Caribbean Cannabis Pride: The St. Vincent’s Grower’s Cup
Photos Courtesy of Author
I recently traveled to the Caribbean to attend the first Grower’s Cup in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Cup is hosted by CannaSVG and AHOCS (Alternative Holistic and Organic Co-Op Society). AHOCS are Island residents who have formed a group to help reduce the stigma and push the conversation forward.
About the Grower’s Cup
I had the pleasure to visit, and be hosted by, Renae and Nigel Blackhall from Canada who have made St. Vincent their home. Renae and Nigel run a farm and operate CannaSVG. Many of the CannaSVG team from Europe were also in attendance.
Nigel, a master grower with decades of experience is turning CannaSVG into a first-class cultivation facility for medical cannabis. The farm, Summus, sits on 65 acres of flat, volcanic soil in St. Vincent. This rich soil provides a great medium for Nigel to create a cultivar that has adapted to the hot, humid, and intense sun of St. Vincent. Sunset OG is the first farm offering for CannaSVG, and does not disappoint.
Nigel has years of expertise in sun-grown cannabis, but being in the Caribbean presents a unique set of challenges. The humidity is year-round, along with tropical rains and a lot of sunlight. Nigel has designed a greenhouse that allows for the Caribbean breezes to flow through freely while cutting the sun’s intensity to help the plant thrive. The greenhouses are well designed, allowing for maximum air circulation, and keeping the plants from drenching rains that could affect them in the last few weeks before harvest.
Renae brings years of hospitality experience to St. Vincent and is the ultimate host. CannaSVG has a medical dispensary that provides premium, medical cannabis to patients on the island. Residents obtain a medical card, through a doctor to purchase.
She and the CannaSVG team, in partnership with AHOCS, wanted to showcase the local growers in St. Vincent who have hidden in the shadows for many years cultivating cannabis - and risk their livelihood to do so. Renae and her team have developed relationships with the residents, police, and government officials to reduce the stigma around cannabis and help elevate the local growers, with plans to make St. Vincent a place for cannabis tourism and an international exporter of quality-grown medical cannabis.
Bringing Cannabis Pride to St. Vincent’s
The first annual Grower’s Cup was held Sunday, Dec 10th in St. Vincent at Pier 1 Nightclub. The beach and hillsides of the island provided a beautiful backdrop for the cup. As the sun began to set, the judges, including NIgel and members of AHOCS, got to work scoring the flower. All entries were from local growers only, CannaSVG did not enter their flower. The categories were best in Sativa, Indica, and Hybrid, along with Best Aroma, Taste, Buds, and High.
The crowd looked on eagerly as the judges worked. There was local food and live music to give this Grower’s Cup a true Caribbean vibe. The judges scored all categories (except the best high) by sharing their thoughts and expertise as they looked, smelled, and touched the flower.
The Best High category was saved for last and took place inside after a break for the judges to mingle, and enjoy the crowd, food, and music. The Best High category offered the judges the opportunity to consume hand-rolled joints and bongs to make their final decisions. Locals were able to obtain a medical card onsite to enjoy the festivities and purchase pre-rolls from CannaSVG.
The 1st Cannabis Cup Winners
McDonald Simmons won Grower of the Year as well as the Best Indica and Best Bud while placing in aromas, taste, and best high. Danladi Lewis also won in the Best Hybrid categories. The local growers have taken a lot of pride in their offerings while learning to create best practices for cultivating in the future.
The rest of the evening was a chance for the winners, CannSVG Team, locals, and visitors to mingle.Many of the conversations I had with locals, government officials, and CannaSVG were about how to improve farming methods for the growers, reducing the stigma, and plans to put St. Vincent on the map as a Caribbean destination for cannabis tourism and exporter of quality cannabis.
Renae, Nigel, the CannaSVG Team, Investors, and St. Vincent locals are doing the hard work and the payoff shows. When a group of people from all over the world come together with the right intentions, and resources to partner with the farmers to educate and continue to break the stigma, the future is bright! The positive vibes flow and the plant has her time to shine in the sun on the beautiful island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
