TO YOUR HEALTH
August 5, 2016 VO LUM E 1 4 | IS S U E 40 | FREE
Water infused with fruits and vegetables is a nutritious drink choice. PAGE 12
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Living with marijuana next door A new ordinance aims to reduce number of plants allowed for home growth
By Shanna Fortier sfortier@coloradocommunitymedia.com The home in the orderly Kentley Hills subdivision of Highlands Ranch — where the average sales price is $587,000 — looks like many others on the street, except for a few details: There are rarely cars in the driveway.
On garbage day, no trashcans are set out. The grass in the front yard is browning. Trucks visit in the middle of the night. And a smell of marijuana seeps from the house on Bentwood Circle into the neighborhood. “It’s unbearable,” said James, a neighbor who asked that his last name not be used because he said he fears for his family’s safety. “For my kids, it’s uncomfortable to play outside.” The home — about a half mile
from Heritage Elementary School — was reported to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in April because of the continuous odor and traffic in and out of the house. It is one of 20 homes in Douglas County reported to the sheriff’s office during the first five months of 2016 for complaints related to marijuana cultivation. “We have this going on in all parts of Douglas County — they aren’t confined to one area,” said Chief Deputy Steve Johnson of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Marijuana continues on Page 17
DOUGLAS COUNTY MARIJUANA CULTIVATION COMPLAINTS 50 45
40 30 20
21
24
20
10 2013
2014
2015
AS OF MAY 2016
Source: Douglas County Sheriff’s Office
DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOLS
Medical pot policy approved for students Highlands Ranch mother led fight for son with epilepsy to use medical cannabis By Mike DiFerdinando mdiferdinando@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Volunteers from the Rotary Club of Parker and other area rotary clubs train to use a new mechanical lift at the Promise Ranch Therapeutic Riding center in Franktown on July 24. Approximately 30 members from the clubs came to the ranch that day to train with the lift and paint the ranch’s fence. Courtesy photo
Giving riders a lift Rotary clubs combine funds to help Promise Ranch serve veterans By Tom Skelley tskelley@coloradocommunitymedia.com Several rotary clubs from the Parker area worked together to pay for a mechanical lift to help riders with disabilities ease into the saddle at Promise Ranch in Franktown. Members of the Rotary Club of
Parker, the Rotary Club of Southeast Denver and the Cherry Creek Valley Rotary Club of Parker all came to the ranch July 24 to train to use the lift and to help paint a fence around the grounds. Kam Breitenbach, president of the Rotary Club of Parker, said the event was an enjoyable end to a project that began in April, when the club began securing funds to buy and install the lift. “It was just a fun day,” Breitenbach said. “All the posts got painted
on the fence and we had a lot of people from (other clubs) there. It was a fun joint project.” Promise Ranch offers equine therapy to a variety of clients with disabilities and special needs. Part of its vision statement is “healing through horses,” and individuals with issues ranging from Down syndrome to Cerebral Palsy come to the ranch to receive a kind of treatment they can’t get from a clinic or a human therapist.
After being seizure-free for several years, 14-year old Benjamin Wann began suffering again last Thanksgiving Day. He subsequently had four more seizures in 14 days. Doctors, his mother said, wanted to put him back on powerful pharmaceutical drugs to treat his epilepsy. With her son soon to begin high school, Amber Wann hesitated to put Benjamin on drugs that included dangerous side effects like depression and suicidal tendencies. Instead, she turned to medical cannabis— specifically the non-psychoactive hemp oil extract called Charlotte’s Web. Students continues on Page 5
Riders continues on Page 11
ARTIST’S EYE Passion and practicality are just part of the average day for Lorenzo Chavez. PAGE 6
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