When the smoke clears, only one name is left standing. Preferred Gardens has officially taken home $120,000 after winning the Proper Smoke Network Invitational, the largest cash purse ever awarded in a cannabis competition.
Hosted by Proper Smoke Network, widely known as the ESPN of cannabis, this wasn’t a popularity contest or a hype-driven cup. This was strain vs strain, doink for doink, with real money on the line and nowhere to hide.
The Tournament That Changed the Game
The format was simple and brutal.
12 elite growers/curators
$10,000 buy-in per farmer
$120,000 total purse
Winner takes all!
Every grower entered one strain the best they had and faced off head-to-head in a knockout-style tournament streamed live on YouTube and X. No trophies. No judges’ notes. Just smokeability, smoothness, and coat/stain power. Judging duties were handled by Adam and Paul, two of the most respected palates in the community, true cannabis sommeliers who’ve smoked it all and aren’t impressed easily. The lineup was stacked: Wizard Trees, Growing Pains, B-Eazy, Cali Plug, Surreal Selections, Exotic Matter, LA Family Farms, Ball Family Farms, Up The Hill, Gotti, Dank Mob and Preferred Gardens Every round was a high-stakes duel. Last man standing takes the bag.
Round One: Juggernaut vs Juggernaut
Preferred Gardens entered the tournament with Mixed Light Z (MLZ) , a strain that’s been quietly building a cult following. The first matchup? Wizard Trees. Tide Banger vs Mixed Light Z. Two heavyweights. Two respected programs. A perfect opening-round clash. Best of three rounds, with Adam and Paul breaking down every pull. When the final doink burned out, it came down to one thing: Smokeability. As close as it gets, but MLZ edged out Tide Banger in the third round. The deciding factor? MLZ was just a hair smoother and outlasted the burn. Preferred Gardens moves on.
Semi-Finals: The Rematch Everyone Wanted
Next up: B-Eazy. Known for his strain Guz, B-Eazy came in confident especially with history between the camps. Social media lit up. Memes flew. Shots were fired. The community was fully locked in. Pressure? Maximum.
But once again, when it came down to the smoke, Preferred Gardens delivered. MLZ survived another heavyweight matchup and punched its ticket to the finals.
And than there were four: Proper Press Conference.
Finals: Z vs Z for $120,000
Waiting on the other side of the bracket was Up The Hill, steamrolling their way through the competition with Georgia Pie Z. A Z battle for the biggest purse cannabis has ever seen. Georgia Pie Z vs Mixed Light Z. Perfect symmetry. Perfect stakes. Adam and Paul went back and forth, debating smoothness, balance, and longevity. Both strains showed up. Both deserved to be there.
But in the end, one thing separated them. MLZ burned smoother, longer, and cleaner. And just like that… Preferred Gardens was crowned champion. Mixed Light Z is king.
From the Tournament to the People
With all the hype surrounding MLZ, Preferred Gardens made a simple decision: Give it to the people. Dropping exclusively at Catalyst Locations. The team moved fast packaging the winning strain and pushing it straight to retail so consumers could judge for themselves. Mixed Light Z is hitting shelves sooner than people think. Some have already started calling it “Myth Light Z” because so few have actually tried it… yet. But after $120,000, 12 elite growers, and the toughest bracket cannabis has ever seen… The real question is: Is it really a myth anymore?
Built Not Bought. Proven Under Pressure. This is Preferred Gardens.