 2016)
- Montevideo premia selectas muestras de marihuana en la Copa Cannabis (El Universal, 19 July 2015)
- Marijuana contest in Uruguay gathers growers vying for first 'Cannabis Cup' (Fox News, undated)
Written from the sources above and checked on 2026-10-29. Spot an error? Tell us on the contact page.