Sun-Grown Cannabis Rated by Experts

A Judge’s Perspective | Matt Kovarsky

For the last 4 years I’ve worked at The Novel Tree & The Novel Tree Medical where I’ve been able to see the rise of legal recreational cannabis firsthand, and it’s given me so many opportunities to see the inner workings of the industry from a truly unique perspective.

One of the most exciting things has been getting to know the different growers, their growing methods, and their products. While I’ve learned how to grow hydroponically indoors and was able to produce some very high-quality cannabis (if I do say so myself), I’ve also learned to appreciate and have a love for sun grown cannabis. While you can create ideal conditions indoors, the cannabis plant produces cannabinoids and terpenes as a stress response, it is literally the plants immune system. There are many people that believe that without any kind of struggle or stress, indoor plants are sometimes missing the unique characteristics that you can find with a plant exposed to the elements, getting the full spectrum light of the sun.

Several months ago, I received an email from the Washington Sungrowers Industry Association notifying members of the forthcoming 2020 Sun Cup, a cannabis competition for all things sun grown. The email was informing growers how to submit their cannabis to be judged, but one of the last lines of the email was asking for people to submit for the opportunity to be a judge. After immediately clicking the link and seeing that I met all the criteria to be a judge, I submitted an application and began checking my emails for a response.

A few weeks later I received the most glorious of emails saying that I’d been selected as a judge for the 2020 Sun Cup. I was over the moon excited. There were instructions on where and how to pick-up products, as COVID was new at this time there was a series of social distancing and spy-like signaling to pick up the products to sample. I was not informed which category I would be judging for, so I went and picked up my bag, which was a lot smaller than I was expecting. It didn’t seem to be over flowing with ounces of beautiful sun grown flower like I had thought!

When I arrived back at home, I emptied the bag and to my amazement saw a bountiful assortment of THC & CBD vaporizer cartridges. I won’t say exactly how many, but it was enough to be excited about! There was also a letter informing me of how and where to document my experiences and submit my judging reviews. Once I had the plan for how I would do my sampling in place, I had to do the first most important thing you have to do with any cartridge, which is make sure it works on your vape battery. A faulty cartridge would definitely lose some points of course! I put each cartridge on my vape battery and took one or two puffs from each vaporizer, which all worked perfectly from the first draw, and the combination of all the THC and CBD vapes had me feeling pretty good. So far, I was really enjoying being a judge.

More winners from this year’s Sun Cup. Some products are only available at The Novel Tree recreational.

None of the vape cartridges were labeled, to keep each one anonymous and keep the judging purely objective. As a budtender I have spent the last 4 years telling people about the importance of cannabinoid and terpene profiles, and now I was about to spend a day only smoking things without the benefit of having the information I’ve come to greatly appreciate. I was going in blind with each new sample. Normally I would have different, very specific products for different times of the day or different situations. Sativas for the daytime on my days off, something a little more relaxing like an Indica for after work. It was all like a blind taste test.

A Different Product Each Day of Judging

The samples were all numbered, so I began my first day of judging with sample #1. I had everything ready so that it would be the first thing I smoked after work and would be the only thing I smoked till I went to bed. Taking the whole evening to see how I was affected, and what my overall thoughts were. I noted the color of the oil, its consistency, the taste and what sort of high it gave me among other qualities.

As the sampling progressed there were definitely things I that I really enjoyed, and unfortunately others that were not my favorite. When I found ones that I did not necessarily like as much I made sure to give those extra attention. What about the flavor or consistency or effects were not my favorite? If I was going to give something a less than perfect score, I felt it was very important to have specific reasons and feedback.

The funny thing is that about halfway through, as with anything I think there was a feeling of burden. All I wanted was to smoke a joint, but I had dedicated myself to this and I did not want to give any sample anything less than my full attention. I got over this quickly, but I just thought it was funny how even during the opportunity of a lifetime anything that we must do, can feel like an obligation.

I had set specific samples to the side, ones that I wanted to give a second chance to. Some I wanted to try again because they were so good that I wanted to be sure that they held up to a second test. Others I wanted to be sure that I had good reasons why I was giving them the score that I did. I found that one of the cartridges I initially didn’t think I liked that much had a lot of complexity and nuance in the flavor and effects, and after a second try I ended up scoring it higher than I initially had.

After I submitted my final review, I rolled a giant joint and was happy to smoke flower and anything other than a cartridge for a few days. Do not get me wrong, I love cartridges, and had an absolute blast judging, but there is just something I love about a good joint. By this time Corona was in full effect so I was not sure how or when I would hear who the winners were, but I had done my part for the 2020 sun cup.

I spent a total of two and a half weeks with all the samples that were provided to me.

An Email went out that the winners would be announced in a Zoom call award ceremony that was held on Sunday June 21st. It was so fun and exciting to watch and see the winners for different categories, and very cool to see that so many of the winners were companies that we carry at The Novel Tree and The Novel Tree Medical, and that we carried a lot of the specific winning products. We work very hard to have the best products on our shelves, and this was very reaffirming that we are on the right track in terms of who we partner with and the specific products we carry.

It was an amazing opportunity and experience to get to be a judge for the 2020 Sun Cup. I want to thank the Washington Sungrowers Industry Association for the opportunity and all their hard work putting on this event, especially with all the adjustments and precautions necessary during these uncertain times.

The Winners | Available at The Novel Tree Medical

Best THC Cartridge: Puffin Farms EVFO Hindu Kush

The care that went into every stage of this product is evident in the vapor. Puffin Farms EVFO (Extra Virgin Flower Oil) uses a low temperature during extraction to preserve as much of the essence of the plant as possible. Naturally high in terpenes the EVFO cartridges taste unlike any other cartridge on the market. The Hindu Kush is specifically very high in limonene which gives the oil an incredible bright citrus taste, and a naturally uplifting euphoric high. There’s a reason why this one came in first place, come check it out for yourself.

Runner Up, Best Infused Preroll: Puffin Farms Trifecta Big Bubble Dutch

Ever since the first batch of Trifecta pre-rolls came to The Novel Tree Medical they’ve been a customer and consultant favorite. The combination of flower with bubble hash and rosin gives the perfect combination of flavor, potency, and a nice slow burn that makes these perfect for sharing. The flavor is a bit spicy, and a bit earthy but the calming waves of relaxation without sedation makes this the perfect pre-roll for after a hike, or hanging out with friends.

Runner Up, Best Light-Deprived THC: Lazy Bee Miracle Alien Cookies

The Miracle Alien Cookies is one of those cannabis strains that is perfectly named. The bright euphoric profile will have your head in outer space with the aliens… while you are actually in the kitchen looking for some cookies. A perfect combination of energizing and intoxicating, this is the perfect cannabis for socializing, playing video games, or working in the garden.

Runner Up, Best CBD Flower: Lazy Bee Gardens Sour Tsunami

This very high CBD very low THC offering from Lazy Bee Gardens is the perfect option for a lot of situations. With over 13% CBD and less than 1% THC, its bright uplifting terpene profile means you could smoke this first thing in the morning instead of a cup of coffee for that perfect start to your morning. The powerful anti-inflammatory benefits of CBD are in full effect here as many will use this after work to help relax their body and mind at the end of the day. One of my favorite things to do with a high CBD like this is to mix it with one of my high THC strains. Mix this with another bright sativa for a clear headed energetic effect, or mix with a sedating indica for increased pain relief, relaxation, and a better night sleep.

Outstanding Cannabis Advocate: Micah Sherman of Raven Grass

We are so glad that Micah is being recognized for his incredible advocacy efforts. As long as I have worked at The Novel Tree, Raven Grass has been one of our premier partners. Their focus on breeding classic genetics into interesting new varietals and blending THC and CBD to create powerful potencies and effective ratios has made them a staple in both The Novel Tree and The Novel Tree Medical. The cannabis industry is better because of his efforts and we greatly appreciate his work both in and out of the garden.