Event Recap: MJBowl Grand Tasting
For those who have been following the journey of the MJBowl, the Grand Tasting marked an important milestone — not just for the competition, but for how recognition shows up in retail.
In 2025, we launched the first bi-coastal MJBowl competition in partnership with MJBizCon. The goal was clear: establish a structured, credible competition that evaluates licensed retail products across states using a standardized judging rubric and methodology.
Budist assembled dedicated judging panels in both California and New York, evaluating products within their categories using the same framework to ensure consistency and reduce bias. In a market that spans nine product categories and thousands of SKUs, shared standards matter because they create clarity in what can otherwise feel overwhelming. They give retailers meaningful reference points when making purchasing decisions, help consumers develop a more confident and precise language around quality, and allow brands to be recognized for the quality and craftsmanship of their products rather than the strength of their marketing alone.
What made the competition unique was its partnership with retail. The 1st Place winners were not only awarded medals on stage at MJBizCon, they were placed directly into retail environments at The Artist Tree, where consumers could see, purchase, and experience them firsthand. Recognition moved from judging room to awards stage to retail shelf.
Turning Recognition Into Retail Impact
Across four The Artist Tree locations (West Hollywood, Hawthorne, Laguna Woods, and El Sobrante), the 1st Place winners were featured in dedicated display cases within the natural flow of shopping.
Today’s shelf reflects the full spectrum of cannabis — flower, pre-rolls, concentrates, vapes, edibles, beverages, and wellness — each with different formats, price points, and intended effects. Many stores carry between 500 and 2,000 different products, which can be difficult for both retail staff and consumers to navigate.
Shelf talkers and placards that highlight awards and ratings help consumers quickly spot standout products. They’re a familiar reference point, something people are already used to seeing when shopping for specialty products like wine, coffee, or cheese, and they make it easier to understand what distinguishes one product from another.
When clearer information is available at the moment of purchase, decisions become more intentional. Over time, that shift influences how products are grown, extracted, and formulated.
The Grand Tasting: Bringing the Winners to Life
To build on the in-store displays and bring the winners to life, Budist created a live tasting experience featuring six of the 1st Place award winners, presented by the people directly involved in growing, producing, and evaluating them. Offering guided tastings at the point of sale is a familiar and proven way to drive discovery. Consumers understand this model from wine shops and specialty food stores, where sampling shapes purchasing decisions in a more informed and confident way.
The MJBowl Grand Tasting took place inside The Artist Tree’s West Hollywood consumption lounge, inviting guests to experience six California 1st Place winners in a three-hour open evening format. Approximately 75 attendees, a mix of consumers and industry professionals, moved between stations at their own pace, engaging in conversation and learning more about how each product was cultivated, crafted, and selected.
The evening allowed guests to taste the products with engaging educational context rather than in isolation. Instead of relying solely on packaging or award placards, attendees were able to understand what distinguished each winner and why it earned top honors, creating a clearer connection between the award recognition on the shelf and the craftsmanship behind it.
The 2025 1st Place Winners
The MJBowl Grand Tasting winners included:
- Best Outdoor Flower: Jack Herer by Alpenglow Farms x Solful: Alpenglow Farms is a Humboldt County-based husband-and-wife cultivation team who partnered with Solful, a Northern California family-run retail chain known for its commitment to sungrown flower. Solful co-owner, Noah Melrod, represented the collaboration and spoke to their shared philosophy around regenerative farming and regional expression.
- Best Mixed Light Flower: Glitter Bomb by That Good Good Farm: That Good Good Farm is a second-generation farming family based in Mendocino County. Owner and grower Tamara Kislak served guests and discussed the cultivation practices behind Glitter Bomb, a strain known for its expressive terpene profile and balanced performance under mixed light conditions.
- Best Infused Pre-Roll: Whitethorn Rose Hash Hole by Fire King x Hogwash Pharms: Fire King, a San Francisco-based hash maker, partnered with Hogwash Pharms in Mendocino County, known for producing high-quality flower. Concentrate judges Colleen King and Chase Diffey served guests, highlighting the execution that earned it 1st Place.
- Best Solventless Vape: Papaya Solventless Rosin Bar by Natural Gas x RAWsin: Papaya Solventless Rosin Bar is a multi-award-winning product that also placed at the California Cannabis Awards at the California State Fair. The oil is sourced from Hash & Flowers and produced in collaboration with RAW and Chico Cannabis Co. David Petersen and Ilya Zaydenberg were representing and discussed formulation and hardware decisions behind the product.
- Best Solvent Concentrate: Amarelo Live Resin by Humboldt Terp Council: Produced out of CannaCraft in Santa Rosa, Humboldt Terp Council reflects decades of Northern California extraction experience. Robbie Castro represented the brand and discussed the terpene profile and processing approach behind Amarelo Live Resin.
- Best Solvent Vape: Agua Fresca All-in-One by Holy Water x Casa Flor: The Agua Fresca All-in-One Vape won the Golden Bear at the 2024 California Cannabis Awards. Recognized for flavor integrity, hardware design, and ingredient quality, this collaboration between Holy Water and Casa Flor was represented by both founding teams, who served guests and answered questions throughout the evening.
Read the 2025 MJBowl Winners blog for full list.
Why Awards & Tastings Matters
The MJBowl Grand Tasting brought evaluation, shelf visibility, and community education into the same room.
In a marketplace where shelves carry hundreds to thousands of products, clearer quality signals help people make more informed and confident choices. When consumers better understand what they are buying and why a product stands out, they are more inclined to pay for quality and build brand loyalty.
Over time, that feedback loop begins to shape the market. Producers pay attention to what is being recognized and why, and retailers think more carefully about how they merchandise and present products. Gradually, the overall standard of what reaches the shelf rises, and producers are better able to capture the value they deserve.
Get Involved
The MJBowl is not just about celebrating winners. It is about contributing to the long-term maturation of cannabis.
The 2025 California 1st Place winners are currently available at The Artist Tree locations (West Hollywood, Hawthorne, Laguna Woods, and El Sobrante) for those who want to experience them firsthand.
And for brands looking ahead, the 2026 MJBowl entry window opens this August.