These Are The Judges For The 2021 Emerald Cup

Despite a difficult year for the industry, this year’s Emerald Cup Contest and Awards Show has over 600 entries. In celebration, The Emerald Cup is launching its own TV channel on Social Club TV where viewers can watch some of that judging as it happens — complete with commentary.

The heavy load of judge’s table management is a full time job for Taylor Blake - daughter of EC founder Tim Blake - and competition director Victoria Shea, who manages an intricate (and apparently pandemic proof) supply chain network allowing judges to make their selections based on a specific criteria including the smell, taste, look, and the high. 

Here’s the official rundown of judges for this years competition along with the official bios of a few of the judges from The Emerald Cup directly.

B-Real of Cypress Hill aka “Dr. Greenthumbs”

With his work in the pioneering hip-hop group Cypress Hill, rapper B Real became something of a hip-hop legend for several reasons. Most immediately, his trademark rhyming style and a jazz singer's skill at staying just behind DJ Muggs' already sluggish beats, was one of the most instantly recognizable flows of the 1990s. Furthermore, B Real and his co-partners Sen Dog and DJ Muggs were the first Latino hip-hop stars, ushering in a richly varied subgenre of hip-hop that thrives to this day. Finally, Cypress Hill's fervent proselytizing on the subject of marijuana legalization both brought the subject to its highest public awareness since the days of Cheech & Chong and paved the way for a generation of weed-happy fans to discover and identify with hip-hop to an even greater degree than before. As the founder of cannabis brand and dispensary chain Dr. Greenthumbs, an accomplished TV and podcast star and a continued advocate for cannabis rights, B Real is a powerful voice of the industry.

Roger Volodarsky, CEO of Puffco

It’s true that Roger Volodarsky initially founded Puffco – the industry’s premier vaporizer company – on a dare from a friend. An early adopter of cannabis concentrates and a serial entrepreneur, Roger quickly identified several gaps in the vaporizer marketplace – including a growing demand for well-designed devices – and set to work designing Puffco’s first product. With a hands-on approach to leadership, Roger immersed himself in all aspects of the vaporization marketplace, from the engineering challenges presented by the devices themselves through to the branding, marketing, and packaging of Puffco. In 2013, the company launched its first device, The Puffco Pro. Seven years later, the company has expanded their line of products – which now includes the award-winning Puffco Peak smart rig, the Puffco Plus vape pen, and the newest flagship device, the Peak Pro – as well as a line of accessories and apparel. Along the way, Puffco has garnered widespread critical acclaim, numerous awards and recognition as the obvious industry benchmark.

“As a relatively small company, we function like a startup, which gives us the freedom to continually disrupt the current marketplace by focusing on high-design engineering to create what we think are the most anticipated new vaporizers, and complementary accessories, on the market,” said Roger. His goal is to provide the highest quality and most memorable vaping experience for enjoyment of concentrates and oils. “We are the consumers we make our products for,” Roger explained. “So our goal is to develop products we wish existed instead of products we hope people will buy, which makes this such an exciting challenge.” 

Puffco aims to satisfy the needs and expectations not only of the true connoisseurs but also the next generation of concentrate enthusiasts.

Abdulluh Saeed, host of Great Moments in Weed History

Abdullah Saeed is a Pakistani-American writer, producer, reporter, host, and actor by way of Thailand who is currently based in Los Angeles. Abdullah created and produced several of Vice's prominent cannabis properties, including the James Beard Award-nominated cooking show Bong Appetit (produced and hosted 16 web episodes and 30 TV episodes). He also hosted and produced the political road trip TV series Vice Does America, executive produced by Spike Jonze. Since 2012, he has written for Vice, Guardian, Atlantic, High Times, Complex, Mic, Village Voice, and others.

More recently, Abdullah was a recurring actor and writer on the hit HBO series High Maintenance. He's currently writing a feature film for New Regency and Searchlight Pictures with High Maintenance co-creator and star Ben Sinclair. Abdullah is also an investigative reporter for Greater LA on KCRW, LA's NPR station, for which he was a second-place finalist in the 2019 Associated Press Television and Radio Association broadcast contest.

A full list of The Emerald Cup Judges:

Flower Judges Panel:

• B-Real, Artist, Cypress Hill
• Nikki and Swami, Swami Select
• Alec Dixon, SC Labs
• Josh Wurzer, SC Labs
• Eric Brandstad, GH Advisory
• Matty Chiu, Continuum (RvR)
• Matthieu St. Germain, Sonoma Pacific
• Joe Sullivan, Mercy Wellness
• Jessica Hwang, Frosty
• Zach Mullins, Field Extracts
• Aaron Silverman, The Aaron Silverman
• Chang Weisberg, Guerilla Union
• Justin Shivley, New Generation
• Reese Benton, Posh Green Collective
• Josh Priebe, JustLive CBD, SK8MAFIA
• Dave Beinenstalk, Great Moments in Weed History
• Guy Rocourt, Papa & Barkley

Solvent-Less Concentrates Judges Panel:

• Nick Tanem, Essential extracts
• Tony Pitts, HoneySuckle Lotus
• Jimi Devine, LA WEEKLY
• Dorian Schraner, Beezle
• Ashley Gaertig, Ice Out Extract
• Flora, Cuban Hash Queen
• Roger Volodarsky, Puffco
• Maya Elisabeth, OM
• The Dank Duchess

Cartridges Judges Panel:

• Nicole Powell, Head of Procurement & Logistics
• Etienne Fontain, Berkeley Patients Group
• Amit “Bamboo” Vachher-Gnanathurai, Coastal Seeds
• Arian Roman, Alysida Health, KQ, MCANNA
• Eliza Maroney, Lucky Box
• El Rock, Phinest Cannabis
• Dr. Del Potter, Leef Holdings, ZBN Research
• David Hua, Meadow

Hydrocarbon Judges Panel:

• Kitt Hall, Trove/Legends Exotics
• Ted Lidie, Alien Labs
• Kevin Chapman, Puffco
• Todd McCormick, AG Seed Co
• April Black, Higher Way Travel
• Bobby Black, CA Leaf Magazine
• DJ Pooh, Artist, DJ
• Brian Malin, Vital Garden Supply
• Dani Walton, Nxt. LVL
• David Angular, Loaded
• Abdullah Saeed, Great Moments in Weed

CBD Judges Panel:

• Jazz Dixon
• Tawnie Logan
• Sue Summerford
• Fred Gardner, Oshaunasy’s
• Tanama Varas
• Gannon Castner, Space Coyote
• Dale Sky Jones, Oaksterdam
• Chelsea Lucich, Solful

Topicals Judges Panel:

• Bridget Brandstad
• Aaron Scarbourough, New Tropic
• Laniakea Evens, 365 Recreational
• Monique Tejasri, Flow Kana
• Jamie Loeb, Nederlander
• Salwa Ibrahim, MKSI Investments, Cookies Oakland
• Chris Muffoletto, Rosette

Tincture Judges Panel:

• Ray Arias, Karma Stoned
• Amanda Reiman, Flow Kana
• Alicia Rose
• Heather Burke, Attorney
• Julie Chiariello, Skunk Magazine
• Lyric Harris

Edibles Judges Panel:

• Keiko Beatie, Edibles Magazine
• Elise McRoberts, Doc Greens
• Nick Torres, Beezle
• Lisa Clamp, Product Maker
• Manndie Tingler, Delivery Service
• Krystal Fortman, Herb and Market
• Jamie King & Diana Schraner, Red Door