WILLITS, CA., 5/11/25 – A sold-out crowd of 400 cannabis enthusiasts packed the Little Lake Grange in Willits last Sunday for the first-ever Mendo Cup, the organizers said.
Organized by the Mendocino Producers Guild, the Mendo Cup brought organic cannabis growers, activists and potheads together to talk history, heritage and taste and smoke the future of locally grown cannabis.
Prior to Sunday’s celebration, a group of 12 judges, including breeders, growers and ganjiers (certified cannabis sommeliers) gathered at Area 101 in Laytonville to judge, blindly, sungrown flower submitted by 34 licensed Mendocino County cannabis farmers.
According to the guild, it took the judges eight hours to review the submissions with the goal of selecting the top five flowers. Judges examined each submission for appearance, aroma, taste and effects.
On Saturday, the Mendo Cup opened with a welcome ceremony from Wailaki Elder Ron Lincoln, followed by comedy from Ma Sherry Glaser and a speech from cannabis lawyer Omar Figueroa. The event was emceed by Mademoiselle Michelle.
A sold out crowd watches the award ceremony at the inaugural Mendo Cup on Sunday, May 4, 2025 in Willits, Calif. (Mendocino Producers Guild via Bay City News) 
Guests relax in the cannabis lounge at the inaugural Mendo Cup on Sunday, May 4, 2025 in Willits, Calif. (Mike Rosati/Mendocino Producers Guild via Bay City News)
Mendo Cup producers Nikki Lastreto and Swami Chaitanya, Laytonville-based activists and owners of Swami Select, headed to the stage at 4:20 p.m. to announce the winners of the Mendo Cup.
The winners of the Best Flower were Sarah, David and Flynn O’Donnell of Sweet Sisters Family Farm for their “Biscotti” flower grown at their farm in Comptche.
Jesse Robertson of Sticky Fields near Willits took second place for his “King’s Poison,” followed by third place winners Susan and Phil Crews of Mendocino Family Farms in Cherry Creek for their “Modified Lemonhead.”
Marty Clein of Martyjuana’s “Supreme Gelato” grown in Round Valley and Joseph Haggard of Emerald Spirit Botanicals’ Noyo watershed-grown “Royal Blueberry” won fourth and fifth, respectively.
Jesse Robertson also won the Best Breeder award for his “King’s Poison” submission.
Attendees had a chance to smell, see and smoke organic, sungrown weed samples at the Mendo Cup’s outdoor lounge. An exhibit from Robert Jergenson’s Cannabis Archives was also on display, as were food, drink and craft vendors.
On the stage was a goose statue with golden eggs sitting next to it, a comment on the state of cannabis politics in the county. “Hopefully an event like the Mendo Cup will remind the powers –that-be of the true potential in this county offered by its very talented cannabis farmers,” the guild said.
Gross. But I guess “sold out” describes this crowd best lol! That greenrusher Swami is still bullshitting along I see…I see mostly black market from my friends and neighbors and it blows the doors off anything from any dispensary- the place that sells mega-grown permit pansy product.
All farms participating were licensed Mendocino county craft Cannabis Farms 10,000 ft.² and under !!! it was a beautiful event and we thank swami and Nikki for all of their help and all of their blessings as we all struggle to survive in the cannabis legal market. Mendocino producers Guild located in Laytonville, California.