Author Toke of the Town

As personal marijuana grows proliferate throughout the state, so do the problems that can accompany them. Entrepreneur Alison Helsley thinks she may have found a solution: Rooms to Grow, a space where individuals can grow their own plants away from their private residences. But she’s had to deal with growing concerns in her business’s home base of Cañon City.

Home grows can present a variety of challenges for all parties involved. Growers — medical patients, recreational users and caregivers — face spatial, financial and practical challenges, as well as having to comply with restrictive plant caps. Landlords grapple with potential property damage caused by their tenants’ grows. And neighbors often complain about noxious smells coming from next door. 

Dear Stoner: Why does smoking weed make you hungry? Like, does science know why?
Stewie

Dear Stewie: The munchies are real, man. Although no one could definitively point to a brain reaction and say “There it is” for a long time, by 2015 marijuana’s ability to increase appetite was already widely accepted enough for it to be used as medicine for eating disorders in over twenty states. Science finally gave the munchies its stamp of approval last year, when a study from Yale University discovered that marijuana tricks the brain by increasing the production of cannabinoids and lipids that stimulate our appetite, whether we’re full of food or not.

When you’re a solid six out of ten in the looks department, you have to break outside the box to get a pretty, popular girl’s attention. I’ve tried acting like the funny guy or Mr. Sensitive, to little avail. And, of course, I’ve played the “Everyone thinks you’re hot but I don’t” card, which just led to another losing hand.

I used the same tactic when the Girl Scout Cookies strain was so hot. In 2011, everyone wanted to smoke anything with the word “cookie” in it, and I was getting sick of the fad; it was like the planking (remember that?) of the weed world. But then I actually smoked some.

No, this isn’t a super-happy cult: It’s a cannabis and yoga class put together by the master of relaxation himself. We recently interviewed Yogi D about his upcoming 420 Yoga Retreat, happening at Aspen Canyon Ranch on September 30 through October 2.

For a taste of what’s to come, Yogi D invited Westword into the sacred and spiritual realm that only the pairing of yoga and marijuana consumption can tap into. The class took place in Cluster Studios, an artist space that hosts cannabis-friendly events at 3881 Steele Street. The late-night crowd was comfortable, and people only got more comfortable as one-hitters were passed around in a circle outside the front door. The atmosphere was  welcoming to even the most novice of beginners.

There’s a new marijuana competition in town that aims to crown the best cultivator in Colorado. “We hope you guys are ready to grow some really fire weed,” says Sohum Shah, co-founder of The Grow Off, the self-proclaimed “quantitative quest for the best.”

The Grow Off is designed as a cannabis competition for the industry. In its inaugural year, the three founders plan to send a mystery strain of solid genetics (non-hermaphrodite) cannabis to fifty growers around the state. After documenting the growing process over the course of six months, the contest will determine who qualifies as the best marijuana cultivator in Colorado.

Dear Stoner: I saw your profile on Durban Poison and the pure effects of landrace strains. Are there any others to look out for? I like to know what to expect when I smoke.

Taylor

Dear Taylor: Landrace strains like Durban Poison come from pure genetics, but they don’t have pure effects. That means that while Durban Poison is a pure sativa (if the genetics are legitimate), not everyone feels the same type of high after ingesting it — though the highs are generally similar. But that’s how it works for all strains.

Douglas County residents can no longer legally grow 99 marijuana plants in each household. The Douglas County Board of Commissioners voted on Tuesday, August 9, to reduce that number to twelve.

The new ordinance regulates the growth, cultivation and processing of marijuana in private residences, echoing ordinances passed in the City of Denver in late 2013 and the City of Boulder earlier this year.

“Just because marijuana is legal in Colorado, it does not mean that you should grow as much as you want, wherever you want,” said Chief Deputy Steve Johnson of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

It’s always fun to analyze a classic and try to understand how it passed the test of time. My parents grew up listening to Ray Charles and the Rolling Stones, and so did I. If I ever have kids, they’ll grow up to “Hit the Road, Jack” and “Sympathy for the Devil,” too.

A few months back, Isa Jones wrote about the whirlwind of emotion she felt during a Bruce Springsteen concert because her father was such a big fan. All of our dads liked Bruce. Millennials probably shouldn’t — he’s in his late sixties and still rocks tight denim and a soul patch — but every time “Born in the USA” comes on, we think of a barbecue or Sunday morning with Dad.

Cannabutter is a core ingredient in many edibles recipes, from traditional pot brownies to more elaborate cannabis-infused dishes. Learning how to make your own cannabutter is a great way to understand the process of how THC is extracted from cannabis and infused into butter and oils — so we’re here to help, with a recipe for homemade cannabutter.

The most important factors in this recipe are time and heat. The mixture needs to be hot enough for the THC to break down and bind to the fat molecules, but not so hot that it begins to scorch the herb or fry away those precious cannabinoids. So keep an eye on the saucepan to make sure the liquid stays at a long, low simmer and doesn’t hit a full boil.

Before long, you’ll have a jar of cannabutter available to use in your favorite recipe or simply spread on some warm toast.