NECANN Cup
The NECANN Cup is the awards contest attached to NECANN's cannabis conventions. NECANN began in New England and now runs events in several US states.
- 224results on record
- 2017–2026years in our data
- 7editions
- 82matched to strains
- Bostonlatest location
01Beginnings
The NECANN Cup comes from NECANN, a convention series described as born in New England1. NECANN was founded in 2014, and Marc Shepard is quoted as its Founder and President2.
The sources do not say when the Cup itself first ran, or who came up with the idea.
02The story so far
The Cup has been held alongside NECANN conventions in more than one place. NECANN runs convention events in New Jersey, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Minnesota and Pennsylvania2.
One stop was the NECANN Cup Boston in March 2024. A photo caption places it at the Hynes Convention Center1. In New Jersey, the 2026 convention was described as being in its 7th year, with a New Jersey NECANN CUP competition as part of it2.
The sources do not name any past winners.
03Culture
The Cup sits inside a big trade-show atmosphere. The New Jersey event is billed with four programming tracks, 35+ sessions and 200+ exhibiting businesses, with 5,000+ industry professionals expected2.
The convention also lists social extras, including an after-party called The Afters, an exhibitor reception, a mixer, a free expungement clinic and a women's lounge2.
Home growers and caregivers have a place in the story too. Past competition winners, including home growers and caregivers from the NECANN Cup Boston, were named among the judges for a separate NECANN contest, the Cup of Champions1. That contest is its own thing and not the NECANN Cup.
04Where it stands now
The most recent plan in the sources is the New Jersey NECANN CUP, set for September 18-19, 2026 at the Atlantic City Convention Center2. The NJ NECANN CUP Awards show was scheduled for Saturday at 2pm on the main exhibit-hall stage2. Tickets were listed at $50 to $135, for ages 21 and up2.
The sources do not say what happened at the event, and they name no winners.
05What's next
The sources do not announce any later NECANN Cup dates or locations beyond the September 2026 New Jersey show.
What they do show is a convention series with events in several states2, and a newer sister contest for Massachusetts licensed operators, the Cup of Champions. NECANN announced it, but it is a separate contest1.
The results, in our data
CannaLib holds 224 results from this cup across 7 years (2017 to 2026), 82 of them matched to a strain in the catalogue.
Editions on record
- 2021 · Boston
- 2021 · Maine
- 2023 · Maine
- 2024 · New England Cannabis Convention, Boston
- 2025 · Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts
Sources
- NECANN Announces New Cannabis Cup Of Champions
- NECANN's New Jersey Cannabis Convention and NECANN Cup Awards Return to Atlantic City, September 18-19
Written from the sources above and checked on 2026-11-08. Spot an error? Tell us on the contact page.