Brian Garret almost tripped as he approached his favorite dispensary, Sticky Buds, on September 3 — and it wasn’t because of Denver’s lousy sidewalks. Garret’s pot shop of choice on Colfax Avenue had a banner hanging out front, announcing new ownership.
“I called the other location [on South Broadway], and they said Solace Meds took over that one, too,” he said at the time. “Everything inside was pretty much the same, but things will probably change with time.”
When a heatwave hits and you don’t have air conditioning, you have only a few options: Find a nearby pool, go to a movie, or drink something cold. For many of us, that means a frosty beer or chilled cocktail, but not everyone likes alcohol.
Nothing is that legitimate unless there’s a book about it for dummies. My dad learned how to coach Little League basketball and install Windows 97 thanks to the triangle-headed nerd who’s been on the cover of nearly 2,500 different self-help guides, aiding millions of readers. Now, the Dummies franchise has decided that cannabis is too big to avoid, bringing in former Native Roots executive Kim Casey to author a book about the plant.
The edibles game can be a screwy one for the legal cannabis industry, with a roulette of changing regulations and constantly evolving market demand. New government rules on dosing and packaging can end a company overnight; if those don’t do it, then ever-changing extraction technology and consumer habits just might, with new forms of consumption popping up more often than expected. That’s not even counting the financing and expansion issues faced by American cannabis brands now that our neighbors to the north have legalized the plant federally.
Colorado’s cannabis industry is still changing at a rapid pace. The industry’s watchdog, the state Marijuana Enforcement Division, updates its rules and regulations every year in hopes of catching up with the expanding field, which is growing like a weed in more ways than one.
Being a cannabis critic is far from a stressful gig, but we could all use a little vacation sometimes. Unfortunately, the most my budget can afford is a free trip to the park, but there are other ways to escape. While I’ve never been a huge Corona guy, the brewery’s “Find Your Beach” campaign, in which opening a Corona takes you to an imaginary tropical paradise, isn’t a total crock: Enjoying certain flavors or aromas is a great way to forget where you are and instead imagine where you want to be.
In honor of 4/20, we’re presenting Maria Levitov’s portraits of cannabis consumers in Colorado, the first state to allow legal recreational sales. “The world can feel isolating and discouraging, so now more than ever, it’s important to show the things that connect us, not separate us,” says the photographer.
Cannabis businesses took over the Colorado Convention Center this week as the National Cannabis Industry Association held its Seed to Sale Show on February 7 and 8. Made up of nearly 1,600 members, the NCIA is one of the largest industry groups in legal cannabis and has been holding annual events in Denver to showcase industry trends and technology for over five years.
There were thirty of us, all women, practicing our breathing in very specific ways for two minutes. Some breathed in through their tongues, rolled like straws, and then out through their noses slowly, while others breathed in and out sharply, using their diaphragms. Both systems felt odd, but the final result left me less skeptical than when I’d first walked in the door.
Colorado’s decision to legalize recreational cannabis has taken the blame for several changes to the state’s rapidly changing landscape, specifically in Denver. Pot has been accused for the rise in population, the rise in homelessness and the rise in housing costs…and now one study believes it has found a solid connection to the increased cost of homes.