Photo | WBJ File
Peter DeCaro (right) CEO and founder of Worcester cannabis firm Resinate Inc., showcases a branded product partnership with rapper Cappadonna of the group Wu Tang Clan.
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Worcester proclaims Saturday as Wu-Tang Day ahead of annual cannabis convention, hip-hop afterparty
PHOTOS | Edd Cote
Attendees explore the show floor of the Harvest Cup in 2023.
The Harvest Cup, an annual cannabis-focused convention and product competition, is set to return to Worcester’s DCU Center on Saturday and Sunday, as a planned Saturday night afterparty featuring a member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan has led to a honorary proclamation from Worcester Mayor Joe Petty.
The Harvest Cup has been held annually at the DCU Center since its first iteration in 2017, with the 2020 edition being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Events planned in Worcester around the convention include The Puff Down, a Saturday night event hosted at Off The Rails featuring a number of musical acts and headlined by Inspectah Deck, one of the original members of Wu-Tang.
The presence of a member of the influential hip-hop act was brought to the attention of Petty, who has prepared a declaration proclaiming Nov. 9, 2024 as Wu-Tang Day, according to Steven Stentiford, a Quincy-based cannabis grower and DJ who is involved in The Puff Down event and posted a photo of the proclamation to LinkedIn.
“Wu-Tang Day will honor the legendary hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, recognizing their remarkable 30-year career and their profound contributions to music, culture, and their unique connection to both the City of Worcester and its community,” the proclamation reads.
The New York hip hop group, most well known for its critically acclaimed debut album “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” and its ability to spawn the careers of a number of affiliated artists and groups, already has a few Worcester connections.
Longtime Wu-Tang producer and manager Jimmy Kang has resided in Worcester since he first attended Worcester State College (now Worcester State University) in the 1990s. Resinate, a cannabis company with a cultivation in Douglas and dispensaries in Worcester and Northampton, has teamed up with Wu-Tang member Cappadonna to release a cannabis product line.
The two-day convention will feature vendors selling a wide variety of accessories, smoking paraphernalia, and other goods, as well as information booths from companies who participate in the state’s legal cannabis space, offering consumers and industry insiders alike a chance to connect.
During the convention on Saturday, cannabis growers and product manufacturers will compete with each other in over 13 categories ranging from cannabis flower to tinctures and oral sprays, with the winner being determined by judges who have been sampling products during prior weeks.
State law does not allow for the sale of cannabis products outside of dispensaries other than direct deliveries to homes, but past years have seen some vendors selling CBD-based products.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The Puff Down event begins at 7 p.m. Saturday.
This year’s Harvest Cup comes as regulators at the state’s Cannabis Control Commission have struggled with dysfunction brought about by persistent culture issues, which a WBJ investigation revealed has resulted in escalating legal bills and slipping timelines for regulatory reforms.
Eric Casey is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
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