The Clean Green Certified program for cannabis has attracted some of the best cannabis growers & processors in the world, and trophys that are coming in attest to their skill and expertise.
OUR HISTORY & AWARDS
The Clean Green Certified program was started by a cannabis compliance attorney Chris Van Hook at the request of the cannabis industry beginning 2004 in California. At the time there was no qualified third-party certification program for cannabis which meant that medical cannabis patients or recreational cannabis consumers had no way of knowing what pesticides had been used in the growing of their cannabis. They had no idea if their cannabis had been grown legally and in an environmentally sustainable manner. Since 2004 the Clean Green Certified program has expanded throughout California and Colorado. Colorado cannabis growers have been interested in the program because the regulations in Colorado for growing cannabis do not deal with illegal pesticide use or other concerns knowledgeable growers and consumers have. View some of our crop producer’s awards and recognitions below.
The Clean Green program began attracting some of the best growers in the industry who were not using dangerous pesticides or heavy synthetic fertilizers. They wanted recognition for their extra efforts and care. Never in the history of this well-known cannabis cup had one method of culturing cannabis walked off with so many awards in such a short time in consecutive years. “By this time it was clear that the certified growers were establishing themselves in a way never before seen in the cannabis industry,” says Chris Van Hook “this was a clear indication that heavy pesticide use and synthetic fertilizers were not needed to grow world-class cannabis.” The world began to take note of what these incredible growers were able to do.
2010 at the first-ever High Times Cannabis Cup held in San Francisco, a Clean Green Grower walked off with a first place trophy in the sativa category.
2011 another Clean Green grower walked off with the first place trophy in the indica category at the same High Times Cup in San Francisco!! In 2012 at the same HT cup in San Francisco, another Clean Green Certified grower walked off with a third-place finish, again in the sativa category.
2012 produced the most wins and places for Clean Green growers so far, even outstripping another great year 2013. In 2012 not only did a Clean Green Grower win the High Times medical cannabis cup in San Francisco, but a second grower went on to win the very prestigious “The Patients Choice” Cup in San Francisco. ” This win meant a lot to the grower and myself as the entries are judged not by a few select people, but instead the winner is selected by approximately 300 patient/judges from San Francisco, people just like you and me” continued Van Hook.
2012 produced even more awards for the Clean Green program. The awards mentioned above were all for indoor grown cannabis, how would outdoor growers do without using pesticides and synthetic fertilizers? “There were two entries in the top 5% and one entry in the top 10% of the prestigious Emerald Cup, held at Area 101 in Laytonville, California. “The Emerald Cup is the longest running outdoor cannabis cup in the United States, hosted by the well-known cannabis activist Tim Blake”. “These awards meant a lot to all of the certified outdoor growers as it showed the world that not only could certified growers win indoor cups, but they could win outdoor cups as well,” said Van Hook. The programs standing was now secure, there had been numerous wins and places in both indoor and outdoor growing competitions
2013 was going to be another year with a big win. Once again, four years in a row, a Clean Green Certified grower went on to win the top award for sativas, at the High Times medical cannabis cup in San Francisco. Every year the High Times Cup has been held in San Francisco. Three first places and one third place. All from one certification program, all using natural fertilizers and inputs. No synthetic fertilizers or harmful sprays used. Each one passing a 300 pesticide screening from a licensed agricultural lab. Each grower is able to hold up a winner that would pass the standards of the USDA National Organic Program if cannabis was permitted to be organically certified. Unfortunately, cannabis is not allowed to apply for USDA organic status as cannabis is not a federally recognized agricultural crop. With the Clean Green Certified program, our farms and processors/handlers can be certified with the USDA organic status and standards, and can legally carry the organic labeling for cannabis at the federal level.
Since 2013 the awards for member farmers and processors have continued to roll in. We try to keep tabs on them all, but it became a landslide. Emerald Cup awards continued, The Golden Tarp Award, the only light dep award in the country, a Clean Green Farmer won first place the first year of the Cup. High Times Cup awards continued in 2014, 2015, 2016 and again in 2019 by a renowned oil processor. Numerous wins at The Cultivation Classic in Portland, the largest cannabis cup in Oregon. Southern Oregon Cup wins with some of the finest outdoor growing regions in the country. Dope Magazine wins in Seattle 2014 and 2016. The Sun Growers Awards in Washington again in some of the finest growing regions in the country. And of course Colorado. Our member farm there operates a number of outlets and has consistently won “Best of Southern Colorado” for the past 6+ years. These are the farmers and processors that have built the Clean Green Brand. Click here to read more about Clean Green Certified awards.
history in the making
“The beauty of this type of cultivating is that it is less expensive then the synthetic fertilizers shipped with lots of water weight from around the world” says Van Hook “these groundbreaking certified farmers are showing the world that you can reduce your carbon footprint, simplify your cultivation systems, avoid using synthetic pesticides and grow award-winning marijuana all at the same time”. The Clean Green Certified growers are showing the world how to move forward with a cleaner product and how to be kinder to the environment.
No other cannabis program globally has anywhere near the number of award-winning products as the Clean Green Certification program.Clean Green Certified Farms, Processors, and Outlets continue to win and place in competitions, continuing the legacy since 2004.
Chris Van Hook was formerly a USDA NOP accredited certifier, and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California in Environmental studies, as well as he is a practicing attorney . His office can be reached at (707) 218 – 6979.
