Browsing: Culture

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

Like it or not, Denver is quickly becoming a city of transplants. Patrice Ingham wasn’t born very far away, originally hailing from Wyoming before eventually ending up in Denver — but she took pit stops in New York and Washington, D.C., along the way. Now the 27-year-old is switching careers as she finds her connection to the city, and she’s using cannabis to help the transition.

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

One young man struggling with alcoholism and a variety of mental pains believes that the plant is key to overcoming his demons and health issues, yet his family hasn’t been as embracing. As Michael Cavin continues to coax loved ones into accepting the cannabis use he feels is essential to a good quality of life, he’s also realizing how much more of his story is left to be written.

Legal cannabis has produced dozens of unique jobs, yet the face of the industry has always been the budtender. For those consumers who already know what they want, the budtender may simply be a middleman — but for the inexperienced, budtenders are modern sherpas, here to guide us through a new world of strains, vaporizers and other cutting-edge ways to enjoy cannabis.

Not every budtender is so willing to educate customers, but don’t tell that to Scott Yoss. A nine-year veteran of Colorado’s cannabis industry, Yoss uses his vast cultivation and dispensary experience to consult with customers at the Clinic on Colfax. Casual but bluntly honest (his advice on Durban Poison and certain OG cuts has changed my own consumption habits), Yoss chatted with Westword about his favorite strains, annoying customer questions and more.

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

Denver has seen no shortage of transplants, but not all of them feel at home right away. Freelance artist Claudia Campero moved here from Juárez, Mexico, and is still finding her groove in the Mile High as she searches for connections to her culture and heritage. To help her feel comfortable while exploring, Campero uses cannabis.

Tokes in the morning don’t work for everyone, but there’s nothing like a good wake-and-bake session for those of us who really enjoy it. If you can sidestep the risks of getting too high or an uncomfortable mixture of THC and coffee, starting the morning off with an adults-only bowl can make breakfast and Sunday chores that much better. Try scrubbing the bathroom floor after a bowl of Sour Diesel and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

I recently decided to begin one weekend morning with Grapefruit, a sativa named after those big false-oranges that old people eat with a spoon. Most childish tastebuds aren’t mature enough to appreciate the tart, bitter and acidic flavors of grapefruits. My tastebuds were no exception: Grapefruits and grapefruit juice were much too potent for me until I started drinking tequila and appreciating the fruit’s bitterness. Although similarly stiff on the senses, the Grapefruit strain is much easier for the uninitiated to appreciate.

Nearly fifteen months after the 4/20 holiday when founders of the International Church of Cannabis were accused of promoting public cannabis consumption and violating the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act — two misdemeanors that carry penalties of no more than several hundred dollars in fines — Steve Berke, Briley Hale and Lee Molloy are still awaiting trial.

It’s been fun to observe the efforts of prohibitionists as cannabis is more widely accepted publicly. One classic argument made against marijuana’s medical value is the “You can’t smoke medicine” motto, while another is a backlash against the names of strains. I understand reservations toward prescribing a sativa called “Pootie Tang” for eating disorders, but there’s no reason not to have a little fun sometimes.

My favorite strain names take me back to childhood or otherwise tap into nostalgia, like Bruce Banner, Duke Nukem and Smurfette, all of which are actual names of pot. So imagine my joy last year when I came across Ecto-Cooler, a strain named after the Ghostbusters-themed Hi-C drink in the ’90s made to turn from orange to green in honor of Slimer, the movie’s fat, lovable undead ball of ectoplasm.

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