{"id":1254,"date":"2012-04-21T07:32:12","date_gmt":"2012-04-21T07:32:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/?p=14600"},"modified":"2012-04-21T07:32:12","modified_gmt":"2012-04-21T07:32:12","slug":"history-of-the-cups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/history-of-the-cups\/","title":{"rendered":"History of the Cups"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/history-of-the-cups\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"239\" height=\"249\" src=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/History-of-cups.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Denver Cannabis CUp\" title=\"History of cups\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_14659\" style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a rel=\"attachment wp-att-14659\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/news-and-articles\/history-of-the-cups\/attachment\/history-of-cups\/\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14659\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-14659\" title=\"History of cups\" src=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/History-of-cups-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-14659\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Denver Cannabis CUp<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It is finally time for the Denver Medical Cannabis cup.\u00a0 If you are in Denver this weekend, please come and visit us as we will be one of the sponsors of the event!\u00a0 We are sure patients will gather for another safe event as they have in the past.\u00a0 But first, a quick look on how we got here&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>The first Cannabis cup was organized by <a title=\"Hager\" href=\"http:\/\/hightimes.com\/hager\/\" target=\"_blank\">Steven Hager<\/a>, of High Times Magazine.\u00a0 In 1987 <a title=\"Amsterdam\" href=\"http:\/\/www.iamsterdam.com\/en\/visitinghttp:\/\/www.iamsterdam.com\/en\/visiting\" target=\"_blank\">Amsterdam<\/a> was the most famous of cities for legalized consumption of marijuana. So it was held there, in a great smoke-off to find the finest marijuana that a person could smoke.\u00a0 In 25 years the contest has matured; there are multiple categories, seeking the best strains, hybrids, consumables, seeds and so forth.\u00a0 It has also developed into a massive trade show, where builders of bongs can showcase their latest pipes, vaporizers, and novelty papers.\u00a0 Vendors also bring in t-shirts and other apparel and all other kinds of accessories.\u00a0 As the Cup has grown, it has incorporated other elements that have accompanied marijuana use.\u00a0 It has embraced spirituality and the counterculture ideas of the late 60&#8217;s and 70&#8217;s.\u00a0 Also, as politics have shifted across the world, so have the ideas espoused by the Cup&#8217;s sponsors and attendees.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Today, the United States is host to four of High Times&#8217;s Medical Marijuana Cups.\u00a0 In Detroit, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco.\u00a0 The First one was the San Francisco Cup in 2010.\u00a0 Last year saw the inaugural events for Denver and Los Angeles also.\u00a0 These are not just pothead toke-fests as conservative demagogues would paint them; they&#8217;re not dens of sin, iniquity and crime, or doorways to destruction.\u00a0 These are modern affairs, full of people with honorable agendas seeking to help people who are suffering from various ailments. For many of these patients, cannabis holds the best treatments they can hope to receive.\u00a0 New categories include judging for high CBD (cannabidiol) strains, which the medical community now agrees hold the key to treating many neuromuscular disorders.\u00a0 One of the largest growing segments of the Cup community is for political activism.\u00a0 Most major events now have devoted sections to increasing political awareness.\u00a0 On a national stage most politicians won&#8217;t touch the topic of marijuana; there are few candidates, like <a title=\"Ron Paul\" href=\"http:\/\/paul.house.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ron Paul<\/a> and Gary Johnson, who are willing to discuss it.\u00a0 But on state and local levels, many politicians are eagerly discussing with their constituents.\u00a0 Also, there are many active groups like <a title=\"NORML\" href=\"http:\/\/norml.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">NORML<\/a>, <a title=\"LEAP\" href=\"http:\/\/www.leap.cc\/\" target=\"_blank\">LEAP<\/a> and <a title=\"ASA\" href=\"http:\/\/www.safeaccessnow.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">ASA<\/a> who attend these gatherings and try to increase awareness and activism.\u00a0 For years the pro-marijuana lobby was small and quietly ignored.\u00a0 Now attitudes are turning from universal recreational use (like alcohol and tobacco)\u00a0 to a focus more on compassionate care and medical use, at least in enough cases now to be taken more seriously.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Also, by highlighting the many failures of the 40 year-old &#8220;War on Drugs&#8221; people have realized that change, on a federal level, is necessary for the health of the Union and its people.\u00a0 All of this has helped the Cups to grow from crowds of hundreds to tens of thousands of supporters.<\/p>\n<p>The <a title=\"Seattle Hemp Fest\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hempfest.org\/drupal\/node\" target=\"_blank\">Seattle HempFest<\/a> is another event that has grown from very humble roots.\u00a0 The first one was held in Seattle in 1991, with only 500 people in attendance; last year&#8217;s event estimated close to 300,000 attendees!\u00a0 At each of these events people have gathered peacefully for several days.\u00a0 Recently, Cannabis use, in public, has been tolerated with no ill effects.\u00a0 Alcohol sales are banned at Hemp Fest, too.\u00a0 And in that wake, there have been no riots, no fights, no dangerous crimes committed.\u00a0 This is a far cry from the mighty fears that Henry J Anslinger stirred up when he pushed to have marijuana made illegal in the 1930&#8217;s.\u00a0 In 1991, there were no laws anywhere for compassionate use.\u00a0 Then, in 1998 Washington State passed their medical marijuana legislation.\u00a0 In 2003, Seattle made marijuana its lowest police priority and in 2008 the city stated it &#8220;would no longer prosecute simple possession cases.&#8221;\u00a0 This year, the state legislation approved patient cannabis gardens and an ordinance for cannabis collectives.\u00a0 With perseverance and patience, even the smallest of groups can hope to accomplish great deeds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"239\" height=\"249\" src=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/History-of-cups.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Denver Cannabis CUp\" title=\"History of cups\" \/><\/p>\n[caption id=\"attachment_14659\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"150\" caption=\"Denver Cannabis CUp\"]<a rel=\"attachment wp-att-14659\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/news-and-articles\/history-of-the-cups\/attachment\/history-of-cups\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-thumbnail wp-image-14659\" title=\"History of cups\" src=\"http:\/\/www.marijuana.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/History-of-cups-150x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/><\/a>[\/caption]\n<p>It is finally time for the Denver Medical Cannabis cup.\u00a0 If you are in Denver this weekend, please come and visit us as we will be one of the sponsors of the event!\u00a0 We are sure patients will gather for another safe event as they have in the past.\u00a0 But first, a quick look on how we got here&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>The first Cannabis cup was organized by <a title=\"Hager\" href=\"http:\/\/hightimes.com\/hager\/\" target=\"_blank\">Steven Hager<\/a>, of High Times Magazine.\u00a0 In 1987 <a title=\"Amsterdam\" href=\"http:\/\/www.iamsterdam.com\/en\/visitinghttp:\/\/www.iamsterdam.com\/en\/visiting\" target=\"_blank\">Amsterdam<\/a> was the most famous of cities for legalized consumption of marijuana. So it was held there, in a great smoke-off to find the finest marijuana that a person could smoke.\u00a0 In 25 years the contest has matured; there are multiple categories, seeking the best strains, hybrids, consumables, seeds and so forth.\u00a0 It has also developed into a massive trade show, where builders of bongs can showcase their latest pipes, vaporizers, and novelty papers.\u00a0 Vendors also bring in t-shirts and other apparel and all other kinds of accessories.\u00a0 As the Cup has grown, it has incorporated other elements that have accompanied marijuana use.\u00a0 It has embraced spirituality and the counterculture ideas of the late 60&#8217;s and 70&#8217;s.\u00a0 Also, as politics have shifted across the world, so have the ideas espoused by the Cup&#8217;s sponsors and attendees.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Today, the United States is host to four of High Times&#8217;s Medical Marijuana Cups.\u00a0 In Detroit, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco.\u00a0 The First one was the San Francisco Cup in 2010.\u00a0 Last year saw the inaugural events for Denver and Los Angeles also.\u00a0 These are not just pothead toke-fests as conservative demagogues would paint them; they&#8217;re not dens of sin, iniquity and crime, or doorways to destruction.\u00a0 These are modern affairs, full of people with honorable agendas seeking to help people who are suffering from various ailments. For many of these patients, cannabis holds the best treatments they can hope to receive.\u00a0 New categories include judging for high CBD (cannabidiol) strains, which the medical community now agrees hold the key to treating many neuromuscular disorders.\u00a0 One of the largest growing segments of the Cup community is for political activism.\u00a0 Most major events now have devoted sections to increasing political awareness.\u00a0 On a national stage most politicians won&#8217;t touch the topic of marijuana; there are few candidates, like <a title=\"Ron Paul\" href=\"http:\/\/paul.house.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\">Ron Paul<\/a> and Gary Johnson, who are willing to discuss it.\u00a0 But on state and local levels, many politicians are eagerly discussing with their constituents.\u00a0 Also, there are many active groups like <a title=\"NORML\" href=\"http:\/\/norml.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">NORML<\/a>, <a title=\"LEAP\" href=\"http:\/\/www.leap.cc\/\" target=\"_blank\">LEAP<\/a> and <a title=\"ASA\" href=\"http:\/\/www.safeaccessnow.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">ASA<\/a> who attend these gatherings and try to increase awareness and activism.\u00a0 For years the pro-marijuana lobby was small and quietly ignored.\u00a0 Now attitudes are turning from universal recreational use (like alcohol and tobacco)\u00a0 to a focus more on compassionate care and medical use, at least in enough cases now to be taken more seriously.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Also, by highlighting the many failures of the 40 year-old &#8220;War on Drugs&#8221; people have realized that change, on a federal level, is necessary for the health of the Union and its people.\u00a0 All of this has helped the Cups to grow from crowds of hundreds to tens of thousands of supporters.<\/p>\n<p>The <a title=\"Seattle Hemp Fest\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hempfest.org\/drupal\/node\" target=\"_blank\">Seattle HempFest<\/a> is another event that has grown from very humble roots.\u00a0 The first one was held in Seattle in 1991, with only 500 people in attendance; last year&#8217;s event estimated close to 300,000 attendees!\u00a0 At each of these events people have gathered peacefully for several days.\u00a0 Recently, Cannabis use, in public, has been tolerated with no ill effects.\u00a0 Alcohol sales are banned at Hemp Fest, too.\u00a0 And in that wake, there have been no riots, no fights, no dangerous crimes committed.\u00a0 This is a far cry from the mighty fears that Henry J Anslinger stirred up when he pushed to have marijuana made illegal in the 1930&#8217;s.\u00a0 In 1991, there were no laws anywhere for compassionate use.\u00a0 Then, in 1998 Washington State passed their medical marijuana legislation.\u00a0 In 2003, Seattle made marijuana its lowest police priority and in 2008 the city stated it &#8220;would no longer prosecute simple possession cases.&#8221;\u00a0 This year, the state legislation approved patient cannabis gardens and an ordinance for cannabis collectives.\u00a0 With perseverance and patience, even the smallest of groups can hope to accomplish great deeds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[263,1231,531,52,330,1232,376,324,1036,1233,1234,1235,1236,499,77,9,51,299,125,261,1237,1,3,18,1238,173,61],"tags":[2841,3801,3105,2632,2908,3802,2954,2902,7,3803,3804,3805,3806,3073,2655,2631,2877,2703,2839,3807,2622,3808,2751,6],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1254"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1254"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1254\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1254"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1254"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1254"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}