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The smell of marijuana was ubiquitous at The Errl Cup over the weekend in Tempe.
Patients came to Tempe from around the state to sample flower and concentrates from local dispensaries and caregivers, to enjoy live music and an onsite glass-blowing demonstration, and to see awards presented for best products and services.
Testing was a focus of the event. Patients eagerly pored over the results of C4 Laboratories’ analysis of the products that were entered and secret-shopped from around the state.
“You can’t understand or quantify the medicinal benefits of a product unless you know what cannabinoids and terpenes are in it,” said Ryan Treacy, chief operating officer of C4 Laboratories. “There can also be potentially harmful substances, such as fungicides, pesticides, growth regulators, and concentrates' residual solvents. All these things need to be considered. People need to know what’s in their medicine before it goes in their bodies.”
Treacy said this type of accountability is lacking in the current medical-marijuana market in Arizona.
“We need to be more transparent with patients," Treacy said. "Patients shouldn’t just have to trust what a dispensary or caregiver says. It should be proven with an independent test.”
Treacy also pointed out that testing is already mandatory in more mature markets such as Colorado and Washington.
Errl Cup awards were given based on the testing as well as the preferences of judges and a few randomly selected patients. A full list of award winners can be seen below.
Dispensary: Most Knowledgeable
1. Monarch Dispensary & Wellness Center
2. Nature’s AZ Medicines
3. Urban Greenhouse
Dispensary: Best Customer Service
1. The Downtown Dispensary
2. Yavapai Herbal Services
3. The Giving Tree
Dispensary: Best Environment
1. Nature’s AZ Medicines
2. Herbal Wellness Center
3. Health For Life
Dispensary: Best Sativa Flower
1. Monarch Dispensary & Wellness Center
2. Sunflower Meds
3. TruMed
Dispensary: Best Indica Flower
1. Herbal Wellness Center
2. Kind Meds
3. Health For Life
Dispensary: Best Solvent Based Sativa Extract
Nature’s AZ Medicines
Dispensary: Best Indica Solvent Based Extract
Yavapai Herbal Services
Dispensary: Best Indica Non Solvent Extract
Herbal Wellness Center
Dispensary: Best High CBD Concentrate
Nature’s AZ Medicines
Dispensary: Best Sativa Vape Pen
Yavapai Herbal Services
Dispensary: Best Indica Vape Pen
Herbal Wellness Center
Caregiver: Best Sativa Flower
1 Advanced Organic Consultant
2 Sweet Leaf Farms
3 TVR LLC
Caregiver: Best Indica Flower
1 Advanced Organic Consultants
2 Sweet Leaf Farms
3 Sweet Leaf Farms
Caregiver: Best Solvent Based Extract
Omnipotent Extract
Caregiver: Best Non Solvent Extract
TVR LLC
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