Garden Route Cannabis Cup (GRCC)
A small-town festival in Plettenberg Bay that set out to put Garden Route growers on the map. Coverage runs to its third edition, and nothing after that is documented.
- 19results on record
- 2022–2024years in our data
- 3editions
- 6matched to strains
- Fairy Knowe Backpackers Lodge – Wilderness Hotels, Georgelatest location
01Beginnings
Plettenberg Bay got its own cannabis festival in August 2021. A report published on 11 August 2021 described the Garden Route Canna Cup as the first cannabis festival hosted in the town, held the weekend before1. It was staged at the Piesang Valley Community Hall, and its stated aim was to showcase local growers and introduce the industry to the wider region1.
Leon Meyer is named as the 2021 organiser. He is also a member of the Garden Route Organic Cannabis Growers' Association (GROCGA), a group formed to represent small-scale organic growers1. His pitch was that the cup would coax local growers into the open and get them keen to show off their work. He also suggested the Transkei's reputation had stayed ahead only because Garden Route growers had not yet stepped forward1. No official website for the event was found.
02The story so far
By 2023 the event was being billed as the Garden Route Cannabis Cup and Expo. A Knysna-Plett Herald item reported that organisers had decided to hold a third annual edition on 5 and 6 August 20232. The stated aims were to raise awareness of changing cannabis law and to draw visitors to Plettenberg Bay in the quieter winter months2. Organisers said the event was attracting more visitors and participants each year and settling in as a regular fixture on the Garden Route. That is their own claim, as reported on 3 April 20232. The second edition is not covered in the sources used here.
A separate item dated 27 July 2023 is labelled advertorial, so its framing is promotional. It says the event was presented by Tomatoes & THC (TnT) with CBD Care and Experience 4203. The programme it promised covered cup competitions in several categories, an expo with an exhibitors' marketplace, seminars, workshops and live music. Doors were open from 10:00 to 17:00 at the Piesang Valley Community Hall3. Under-18s were not admitted, and tickets cost R50 at the door3.
03Culture and community
The 2021 edition drew exhibitors from across South Africa, including well-known campaigners. The coverage names Jeremy Acton, founder of the Dagga Party of SA, along with Chris Jay and Myrtle Clarke, the pair known as the 'dagga couple'1. One speaker pitched the Garden Route as a canna-tourism destination and compared its potential to Humboldt County in the United States, which the article describes as a long-standing cannabis-producing region1.
The 2023 speaker list mixed film-maker, campaigner and traditional-healer voices: Simon Strainhunter of the Strain Hunters documentary series, Myrtle Clark, Jeremy Acton, Gareth Prince, Chris Jay and Sister Vee Nohomile Bush2. Acton and Prince, also listed as judges, were down for a session on their 2018 court win, which the advertorial credits with opening the door to reform of South Africa's cannabis laws3. The promotion stressed networking and sharing experiences, along with a stated commitment to challenging stereotypes and encouraging responsible use. Musician Stretch was named as the live act3. Most workshops were free, though the cloning workshop cost R250. One workshop, 'What is good cannabis', was led by Natie Fereira of the Dagga Farmacy3.
04Where it stands now
Current status is not documented. The newest edition in the sources is the third, planned for 5 and 6 August 2023 at the Piesang Valley Community Hall in Plettenberg Bay2. There is no coverage here of any edition in 2024, 2025 or 2026, and no official website was found. Anyone wanting to know whether the cup still runs will need to look beyond this page.
05Looking ahead
No announced plans for future editions were found. The most recent forward-looking item in the sources is the 2023 announcement of the third edition, and nothing after it is documented2.
The results, in our data
CannaLib holds 19 results from this cup across 3 years (2022 to 2024), 6 of them matched to a strain in the catalogue.
Recent first-place strains
| Year | Strain | Category | Entrant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Crown Royal | Open Category | Anton Doman |
| 2024 | Grape Rock Candy | Cape Town Category | Dagga Farmacy |
| 2024 | Pineapple Express | Klein Karoo Category | Karoo Gold |
| 2023 | Peanut Butter Breath | Open Category | High Teps |
| 2023 | Gorilla Glue 4 | Outdoor Category | Jared Grows |
Editions on record
- 2022 · Piesang Valley Community Hall, Plettenberg Bay (6-7 Aug 2022)
- 2023 · Piesang Valley Community Hall, Plettenberg Bay (5-6 Aug 2023; certificates dated 6 August 2023)
- 2024 · Fairy Knowe Backpackers Lodge – Wilderness Hotels, George (11 Aug 2024)
Sources
- High expectations for growth of cannabis industry on Garden Route | The Herald (11 August 2021)
- Third annual cannabis festival on the cards for Plett | Knysna-Plett Herald
- Time to roll up for the Canna Cup (advertorial) | Knysna-Plett Herald (27 July 2023)
Written from the sources above and checked on 2026-10-29. Spot an error? Tell us on the contact page.