MJBowl Comes For New York Brands

MJBizCon, the largest and one of the most influential gatherings in the cannabis industry, is adding a new element to its lineup: a cannabis competition.

This year marks the debut of the MJBowl awards on December 4th in Las Vegas, produced in partnership with Budist, the first-ever review platform to combine consumer feedback with expert ratings from seasoned professionals.

Elevating Cannabis Standards

Often compared to Wine Spectator, the influential magazine known for expert ratings, detailed tasting notes, and industry news, Budist applies a similar model to cannabis.

“Cannabis needed a professional ratings and review platform that elevates a brand’s standards,” said Claudio Miranda, co-founder and COO of Budist. “Just like wine, coffee, or craft beer, cannabis deserves a transparent, unbiased system for measuring quality.”

The inaugural event will feature separate competitions in California and New York, with winners crowned in each state. While future editions may pit markets against one another, for now, the MJBowl is designed as a celebration of excellence rather than a direct state-to-state showdown, since cannabis remains federally illegal and cannot be shipped across state lines.

Driving Premiumization in Cannabis

Beyond ratings and reviews, Budist is also tackling one of the industry’s most persistent challenges: the lack of education around products. Miranda points out that cannabis is often reduced to a race to the bottom, where products are judged primarily on low prices and high THC percentages.

By introducing expert-driven evaluations, Budist aims to help consumers understand why some products command a higher price, just as wine drinkers learn to distinguish between a $10 and a $100 bottle. The platform also shines a spotlight on cultivators and brands that invest in craftsmanship, such as high-quality sun-grown flower, which is often undervalued in today’s market.

“Education is key,” Miranda explained. “Some consumers want value products, and that’s fine. But others are willing to pay more for craftsmanship and quality, and they want to know why that product is worth the premium. That’s where we come in—helping consumers make sense of the differences.”

Budist vs. Ganjier: Complementary Roles

Because Budist is often compared to the Ganjier program, Miranda clarifies the distinction and how they complement one another.

Ganjier, founded by renowned cultivator Kevin Jodrey, is the industry’s first sommelier-style certification program. It provides deep product knowledge, professional credentials, and evaluation training similar to earning a degree. Budist is a platform. It gives certified experts, including many Ganjiers, an outlet to apply their skills in the marketplace.

In addition to expert reviews, Budist also includes consumer ratings, creating a dual system modeled after platforms like Rotten Tomatoes, where both critics and everyday users contribute.

 

“Both perspectives are valid,” Miranda said. “Our professionals might include Ganjiers, longtime competition judges, journalists, or educators, but they all share a commitment to standardized, unbiased product evaluation. At the same time, consumer input provides balance and insight into what everyday users value.”

 

Together, programs like Ganjier and platforms like Budist help professionalize cannabis evaluation, giving the industry tools to recognize quality while also educating consumers about the nuances that distinguish one product from another.

California vs. New York: Different Stages, Different Stories

One of the most compelling aspects of the MJBowl will be seeing how winners differ between California and New York.

California has had a legal cannabis framework for over 20 years and is a hub of innovation for brands, product formats, retail experiences, and cultivation and extraction methods. New York’s regulated market, by contrast, is still in its early stages. While its traditional market is longstanding, the legal side has fewer brands and less product diversity, making it more of a developing market than a mature one.

It’s not just about the products. Each MJ Bowl competition reflects the culture of its state. In New York, social equity license holders make up a majority of the market, accounting for approximately 54 percent across cultivation, manufacturing, and retail. Many of these operators come from the legacy market and support one another as they transition into the legal industry. Growers supply brands, brands support retailers, and retailers provide visibility for their community peers. This longstanding network of collaboration is now thriving in the regulated space, giving New York’s cannabis scene a uniquely cooperative spirit.

California, by contrast, brings decades of product innovation and a deep bench of brands, with judges steeped in West Coast cannabis culture. New York’s judging team is being built from within its own community. “This isn’t about California going to New York and telling them what we think of their products,” Miranda said. “It’s about letting each market speak for itself, from producers to consumers and professionals alike.”

How Judges Decide What Wins

According to Miranda, winning products don’t follow a single formula; trends, innovation, and what’s bubbling up in the market all matter. Years ago, hydrocarbon extracts such as shatter and wax dominated competitions, while today’s connoisseurs favor solventless products like rosin. Edibles have evolved from simple brownies to precisely dosed chocolates, beverages, and nanotech-infused products. Judges also reward innovation across hardware and packaging, not just flower or concentrates.

Budist is working to elevate standards by implementing a 100-point evaluation rubric that scores aroma, flavor, appearance, and effect, weighted differently according to category. For example, concentrates are judged heavily on aroma and flavor, while medicinal capsules are judged primarily on whether they deliver the promised effect.

The scoring system also recognizes that consumer expectations vary widely across categories. “You can’t measure rosin against distillate and call one better than the other; they’re different products serving different purposes,” Miranda explained. That’s why products compete within subcategories, ensuring fair comparisons and allowing each style to shine on its own merits.

For the MJBowl, there are five main competition categories:

Flower Pre-rolls Vaporizers Concentrates Edibles

Within these, entries are divided into 11 subcategories—such as distillates, live resin, solventless extracts, chocolates, gummies, and beverages to ensure recognition across the full spectrum of cannabis products.

What Winners Receive

In addition to honoring winners on the national stage at MJBizCon, the MJBowl ups the stakes with event tickets, an awards show entry, and a travel voucher to Las Vegas. Winning brands also gain major visibility through post-event press coverage, Budist social promotion, and amplification from MJBiz.

Retail partners in each state, such as The Artist Tree, with 10 California locations, and Gotham, with four dispensaries in New York, have committed to showcasing winners on their shelves.

“This isn’t an award that disappears once the show ends,” Miranda said. “It translates directly into new opportunities for brands. So we hope everybody enters.”