THC Classic (Rooster Magazine)
A Colorado cannabis contest run by Rooster Magazine where judges never see the labels, and the sources show it still going in 2023.
- 572results on record
- 2012–2026years in our data
- 15editions
- 208matched to strains
- ReelWorks in Denver, Coloradolatest location
01Beginnings
The THC Classic is a cannabis competition tied to Rooster Magazine and to Colorado. Rooster's own write-up bills it as the only blind-judged cannabis contest in the state.1
How did it start? The sources do not say. The Rooster page gives no founding year and no host city, and the Westword photo piece does not give a founding year either.13 The one clue is that the 2018 event was called the 7th annual.1
02The story
Blind judging is the whole idea. Before judging, labels and branding were stripped off the entries, so a product had to win on its own merits, not its name.1
The April 2018 write-up covers the 7th annual contest. Licensed dispensaries, wholesalers and manufacturers entered across 16 categories, including flowers, concentrates, edibles, vape pens and infusions.1
Each category had a panel of five judges, and the contest drew more than 250 submissions.1 In the infusions category, first place went to Infused Bath Bombs from Connoisseurs Genetics & Concentrates, and second to A Better Bath Salt from Incredibles. Both entered as wholesale.1
03Culture
Westword ran a 26-image photo slideshow of an annual THC Classic and described it as the Colorado cannabis industry's April kickoff.3 It showed off the state's commercial flower, concentrates and infused products.3
The event in that slideshow was held on March 30 at Temple Nightclub, close to April 20. The sources do not say which year.3
04Now
The contest was still running in 2023. A July 2023 press release from Denver for The Clear Cannabis lists its wins at the 2023 THC Classic, which it describes as Rooster Magazine's blind-judged Colorado contest.2
Those wins were first place for a flavored vape, first for a new product, first in the Wildcard category, second for a gummy and second for a disposable vape.2 The release also names other contests, such as the 710 Showdown and the Hemp Connoisseur THC Championship. These are separate events and are not covered here.2
05Future
The sources do not say what comes next for the THC Classic. They give no upcoming dates, no plans and no changes to the format.
The results, in our data
CannaLib holds 572 results from this cup across 15 years (2012 to 2026), 208 of them matched to a strain in the catalogue.
Recent first-place strains
| Year | Strain | Category | Entrant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Watermelon Hurricane | Sativa | Chimera Craft Cannabis |
| 2026 | Italian Soda | Indica | Bonsai Cultivation |
| 2026 | Gushcanna | Hybrid | Chimera Craft Cannabis |
| 2026 | Purple Magnolia | Pre-Roll | Sano Gardens |
| 2026 | Gush Mints | Sun Grown | Pot Zero |
| 2026 | Colorado Clementines | Flash Frozen | Apothecary Extracts |
| 2026 | Funky Runtz | Rosin | Summit |
| 2026 | 24K Gold | Distillate Vape | O.Pen |
| 2026 | Acapulco Gold | CO2 Vape | Sano Gardens |
| 2025 | Subzero | Indica | Bonsai Cultivation |
| 2025 | Italian Ice | Sun Grown | Apothecary Extracts |
| 2025 | Colorado Nightshifter | Cured | Fat Grams / Meraki Brands |
| 2025 | Cbd Thc | CBD & Hemp | Lost Range |
| 2024 | Watermelon Rush | Sativa | The Cannabist Company |
Editions on record
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- 2025 · ReelWorks in Denver, Colorado
- 2026
Sources
- Rooster Magazine: THC Classic 7th annual (April 12, 2018)
- Clear Cannabis products win awards at THC Classic 2023 (GlobeNewswire, July 11, 2023)
- Westword: photos, Colorado cannabis industry kicks off April at annual THC Classic
Written from the sources above and checked on 2026-11-08. Spot an error? Tell us on the contact page.