iStock/cyano66When Windy Borman started making her documentary on women in the cannabis industry in 2015, women held 36 percent of its senior leadership roles, compared to 22 percent across all industries in the United States. But by the time her film, Mary Janes: The Women of Weed premiered at the Alamo Drafthouse in Littleton March 3 to a sold-out crowd, the latest news showed that that statistic had dipped nine points, to 27 percent.
Jacqueline CollinsWindy Borman grew up during the height of the DARE era in the ’80s and ‘90s. She never smoked cannabis, which she knew as a gateway drug, because addiction ran in her family.
Jacqueline CollinsBut Borman, 37, moved to Colorado for a job in 2014, the same year recreational pot was legalized. She had produced and directed films on topics such as elephants that stepped on landmines and learning disabilities, but she found a new subject in her new home: women in the cannabis industry.
www.thenewsstation.comWelcome to 2018, when distinguished political reporters are jumping ship to report on pot. Run by longtime political reporter Peter Marcus, just-launched website TheNewsStation.com is striving to be the intersection between pot and politics while also shedding light on daily developments in the cannabis industry as a whole.
YouTube file photoThe Colorado Springs Gazette, owned by conservative billionaire Phil Anschutz, has earned a reputation as the most overtly anti-marijuana major newspaper in the state. And while the first entry in a new series presented beneath the banner “Is Colorado better off five years after legalizing marijuana?” is an improvement over an anti-pot screed from nearly three years ago that was partially penned by a prominent and devoted cannabis hater, it still focuses almost entirely on bad news.
Courtesy of CannabrandAt this writing, thirty states and the District of Columbia have legalized some form of marijuana, be it recreational, medical or both, with Colorado having been in the latter category for more than four years. Nonetheless, Facebook and Instagram continue to make it difficult for cannabis businesses to advertise and promote themselves on the platforms. The scenario causes frustration within the industry even as it forces marketers to come up with clever ways to get around restrictions.
Gracie MalleyThe cannabis industry has no shortage of entrepreneurs fighting to gain a toehold in the field, but one of the industry’s most well-known names got there almost by accident. Ricardo Baca had been covering music for the Denver Post for over a decade when Colorado legalized the plant recreationally, and he was a bit befuddled when his bosses asked him to lead what would become the Cannabist , the first cannabis vertical for a major daily newspaper.
Miles ChrisingerDenver’s status as the country’s legal cannabis capital is in jeopardy now that California has started recreational sales, but one study shows that the Mile High City wouldn’t just take a step back if the rest of the world followed suit — it would become irrelevant. There are some questions about how the study’s figures apply to Denver, though.
Westword archiveUnless you’re into mosh pits or heavy bass, no substance accompanies music better than marijuana. Plenty of musicians are known for singing about their love of ganja, which left us wondering: What are the best THC tributes? Sure, there’s the cannabis canon of Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson that comes to mind. But we wanted to dig deeper for the best beats about buds.
Herbert FuegoA few small dustings notwithstanding, snow has been seriously lacking in Denver this year. Not willing to fly to Miami or drive to Aspen for a taste of the white stuff in which those ritzy towns indulge, I looked for the classic cannabis version, Snowcap, at local dispensaries. After some searching, I finally found it. Like a heavyweight champion from the ’60s, Snowcap — with a strength and trichome production that made it famous — has been passed over for newer, more potent strains, but it’s still not to be trifled with.
Scott LentzApproved by Colorado voters in November 2012, legal marijuana is now becoming mainstream in Colorado – but not without its fair share of controversy. New laws and regulations surrounding medical and recreational pot, a recent rise in legalization opponents thanks to United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions’s fear-mongering actions, and consolidation in Denver’s dispensary scene have all generated plenty of buzz.
For a rundown of what cannabis issues people have been talking about most this year, check out our ten most-read pot stories of 2017: