Hash queen Mila Jansen to receive Emerald Cup lifetime achievement award

The 19th annual Emerald Cup Awards will bring together the best and brightest of California’s cannabis scene this Saturday, May 13, 2023. One of the most legendary activist entrepreneurs in the global cannabis community, the «Hash Queen» Mila Jansen, will join the celebration as the winner of the Emerald Cup.

A Legendary Journey

Mila Jansen, the Hash Queen, was born in Liverpool on December 5, 1944. She lived in Amsterdam in the mid-1960s and decided to travel overland to India with her young daughter in 1968. They did not return until 1988, when Mila began growing cannabis to support herself and her growing family.

Having observed the Hashish Production in Afghanistan, in Pakistan and India, Mila soon began making her own hashish. In 1994, she invented the first mechanical dry-sifting system that separates trichomes from all plant material: the Pollinator. This invention earned her the nickname «Hash Queen,» the queen of hashish.

Later, bags appeared Ice-O-Lator and the Bubbleator, both of which use water and ice in the process. These machines have also allowed people to make their own hash. In 2013, Mila organized the first Dab-a-doo, a contest for the dry sift, ice hash, solvent-free extracts, and the rosin. Since its launch, 36 Dab-a-doo events have been held to date.

In recognition of decades of advocating for cannabis culture and artisanal hashish production around the world, the Emerald Cup will present Jansen with the «Willie Nelson» Award (Lifetime Achievement) in 2023.

«I’m so happy to be coming to Richmond to receive the Willie Nelson Award,» said Mila Jansen about her upcoming award. «What an honor to be associated with one of my greatest heroes. It’s just incredible, wonderful, and absolutely amazing!»

«A quick look at the prevalence of solvent-free concentrates in today’s cannabis market—not just here in California and at the Emerald Cup, but around the world—reveals the incredibly positive impact Mila Jansen has had on how people consume and enjoy cannabis,» says Tim Blake, founder and co-producer of the Emerald Cup.

The Emerald Cup will also present honorary awards in several categories, including the Emerald Cup Award Breeders' Hall of Fame  for the renowned breeder Soma, creator of cultivars such as NYC Sour Diesel and the’Amnesia Haze.