Cannabis Competition “Best In Grass” Hitting The Illinois Market
Best in Grass’s first competition in the Lincoln state starts August 10.
Chicago, August 10, 2024 — Best in Grass, a national cannabis judging competition and product feedback platform, will host its first statewide competition in Illinois beginning August 10. 2,900 Illinoians will have the chance to discover and judge a variety of locally-grown cannabis products and crown the best in the state.
Judging Kits are loaded with Illinois cannabis products across 16 different recreational and medical categories, including best indica, sativa, and hybrid flower; edible categories such as gummies and non-gummies, concentrates, vape carts, beverages and more. In total, the competition will feature 30+ brands, 120+ product entries and hundreds of thousands of grams of cannabis including flower, concentrates, vape pens and edibles. Kits will be available for purchase at 34 select retailers across the state starting Saturday, August 10.
Judging Kits will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis. Pricing ranges between $25-$160 before taxes depending on the category. Judges will have until October 13 to submit detailed reports on the aesthetics, aroma, taste and effects of each product. Winners will be announced in late October during a live, in-person award celebration – details to be announced. Upon completion of the judging process, each customer will be offered a credit off their next purchase at the dispensary where they purchased their Judge Kit, paid for by Best in Grass.
Best in Grass Illinois is partnered with Bud & Rita’s, Curaleaf, Enlightened, Green Thumb Industries, Lux Leaf, NuEra, OKAY Cannabis, Revolution, Shangri-La, Trinity, Village, and Viola. Best in Grass is an entirely new player in the national cannabis space and has selected Illinois as its 3rd launch market. The venture comes from previous executives of High Times, a global name in cannabis known for its magazine and international Cannabis Cup events.
Co-founders Mark Kazinec and Joey Posney launched Best in Grass to take all the best parts of popular cannabis judging competitions and elevate them to the next level — for both the participating brands and the “judges”, who are everyday cannabis consumers. As more states have adopted cannabis-friendly policies, cannabis judging competitions have risen in popularity. But the approach Best in Grass is taking is truly unique, with a goal to support Illinois’s booming cannabis industry while appealing to a much broader base of consumers — the “canna curious” who might be interested in a sampling model that will help them identify which product type is the best fit for their lifestyle and needs. Best in Grass is also taking a different approach to the judging feedback process within the competition. The data intake from competition judges will be given to participating brands which could have a direct impact on product improvements and innovation. Mark Kazinec, the co-founder of Best in Grass, made the announcement.
“I’ve spent the past four years getting to know the vibrant Illinois cannabis community, which is a true standout among all of the cannabis-friendly states I’ve visited coast to coast. When it came time to select our launch markets for Best in Grass, we knew the Lincoln state was a perfect location,” Kazinec said. “As one of the most exciting cannabis markets in the US, Illinois consumers have shown up in droves for previous competitions. We’re looking forward to tapping into that loyal audience and connecting with the cannabis community through Best in Grass.”
For contest rules or questions, visit bestingrass.io.
Judging Kits will be available for purchase at the following retailers starting August 10:
Retailer lists are always on bestingrass.io for your reference
Highlighted Featured Retailers:
- RISE Dispensary – Mundelein 1325 Armour Blvd, Mundelein, IL 60060
- RISE Dispensary – Joliet on Colorado 2903 Colorado Ave, Joliet, IL 60431
- RISE Dispensary – Effingham 1011 Ford Ave, Suite #C, Effingham, IL 62401
- RISE Dispensary – Joliet on Rock Creek 1627 Rock Creek Blvd, Joliet, IL 60431
- RISE Dispensary – Lake in the Hills 270 N Randall Rd, Lake in the Hills, IL 60156
- RISE Dispensary – Niles 9621 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL 60714
- Lux Leaf 5539 Miller Cir Dr, Matteson, IL 60443
- Village Dispensary – Bucktown 1850 W Webster Ave., Chicago, IL 60614
- Viola-CHI – Broadview1516 Roosevelt Rd, Broadview, IL 60155
- Enlightened Dispensary – Schaumburg 820 E Golf Rd, Schaumburg, IL 60173
- Revolution Dispensary – Moline 4301 44th Ave Moline, IL 61265
- Revolution Dispensary – Maryville “2533A Vandalia St Suite A, Collinsville, IL 62234”
- Enlightened Dispensary – Mount Prospect “2015 E Euclid Ave, Mt Prospect, IL 60056”
- Revolution – Normal 1609 Northbrook Dr, Normal, IL 61761
- NuEra – Chicago 1308 W North Ave Chicago, IL 60642
- NuEra – Urbana 105 East University Avenue Urbana, IL 61801
- NuEra- East Peoria 504 Riverside Drive East Peoria, IL 61611
- Shangri-La 3128 S. Dirksen Pkwy. Springfield IL 62703
- Curaleaf – Skokie 10000 Skokie Boulevard, Skokie, IL 60077
- Curaleaf – Northbrook 755 Skokie Boulevard, Northbrook, IL 60062
- Curaleaf – Justice 8340 South Roberts Road, Justice, IL 60458
- Curaleaf – Worth 11425 South Harlem Ave, Worth, IL 60482
- Curaleaf – Morris 2400 Hiawatha Pioneer Trail Morris, IL 60450
- Curaleaf – Deerfield 677 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield, IL 60015
- Curaleaf – New Lenox 709 East Lincoln Highway, New Lenox, IL 60451
- Curaleaf – Melrose Park 1413 West North Avenue, Melrose Park, IL 60160
- Curaleaf – Weed St 923 West Weed Street, Chicago, IL 60642
- Curaleaf – Westmont 11 East Ogden Avenue, Westmont, IL 60559
- Okay Cannabis – Wheeling 781 N. Milwaukee, Wheeling IL 60090
- Trinity 3125 N. University St., Peoria IL 61604
- Okay Cannabis – Evanston 100 Chicago Ave, Evanston IL 60202
- Okay Cannabis – Chicago Ave 1914 W. Chicago Ave, Chicago IL 60622
- Bud & Rita’s 3425 W. Belmont, Chicago IL 60618
- Bud & Rita’s 5960 W. Touhy Ave, Niles IL 60714
Key Dates for Best in Grass 2024:
July 29-August 2: Intake at each retailer Facility
August 3-7: Organizing products, packing Judge Kits at each retailer location
August 10: Kits on sale!
Sunday, October 13: Judging deadline
Tuesday, October 29: Winners will be announced live in-person event (Pending venue avails)
Categories for Illinois’s Competition 2024:
Best in Grass Categories
Indica Flower
Sativa Flower
Hybrid Flower
Pre-Rolls
Infused Pre-Rolls
Solvent/Non-Rosin Vape Pens & Cartridges
Non-Solvent/Rosin Vape Pens & Cartridges
Non-Solvent Concentrates
Solvent Concentrates
Edibles: Gummies
Edibles: Non-Gummies
Syrups and Beverages
MEDICAL Flower
MEDICAL Vape Pens
MEDICAL Concentrates
MEDICAL Edibles
About Best in Grass
Launched in 2024, Best in Grass is a national cannabis judging competition and product feedback platform designed to help consumers Find Their High and Find Their Why. By combining the rich experience of a sample-based cannabis competition with sophisticated data collection, the company helps consumers experience a variety of cannabis products while providing industry brands with feedback and intelligence, leading to innovation and product development. To learn more, visit BestinGrass.io.
