“He who can make two ears of corn grow where only one grew before, ranks as a benefactor to society before all the heroes that ever existed”
-Jonathan Swift
Medal of the Philadelphia Society for the Promotion of Agriculture, 1786
America’s First Cannabis Cup
After reading the title you might think I’ll jump straight to a Big Sur harvest party, with laid back farmers dancing around a bonfire offering ‘First Fruit’ to the harvest gods…(if anyone has the history on these I’m all ears)
Maybe your mind jumped to the Midwest Marijuana Harvest Festival held in Wisconsin with roots dating back to 1971…
the 1st Annual Marijuana Harvest Festival, in Madison’s Brittingham Park, September 25, 1971 Wisconsin
Great guesses but we must go way back into our history to find the first American ‘cannabis cup’…
The year of the first ‘cannabis cup’? 1790…
The Philadelphia Society for the Promotion of Agriculture wanting to promote the growing of hemp around Philadelphia, put out the first cannabis contest held in America.
The winners would receive medals, both gold and silver along with the all important gloating rights…
The American cannabis cup is born…
Gazette of the United-States, April 07, 1790(s is written as a f at that time)
“Xlll. The society believing that the culture of hemp on some of the low rich lands in the neighbourhood of this city, may be attempted with advantage, do hereby offer a gold medal for the greatest quantity of hemp raised within ten miles of the city of Philadelphia. The quantity not to be less than three ton; for the second greatest quantity–a silver medal.
It will be left to the choice of those successful candidates for prizes, who may be entitled to the plate or gold medals, to receive the same either in plate or medals, or the equivalent in money.
The claim of every candidate for a premium is to be accompanied with, and supported by, certificates of respectable persons of competent knowledge of the subject. And it is required, that the matters, for which premiums are offered, be delivered in without names, or any intimation t6o whom they belong; that each particular thing be marked in what manner the claimant thinks fit; such claimant sending with it a paper sealed up, having on the outside a corresponding mark, and on the inside the claimant’s name and address.
Respecting experiments on the products of land, the circumstance of the previous and subsequent state of the ground, particular culture given, general state of the weather, will be proper to be in the account exhibited. Indeed in all experiments and reports of facts, it will be well to particularize the circumstances attending them. It is recommended that reasoning be not mixed with the facts; after stating the latter, the former may be added, and will be acceptable.
Although the society reserve to themselves the power of giving, in every case, either one or the other of the prizes, (or premiums) as the performance shall be adjudged to deserve, or of withholding both, if there be no merit, yet the candidates may be assured, that the society will always judge liberally of their several claims.”
-Gazette of the United-States, April 07, 1790
1860 diploma from the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture