How OG Strain Judges Cannabis Inside the Mind of an Empire State Cannabis Cup Judge

As some of you may or may not know, I’ve officially been asked to serve as a judge for the 2025–2026 Empire State Cannabis Cup, going down January 31st at the Clocktower, 37 Prospect St., Amsterdam, New York. First off—huge honor. Second—pray for my lungs 😅.

I’ve got approximately 65 strains to evaluate, score, and fairly judge before the tallies are locked in. That’s not just smoking weed for fun — that’s work. Serious work. Connoisseur work. So I wanted to pull back the curtain and explain exactly how I judge cannabis, because trust me, it’s way deeper than “yeah bro, this slaps.”

Let’s break it down.

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Step One: Looks Matter (But Only If You Look Correctly)

Here’s something most people don’t realize:
You cannot truly judge a bud’s appearance without good lighting.

That’s why my process starts with a simple but effective move — I take a photo using my iPhone 16 with the flash on, then examine the picture. The camera doesn’t lie, even if your living room lighting does.

When judging visual appeal, here’s what I’m looking for:
    •    Trichomes: Are they lightly dusted, medium-coated, or absolutely drenched like a Krispy Kreme glaze?
    •    Trim quality: Is it clean and intentional, or am I still playing Where’s Waldo with sugar leaves?
    •    Color profile: Are we seeing deep purples, vibrant greens, fiery orange hairs — or just one dull, lifeless green?
    •    Pistils (hairs): Are they bright, healthy, and popping? Or barely there and hiding under leaf?
    •    Bud structure: Dense? Airy? Balanced?

One thing I don’t judge in competitions like this is bud size. When you’re given a single gram, you don’t know if it’s a full nug or a breakup piece — so size gets a pass. That’s just being fair.

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Step Two: Smell — Don’t Sniff It, Open It

This is where a lot of people mess up.

You can’t just crack the jar and sniff the air. Especially with outdoor flower that still has leaf on it. You have to open the bud itself. That’s where the real terpene profile is locked in.

So I ask myself:
    •    Do I smell anything at all?
    •    Is it hay or wet grass? (Uh-oh.)
    •    Earthy? Fruity? Vanilla? Piney?
    •    Is it loud and unmistakable, or quiet and forgettable?

These scents tell me which terpenes are present — and whether they were preserved or lost along the way. Loud, expressive terpene profiles score higher. Flat, dull, or hay-smelling flower… well, you already know.

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Step Three: The High (Yes, It’s Two Different Categories)

This is where things get misunderstood, so let me be clear:

“How nice is the high”
and
“How strong is the high”
are two completely different things.
    •    How nice is the high?
Do I feel uplifted? Relaxed? Focused? Happy? Am I enjoying myself?
    •    How strong is the high?
How powerful is it? How fast does it hit? How long does it last?

Something can be strong but unpleasant, or pleasant but mild — and both deserve accurate scoring.

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The Scoring System: Keep It Honest

Each category is scored 1 through 10.
    •    10 = elite, standout, top-tier
    •    5 = average (and yes, average is exactly what it sounds like)
    •    1–4 = I’ll be polite… but I’d rather not smoke this again

If a strain scores around five across the board, it’s not bad — it’s just average. If it’s scoring fours everywhere, in all honesty, I probably wouldn’t have chosen it if I had options. But that’s the job.

You’ve got to get through the mids to find the magic — and trust me, in a competition like this, there’s plenty of both.

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Why This Matters

At the end of the day, this isn’t about ego or hype. It’s about respecting the growers, honoring their effort, and giving every entry a fair, knowledgeable, unbiased evaluation.

Whether it’s someone’s first Cannabis Cup or a seasoned grower who’s been doing this for decades — everyone deserves the same level of attention and integrity.

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Pull Up & Support the Culture

I truly hope to see you all there on January 31st. Come support:
    •    The growers
    •    The community
    •    The Plug’s Pages Magazine
    •    Strain’s Strain Reviews (Talk Cannabis)
    •    And yes… your boy OG Strain

This is bigger than one trophy. It’s about the 420 movement, the culture, and pushing cannabis forward the right way.

Stay lifted, stay educated, and I’ll see you at the Clocktower 🌱🔥

— OG Strain