If you asked Mayor Michael Hancock how he felt about being dubbed the “Mile High Mayor” by the cannabis industry back in 2012, he probably would have said he didn’t enjoy the title. But a lot can change in seven years.
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Cannabis etiquette has its own set of standards. When to ask someone for pitch on a joint or jump in a session circle without permission aren’t situations often posted to Ask Amy; these questions don’t have standard answers like similar queries regarding drinking or dining. Add legalization to the mix, and you’re asking for even more confusion — and fun.
Weed the People is not your typical weed documentary full of rants and conspiracy theories. The film, which debuted in Denver on Friday, December 7, at the Alamo Drafthouse Sloan’s Lake, is social commentary on the lack of government research into the possible health benefits of cannabis.
Held annually since 2010 by Clover Leaf University, the Cannabis Business Awards celebrate some of the industry’s brightest companies and advocates. Although legalization continues expanding to new states every year, the national CBAs are still held in downtown Denver every December, with the latest edition taking place at the Hilton Denver City Center on Wednesday, December 5.
Does anyone else regret meeting their heroes? I ran into Chauncey Billups at an NBA event in Las Vegas when I was twelve, right after he won the 2004 NBA Finals. Total dick. No autograph, no hello — he just stood in front of a lobby TV, alone, ignoring the sniveling kid in a Melo jersey asking for his autograph. Michael Jordan stiffed kids, too. If you ask some of my golf-caddying friends, they’ll tell you that John Elway’s a shitty tipper. My point: Sometimes it’s best to only interact with your favorite superstars through a screen.
Take a walk around Denver, and it’s nearly impossible to ignore the rise in art projects. Whether it’s new murals on building walls downtown or RiNo’s alleyways, there’s never been more color in Denver. The Colorado Business Committee for the Arts, an advocate for arts within the state for thirty years, even says that people now spend more money on the arts than sports in Colorado.
My family has roots in Wisconsin, so my affinity for cheese comes naturally. Cheese curds, grilled cheese sandwiches, goat-cheese spread — if it’s cheesy, I’m easy. I even like the stinky French stuff like Camembert. But the stankiest cheese of all is from England, is grown indoors, and requires at least three weeks to cure.
Cannabis historically catches a bad rap in motion picture, depending on your views of the sweet leaf. It may have started with Reefer Madness in 1939, which created an initial scare about the dangers of cannabis use. Skip ahead four decades to the slack-jawed ramblings of Cheech and Chong, followed by such films as Friday, Half Baked and Pineapple Express, and cannabis in motion pictures became a caricature of mislabeled stereotypes.
Matthew Kind can’t do many interviews past noon. Next month, he might have to shut off even earlier, depending on which time zone he’s in. Such restrictions are usually avoided by talk-show hosts, who stick closely to standard production deadlines in order to consistently churn out content. Yet Kind’s ever-evolving itinerary is exactly why he chose this line of work.
Trail Blazers is a series of portraits by photographer Maria Levitov spotlighting cannabis consumers from all walks of life.