Founded in 1988 by High Times editor Steven Hager,[1] the Cannabis Cup is usually held each November in Amsterdam.

The High Times Cannabis Cup also includes live music, educational seminars, and an expo for marijuana-related products from cannabis-oriented businesses.

The 20th High Times Cannabis Cup, held in 2007, featured hosts Tommy Chong and Redman;[citation needed] a film of the 2007 festival was released in the summer of 2008.

[citation needed] At each U.S. Cannabis Cup expo, festival attendees vote for Best Booth, Best Products, and Best Glass.

Previous inductees include Bob Marley (1997), Louis Armstrong (1998), William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac (1999), Bob Dylan (2002), Jack Herer (2003), Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin (2007), Peter Tosh (2008) Tom Forcade (2009) and Coke La Rock (2010).

In recent years, Alec ‘Craze’ Zammitt and Will Stolk, members of the 420 cannabis protest group 'Who Are We Hurting?,' have documented the event through video coverage.

The event operates in a legal landscape where recreational cannabis remains illegal at the federal level in Australia.