NECANN threw its first Cup of Champions in New Jersey at the Atlantic City Convention Center during its 6th annual cannabis industry convention in the Garden State.
2025 NECANN NJ Cup of Champions
NECANN CEO Marc Shepard and 420 NJ Events CEO Brandon Robinson oversaw the 2025 Cup of Champions held during the convention.
The selection method was very unique.
Shepard described Mike Clinton as having overseen the judging process. But he was unable to attend, unfortunately, due to a death in the family.
“I’ve known him as a really great lover of the plant,” he added. “We’ve been doing it for 6 years in New England.”
Shepard said they worked with the South Jersey dispensary Holistic Solutions as their intake partner. So they had judge’s kits.
Some categories randomly had 2nd places and 3rd places, while others did not.
“Mike’s a little secret about his methodology. But one thing he’s done over the years is base the number of winners based on the entries,” Shepard noted.
On their website, they describe their New England Cup as a “Cannabis Competition, a third-party blind evaluation of cannabis and cannabis products. It features separate awards for home growers/caregivers and licensed facilities, with testing provided by Analytics Labs.”
With home growing a felony in New Jersey, it is not possible to include that legally.
No dispensaries got Cups versus plaques. Several dispensaries were awarded plaques first.
According to them, “the Best Dispensary Competition will assess participating dispensaries through NECANN’s Secret Shopper program, rating each location based on quality, customer service, product selection, and community involvement.”
NECANN Cup Winners
5 Star Dispensary Winners
- BluLight Cannabis
- Indigo Dispensary
- Joyleaf Dispensary
- Molly Ann Farms
- Plantopia Dispensary
- Releaf Cannabis
- Simply Pure Trenton
- Sussex Pharms
- The Social Leaf
- Urb’n dispensary
- Valley Wellness
- NJ Leaf
Best Beverage
1st Place: Berry Lemonade by Journeyman
Best Gummy
1st Place: Yuzu Go-To by Clique
Chocolates Category:
1st Place: Friendship bar Cannabar from Holistic Solutions and Inclusion Gourmet
Pre-Rolls Category:
1st Place: Haze Hazel Dip from Ayr Wellness
2nd Place: PK Crasher in Gorilla Chem OG ice water hash solvent infused by Miss Grass
3rd Place: FUHGEDDABOUDIT by Glass Meadows
Vape Cartridges
1st Place: Purple Diesel Live Rosin by Green Lightning Cannabis
2nd Place: Lemon haze All in one Vape by The Clear
3rd Place: 4ZO Sun Extractions
Solvent Concentrates
1st Place: Ghost Milk Reserve Verano
2nd Place: Thug Roze from Sun Extractions
3rd Place: Trop Cherry from Sun Extractions
Non-Solvent Concentrates
1st Place: Holy Fudge by Garden Greens
2nd Place: Permanent Chimera Green Lightning Cannabis
3rd Place: Haze Purple Diamonds Ayr Wellness
Best Hybrid Flower
1st Place: Potion Goddess? by Goodies
2nd Place: GG4xOreoz Bass River Buds NJ
3rd Place: Superboof by Green Lightning Cannabis
Best Indica Dominant Flower
1st Place: Tiramisu by Goodies
2nd Place: Candied Garlic by Happy Farmer
3rd Place: Milk Bath by Goodies
Best Sativa Dominant Flower
1st Place: Peaches by Goodies
2nd Place: Spritzer by Green Lightning Cannabis
3rd Place: Blue Dream by Happy Farmer
Best Dispensary in New Jersey
Joyleaf Dispensary
Overall Winner 2025
Holy Fudge by Garden Greens
(Heady NJ is working with Garden State of Mind to hold the 1st Annual Jersey Fire Awards in the Sheraton in Raritan Center in Edison on Saturday, November 22nd. Voting will be on-premises only and open to all who attend, 21+ of course. More details about the great upcoming party and show will be announced soon.)
Independent Brands Highlighted at High Rollers Lounge After Party
The Friday night after the first day saw a great range of parties held across Atlantic City throughout the convention. One of the competing Atlantic City lounges, High Rollers, threw a party at their place.
They called it “the 1st Annual Independent New Product Showcase.”
So attendees were offered tickets in exchange for goodies provided by independent cannabis brands. They legally gave them out at the dispensary counter by providing a receipt where it looked like they technically charged a penny per product, but then absorbed the cost.
Agri-Kind, which is owned by the same holding company as High Rollers, offered joints. In addition, Sun Extractions offered Space Ranger hash pre-rolls, Woodstock offered Cured Resin vapes, Inclusion Gourmet offered edible chocolate shapes like a spoon or a map of Jersey, Jersey Smooth offered disposable vapes, Lily Extracts offered hash rosin pre-rolls, and Victory Natural Farms offered a pre-roll pack.
While the line was long to get the goody bag, it was worth it.
Inside the 1920s Boardwalk Empire-style lounge, there was a great scene. After years of battling to be established, many Jersey cannabis entrepreneurs and professionals enjoyed the party and smoking weed together inside a cannabis stronghold.
Down the boardwalk, the small Massachusetts-based manufacturer Fernway threw a great party while hotboxing a nightclub and offered joints freely.
NECANN saw many interesting events, offerings, and parties throughout the event. Sunnytien, which has an operating lounge down the boardwalk,
also offered free shuttle services to their place during the convention.
