PORTLAND, Ore. (PRWEB)
November 23, 2020

Shango cannabis won the highest honor in the top growers category at the inaugural G.O.A.T. Cup cannabis contest. Shango Oregon’s exclusive strain, Alien Banana Candy, took first place in the High Range THC category (28% and above) in the Indoor and Mixed Light division.

Entries were judged on three levels: Seventy percent of the score was determined by the highest THC over three testing runs, 20% was based on presentation, taste and aroma, and 10% was based on consumer votes.

Shango Alien Banana Candy tested at a whopping 35.45% THC level. The next closest finisher tested at 31%.

“I can honestly say without being biased that Shango was definitely the best in the top category,” said Alex Hoggan, Director of Business Operations for Chemhistory, the title sponsor of the contest.

Chemhistory is one of the top three testing laboratories in Oregon in terms of volume.

“Shango is one of the top-tier growers in the state,” Hoggan added. “The state THC average in our lab testing is 18% and all Shango strains always test above 20%.”

But Shango’s Master Grower, Shane McKee, insists that the winning THC level was no fluke and that higher test counts can be expected in the future.

“It doesn’t stop at 35%,” McKee said.

Alien Banana Candy is a top-shelf attraction at Shango’s Portland dispensary, as well as at numerous Shango retail partners throughout Oregon.

“Our lead grower at Shango Oregon is Mikal Osborne and he did exactly what he was supposed to do,” McKee continued. “With key guidance over the years, this strain has become a fine example of his handiwork. We can’t keep it on the shelf. It flies out the door.”

McKee was also pleased with the winning strain’s terpene content that tested at 3.05%. “We’ve had some product that’s almost 5%, but everything north of 3% is noteworthy,” McKee said.

“Shango spends a lot of time and money breeding, hunting and acquiring cultivars, but most guys just get a clone from somebody and they’re only focused on making money in production,” McKee said. “Sometimes it literally takes years of hunting and testing before we move a cultivar into production. We do extensive testing of phenotypes multiple times to make sure we’ve chosen the right phenotype of each cultivar.”

The process begins with the all-important selection of seeds, McKee says. “We’ll try to go through 100 or more seeds to find that perfect cultivar.

“We pay attention to every detail from mother plant to packaging to ensure we’re always putting out the best flower possible,” McKee added. “One person can grow a strain and get 18% THC while another person can grow the same strain and get 26%. Attention to detail can be the difference between poor and amazing THC, terpenes and customer satisfaction.”

The G.O.A.T Cup is a cannabis growers competition created and designed to highlight and promote the best growers in Oregon’s cannabis industry. The contest is based in science and works with Chemhistory, an ORELAP accredited laboratory, to perform the testing.

“I like the G.O.A.T. Cup approach of being judged on statistical analysis combined with customer satisfaction,” McKee said.

This event will be held every two years.

“It will grow even larger over time,” Hoggan said. A video of the awards ceremony is available on Instagram.

According to The G.O.A.T. Cup organizers, all entries were triple-blind tested by an accredited laboratory, with the following score weighting:

• 70% of score: Total cannabinoids (10 cannabinoids) and terpenes (52 terpenes) averaged for a final score
• 20% of score: Presentation, trichomes, trim and aroma
• 10% of score: Consumer vote

Other THC categories for the contest included Mid High Range (21 to 27.9% Indoor), Mid-Range (15 to 20.9% Indoor) and Mid-Range (15 to 20.9% Greenhouse).

Shango will be featured in the Oregon Leaf and the Daily Leaf, as well as on the G.O.A.T. Cup Trophy. Shango will also be able to use the licensed G.O.A.T. logo on products and digital and/or published marketing materials for two years.

Alien Banana Candy is available at Shango Harold, located at 8056 SE Harold St. near 82nd and Foster in Portland, as well as at select Oregon dispensaries listed on http://www.goshango.com.

Entries for The G.O.A.T. Cup received Full Compliance Testing for potency, pesticides, water activity and moisture. Potency was tested in triplicate and terpenes levels were tested in duplicate.

Chemhistory is a dedicated QA/QC laboratory providing analytical screening services for farmers, product producers, distributors and consumers.

“Our laboratory meets and exceeds all requirements through analytical testing methodologies, state-of-the-art instrumentation, and highly trained scientific personnel,” Hoggan said.

“This makes the G.O.A.T Cup a level playing field for all entries,” Hoggan said.

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About Shango

Shango is an established vertically integrated cannabis brand offering a full range of award-winning products, including flower, extracts and cannabis-infused edibles, in Oregon, Michigan and Nevada. The Shango brand has multiple full-service recreational and medical cannabis dispensaries in Oregon and Nevada, as well as a medical cannabis provisioning center in Michigan.

Shango will open a second provisioning center in Bay City, Michigan, on Nov. 19. A state-of-the-art cannabis distribution operation in Southern California will be opening soon and the company is also set to open the first of three Missouri dispensaries in 2021. In Q2 2020, Shango’s Michigan operations will add a third provisioning center located in Hazel Park, as well as two extraction facilities, a commercial kitchen and an indoor cultivation facility.

A recognized leader in the cannabis industry, Shango sets the standards for product quality, consistency and business conduct. Shango is committed to cannabis education and is a fierce advocate of the safe and responsible use of cannabis products. For more information, go to http://www.goshango.com.