First Annual High Times Medical Cannabis Cup in San Francisco

The first annual High Times Medical Cannabis Cup was held on the weekend of June 19 and 20, 2010, at Terra in San Francisco. The two-day event featured a presentation by internationally renowned, best-selling author Jorge Cervantes. It was his first U.S. appearance, and he went without his signature cap, shades and dreads.

In his presentation, Cervantes focused on growing cannabis outdoors and organically. He used Switzerland as a case in point, showing photographs of healthy plants freely growing in fields in the most conservative region of the country. "You can really grow some good medicine in greenhouses and outdoors," said Cervantes. He also stressed that, "You can grow outdoor in many climates. You don't think of Switzerland as a place for growing outdoors, but as you can see it works, and it works well."

Pictured above: Ken Estes holding colas of Grand Daddy Purple, the marijuana strain he founded. Ken has been fighting to change laws regarding medical marijuana since 1990. When paralyzed in a motorcycle accident, he was given many pills that made him sick and he was unable to eat or sleep. While in therapy, he was introduced to marijuana which saved his life. Marijuana lifted his spirit and allowed him to eat and sleep which enabled Ken to have a great recovery. For a short film and video about Ken, and one patient's struggle to survive during the so called War on Drugs, watch Leave Ken Alone.

The first annual High Times Medical Cannabis Cup also featured a two-day expo, cultivation seminars, an activism session with leaders of the medical marijuana movement and much more.

Crossposted at Indybay.org.