Empire State Cannabis Cup Season Is Here — And I’ve Got News for Growers, Judges, Artists, Entrepreneurs, and the Entire Community

By OG Strain

Ladies and gentlemen.
Growers and grinders.
Judges, jar-sniffers, terp-hunters, artists, entrepreneurs, and people who “just came to look” but somehow stayed all day.

The Empire State Cannabis Cup is almost here, and you can feel it in the air. Jars are popping. Notes are being scribbled. And somewhere right now, someone is telling their friends, “Nah, this one’s definitely taking first.”

So let’s clear the smoke, lay everything out properly, and make sure nobody misses an opportunity — because yes, my offer still stands, and no, you don’t have to wait.

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To Every Grower Who Entered the Cup (Indoor or Outdoor): This Is Active Now

Starting right now, any grower who entered the Empire State Cannabis Cup — indoor or outdoor — can reach out to me directly on Facebook Messenger.

👉 My Messenger is under Timothy Strain.

No applications.
No delays.
No secret decoder ring.

If you want a private, honest, straight-up breakdown of:
• What I thought about the flower you entered
• How it smoked
• What stood out (good and bad)
• What I wrote about it
• And whether it landed in my personal Top 10

…just message me.

And if Messenger gets buried or you can’t reach me right away, you can also make a post to get my attention in the public Facebook group:
👉 Talk Cannabis (Strain Reviews)

Let me be very clear, because clarity saves headaches later:
👉 My rankings are my own.
Placing with me does not mean you placed in the official Empire State Cannabis Cup. There are roughly 29 other judges, each with their own palate, preferences, and tolerance for “experimental terps.”

This is a free service.
This is not pay-to-play.
This is about helping breeders sharpen their craft — because if you’re entering cups, the goal is to start winning them.

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If You See Me at the Cup… Come Say Hi (Yes, You Specifically)

Now let’s talk about the event itself.

If you see me at the Empire State Cannabis Cup, I don’t care:
• If I’m recording on my phone
• If you’re a judge
• If you’re an organizer
• If you’re a grower
• If you’re a vendor
• If you’re an artist or entertainer
• If you run a cannabis business and could use more visibility
• Or if you’re simply part of the cannabis culture and showed up for the vibes

👉 Come say hi. I’m interviewing everybody who’s willing.

No scripts.
No pressure.
No weird energy.

Just real conversations with real people doing real things in the culture.

Now, full transparency: I can’t promise everyone will make the final video. I’ll be filming the entire time, and when hours of footage get edited down into a roughly hour-long piece, only the most entertaining, informative, and memorable moments make the cut.

But even if you don’t make the final edit, we still met.
We still connected.
And that alone is a win.

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Top 3? Let’s Talk Full YouTube Reviews (Yes, Still Free)

Now for the part people tend to reread slowly just to make sure they didn’t imagine it.

If you land in:
• My personal Top 3, or
• The official Empire State Cannabis Cup Top 3

…in either category — indoor or outdoor —

I’m offering you the opportunity to have me do a full, detailed, honest strain review on my YouTube channel:

🎥 Strain’s Strain Reviews (Talk Cannabis)

We’ll clearly mention:
• Your placement (1st, 2nd, 3rd — however it shakes out)
• The category
• And I’ll give a real review — not a commercial, not fluff

All you’d need to provide is roughly an eighth for the review.

No charge.
No catch.
No invoice magically appearing later.

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Important Flexibility (Because Real Life Happens)

Here’s something else I want everyone to understand clearly.

If you place Top 3 — officially or with me — and you take me up on the full YouTube review but no longer have any of the exact strain you entered, I get it.
Harvests end.
Flower runs out.
Reality exists.

So here’s the deal:

👉 You may replace the winning strain with another strain, as long as it’s in the same general tier and quality level.

This review opportunity is meant to be a reward, not a logistical punishment. The goal is to highlight your work, your brand, and your craft. If swapping strains makes that possible, that’s perfectly fine.

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Yes, the Tical Gift Bag Giveaway Is Still Coming

Before anyone asks — no, I didn’t forget.

The Tical gift bag giveaway is still happening. With Facebook doing Facebook things and my schedule being packed, I decided to roll out the giveaway details after the Cup, sometime in February.

Stay tuned. 👀🔥

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How to Really Support This Movement (All the Pieces Matter)

Here’s the honest truth, said with love:

Following me on just one platform is like trying to finish a puzzle with half the pieces missing — and then wondering why the picture doesn’t make sense.

If you want the full experience, you need all of it working together:

📌 Facebook (Public Group):
Talk Cannabis (Strain Reviews)

📌 Facebook (Public Group):
The Plug’s Pages

📌 Website:
theplugspages.com

📌 YouTube (Where It All Clicks):
🎥 Strain’s Strain Reviews (Talk Cannabis)

Using these platforms together is how you get the most out of my movement — our movement.

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Gratitude, Always

None of this works without you.
Your support, your energy, your participation — it all matters.

I return all positive energy, I’m deeply grateful for this community, and I appreciate every single one of you for being part of the family.

God bless you all.
I’ll see you at the Cup. 💨🏆

— OG Strain
The Plug’s Pages Magazine