The High Times Cannabis Cup has come a long way since its scrappy beginnings in 1988. Born in Amsterdam’s smoky coffeeshops and now blossoming into a global competition judged by everyday fans, the Cup’s history is as colorful as cannabis culture itself. As High Times gears up for its New York Cannabis Cup in 2025, poised to be the biggest People’s Choice event in the Cup’s storied run, with winners announced January 16, 2026, it is the perfect time to look back on how this iconic competition became the world championship of weed.
The Cup Takes Root in Amsterdam
Amsterdam’s tolerant cannabis culture made it the perfect birthplace for the High Times Cannabis Cup in 1988.
In the late 1980s, High Times editor-in-chief Steven Hager had a radical idea: create an international festival to celebrate the best cannabis on the planet. Hager drew inspiration from clandestine NorCal harvest festivals where growers compared their finest buds in secret. He envisioned something bolder, a public competition out of the shadows that could push cannabis culture forward.
For the location, Hager chose Amsterdam, the one place on Earth where open cannabis consumption was de facto tolerated. Since 1976, Dutch coffeeshops could sell small amounts of cannabis and allow on-site use under local tolerance rules, so enthusiasts could gather and light up without fear. In November 1988, Hager’s vision became reality. The inaugural High Times Cannabis Cup took place in Amsterdam, planting the seed for an annual tradition.
That first Cannabis Cup was a humble affair by today’s standards. Only a handful of Dutch seed companies entered, and judging was left to a small panel of experts flown in by High Times. Among them was legendary cultivator Ed Rosenthal, a High Times columnist who made the trip specifically to lend his palate to the …
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Author: High Times / High Times
