Awards Criteria

The Awards Committee receives a final list of 25 categories and hundreds of nominees from the Nomination Committee. Members of the Awards Committee will review the nominee list and choose a maximum of 24 categories finalize the award selections. 

Evaluation Criteria

In the spirit of honoring Hawaii’s rich cannabis legacy and fostering a unified vision for a brighter, sustainable future, our awards criteria and standards are designed to recognize outstanding achievements in all areas of cannabis. This section outlines the guiding principles and evaluative measures that underpin the integrity and significance of our awards process, ensuring a transparent, fair, and culturally respectful celebration of excellence. Our goals to honor Hawaii’s rich Cannabis legacy and create a unified vision for a brighter future are embodied herein.  

Impact and Influence: Nominees and awardees may be evaluated on their significant contributions to cannabis. We gauge both the scope and depth of the nominee’s influence. This includes their ability to inspire resiliency, drive positive change, and provide unique contributions to cannabis in Hawaii and beyond. 

Innovation and Creativity: Individuals and entities can be recognized that introduce groundbreaking ideas, technologies, and solutions, paving new paths for cannabis while respecting its environmental impacts, traditions and cultural heritage.

Leadership and Visionary Thinking: Nominees and awardees may exemplify exceptional leadership qualities, demonstrating a clear and impactful vision for the future of cannabis. Their work should inspire others to strive for excellence and innovation.

Community and Cultural Engagement: We celebrate nominees who actively engage with and contribute to their communities and the broader cannabis culture. This includes efforts to educate, advocate, and build a more inclusive industry and or environment for cannabis.

Sustainability and Environmental Responsibility: Recognizing the critical importance of environmental stewardship, nominees and awardees should demonstrate commitment to sustainable practices and solutions that benefit the environment.

Education, Advocacy, and Social Responsibility: We honor the work of those dedicated to educating the public on cannabis, advocating for meaningful policy reform, and addressing social justice issues within the cannabis space. However, a public persona or advocacy is not a requirement to be recognized, nominated or win an award.

Special Considerations
Cultural Sensitivity and Historical Acknowledgment: Criteria include a special focus on preserving and promoting Hawaiʻi’s cannabis cultural heritage. This encompasses respect for traditional practices of land management (ahupuaʻa), contributions to the preservation of indigenous strains, and efforts that honor the cultural significance of cannabis in local history.

Objective Metrics for Evaluation: To ensure a transparent and equitable evaluation process, committee members may share specific benchmarks and measurable outcomes and incorporate them into the criteria, facilitating an objective assessment across all categories.

Adaptability to Emerging Trends: Given the dynamic nature of cannabis, our criteria are designed to be flexible, allowing for the inclusion of new innovations and emerging sectors within the industry.

Engagement with Local Communities: We place a premium on nominees’ collaboration with and contributions to local communities, emphasizing economic, educational, and social impacts. However, we also understand the underground nature of past cannabis contributions. We respect privacy, anonymity and confidentiality in all selection and award criteria.

Transparency in the Selection Process: Detailed information about the selection process, including judge selection, impartiality measures, and conflict of interest management, is made available to ensure confidence in the awards’ integrity.

Feedback and Continuous Improvement: Post-awards, we have implemented mechanisms to gather feedback from participants, attendees, and the broader community. This continuous feedback loop is crucial for reflecting on the awards’ impact and identifying areas for future enhancement.

Alignment with Patients and Consumers: Our awards criteria align with broader goals for cannabis consumers and non-consumers including decriminalization, descheduling and honesty in information and data sharing. Sustainability, safety for workers and the needs of those in our community without a voice position the Hawaii Cannabis Awards as a beacon for excellence.

Public Participation

The public is invited to submit categories and nominees via an online form. The Nomination Committee will review and consider these nominations. Only Nomination Committee members will provide the final list for consideration by the Awards Committee.

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