Browsing: Culture

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

Ade Raphael was diagnosed with cancer shortly after moving to Denver, but the transgender female didn’t let intense chemotherapy and radiotherapy sessions hamper her creativity. Using cannabis to help treat the fatigue, nausea and pain brought on by chemotherapy, Raphael has overcome long odds to survive a disease that attacks one’s ability to breathe, speak and hear.

Too much of a good thing can quickly become a bad thing. Nitro coffee and milk, for example: It’s a delicious concoction that will leave me strung out like Sheila from Friday after more than a few drinks. Certain sativas often act like nitro coffee in a weed jar, which is why Sour Tangie — a combination of sativa powerhouses Sour Diesel and Tangie — was one of the more intimidating strains I’ve encountered of late.

Kobe Bryant chucked a lot of junk at the hoop and had poor stats in clutch moments, but his delusional fans still try to inject his name into conversations about LeBron and MJ. (Feel free to email me your hot takes that argue otherwise.) Needless to say, I’m not a fan. So when I saw a strain named Black Mamba — the nickname of the all-time clunker — I abstained. But then a plump, purple cut on display at Verde Natural persuaded me to give it a try.

Like most egotistical turds without any friends to give him one, Kobe had to adopt his own nickname, one that he thought signified how his superior competitive ability would finish his opponents with the venom-like ferocity of an African snake. The Black Mamba strain, however, is anything but forced, with at least three different variants all deserving of the moniker. 

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

Kai Alexander moved to Colorado from North Dakota a little over a decade ago, eventually taking part in two of the state’s most notorious resources: craft beer and cannabis. A transgender and recent divorcé, Alexander now works for one of Aurora’s most popular breweries, using cannabis to help treat his longstanding anxiety and depression.

Despite being inspired by real-world events, witches were always the lamest Halloween characters. Warts on their noses, shrieking voices and no taste in color — no, thanks. But then I saw Hocus Pocus on the Disney Channel, and that Bette Middler was sure a delight. I had high hopes that Witches Weed would be just as delightful.

A hybrid of Chemdawg D, Cinderella 99, OG Kush and San Fernando Valley OG, Witches Weed certainly sounds like it was brewed up in a cauldron, and its funky high is almost supernatural.

Most people thought the fight was over when Colorado voters legalized commercial cannabis in 2012, but that victory led to a series of smaller battles over such issues as social consumption, home-grow limitations and industry expansion. Proposals continue to pop up on both the local and state level that could advance or limit your rights as a cannabis consumer, patient, grower or business owner. Want to make sure things go in the right direction? Here’s how to become a cannabis advocate:

Ryan Kingsbury admits that he used to be that guy yelling at the TV during a football game, complaining that professional athletes were underperforming or overpaid. But after befriending a few of them and noticing a pattern of anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts once they left the game, he became familiar with the lonely corners in which former athletes sometimes find themselves.

“It’s much darker and uglier than we as a society want to admit,” Kingsbury says. “We [like to]cheer for them and root for them when they’re on the field — and then we couldn’t give two shits for them when they’re not.”

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.

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.

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