Budist Newsletter: 2025 Reflections & Road Ahead
Dear Friends,
Two years ago, Budist began as a vision more than a company: a belief that cannabis should be evaluated and celebrated with the same rigor and cultural respect as fine wine. At a moment when price compression and volatility were eroding value across the industry, we set out to champion quality, elevate craft, and help usher in a true culture of connoisseurship.
December marked our two-year anniversary, and I’m incredibly proud of what our small, deeply committed team has built in such a short span. In 2025, Budist once again led the judging process for the California State Fair, now recognized as the largest and most respected cannabis competition in the state. We also launched the industry’s first bi-coastal cannabis competition in partnership with MJBiz, published our inaugural Harvest Report, expanded our network of professional Budists to 45 experts across California and New York, supported product launches for longtime advocates including Woody Harrelson and Wiz Khalifa, hosted more than two dozen tastings and salons, and produced thousands of independent reviews and connoisseur-focused editorial pieces.
What began as a small circle of dedicated connoisseurs has grown into a community of more than 40,000 people engaging with Budist across our platform, including consumers, farmers, makers, retailers, and industry leaders. Together, we’re helping professionalize cannabis by establishing shared standards, trusted evaluation, and clearer signals of quality. These are the foundations of any enduring, craft-driven category.
Initiatives like the Harvest Report represent an important step forward. By documenting growing conditions, regional character, and the voices of small craft farms, we’re contributing to a deeper historical record of cannabis that recognizes origin, seasonality, and the people behind the work. This effort is still in its early chapters, and in 2026 we’ll be expanding our thought leadership significantly, with more ambitious reporting, broader participation, and deeper collaboration across the industry.
As we move into the year ahead, our focus is clear. We’re doubling down on the partnerships that allow us to scale credibility, deepen impact, and bring greater visibility to excellence across the supply chain. The MJBowl will expand into additional states, bringing us closer to a truly national competition rooted in consistency and trust. In parallel, we’re launching a new retail program designed to translate reviews and award recognition into meaningful in-store education, consumer awareness, and sales.
From the start, we’ve believed that a rising tide lifts all boats. That principle continues to guide how we build and who we partner with. To our Budists, whose expertise and integrity power everything we do, and to the many partners who collaborate with us across competitions, retail, events, and editorial, thank you for trusting us to take on work that helps strengthen the foundation of our industry.
And to the farmers, craftsmen, enthusiasts, and advocates, thank you for showing up, for holding high standards, and for believing that cannabis can and should be evaluated on its merits. What began as a review platform has evolved into a vibrant ecosystem built around standards, trust, and a shared belief that quality should lead this industry forward.
2026 will be a defining year for Budist, and we’re excited to build it with you.
With Gratitude,
Jocelyn Sheltraw
Co-Founder & CEO
2024 California Harvest Report
In 2025, Budist published the first California Cannabis Harvest Report, bringing the vintage report tradition of fine wine into cannabis. The six-part series documents the 2024 sungrown harvest across five regions, capturing how place, weather, and farming decisions shaped the year’s crop and advancing a more agricultural, regionally grounded understanding of cannabis.
Later this month, we’ll open the call for submissions for the 2025 California Cannabis Harvest Report, inviting farmers across the state to participate and contribute to this growing body of work. This report marks the first step in a broader 2026 thought leadership effort focused on rigorous, category-level analysis that helps define quality and guide the market.
Read the Harvest Report series.
Woody’s Personal Stash
Budist produced the pre-launch sneak preview of Woody Harrelson’s new product line, Woody’s Personal Stash, a collaboration rooted in sungrown cannabis and crafted in partnership with Emerald Triangle farms Mattole Valley Sungrown and Trinity Alps Canna Craft. The event reflected a shared commitment to quality, origin, and thoughtful presentation, and underscored Budist’s role as a trusted partner for high-impact, community-driven product launches in cannabis.
Hosted at The Woods in West Hollywood, the evening centered on sungrown flower and the farmers behind it. Woody Harrelson was present throughout the night, spending time with guests and signing limited-edition stash boxes, as industry leaders, tastemakers, advocates, and notable cultural figures—including Leonardo DiCaprio—gathered to close out the year. The event brought together voices shaping both cannabis culture and its future.
Read the Event Recap.
MJBowl Retail Program & Tasting Events
We’re kicking off the year with a new retail program designed to extend MJBowl recognition beyond awards. Too often, awards live on as bragging rights only. This program was built to turn recognition into a practical retail tool that drives education, consumer engagement, and long-term value.
This work is core to Budist’s mission to diversify the retail shelf and support premiumization. The MJBowl retail program is rolling out with our retail partners—The Artist Tree in California and Gotham in New York—with plans to expand into additional states as the MJBowl grows.
Through dedicated retail displays and Budist-led tasting events, consumers are invited to meet the makers and judges and taste award-winning products with context, helping translate recognition into a clearer understanding of quality and why certain products command a premium.
To learn more about the MJBowl, how products are assessed, and the tools used to evaluate each category, read: Inside the MJBowl: The Role of Standardized Tools.
Upcoming Events
Save the date! We’re kicking off Q1 with a strong lineup of Budist-led consumer and industry events, with details coming to our Events page next week.
Rescheduling Panel & Networking
January 26 | Sessions by the Bay, San Diego
Hosted in partnership with Sessions by the Bay, Budist, and the Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, this panel and networking event will explore what federal rescheduling may mean for the industry.
MJBowl Tasting Series
January 28 | February 26 | March 26 | The Artist Tree, West Hollywood
Following the inaugural MJBowl, we’re bringing guided tastings to retail, offering consumers an opportunity to meet the brands and judges and explore the award-winning products.
Friends N Family Grammy Party
January 29 | West Hollywood
Budist is hosting an exclusive Cannabis Lounge within the long-running Friends ’N’ Family Party during Grammy Week, an invitation-only gathering of more than 2,000 music executives and artists.
Cannabis Culture and Change Conference
February 28 | West Hollywood
Budist will be participating in a one-day conference exploring the evolving relationship between cannabis, culture, and policy.
Connect with Us
If you’re a farmer, manufacturer, ancillary company, investor, expert, or advocate and want to be part of this community, we’d love to hear from you. Budist is built around connection, shared learning, and collaboration across the cannabis ecosystem.
For brands interested in working with Budist, we support producers through verified reviews, content, events, and competitions. Reach out to learn about our 2026 programs and services.
Connect with us here!