Author Toke of the Town

Trail Blazers is a series of portraits by photographer Maria Levitov, spotlighting cannabis consumers from all walks of life.

Allister Auguste started experimenting with cannabis at a young age. A child of separated parents, he started smoking pot early and hasn’t stopped. Despite the daily habit, Auguste earned an academic scholarship to the Indiana Institute of Technology, and continues to use the plant as he finds meaning.

Even as the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, is working with the office of Colorado Senator Cory Gardner to craft legislation designed to protect states that have legalized cannabis sales from federal interference, the organization is making a new push to have marijuana removed from the Controlled Substances Act, a process known as de-scheduling.

Exhibit A: In recent weeks, NORML submitted over 10,000 written requests that marijuana be de-scheduled to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which had asked for comments in conjunction with a review of cannabis’s international classification currently being conducted by the World Health Organization.

An undercover study conducted by Denver Health found that a majority of Colorado dispensary employees — 69 percent — recommended that a pregnant woman use cannabis, Denver Health officials revealed today, May 9.

Researchers had two women conduct “mystery caller” phone conversations with employees at 400 dispensaries across the state, telling them that they were eight weeks pregnant and suffering from morning sickness. During the majority of those calls, the employees recommended the women use cannabis products.

A strain with a dessert-like name is nothing new, but some carry more of a nostalgic pull than others. Cookies hybrids with names like Wedding Cake and Thin Mints will always tug at my inner child, and the same thing happened when I saw Cheese Quake on the shelf during a recent dispensary visit.

I’m used to seeing the term “cheesequake” on Dairy Queen Blizzard menus, not at pot shops, so I can’t help but lick my lips as visions of creamy ice cream and cheesecake bites pop up every time I hear or read the word. Although the Cheese Quake strain isn’t sweet and sugary like DQ’s version, it still carries a rich savoriness reminiscent of cream cheese, and its relaxing effects will cool you down after a hot day.

Autism spectrum disorder could be added to Colorado’s list of conditions treatable with medical marijuana if Governor John Hickenlooper approves a bill that passed the General Assembly on May 4. HB 1263, introduced by state Representative Edie Hooton, went through the legislature with relative ease after it was introduced in March, but not without changes.

As originally drafted by Hooton, the bill was designed to add acute pain to the state’s list of medical marijuana conditions in hopes of combating opioid addiction. Before its introduction, however, she was approached by mothers and advocates of children suffering from ASD. Persuaded by their stories and studies taking place in Israel and Chile on marijuana benefits for ASD, Hooton added the condition to her bill…and it soon proved the most winning component.

When it comes to how the five senses perceive cannabis, the nose will always be king. The eyes aren’t far behind, however, and are extremely important in finding defects on your buds, such as mold, mildew, mites and other undesirable traits. After getting past all the health-code stuff, though, you’ll find vivid shades of violet, blue or scarlet, milky and amber trichomes, and rusted, tan pistils that can remind you of anything from a sunset to snow-covered Christmas tree.

I’ve been lucky enough to check out hundreds of sexy strains with this gig, some of which are so gorgeous that it’s bittersweet to break them apart and burn them to ashes. And 2018 hasn’t disappointed, with Denver’s pot shops pumping out a gallery of ganja that even my mediocre photo skills can’t ruin. Here are ten of the prettiest strains I’ve smoked so far this year.

Trail Blazers is a series of portraits by photographer Maria Levitov, spotlighting cannabis consumers from all walks of life.

Plenty of Denver residents like to blame the city’s influx of newcomers and rising real estate prices over the past few years on legal cannabis. Even if that were true, though, we can’t overlook all of the culture and innovation that pot has lured to the Mile High. Musician Nicholas Caputo, for example, recently moved here from Gainesville, Florida, “to pursue art and engage with cannabis culture.” He also wanted to treat his depression with cannabis.

In a story of strange political bedfellows, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws is working with the office of Colorado Republican Senator Cory Gardner on an upcoming bill that would prevent the federal government from interfering with the marijuana system here and in other states that have legalized.

As noted by NORML political director Justin Strekal, Gardner has confirmed that he’s teaming up with Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, “to craft legislation that would reduce the tension between federal prohibition and states that have moved forward with legalizing marijuana for medicinal or adult use. And we’re working with a number of offices to make sure the language is going to be right and palatable to a bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate.”

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