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Where Autoflowers Set the Pace – Ganjapreneur

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Where Autoflowers Set the Pace – Ganjapreneur

of Autoflower America’s Cup returns to California on January 31, 2026, bringing the fourth annual celebration of flowering cannabis genetics to Be True Los Angeles. Once underrated, autoflowers are now at the cutting edge of modern breeding, and the Cup has become the definitive stage for tracking that transformation.

Led by curator Jeremy Norrie, one of America’s earliest automotive flower champions, the event combines competition, education and culture to show how far the category has come and where it’s going next. “Autoflowers have evolved beyond expectation,” says Norrie. “This is where we measure that growth—in flavor, power, creativity and passion.”

2025 in Review: A Turning Point for Automatic Flowers

The 2025 Autoflower America’s Cup marked a defining moment for the category, attracting nearly 80 entries and offering a range of benchmark achievements. Atlas Seeds set a new potency record, pushing THC levels into uncharted territory, while Twenty20 Mendocino’s Love Bomb Auto appeared as Best new strain 2025drawing attention to both performance and profile.

Established community leaders Fast Buds and Mephisto Genetics (both ex The best car flower breeder recipients) continued to influence the direction of modern automotive flower genetics, reinforcing the growing credibility of the category on a global stage.

As curator Jeremy Norrie said:

“Every year, the cars get faster, stronger, more durable and more respected. What was once overlooked has become a legitimate showcase for some of the best breeding work in the US and beyond.”

Best Auto Hash

Introduced in 2025, Best Auto Hash highlighted a major shift in perception, proving that autoflowers are capable of producing high-quality, solvent-free rosin suitable for hashing. The category raised expectations across the board, and in 2026, the bar rises even higher as a wider field of extractors enter the competition.

Best Flower Breeder – Community Vote

This award remains firmly in the hands of the community. Determined by public vote, it recognizes the breeders who shape today’s automotive flower landscape. Past winners include Fast Buds and Mephisto Genetics, with voting for the 2026 title now open on the Cup website.

Highest THC – lab verified

Connoisseurs know that many factors contribute to quality, but overall potency continues to be a major consideration for growers around the world. In 2025, Atlas Seeds set a new standard with Think Breath Autotesting at 30.33% THC, an inflection point that redefined what autoflowers can achieve at the upper end of cannabinoid expression.

Meet the judges: Experience, Craft and Culture

The 2026 panel brings together respected voices in cannabis cultivation, education, extraction, journalism and culture.

All judges participate equally in a blinded and balanced evaluation process.

  • Kyle Kushman – Award-winning organic grower, educator, advocate
  • Danny Danko (Dan Vinkovetsky) – Veteran journalist and cultivation expert
  • Jenn Doe – Multi-awarded grower and single-source hashmaker
  • Maxwell Pharms – Dual Award Automotive Flower Farmer
  • Austin Kress (Stony McBlaze) – Cultivator, creator and cultural storyteller. In addition to his judging duties, Austin will bring his signature comedy to the Awards Ceremony’s entertaining lineup
  • IcanTHC – Cultivator, educator and influential media voice
  • Madman Plant – second time judge and host of the mental health panel
  • Jordan Harker – Founder of Autoflower.org and commercial cultivation specialist
  • David Downs – Acclaimed journalist documenting the culture, science and politics of cannabis

Together, they represent a multi-layered view of today’s cannabis landscape.

Education and Mental Health Panel

The 2026 American Autoflower Cup includes an Education and Mental Health Panel that addresses the human side of cultivation – where learning, discipline and personal well-being intersect. The session examines how structure, routine, and realistic expectations play a critical role in not only growing stronger plants, but maintaining balance and longevity as a grower.

Led by experienced growers and respected community voices, the talk explores common challenges such as creative pressure, burnout and the steep learning curve presented by modern autoflower genetics. Participants can expect practical suggestions, shared perspectives and an open, non-judgmental dialogue rooted in lived experience.

The panel is included with every event ticket and will take place during the Awards evening on January 31st.

Organized by Adam Ill

A familiar presence at the Cup, Adam Ill returns for his fourth year as host of the Awards Ceremony. A comedian and staple of cannabis culture, Adam blends humor with genuine community knowledge, keeping the night engaging, energetic and rooted in authenticity from start to finish.

Sponsor Spotlight: ELEMENTS + Industry Leaders

The 2026 sponsor list comes in stronger than ever.

ELEMENTS joins as an official sponsor, supporting the full judging process and the Awards Ceremony. They sit alongside an industry-leading partner table, including:

● Grove bag

● AC Infinity

● Dr. Dabber

● Harvest of Neptune

● Doctor Zymes

Not Just a Pageant: A Cultural Milestone

What started as an ambitious idea has become a defining element in the cannabis calendar. As its international reach continues to grow, the American Autoflower Cup brings together science, community, culture and craft, creating a rare space to witness the evolution (and future) of autoflower genetics.

Contest registration is now open

Learn more, register your entry and get your tickets on the website:

Join us on January 31, 2026 at Be True Los Angeles. Join the movement, because autoflowers aren’t here to compete, they’re here to lead!

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Geek THCX Now Available in 300+ Licensed Dispensaries Across California

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Geek THCX Now Available in 300+ Licensed Dispensaries Across California

Los Angeles, CA- GEEK THCX has announced its expansion to more than 300 licensed distributors throughout California, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s continued market growth and retail partnership strategy.

Over the past year, GEEK THCX has focused on building long-term relationships with licensed distributors throughout California. The expansion reflects continued order activity, retailer confidence and increased brand recognition in multiple regions of the state.

In addition to increasing retail sales, the company has introduced advanced hardware innovations in select devices. Recent developments include a full smart display interface and integration with a special VPU performance system designed to support output consistency, device stability and a controlled user experience.

The brand is also embracing modern direct-to-consumer marketing strategies that drive digital engagement. In 2026, consumers often turn to digital channels when looking for officials Geek Bar THC products and brand information, and GEEK THCX continues to establish itself as a distinct, formally operated brand with a structured approach to both its physical retail and digital channels.

The technology-forward approach reflects GEEK THCX’s broader commitment to engineering standards and product reliability within competitive retail environments.

Product availability varies by market and distribution channel. The company’s expansion in California is focused on licensed distribution partnerships, while certain product lines are made available through the brand’s official online platform in accordance with applicable regulations.

“Our expansion across California represents more than just store counts,” a company representative said. “It reflects operational sustainability, retail confidence and continued investment in product development.”

GEEK THCX plans to further strengthen its retail presence by continuing to invest in innovation, performance systems and structured market expansion strategies.

For additional information about GEEK THCX, Geek THC, Geek Bar THC and official product availability, visit https://geek-thcx.com.


About GEEK THCX

GEEK THCX is a performance-focused vape brand dedicated to retail partnerships, structured distribution and technology-driven product development. The company works with licensed distributors in California while operating an official online platform for certain product lines. Through continuous innovation and market expansion, GEEK THCX remains committed to building long-term brand presence in regulated environments.

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The Grassroots Press Revolution Has Arrived: Introducing the Green Press Collective

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The Grassroots Press Revolution Has Arrived: Introducing the Green Press Collective

When it comes to publicity and marketing, herbal medicine brands have always had to play by different rules. Restricted from mainstream advertising, penalized on social media and fighting stigma at every turn, getting the word out has never been easy. And while mainstream news provides wide distribution, it rarely gives meaningful attention: herbal medicine stories get lost in the noise, ignored by media that don’t understand or care about this space. That changes today.

Four of the most popular grassroots media platforms in the cannabis space: Ganjapreneur, CashColorCannabis, Beard Bros Pharms AND Fat Nugs magazine have officially joined forces to launch the cannabis industry’s first media co-op: Green Press Collective (GPC). Built by industry, operated within industry and designed to serve industry.

GPC was created with a simple mission: to build an effective media distribution solution that actually reaches the cannabis, psychedelic and herbal medicine audiences that brands and businesses are trying to connect with, while also encouraging industry participants to engage directly with the independent media platforms that have supported these communities for years.

For the first time ever, cannabis and herbal medicine companies now have a centralized media hub capable of delivering massive, targeted outreach directly to the community and the culture itself.

Built by Community and Culture

Major press distribution services have long positioned themselves as the default option for cannabis businesses looking to make announcements, launch products, secure visibility or build legitimacy. But the reality within the industry has often looked very different. Many companies have found themselves paying a price for press releases that disappear into the digital abyss, generating little meaningful engagement from consumers, operators, advocates or members of the actual cannabis community.

“That’s the kind of no-nonsense approach that operators in our industry don’t have time for. Throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks is not really a winning strategy,” said Dustin Hoxworth, Founder of Fat Nugs Magazine.

“I’ve been telling brands and businesses within the cannabis industry for years now that their press release that they’re spending thousands of dollars with PR Newswire and others is like setting fire to your money. No one really cares and you won’t get the eyeballs that matter to you. Meanwhile, the mainstream media has become notorious for controlling a number of known and unknown control massive portions of what people see, hear and believe every day. That kind of narrative control is dangerous and one of the only ways to counter that is by supporting grassroots media instead of giant corporate machines watching us from the outside.

The Green Press Collective completely changes the equation by combining the audience, influence, reach, editorial infrastructure and cultural credibility of four independent cannabis media companies with deep roots into one coordinated publishing network.

Together, the collective represents over half a million social media followers, 110,000+ email subscribers and 80,000+ monthly website visitors. Most importantly, the people behind GPC are not outsiders looking in. They come from the community and culture themselves and have covered the space for years, so their combined audience is extremely important to anyone looking to reach business owners, professionals and connoisseurs of the space.

“This is much bigger than media coverage,” said Mehka King, Founder of CashColorCannabis. “For years, we’ve each told important stories, built trust with our audiences, and documented this industry from the inside. By coming together, we’re creating opportunities to help give those stories more reach and ensure culture remains part of the conversation as the industry continues to evolve.”

A new era for independent cannabis media

Green Press Collective has already spent months quietly operating behind the scenes, testing systems, refining operations, improving publishing workflows and working directly with selected brands and partners to ensure the structure is fully prepared before its official launch. According to the founding members, the early response has proven that a broader distribution infrastructure built specifically for the cannabis and herbal medicine audience has been sorely needed for years.

“I think offering brands an option to publish announcements directly is the most transparent and effective way for publishers to monetize distributions,” said Noel Abbott, Co-Founder and CEO of Ganjapreneur. “We get so many press releases sent to us every day, there’s no way we can read them all and still do our policy coverage, and it always confused me to think that these brands were basically paying a corporate middleman to send me a hundred emails a day. Why not give people a way to share their company news directly with their target audience? Once we all got a call to talk, the idea it was obvious.”

The formation of GPC also represents a deliberate shift toward collaboration, bringing independent publishers together to build a collective infrastructure strong enough to compete with major advertising and media networks. Instead of sending marketing dollars out of the ecosystem chasing hypothetical results, GPC gives brands an opportunity to get guaranteed exposure while directly supporting the selling points that emerge for this industry every day.

“This industry was built by people who understood the power of community long before anyone outside of cannabis saw the opportunity. That same spirit is what makes the Green Press Collective so important. By connecting four independent cannabis publications, we’re creating a stronger, more unified platform for brands that want real visibility with the audience that actually cares. GPC gives the industry a way to invest in the cannabis market, making the support of the media, making her believe through voices that have earned their credibility.” Bill Levers, Co-Founder of Beard Bros Pharms & Media.

The future of mainstream media starts now

The collective’s long-term vision extends beyond the distribution of press releases. Future plans already being explored include expansion to include additional publishing channels, additional multimedia offerings, cross-platform content collaborations, event integration, and new forms of audience amplification in the cannabis, psychedelic, and herbal medicine sectors.

Right now, founding organizations are focused on providing notification delivery and building the infrastructure to deliver meaningful results. Brands, operators and organizations interested in submitting notices can review the guidelines and learn more about the process via the GPC website:

https://www.greenpresscollective.com

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CannaCon Returns to St. Paul June 26–27, Bringing Industry Leaders, Education, and Networking to Minnesota’s Cannabis Market

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CannaCon Returns to St. Paul June 26–27, Bringing Industry Leaders, Education, and Networking to Minnesota's Cannabis Market

Pot Brothers at Law, Roundtable Discussions and an Exclusive Q&A with the Office of Cannabis Management Highlight This Year’s Event

ST. PAUL, MN – CannaCon, the nation’s premier B2B cannabis conference and expo, returns to the Saint Paul RiverCentre on June 26–27, 2026, bringing together cannabis entrepreneurs, growers, retailers, processors, manufacturers, investors and industry service providers from across Minnesota.

As Minnesota’s adult-use cannabis market continues to evolve, CannaCon St. Paul offers attendees a unique opportunity to connect directly with industry experts, regulators and business leaders as they explore the latest products, services and innovations shaping the future of cannabis.

One of this year’s featured attractions is an appearance by nationally known people Pot Brothers at Lawattorneys Marc and Craig Wasserman, known for their viral “Shut the F*ck Up” campaign that educates cannabis consumers and businesses about their legal rights. Attendees will hear first-hand insights into boating interactions with law enforcement and regulators while protecting themselves and their businesses.

In addition to a robust seminar program, CannaCon St. Paul will display interactive The Round Table designed to foster meaningful conversations among cannabis professionals. These peer-to-peer sessions will allow attendees to exchange ideas, share experiences and discuss the real-world challenges and opportunities facing operators in Minnesota’s emerging market.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a special Question and Answer Session with the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). This highly anticipated session will provide valuable insight into licensing, compliance requirements, regulatory updates and the future direction of Minnesota’s cannabis industry.

“Our goal is to create an environment where businesses can learn, connect and grow,” said Angela Grelle, Director of Marketing for CannaCon. “With Minnesota’s cannabis industry entering an exciting new phase, we’re proud to offer a platform that connects entrepreneurs with the education, resources and relationships they need to succeed.”

In addition to educational programming, attendees can explore over one hundred exhibitors showcasing cultivation technology, retail solutions, extraction equipment, packaging, compliance services, financial resources, software platforms and other products designed to help cannabis businesses thrive.

Whether you’re preparing to launch a new cannabis venture, expand an existing operation, or stay ahead of industry trends, CannaCon St. Paul offers two days of education, networking and business-focused opportunities.

Event details

CannaCon St. Paul 2026
26–27 June 2026
Saint Paul River Center
St. Paul, Minnesota

For tickets, exhibitor information and event updates, visit CannaCon.org.

About CannaCon

CannaCon is the nation’s premier B2B cannabis conference and expo, bringing together cannabis industry professionals for education, networking and business development opportunities. Since its inception, CannaCon has connected thousands of entrepreneurs, operators and industry experts helping businesses grow in legal cannabis markets across the United States.

Media contact:
Angela Grelle
COO
CannaCon
angela@cannacon.org
www.cannacon.org

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