It was only a week ago we were speculating on the change in location for the pretty much world famous High Times Cannabis Cup. Up until last week people all over the state of Colorado and the country were expecting the Cup to be held at the Denver Mart as it had been the two years prior.
Not terribly surprising after some setbacks in the 2015 Cannabis Cup, the Denver Mart denied permits for this years’ event. At the time, High Times had not come forward with any information on where the Cup might be held with this new information.
It was only days later that the rumors of a new location came to light – and then High Times posted an advertisement for a Pueblo Colorado Cannabis Cup with the dates April 16th-18th. It seemed that they had already managed to secure another location.
According to The Cannabist, “After Adams County commissioners last week rejected the permit for this year’s U.S. Cannabis Cup in Colorado, organizers are scrambling to find a new home for the event…”
However, to me, it all happened a little too quickly not to have been looked into in advance – so I reached out to High Times to see what they had to say about the last minute change. The way they put it, the change in location was not as last minute as it might have seemed. They had already been considering new locations – and Pueblo is the one they chose.
“In the fall, we revisited the Denver Mart and realized it is unable to accommodate the larger crowds that we are expecting this year compared to years past. We needed to find a new venue that could comfortably accommodate the increased attendance as well as the musical acts and exhibitors the event will have to offer.We researched a number of locations and found Pueblo to be a great fit given the amount of open land and its burgeoning local cannabis industry. Over the years, our events have provided countless job opportunities and economic growth in the cities that host them. There is no doubt this year’s event would provide the same economic boon to Pueblo, infusing millions of dollars into its local economy, which has been so hard hit in recent years.” – High Times COO Larry Liniestky.
While the dates for the event are still unconfirmed it appears that it may be pushed back to the weekend following the 4/20 holiday, running from April 22nd to the 24th. An article published today explains that this was because the event application was not filed 75 days prior to the dates of the event.
So there you have it – while the Denver Mart permit being denied might have been a slight setback, it was nothing High Times wasn’t already planning for. The future of the event, with the number of people it attracts and the rate at which it has expanded over the years simply needed a larger location – and from the sounds of it they found the perfect place.
Hopefully we will be seeing confirmed dates for the event soon enough – and from there those much anticipated tickets will finally go on sale. If you’re waiting for that, then keep up with us here at Marijuana Times for further news regarding the Pueblo Colorado Cannabis Cup!
