Smoking in the Desert at the Las Vegas Cannabis Cup

The High Times Cannabis Cup came to Nevada for the first time this past weekend amidst federal opposition and inclement weather.

Despite a threatening letter from U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden to the Moapa Paiute Tribe on Feb. 27, there was no visible crackdown on marijuana at the 2017 High Times Las Vegas Cannabis Cup staged on tribal lands in Moapa located 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Although the letter reminded the Tribe that the event would be in violation of federal law, no actions were taken against Cup attendees. Joints, dabs, blunts and bowls were openly smoked.

Nevada advocate Jason Sturtsman being interviewed on local news.

Freedom Leaf’s Deuvall Dorsey attended the event on Saturday. «I felt comfortable as a patient bringing medical marijuana into the Cup, and there were plenty of people smoking joints and doing dabs,» he explains.

Educational seminars focused on «The American Veteran and Cannabis» and «Nevada: The Road to Recreational Use,» «How To Get a Job in the Cannabis Industry.»

The Top Chef cook-off at the Cannabis Cup.

Other attractions included a showcase of art and photography from a wide range of artists, and a giant graffiti wall where artists collaborated to create a huge art installation. Vendors hawked cultivation equipment, smoking accessories, clothing, concentrate machines and everything in between. There were plenty of food trucks and tents featuring meals and munchies for the Cup attendees.

The Top Chef competition, sponsored by Magical Butter, went on minus the cannabis. «That put a crimp in the cooking competition,» the Los Angeles Times reported. «At the last minute, all cooking oils had to be replaced with regular oils.»

The judges for the Top Chef competition.

B-Real from Cypress Hill performed a set of the group’s greatest hits. With the temperature dropping rapidly and the desert winds howling, the crowd huddled inside the concert venue for Ludacris’ show.

«The dust was pretty bad,» Dorsey says. «It got on my skin and it was definitely something to think about when deciding what to eat.»

A huge balloon advertising a seed store from Huntington Beach, Calif. had to be taken down by quite a few employees after winds almost lifted their booth skyward.

As the first night came to a close, State Troopers made their presence known, flashing lights on their cruisers along the highway as a reminder to event-goers that they were being watched. «They were definitely sending a message,» Dorsey adds. «I didn’t really see anyone stopped on the side of the road, so I think it was just for show.»

Unfortunately, Day 2 of the Nevada Cup had to be cancelled due to high wind advisories from the National Weather Service. High Times issued the following statement:

«Unfortunately, due to high wind advisories from the National Weather Service, we will not be able to open Day 2 of the 2017 High Times Cannabis Cup in Las Vegas, presented with Ultra Health. A high wind warning went into effect this morning and will remain in effect until 10 pm PST with winds reaching 40 mph, including wind gusts over and above 60 mph. Obviously, the safety of our patrons is of the utmost importance to High Times, and we cannot put anyone in the middle of these dangerous weather conditions. After an exciting first day of celebrating cannabis in Nevada, we are deeply saddened that Day 2 cannot go on; however, attendees are encouraged to exchange tickets for passes to our SoCal Cannabis Cup in April. Please email cannabiscup@hightimes.com for any help, questions or concerns.»

Although there were fears of a government intimidation at the first major cannabis expo in Nevada since voters legalized marijuana in the Silver State on Nov. 8, no major police incidents occurred. At the end of the day, that’s progress.

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