Toke of the Town

Author Toke of the Town

Reliving America’s First Retail Marijuana Purchase Five Years Later

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By on Cannabusiness, Dispensaries, Follow that story, Legalize It

January 1 will forever be a day of celebration in Colorado, where recreational cannabis sales began on January 1, 2014. When 2019 begins, Colorado will mark five years of such sales, with an expected $6 billion collected during that span.

If anyone qualifies to be on the guest list of an anniversary celebration, it’s Sean Azzariti. The Marine Corps veteran, cannabis activist and medical marijuana patient consultant wasn’t just present during the first legal cannabis sale in Colorado: He made the purchase. With plenty of cameras and onlookers present, Azzariti bought an eighth of Bubba Kush and some infused chocolate truffles for $59.74 from Toni Savage Fox, then-owner of 3D Cannabis Center at 4305 Brighton Boulevard. All that attention would make anyone nervous, but for Azzariti, who uses cannabis to treat post-traumatic stress disorder after his time in the military, it was much more than a photo opportunity. It was a first step into national acceptance for his medicine of choice.

Our Ten Favorite Marijuana Strains of 2018

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By on Culture, Dispensaries

Tasked with the assignment of reviewing one strain per week, it’s hard to pick just ten favorites from 2018. The ever-expanding web of cannabis genetics provides buds that smell and taste like everything from cornbread to papayas and nearly everything in between. Those variances extend to effects on the mind and body, too, with some strains glueing us to the couch and others making the heart race.

In a grueling effort, we picked ten of our cannabis reviewer’s favorite strains of 2018. This skunky mix of indicas, sativas and hybrids look, taste and feel like every color of the rainbow — and make you feel just as magical.

Wana Gummie? Wana Brands CEO on Why People Like Candy Edibles.

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By on Cannabusiness, Opinion, Products

The edibles game can be a screwy one for the legal cannabis industry, with a roulette of changing regulations and constantly evolving market demand. New government rules on dosing and packaging can end a company overnight; if those don’t do it, then ever-changing extraction technology and consumer habits just might, with new forms of consumption popping up more often than expected. That’s not even counting the financing and expansion issues faced by American cannabis brands now that our neighbors to the north have legalized the plant federally.

Despite all of these obstacles, Colorado-based pot companies continue to thrive nationally, and Boulder’s Wana Brands is no exception. The infused-products company, known for its gummies, has branched out with vaporizing, CBD and capsule products on its way to becoming one of the state’s largest cannabis brands, with continued expansion into other states. To learn more about surviving in such a tough market, we caught up with Wana founder and CEO Nancy Whiteman.

Trump Signs Farm Bill, Officially Legalizing Industrial Hemp

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By on Cannabusiness, Feds 'N Heads, Follow that story, Hemp

The moment the hemp industry has been waiting for finally happened: President Donald Trump just signed the 2018 Farm Bill, legalizing industrial hemp in the United States.

Although highly anticipated after congressional approval last week, full-scale hemp legalization wasn’t official until Trump signed the Farm Bill, a set of agricultural policies voted on every five years or so. Spurred by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the 2018 bill’s hemp provisions catapult the plant’s farming opportunities from state pilot programs to a nationwide scale by removing hemp from the Controlled Substances Act and treating it like an agricultural product.

Why Colorado Tokers Love Crunch Berry

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By on Culture, Dispensaries, Growing, Medical

Don’t start talking cereal with a stoner unless you want to go down an annoying rabbit hole as you discuss the differences between Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Golden Grahams. We may seem laid-back, but when it comes to cereal, we have opinions — and nothing tops the Cap’n.

You know something’s great when you disregard the pain it brings, and I’ll take the razor-like cuts on the roof of my mouth every morning if it means I also get a bowl of Cap’n Crunch — any kind. I’ve even had Cap’n Crunch beers, thanks to Black Bottle Brewery’s Cerealiously line of stouts, as well as a Cap’n Crunchberries Slurpee at 7-Eleven. Both were delicious, and, yes, I was fried when I tried them. So when I saw a jar of frosty buds labeled “Crunch Berry” during a recent pot-shop visit, my mouth started salivating like Homer Simpson’s at the sight of doughnuts.

Is Eye Movement the Secret to Detecting Stoned Drivers?

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By on Follow that story, Say what?, Technology

A retired Oregon police officer believes he’s found a way to detect marijuana impairment among drivers, and it starts by looking deep into their eyes.

The struggles behind effectively identifying stoned drivers have only grown for law enforcement as marijuana legalization spreads across the country. Detecting pot impairment isn’t as simple as using a breathalyzer, blood test or urine sample, as THC can affect everyone differently at varied paces. But law enforcement consultant Chuck Hayes (not the 6’5″ power forward who couldn’t shoot free throws) believes eye movement can help police officers get a better grip on stoned drivers.

Cory Gardner’s Shot at Protecting States With Legal Marijuana Falls Short

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By on Cannabusiness, Feds 'N Heads, Legislation

Senator Cory Gardner’s shot at protecting states with legal marijuana programs was blocked on December 18, when his states’-rights amendment was sent into the rafters by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley.

Colorado’s Republican senator has been pushing for more guaranteed protection from federal encroachment on state-legalized marijuana industries and consumers, as well as for any banks that want to provide services to them. On December 17, he attached an amendment to the First Step Act, a set of legislative reforms to the federal prison system, that would have done just that.

Six Ganja-Inspired Gifts for the Holidays

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By on Dispensaries, Products

Thanks to online retail, you don’t have to get stuck at the mall during holiday shopping season. That doesn’t eliminate the stress of choosing the right gifts, though: After pondering all the possibilities, many of us fall back on buying a bottle of booze, some golf balls or a gift card. But since Colorado has an entirely different spectrum of presents — the pot-related kind — from which to choose, why not take full advantage of those options?

Although it’s about to conclude four years of legal recreational sales, our state’s cannabis industry continues to innovate, creating products and consumption methods that were unheard of when this grand experiment started in 2014. The CBD craze has only added to that, giving us another platform for cannabis use, one that employs the same consumption methods for very different effects.

To impress both the stoners and the squares on your list, here are six cannabis gift ideas guaranteed to be a hit during the holidays — and beyond.

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