Sensi Magazine-Denver/Boulder (April 2017)

DE N V E R // B OULDER

THE NEW NORMAL

HIGH

HOLIDAY I S S UE

from CORPORATE to CANNABIS HOW TO TRANSITION TO WORKING IN WEED

highbrow HAPPENINGS

SOPHISTICATED WAYS TO SPEND AN ELEVATED DAY

Escape Rooms + Mother’s High Tea with Susan Squibb + Eating with Animals

04.2017

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contents.

HIGH

ISSUE 4 // VOLUME 2 // 04.2017

HOLIDAY I S S UE

FEATURES

16

40 Fitting In

A Boulder institution faces forward and into the future

44

S P ECI A L R E P O R T

Corporate to Cannabis

44

An emerging market brings corporate refugees eager to apply their skills to the new world of cannabis

22

EVERY ISSUE

A small glimpse at the types of locks players will encounter at the Golden Puzzle Room

9 Editor’s Note 1 0 SensiBuzz 16 NewsFeed

HIGHBROW HAPPENINGS

2 2 AroundTown

ESCAPE ARTISTRY

30 BuzzWorthy

FLUTTER TO THE BUTTERFLY PAVILION

32 EdibleCritic

NOSHING WITH THE ANIMALS

72 CO I QA S USAN

SQUIBB

Sensi Magazine is published monthly in Denver, CO,

by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2017 SENSI MEDIA GROUP LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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mast sensi magazine

EXECUTIVE

FOLLOW US

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EDITORIAL Stephanie Wilson, EDITOR IN CHIEF

STEPHANIE.WILSON @ SENSIMAG.COM

Leland Rucker, SENIOR

EDITOR

LELAND.RUCKER @ SENSIMAG.COM

sensimagazine

John Lehndorff, FOOD

EDITOR

EDIBLE.CRITIC @ SENSIMAG.COM

Randy Robinson CONTRIBUTING EDITOR /PHOTOGRAPHER RANDY.ROBINSON @ SENSIMAG.COM

ART & DESIGN Jennifer Tyson, DESIGN

DIRECTOR

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BU S I N E S S & A DM I N I S T R AT I V E Tyler Tarr, PUBLISHER

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head.

editor’s

ISSUE 4 VOLUME 2 04.2017

NOTE

HAPPY H I G H

HOLIDAY.

A DV I SORY B OA R D 5700 Consulting // CONSULTING BiologicCBD // CBD OIL

April is a pretty big month around here, thanks to the “unofficially offi-

Canna Security America // SECURITY

cial 4/20 holiday” that’s celebrated with much fanfare. During the month of

Cannabis Clean // CLEANING

April last year, a record-breaking $117.4 million worth of cannabis was sold

Cannabis Insurance Services // INSURANCE

across the state, an 80 percent increase in sales from the year before. And

Concentrate Supply Co. //

we can expect even bigger things from an even more highly evolved mar-

RECREATIONAL CONCENTRATES

ketplace this year.

Contact High Communications //

Because across the board, the cannabis industry is maturing. The stoner

PUBLIC RELATIONS

stereotype isn’t yet entirely a thing of the past but it’s no longer the punch-

Cohen Medical Centers // MEDICAL CENTERS

line it once was. During the prohibition days, celebrating 4/20 by gathering and lighting up a joint in public was an act of civil disobedience. Now, it’s a

Denver Custom Packaging // PACKAGING

celebration of the freedom that created this thriving environment—and

EndoCanna // MEDICAL CONCENTRATES

a celebration of the community around it.

ExtractCraft // AT-HOME EXTRACTION

It’s an industry and a community that is calling to people from across the

GreenHouse Payment Solutions //

country. In this month’s special report, Senior Editor Leland Rucker talks to

PAYMENT PROCESSING

professionals who gave up successful careers in corporate America to en-

Grofax 5 // HEMP

ter the cannabis realm. Think: Target executives, the former president of

Jett Cannabis // CO2 EXTRACTION

Overstock.com, and others who are helping to erase the “lazy stoner” myth just by showing up at work and doing their new jobs.

Lab Society // L AB EQUIPMENT

On that note, Leland kicks off the issue by debunking the old trope of

Loopr // LUXURY MOBILE CONSUMPTION

unmotivated marijuana users in his monthly column that makes more than

LucidMood // TERPENES

a passing reference to The Big Lebowski. If you’ve ever met Leland, you

marQaha // SUBLINGUALS/SPRAYS

know he abides.

Mountain High Suckers // CBD EDIBLES

This issue also explores some of the many ways the cannabis communi-

Neos // BHO VAPE PENS

ty is growing up, with more sophisticated “Highbrow Happenings” taking

Purple Monkey // TEAS

place around the state. I personally can’t recommend the Lit on Lit class discussed in the piece highly enough. It’s a mind-opening place to connect

Rx CBD // CBD PET TREATS

with open-minded cannabis consumers.

Simply Pure // MEDICAL DISPENSARY

Another top place to do so: Sensi Night, happening on April 14 at City

Steepfuze // CBD COFFEE

Hall—exactly 52 weeks to the day after our official launch in 2016. This year’s

Terrapin Care Station //

High Holiday Kickoff event is going to be an epic celebration fit for the boom-

RECREATIONAL DISPENSARY

ing, supportive community of which we’re so thrilled to be a part. I hope you’ll

The Clinic: The Bank Genetics // GENETICS

join us. For more details on the killer entertainment we have in store and on

TinctureBelle // TOPICALS

how to RSVP, head to our Facebook page, FB.COM/SENSIMEDIAGROUP.

National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy Women Grow

KIM SIDWELL © CANNABIS CAMERA

M E D IA PA RT N E RS

In the meantime, keep celebrating.

Stephanie Wilson EDITOR IN CHIEF @ STEPHWILLL

Wana Brands // EDIBLES

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buzz

{ C R O W N H O L DE R } Cannabis Queen Jerky As the snow melts and the flowers bloom,

Our curious cannabis expert and anything but a lazy stoner, LEL AND RUCKER .

hiking season falls within our sights. Every

debunking

STONER STEREOTYPES Even though The Big Lebowski is probably my

backpack trekker knows the key to a successful jaunt through the Rockies is to pack lightweight but nutritionally dense food to take along. Bison, a staple of the southwest

favorite movie, I don’t try to emulate the Dude. But

American diet, provides low-cholesterol,

he plays a small part in my least-favorite argument

low-fat meat loaded with proteins and

against cannabis use. There have been a lot of those over the years, but

omega-3s needed to keep the muscles

the absolute nadir is the concept that marijuana makes you lazy.

grinding along those craggy hillsides. Our

I thought about that again while attending the recent Women Grow Leadership Summit and the NCIA’s Seed to Sale show this winter in Denver. I spent four days talking to people who have been using cannabis since their teen years, many of them now in their 20s and 30s, and I had to laugh out loud that one of the arguments against legalization

bodies convert omega-3s into our endocannabinoids, the body’s “natural marijuana.” C ANNABIS QUEEN JERKY, made in Aspen with 10 mg THC per serving, offers

is that it takes away your motivation, your drive, and your will to succeed.

additional cannabinoids to keep your en-

Even in the 1970s, when we bought “pot” instead of “indica,” I noticed

ergy up and tension down. For those with

that when I smoked it, I was ready to do things. Oh yeah, I did my share of

a sweet tooth, try the teriyaki jerky. And

curling up on the couch and reading The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers

for those who like to push their limits,

or R. Crumb comics and rolling on the floor laughing at Cheech and Chong routines. But I soon found that, whether writing, riding my bike, or cleaning the house, I was getting things done when I was high. And at the same time, I’m reading articles that claim marijuana robs people of inspiration

consider the hot and spicy flavor. Go to CANNABISQUEEN.COM

that carry it.

to find dispensaries –R ANDY ROBINSON

and incentive, that suggested those who use marijuana are losers, or, as our current Attorney General might call them, “bad people.” It was obvious early on that if a person wasn’t naturally motivated, cannabis might not be the antidote, but to blame the plant seemed kind of ludicrous.

So enough with the motivation argument. If you still think that cannabis deprives you of your incentive, I’d love for you to accompany me to an industry trade show or event and spend a couple of hours talking with people there and then explain to me how marijuana makes people lazy. The dude abides.

get stoned

–LEL AND RUCKER

BREAKING

NEWS:

Marijuana does not make people lazy.

On April 15, the Denver Botanic Gardens hosts its annual North American Rock Garden Society Show and Sale, where you can get advice from experts on how to make your garden really rock. This year, the Rocky Mountain NARGS chapter is presenting more than 10,000 plants, including some rarely available varieties plus some easycare classics—all perfectly suited for the climate, altitude, sunlight, and soils of the Front Range. The show starts –STEPHANIE WILSON at 9 am and entrance is included with the price of admission to the gardens.

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THE NE W N O R M A L

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buzz

© CENTRAL CITY OPERA

April { snow? } showers According to the city’s snowfall records, which go back to the late 1800s, April is the fourth snowiest month in Denver. It may not seem like it this year, but we’re still hoping.

After all, last year’s annual 4/20 rally was postponed because of some frozen precipitation. If you’re trapped indoors this month, these binge-worthy shows can keep you enter-

Colorado

BUCKET LIST Central City Opera

tained. The Path on Hulu, featuring Aaron Paul of Breaking

Founded in 1932, Central City Opera is the fifth

Bad fame, centers on a family wrapped in a controversial

oldest professional opera company in the coun-

cult. Now in the second season, the series is engrossing and

try—and it’s still renowned for its world-class pro-

realistic with a palpable tension that keeps you glued episode after episode. Good Girls Revolt on Amazon had critics frothily comparing it to Mad Men when it was released. The

ductions. This summer’s shows, always a highlight of the social season, include Carmen and Così fan tutte. The sensory-indulging performances take place in the Colorado mountain town of Central

period drama set in the 1960s centers on a group of young

City, about 35 miles west of Denver. The company

women working at a news magazine at the dawn of a cul-

owns 28 Victorian-era properties, including the in-

tural awakening. The killer soundtrack is a bonus.

timate 550-seat jewel-box opera house built in 1878.

–SW

Tickets go on sale on April 1, and as their slogan says: You won’t know until you go. So get on it and

gone

get going.

HUNTING.

Well, this sounds fun:

Westminster’s Adult Easter Egg Hunt , with three hours of fun and $2,000 in prizes. It takes place Saturday, April 8, from 4 pm to 7 pm. Not for the wee ones, this activity-filled happening has egg hunts, tosses, and races, slingshot water balloons, and Bunny Drop cocktails—plus portraits with the deranged Easter Bunny. More details: CI.WESTMINSTER.CO.US .

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–SW

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{newsfeed}

by R ANDY R O B IN S ON

HIGHBROW HAPPENINGS Not every cannabis outing has to be saturated with the same old stoner tropes. The cannabis community is growing up, and as it does, our opportunities for cultured outings are evolving, too.

It’s April, so it’s that time of year when the cannabis community comes together to celebrate its annual, unoffi-

CANNABIS COOKING CLASS EDUCATION FOR ELEVATED ENTRÉES

cially official holiday, 4/20. That means mad sales, swag

People come from all over the world to visit Colorado and

giveaways, cannabis competitions, and more pot-themed

sample our cannabis-infused foods. However, you may be

rap and rock concerts than you can shake a spliff at.

surprised to learn how easy it is to make edibles yourself.

However, you, the Sensi reader, may be in the mood for

This cannabis cooking class is held at the Stir Cooking

something different. Luckily, you’re in the Centennial State,

School near the heart of Highlands, just a stoner’s throw

and if there’s one thing Coloradans have mastered, it’s fus-

away from downtown Denver. They’ll show you how to make

ing cannabis with—well—just about everything.

raw cannabis oil, then walk you through the steps to com-

This guide isn’t definitive, but it includes several low-key, highbrow alternatives to the typical cannabis celebrations you’ll find this year. Remember: be responsible, be safe, and most of all, have a ton of fun.

pose a series of gourmet dishes. If all goes well—and it always does—you’ll barely taste the cannabis.

STIR COOKING SCHOOL 3215 ZUNI ST., DENVER // 866.601.0420

LIT ON LIT

MEMBERS ONLY

AN ENLIGHTENED WRITING CLASS

SUMMIT RECREATIONAL RETREAT

Perhaps we’re a little biased here at Sensi, but a writing workshop on weed? Awesome.

Billed as Colorado’s first members-only cannabis-focused upscale retreat, this local getaway even staffs a cannabis

Hosted by Puff, Pass, and Paint and Denver’s Suspect

concierge to help you navigate the legal landscape. Lifetime

Press literature company, Lit on Lit brings writers together

membership is just $29, and it’s included in the price of the

with local, published fiction authors Daniel Landes, Amanda

daytime escapes, which run about $100 per person. The space

Eike Koehler, and Josiah Hesse.

offers a luxe lounge complete with fireplaces, a Jacuzzi, re-

If you’re currently struggling with a spell of writer’s block,

freshments, and a Bliss Bar with a Volcano Vaporizer and

or if you’d just like to bounce some ideas around a brain-

electric nail dab rig. Upgrade your stay with cannabis oil mas-

storming session with like-minded folks, feel free to pull up

sages, private local tours, or even a cannabis workshop.

a seat, spark up some herb, and put your pen to paper.

There’s also a special master suite available for overnight

2087 S. GRANT ST., DENVER // PUFFPASSANDPAINT.COM

accommodations.

SUMMITRECREATIONALRETREAT.COM

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Yoga originated in India thousands of years ago, and sacred texts describe not only yogis, but the Hindu god, Shiva himself, smoking, drinking, and topically applying cannabis.

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A luxe cannabis-pairing farm-to-table dinner curated by the Mason Jar Event Group.

so it makes sense to couple cannabis-assisted elevation with some hands-on relaxation.

There are more cannabis-friendly massage clinics around than we could list, but here are a few businesses that feature cannabinoid-infused lotions during your massage.

PRIMAL WELLNESS

They don’t have a website but you can find them on Facebook.

1500 W. HAMPDEN AVE., SUITE 3K, ENGLEWOOD // 303.731.0425

PRIMAL THERAPEUTICS

Masseuses from Primal Therapeutics always come to you (Denver Metro only).

CANNABISMASSAGECOLORADO.COM

LODO MASSAGE STUDIO

There are two locations, one in RiNo, one in the Highlands.

LODOMASSAGESTUDIO.COM

SERENITY SPA & SALON

This wellness retreat in Keystone offers the cannabis herbal massage to patrons 21 and older.

HAUTE CUISINE

SERENITYCOLORADO.COM

THE MUNCHIES GET A MAKEOVER

say, some of the most esteemed culinary artists in the

YOGA : EXPAND YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS

country—look to the Mason Jar Event Group. Each canna-

EDUCATION FOR ELEVATED ENTRÉES

If you’d prefer someone else do the cooking for you—

bis-pairing dinner takes guests to a luxurious location, with gourmet meals served in unmatched settings.

MASONJAREVENTGROUP.COM

If it seems like there are just as many yoga studios in the Denver area as there are cannabis stores, your mind isn’t playing tricks on you. Scarborough USA+, a consumer research firm under Nielsen Holdings—the same company

MASSAGE : RELAXING RUB DOW N EDUCATION FOR ELEVATED ENTRÉES

as the US city with the most yoga practitioners by percentage of population.

According to the American Message Therapy Associa-

In fact, Colorado is still ranked No. 1 in physical activity,

tion, half of all massage customers undergo sessions to

crowned as the least obese state by the CDC. We also have

treat pain or muscle stiffness. In Colorado, over 90 percent

the lowest diabetes rate and the second lowest rate of

of registered medical marijuana patients hold red cards for

hypertension, and our residents’ interest in yoga likely has

chronic pain. Studies show the plant can reduce inflamma-

a big part in that.

tion, dampen pain, and restore strength to bones and joints,

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that measures our TV viewership ratings—places Denver

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With yoga being the most popular and the fastest growing

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natural health trend in America, it makes perfect sense to pair up this ancient lifestyle with cannabis. It’s not a new pairing, either. Yoga originated in India thousands of years ago, and sacred texts describe not only yogis, but the Hindu god, Shiva himself, smoking, drinking, and topically applying cannabis.

It’s no surprise, then, that to list every cannabis-themed yoga activity here would be too exhaustive. Even Mason Jar Event Group has a yoga-and-cannabis-paired brunch series. Here are a few other liberating spots to get you limber: TWISTED SISTER

A private, BYOB (as in bud) ganja yoga retreat.

TWISTEDSISTERYOGA.EVENTBRITE.COM

MARIJUASANA

BYOB, or enjoy CBD tea and vaporizers provided.

MARIJUASANA.COM

420 YOGA RETREAT

Located at Aspen Canyon Ranch, close to elevated mountain trails and hot springs.

420YOGARETREATS.COM

Mason Jar Event Group’s Yoga with a View series combines cannabis, yoga, and brunch. Oh my.

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{ aroundtown }

by R ANDY R O B IN S ON

ESCAPE ARTISTRY

© PHOTOGRAPHY BY KENNETH COLES

Escape rooms have become a global phenomenon over the years, and they keep growing in popularity. What are these things, and why is everyone scrambling to get in (and out) of one?

For the cost of going to the movies, you and your friends can get locked in a room for one hour. To get out, you’ll need to follow clues and solve puzzles. If you fail, you die.

Just kidding. You won’t die, but that’s the narrative with some escape rooms. Some of the more popular ones follow serial slasher or mad kidnapper themes. Others involve space ships coming in for a crash landing, while others take a more lighthearted approach, like finding a missing magician in his secret parlor.

The basic concept behind every escape room is the same: clues lead to puzzles, and puzzles lead to keys that unlock more puzzles.

Complete all the puzzles within the allotted time, and you win.

{ ENGAGEMENT } It may seem anticlimactic—even antithetical—to spend an evening out being locked in some weird room with a bunch of people you don’t know. When I first read about escape rooms, I didn’t think much of them. I wasn’t even seeking them out; I stumbled on them when I 22

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Beyond the Flower Shop (including inset): A speakeasy escape room at EscapeWorks.

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clicked on a suggested article covering the topic. It seemed like a neat surprise for my partner, so I signed us up for the The Cabin, a horror-themed escape room hosted by Denver’s Great Room Escape.

Usually this room holds several people, but the other couple that signed up for our slot canceled at the last second. It was just the two of us. We’d be locked in this homicidal maniac’s cabin, and to get out, we had to unlock four switches that powered the front door. Our only light source was a flashlight provided by one of The Cabin’s employees.

After an hour of frantically deciphering codes, fishing for hidden keys, and jumping at our fair share of scares, we finally got to the last challenge … and the final five minutes.

I’d love to tell you we succeeded in that first outing, but we didn’t. Cue: masked murder bursting through the back

what to expect { WHEN YOU’RE ESCAPING }

Every escape room company offers something a little different, but they all follow the same procedures, too. If you’re unsure of what to expect, here’s what the typical escape room schedule looks like.

Step 1 : SIGN IN Escape rooms require you sign a waiver granting consent to being locked in a room. It sounds much scarier than it actually is. Just keep in mind every escape room has some sort of panic button in the case of an emergency. Some rooms don’t even lock you in (these particular companies prefer to be called “puzzle rooms”).

door, swinging a faux chainsaw. Game over, man.

But even though we technically lost, we had a crazy good time. And now, we’re hooked. I can’t promise you’ll have the same reaction, but I can promise you won’t find the same rush from any movie, TV show, or video game.

The Real Escape Game was a stunning success, and shortly thereafter, escape rooms took off in Asia. Singapore amplified the craze, then it spread to China, where there are

HISTORY OF { ESCAPE ROOMS } For those of you familiar with video games, an escape

more escape rooms than anywhere else in the world. Then escape rooms crept into Australia, Russia, and Europe. The first ones officially hit American shores in 2012.

room may sound like a familiar scenario. That’s because the

And the phenomenon keeps expanding at an ever-in-

first tried-and-true escape room was, in fact, a video game.

creasing rate. That’s partly due to the wildly alluring profit

In 2004, Toshimitsu Takagi designed Crimson Room, a

potential of this business: according to Market Watch, it’s

Flash game which followed the escape room premise: from

not unusual for an escape room company to experience 800

a first-person perspective, you’re stuck in a room, and to

percent growth in a single year. Even in northern Colorado,

get out, you solve puzzles. The room was fairly ordinary, and

home to over a dozen escape room companies, bookings

there were no scares or additional pressures.

constantly sell out, even on weekday mornings.

Crimson Room, however, didn’t pioneer the idea of solv-

Especially on weekday mornings.

ing puzzles to move forward in a game. Myst redefined and

Besides the awesome social aspect of escape rooms,

popularized the puzzle-environment game back in the

they provide corporate value, too. Many businesses rent

1990s. Final Fantasy and Resident Evil also utilized all sorts

escape rooms for team-building exercises outside of the

of clues-to-puzzles-to-keys-to-more-puzzles formulas in

boredom-inducing environs of the office, and most escape

their blockbuster video game series.

rooms offer corporate discounts.

In 2007, Takao Kato brought the escape room concept to life with Riaru Dasshutsu Ge-mu, or Real Escape Game. He got the idea from reading manga, a type of Japanese comic.

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W H Y ESCAPE ROOMS, { AND WHY NOW? }

Fed up with the lack of adventure in his own life, he created

The psychology behind escape rooms’ appeal is complex,

the first real-world escape room to bring some excitement

but most analyses suggest their rising popularity is a re-

not only to himself but to others as well.

sponse to the dull humdrum of urbanization and digitiza-

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Step 2 : TURN IN/TURN OFF MOBILE DEVICES Some escape rooms require you temporarily fork over your cell phones. Others just ask that you turn them off. Part of that is so players can’t cheat, although most puzzles can’t be solved with Internet assistance. Also, they don’t want you taking photos of the puzzles and spoiling the fun for everyone else.

Step 4 : PLAY THE GAME You’ll have a clock in the room showing you how much time is remaining. There’s usually some way for the escape room employees to provide clues as well, such as slipping notes under the door or broadcasting a statement or two through an old transistor radio.

Step 3 : BRIEFING An escape room employee will brief you on the story behind the room. You might be trying to unlock a safe for a vaccine to a virus outbreak. Or maybe you’re looking for a missing scientist’s hidden schematics. Or maybe you’re on a train that’s about to crash, and the only thing that’ll stop it is following the clues to activate the emergency stop. You get the idea.

The briefing will also go over the rules. Some escape rooms encourage you to scrounge through everything. Others would prefer if you leave the decorations in peace. Almost every escape room makes clues and puzzles easily accessible, so there’s no need to tear through the couch cushions or disassemble the ceiling panels.

Step 5 : DEBRIEFING Whether you beat the room or it beats you, you’ll get a full debriefing once you exit. If you didn’t succeed, the solutions and clues will be explained to you. If you did succeed, you’ll usually be told why you did so well.

Some companies will take your photo at the end of a successful run so you can have bragging rights. Others hand out small prizes, like stickers or trinkets. Regardless of what you walk away with, the experience alone is worth the effort.

The Kazam Room at Puzzah! requires no scavenging so you can focus on the riddles and puzzles.

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tion. Studies show millennials prefer not to go out these

don’t offer the level of interactivity you’ll experi-

days (for a variety of reasons), and social media ensures we

ence at a real-life escape room.

stay glued to our mobile devices, even when in the compa-

{ 2 } SIMULTANEOUS ACTIVITY.

ny of flesh-and-blood people.

Because escape rooms are designed for groups,

{ 1 } AN ENFORCED TEAMWORK ENVIRONMENT.

there’s always something to do. This isn’t a turn-

With a few rare exceptions, escape rooms aren’t

based thing: half the team can be working on one

solo acts. You must work with a group to get out of

puzzle while the other half tries to decode a cipher.

the room. Even online player-versus-player games

There’s no excuse for someone to be standing

{ NORTHERN COLORADO’S }

ESCAPE ROOMS

New to escape rooms? You’re not alone. According to Kurt Allison of

Conundrum, “Just one-quarter of Americans have even heard of an escape room.”

Fewer have actually experienced one. “There’s not a lot out there about us,” Allison continued, “but that’s changing.” Because every escape room company has its own unique personality and approach, here’s a brief guide to help you pick your first.

I F YOU’D LIKE TO PLAY W ITH JUST YOUR FRIE NDS : Consider Puzzah! or Golden Puzzle Room. Escape rooms in the US usually group you with strangers, a scenario that’s daunting for a lot of first-timers. These two companies prefer to keep the experience relatively private, so you’ll only play with people you know.

I F YOU WANT SOM ETHING SCARY : Consider Denver’s Great Room Escape or Boulder Escape Room. Most escape rooms feature familyfriendly themes, but some may have settings related to kidnapping, imprisonment, or even murder.

These two companies go above and beyond with horror-inspired rooms crafted to make you jump with fright. If you work really, really well under pressure, these haunt-themed spots may be perfect.

I F YOU WANT TO PLAY W I TH A BIG GROUP : Consider EscapeWorks in downtown Denver. Most escape rooms are made for 2–8 people, but EscapeWorks’s multi-sectioned rooms are designed for 10 –15 people.

These are best for corporate team-building outings as the entire department can join in, with plenty of challenges and opportunities to solve puzzles for everyone involved.

I F YOU’D LIKE TO GO SHOPPING A FTERWARD : Consider Enigma Escape Rooms in Boulder. This one is located smack-dab in the center of the Pearl Street Mall, so after your escape room experience, you can hit the nearby boutiques and restaurants.

I F YOU WANT TRULY UNCON V ENT IONAL PUZ Z LE S : Consider Conundrum in Arvada. Conundrum’s designs employ some rather strange and unusual puzzles that require seriously out-of-the-box thinking to solve.

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around with their hands in their pockets; even stragglers can wisely spend their time scavenging.

{ 3 } NO MOBILE DEVICES. Being phoneless cuts off escape artists from the ubiquitous, perpetual pull of the Internet. No texting, no push notifications, no selfies. You’re focused on your team, the challenge, and nothing more.

{ 4 } PERSONAL WORTH. Anyone who steps into an escape room has something to offer the team. Even if it’s just seeing a particular clue in a way no one else does, your very presence will push the team further along than it would have gotten without you.

“A puzzle geek will have a great time on the puz-

{ FOR

YOUR FIRST ESCAPE }

zling aspect,” says Ryan Pachmayer, the founder of

Ryan Pachmayer of Puzzah! took a revolutionary

the Puzzah! escape room. “People that are really

approach to puzzle room design. The rooms at his

into stories or visual themes will be immersed in

location are completely automated; an AI deter-

the story and atmosphere. Competitive people can

mines which hints to drop and whether to intro-

challenge themselves. There’s just a lot going on

duce bonus puzzles based on the speed and in-

that will cater to specific personalities without tak-

genuity of a particular escape room group. Despite

ing away from other personality types.”

the high-tech approach to his puzzle rooms, Pach-

{ 5 } STRESS RELIEF. This one applies across the board, but even at team-building events with coworkers, escape rooms offer a reprieve from the daily stresses of modern life. For one hour, you can completely immerse yourself in a fictitious setting with a fantasy narrative.

{ 6 } THRILLS. There’s nothing quite like solving a mystery in an escape room. Even if you fail to escape, you’ll likely crack most of the puzzles in the room. You’ll do this without any strategy guides, cheat codes, or Wikipedia searches. If you solve a puzzle, you can take pride in knowing you did that on your own accord.

“Escape rooms are a great way for people to realize that they actually like challenges,” explains Mathew Sisson, one of the founders of Enigma Escape Rooms. “It’s a way for people to get joy out of things they’ve been missing.”

28

tips

The IRIS Room at Puzzah! involves a time machine.

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mayer has some general tips to help escape artists of any experience level: 1 : Any action or answer you find compelling, have multiple people try if the first person fails. If you discover a numerical code and someone puts it in and it doesn’t work, have another person try it.

2 : The other common pitfall is in finding objects, or scavenging. Make sure to look around and under everything.

Missing that key or black light or piece of instruction can really hold you back for awhile.

3 : Overthinking solutions is another common fault. You have to remember that almost every group that walks through the door has to have a legitimate chance at solving almost every puzzle in the room. If you come across an organ, you’re not going to have to play a complicated song. If you come across a computer, you don’t need to open up HTML and start typing in code.

Think simple. Look for ways that objects in the room can be connected, and you’ll do well.

{ buzzworthy}

by R ANDY R O B IN S ON

FLUT TER BY BUT TERFLY PAVILION Butterflies are dwindling worldwide at a record rate. But one sanctuary in Westminster is working to keep them alive and thriving. Best of all, you can visit these butterflies in person, with only the open air between you and some of nature’s most beautiful flying insects.

Bees have been in the news as one of the most critical

butterflies over the area in a dazzling kaleidoscope of flap-

species facing endangerment. What’s usually left out is that

ping Rorschach tests. If you’re lucky, one may just land on

the bees aren’t alone in this unfortunate scenario: practi-

you for a perfect selfie photo op.

cally every flying insect is threatened by the great die-off occurring worldwide. Including butterflies.

Butterflies and bees are important because they’re polli-

Why yes, there is.

nators. As they fly from flower to flower in search of nectar,

The Butterfly Pavilion is actually an invertebrate zoo, so

they carry pollen on their legs and wings. Pollen transferred

there’s plenty of other little critters to see and experience.

from a male flower to a female one initiates reproduction

They’ve got spiders, centipedes, worms, fighting shrimp

between plants. Pollination isn’t just essential for a healthy

(that’s a real thing, apparently), ant colonies, and a slew of

ecosystem, it’s important for human agriculture as well.

other crawlers. There’s even an aquarium section for un-

The Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, built in 1995, hous-

derwater invertebrates.

es 1,600 butterflies in free flight. It’s the nation’s first non-

Except during April’s inevitable freak snowstorm, spring-

profit zoo devoted entirely to insects. Unlike most zoos, the

time weather may lure you out of the conservatories and

headlining animals at the Butterfly Pavilion don’t sit behind

into the garden or onto the nature trail. Both provide nectar

glass walls. Instead, they’re given free rein over the Wings of

to Colorado’s native butterflies and other flittering bugs.

the Tropics conservatory, one of five wings (no pun intended) that make up the pavilion complex.

For visitors, the Wings of the Tropics serves as an event

In addition to featuring a cornucopia of creatures, the Butterfly Pavilion also hosts events year-round. Yoga, private galas, birthday parties, holiday celebrations, and even

stage, too. Twice a day, the keepers release the butterflies

weddings can be booked on site.

into the conservatory, pouring hundreds upon hundreds of

6252 W. 104TH AVE., WESTMINSTER // BUT TERFLIES.ORG

when are the butterfly releases 30

Butterflies Are Cool, But Is There More?

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ALTHOUGH THE TIMES MAY VARY SLIGHTLY ON ANY GIVEN DAY, THE BUT TERFLY PAVILION SCHEDULES ITS WING OF THE TROPICS RELEASES AT AROUND 12:30 PM AND AROUND 3:30 PM. PL AN TO SHOW UP SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE EITHER OF THOSE T WO TIMES TO C ATCH THE FLUT TERING RELEASE IN AC TION.

Butterfly House :

COMING 2019

A piece of the Butterfly Pavilion will soon be a fixture at the heart of Fort Collins. The Butterfly House, which starts construction next year at The Gardens on Spring Creek, is a massive garden project that will blend elements of the pavilion with the cultural pulse of Fort Collins. The Butterfly House is intended to educate as much as it’s intended to entertain, with sustainability exhibits and gardening demonstrations planned for its launch in 2019.

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{ ediblecritic }

by JOHN LEHNDORFF

NOSHING WITH THE ANIMALS Where humans can grab a bite with sharks, cockatoos, and kittens in Colorado.

Colorado has a major crush on animals. We drive miles to

will introduce you to the residents, some of whom talk back.

see elk in Estes Park and bison in Genesee and camp among

You can also just sip coffee and listen to the flock chatter. If you

the marmots and hawks. Match.com says the state is home

are even mildly interested in adopting a bird you need to hang

to the most dog lovers. Denver is the No. 1 dog city accord-

out here first. Binging home a cockatoo is exactly like adopt-

ing to Rover, a canine community site. We love our rescue

ing a child. Both are equally noisy, messy, and charming.

organizations and adopt companions in large numbers. That

Perch Café

passion even extends to meals with animals—and we

1515 S. 8TH ST., COLORADO SPRINGS

don’t mean your brother who eats like a feral boar.

719-426-9818 // PERCHPETS.COM

Where else but in Colorado could you dine, snack, sip, and possibly talk with parrots, manta rays, and giraffes? Admit-

50 SHADES OF MEOW

tedly, none of the following destinations are exactly fine

This is a private club for a very special clientele: feline lovers.

dining…or even dining at all. Some places might require a

You become a member by paying a $5 admission fee to the

picnic, and a couple involve feeding various beasts. Then

Denver Cat Company, a café and gift shop that hosts adopt-

there’s the one where a wolf French kisses you.

able cats from local animal rescues. Go to your happy place

While you sip your craft IPA and gaze into the eyes of

with free Wi-Fi, a mug of locally roasted coffee, prepackaged

these brilliant creatures, you may start to wonder: Who is

snacks, and a coterie of kittens and cats. For a good time, try

watching whom?

a session of yoga—think downward dog with purrs.

Denver Cat Company COFFEE AND COCKATOOS

3929 TENNYSON ST., DENVER // DENVERCATCO.COM

The beverages and prepackaged snacks are nothing to Yelp

32

about at the Perch Café, but the company is excellent at

SNACKING WITH THE SHARKS

America’s first parrot-centric café. The Colorado Springs

The Denver Aquarium eatery is a Landry’s seafood restaurant

gathering spot is really a front for Front Range tropical bird

with entertainment. Whether you get citrus ahi tuna salad or

rescue organizations. The parrot geek volunteers at the café

a steak, the fare will be decent but never thrilling. You are

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there for the 100 or so species of fish living in a 50,000 gallon floor-to-ceiling tank and, more specifically, the sharks. The tank gets more exciting during the twice-daily feedings by divers and catches the attention of diners often with children diving into a Fisherman’s Platter heaped with a lobster tail, grilled and stuffed shrimp, scallops, tilapia, and stuffed crab. Luckily, the Aquarium is not for kids only. Adults can zone out and get tanked at the Dive Lounge, where they can see the sea life and the Mystic Mermaids from a safe distance.

Denver Aquarium 700 WATER ST., DENVER // AQUARIUMRESTAURANTS.COM

FACING YOUR FRESHLY CAUGHT DINNER Entering JJ Chinese is just like the Denver Aquarium: You walk past tanks containing all manner of sea life both swimming and crawling. The only difference is that the kids can pick out which species they want to eat wok-fried. Sure, this destination is not for the squeamish, but eat here to taste truly fresh seafood. The menu of authentic Cantonese dishes includes steamed eel with black bean sauce, the sea cucumber hot pot, and incredibly tasty lobster with ginger and green onion.

JJ Chinese Seafood Restaurant 2500 W. ALAMEDA AVE., DENVER // JJRESTAURANT.COM

PICNIC SPOTS AND HUNGRY GIRAFFES One of the coolest, only-in-Colorado picnic spots for animal lovers is at this unique zoo improbably but beautifully situated on the side of Cheyenne Mountain. There are outdoor eateries throughout the zoo and sources for Nutella crepes such as Elson’s Place, located close to the lions’ den—and living room. The Colorado Mountain Zoo also boasts a cool menu of opportunities (for a fee) to feed snacks to giraffes, parrots, elephants, and a rhino.

Colorado Mountain Zoo 4250 CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN ZOO RD., COLORADO SPRINGS // CMZOO.ORG

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A FRESH FISH MARKET WITH A BITE There are few images more incongruous than seeing a gaggle of alligators basking in the sun with the San Juan Mountains as a backdrop. This animal attraction exists because the on-premise, geothermally fed fish farm needed a way to get rid of leftover fish. You may want to buy some excellent fresh tilapia and catfish to take to your campsite to fry or bake. Your appetite may be lessened because the place reeks of dead fish. You can buy alligator feed to encourage the gators to do something. You can also take an alligator wrestling class. Unlike with other predators, you do not want a large reptile to French kiss you.

Colorado Gators Reptile Park 9162 COUNTY ROAD 9 N, MOSCA // COLORADOGATORS.COM

BISON : SIGHTED AND SERVED Whether you call them buffalo or more properly bison, being in the vicinity of these powerful animals is a thrill. They are cows with an attitude, and they don’t cooperate with corrals, which makes bison hard to see up close. The two best places to catch a glimpse of bison are the Buffalo Herd Nature Preserve just off I-70 at Genesee Park west of Denver, and the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge in Commerce City. For a kitschy bison encounter, try Denver’s oldest eatery, which surrounds you with taxidermied animal heads and Western memorabilia.

The exotic meat menu at the Buckhorn Exchange (buckhorn. com) includes bison prime rib. One of the tastiest bison dishes in Denver is the smoked bison back ribs at Roaming Buffalo BBQ (roamingbuffalobbq.com). Learn more at Buffalo Bill’s Grave and Museum (buffalobill.org) on Lookout Mountain above Golden.

Bill Cody died in Denver 100 years ago.

DRINKING GOES TO THE DOGS Beer, cider, and spirits tasting rooms are Colorado’s new living rooms, where dogs can socialize while their humans drink and eat. Situated in a former Sonic Drive-In, Lafayette’s Romero’s Dog Bar takes the canine sensibility to a new level. Draft and canned craft beers are available in the inside bar for humans. The brews can be quaffed on the enclosed deck with canines on-leash. The outdoor garden only allows nice puppies to be off-leash if their humans preregister them and purchase a daily, monthly, or yearly pass. For the hungry, there A PR IL 2017

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are often food trucks parked outside, or Romero’s is only a bone’sthrow from great ethnic takeout food at Panang Thai, Udon Kaisha, Pho Café, Ras Kassa’s Ethiopian, and El Mercado’s Taco Wagon.

Romero’s Dog Bar 985 S. PUBLIC RD., L AFAYET TE // ROMEROSK9CLUB.COM

Observe wolf dining etiquette at the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center’s Full Moon Feeding Tour.

APPETIZERS WITH WOLVES The snackbar features chips, cookies, coffee, and tea. However, the Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center’s most unusual taste sensation is only available on the special Alpha Interactive Tour, where you meet wolves up close and personal. How personal? Well, wolves like to greet you by licking the inside of your mouth. If you let them check you out, they will pay more attention to you. You may want to skip that rare burger right before the tour. Also, don’t wear leather or fur or dress like prey. The center in Divide, two hours from Denver, also offers hands’-off tours and yes, weddings with wolves. The Full Moon Feeding Tour allows you to observe wolf dining etiquette…or the lack thereof. Howling is encouraged.

Colorado Wolf and Wildlife Center DIVIDE // WOLFEDUCATION.ORG

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Bonnie Dahl inside her Boulder store, the Fitter.

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F I T T I NG IN A BOULDER INSTI TUTION faces FORWARD and into THE FUTURE.

by LEL AND RUCKER photography by DANIELLE WEBS TER

WALKING THE AISLES OF THE FIT TER, THE

PARAPHERNALIA S TORE AND

L ONG T IME FI X TURE ON BOUL DER ’S UNI V ERSI T Y HILL , IS L IKE S T ROLLING THROUGH T HE HIS TORY OF T HE DRUG WAR. HUNDREDS OF WAT ER PIPES A ND BONGS OF ALL SIZE S A ND SHAPES SHARE SPACE WITH ROLLING PAPERS, GOLD CONES (FOR THAT SPECIAL-DAY JOINT ), VAPORIZERS OF ALL DESCRIP T IONS, MARIJUANA -THEMED CLOTHING AND C APS, AND THE L ATEST IN DAB TECHNOLOG Y. Talking with Bonnie Dahl, who has been operat-

we were just 22 years old and didn’t know what we

ing the Fitter for 44 years, you feel that same histo-

were doing. We immediately went on vacation. It sur-

ry. The store remains vibrant in an age Dahl couldn’t

vived in spite of us because we were just naïve.”

have imagined back when she and her twin sister

Back then, the Pipefitter was the only “head shop”

Betty began operating what was called the Pipefit-

in Boulder, a town where marijuana use wasn’t much

ter back then at 1352 College Avenue (it’s now locat-

of an issue even back then. But after a Reagan Admin-

ed at 1303 Broadway).

istration crackdown on paraphernalia stores in the

Today’s consumers, she says, are long past the

1980s, the Pipefitter, like other similar stores, oper-

screens-and-pipe-cleaner stage. The more than 30,000

ated in a state of limbo, uncertain of the rules gov-

students at the University of Colorado across the street

erning what they could or couldn’t sell. I can remem-

are among the most sophisticated cannabis shoppers

ber a time in the late 1980s when a sign on the wall

in the country, she told me during a visit last month.

advised, “Don’t say bong. It’s wrong, wrong, wrong.”

“They’re coming in and asking for things, and I can’t keep up. Scientific glassworks, rigs, dabbing.”

The respite ended on Jan. 29, 1991, when, as part of “Operation Pipe,” federal and state regulators raided

Dahl admits she had no idea what she was getting

the store under the pretext of “ unlawful interstate

herself into when her brother sold Betty and her the

trafficking of drug paraphernalia.” They took all their

store. “We thought we were getting ripped off, but

merchandise and froze their bank accounts, leaving

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them with no operating capital—on the day before Dahl and her husband were closing on their house.

About that time, Dahl’s daughter Erica began bringing in women’s clothing and accessories aimed at the

“It was a big to-do, but we had a lot of support,” Dahl

college market, which really helped save the business

says now. Though the store stayed open selling in-

and lead it in new directions. “At the point where we

cense, gifts and tapestries, it took 13 months to finally

were ready to get the pipes back in, we opened Savvy

settle the case. “They kept the $55,000 they seized,

on the Pearl Street Mall with our clothing lines.”

and they gave us back some inventory,” Dahl, who

It was pretty much business as normal until le-

avoided criminal prosecution, says. “Eventually, we

galization of recreational cannabis became a reality

just hopped back on the bandwagon. We slowly start-

in 2014. The Dahl sisters were somewhat apprehen-

ed selling paraphernalia and got back in the groove of

sive, reasoning that big box stores and corporations

it. But those were very lean times for three or four

could move in and wipe them out.

years, and a lot of people assumed we had shut down.”

She says the first year was a kind of a honeymoon

Then in March 2003, as the store was making

before the competition began showing up. “More plac-

preparations to celebrate its 30th anniversary, Attor-

es began offering glass water pipes and vaporizers,”

ney General John Ashcroft targeted distributors of

she says. “But the main one was the Internet, which

paraphernalia, this time under the name “Operation

became huge, and it still is. Because our industry

Pipe Dreams,” yet another misguided Drug War op-

was able to sell on the Internet, it’s just wide-open,

eration. “Instead of a celebration, we were getting

and it’s still impacting us.”

rid of all our pipes, and we were not able to sell that stuff again for a year,” Dahl says.

Today the store offers a vast array of water pipes at prices that range from a couple of bucks for some-

“That’s what’s so interesting about this industry,” Dahl says. “For almost fort y years, nothing happened, and all of

a sudden it’s changing tremendously in a short period of time.” thing small and simple to several thousand dollars for a custom-made glass pipe. There are no more signs about not using the word “bong.”

“That’s what’s so interesting about this industry,” Dahl says. “For almost forty years, nothing happened, and all of a sudden, it’s changing tremendously in a short period of time. People who were blowing glass in other industries found there’s more of a market in this than the art market.”

As business expenses increase, Dahl says they are more careful choosing merchandise to sell. And competing against the Internet with a brick-and-mortar store is tricky but doable, and she cites the store’s customer service, pricing, and selection as reasons people keep coming back. “Everything shifts so fast in our industry because of technology, and there are new products coming out all the time,” she says. “I still think we have a niche again, because I think what’s happened is that we’re still a college market, but we bring in people from all over.”

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SPECIAL REPORT

COR POR AT E

C A NN A BIS

to

et An emerging mark TE brings C O R P O R A r R E F U G E E S eage s to a pply their sk ill RL D to the NE W W O . of le g a l ca nna bis

Dasheeda Dawson enjoys the fruits of her new labor.

ER

by L EL AN D RU CK

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DA S HE E DA DAW S O N

was an executive

AT TA RGE T,

R O Y B I N G H A M A W H I Z -K I D E NG L I S H B A N K E R. S T O R M Y S I M O N W O R K E D HE R WAY UP TO PRESIDENT OF OVERSTOCK.COM, WHILE L I N D SAY K RI T ZE R M A R K E T E D C O N S U M E R HE A LT H P R O D U C T S AT K I MB E R LY-C L ARK. L I N D A G I L B E R T WAS A PIONEERING MARKE TING R E S E A R C H E R I N T HE N AT UR A LF O O D S INDUS T RY. ALL WERE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CORPORATE AREAS, SOME IN MORE THAN ONE. AND WHAT DO THEY HAVE IN COMMON NOW? ALL ARE N O W, I N O NE WAY O R T H E O T H E R , I N T H E C A N N A B I S I N D U S T R Y. F O R A VA R I E T Y O F R E AS O N S, S O M E CORPORATE EXECUTIVES AND LEADERS ARE MOVING FROM THE WORLD THEY GREW UP IN FOR THE CHALLENGE OF ONE O F T H E C O U N T RY ’S FA S T E S T- G R O W I N G I N D U S TRIES—ONE THAT’S MUCH MORE UNCERTAIN AND STILL ILLEGAL ON A FEDERAL L E V E L B U T O F F E R S MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CRE ATIVIT Y. These are people who just didn’t quite fit into the corporate structure. It’s not that they didn’t like their jobs, or the prestige and compensation those jobs provided, but the cannabis industry seemed a more inviting way to bring their own specific expertise into a market that’s less restrictive and more creative.

// DA S HE E DA DAW S O N // BEFORE : TARGET A F T E R : THEWEEDHEAD.COM

Dasheeda Dawson graduated from Princeton with a degree in molecular biology. She found that she was interested in more than just science and that she had a knack for telling stories, so she got an MBA from Rutgers in marketing and strategic management. She went into fashion, where she found success, developing a winning strategy that revived the Victoria’s Secret sports line. She later joined Target as a marketing executive.

The daughter of an educator who used cannabis openly —“ We knew it was illegal but not necessarily that it was more taboo than having drinks or whatever,” she says—Dawson had been what she calls a “silent user,” especially after she found that cannabis gave her relief from inflammation problems she was experiencing. Though she passed company drug tests, she didn’t like having to hide her consumption.

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She and her mom began discussing the nascent

start Health Business Partners, a merger and acquisi-

cannabis industry, and after her mother died a year

tions advisory firm with a focus on the nutrition in-

ago, Dawson began thinking more seriously about a

dustry, essentially anything you could buy in a Whole

change. She moved to Phoenix, where she started

Foods market,” says Bingham. “It was the start of me

TheWeedhead.com, a website and consultation busi-

being more of a maverick interested in fast-growing

ness devoted to helping people and businesses over-

industry opportunities at a very early stage.”

come the stigma that still trails marijuana use. “We’re

He got involved with SPINS, the huge data-research

trying to make people understand that it’s a viable

company for the natural foods market, where he met

industry, and with many alternatives for them.”

Mark Nottoli, who urged him to look into the cannabis industry. After starting the CanopyBoulder busi-

// ROY B I N G H A M //

ness accelerator, Nottoli nudged Bingham to form

BEFORE : McKINSEY & COMPANY

a data analytics company, a SPINS for the cannabis

A F T E R : BDS ANALYTICS

market. The resulting BDS Analytics develops data

Roy Bingham looks and sounds much like the for-

based on real point-of-sale transaction activity—a

mer banker he once was. Born in England, Bingham

rarity in the industry. It helps clients and partners make

wound up in the management development program

smart decisions about everything from the products

at the National Westminster Bank, one of Britain’s

to sell to how to organize their stores and dispensaries.

largest, right out of college. He was good at his job,

That seemed a perfect fit for Bingham. “They knew

but after a few years he realized he was only profi-

all my dirty secrets and weaknesses, so they persuad-

cient at one tiny thing in one specialized business,

ed me to change from a conventional career to this

so he left, got his MBA at Harvard and began work-

industry,” he says, laughing. “I say ‘conventional,’ but

ing for McKinsey & Company, a global management

I’ve always been attracted to these areas where peo-

firm, where he found himself being asked to do the

ple benefit and they tend to be a little fringe. So I was

same kind of banking work he was trying to escape.

much more open than other people coming from a

“After a few years, I was approached by a friend to

‘conventional’ background.”

SO you WANT to WORK in CANNABIS? IN TA L K I NG W I T H R E F U G E E S F R O M C O R P O R AT E A M E R I C A N O W I N T HE “ E L E V A T I O N INDUS TRY,” I NOTED A FEW COMMON ELEMENTS THAT THOSE CONSIDERING LEAVING THEIR CURRENT POSITION FOR A C AREER IN CANNABIS SHOULD PROBABLY CONSIDER :

{ 1 } The most important is really the simplest: If you’re not passionate about and committed to what you’re selling, or marketing, or researching, don’t do it. Lots of people these days are dreaming of big bucks, but unless you’re absolutely dedicated to what you’re doing, you’re not going to find any more fulfillment in cannabis than you get in your current job. { 2 } Know what you’re dealing with: Cannabis is still prohibited in most of the US. All cannabis businesses in legal states pay federal taxes without any deductions. There are still businesses that don’t have any access to the banking system. Some companies work with cannabis businesses but are not involved in the product itself, so you could consider an ancillary business (Sensi falls in this category) if you’re uncertain about the legalities. { 3 } Start slow. Be ready to get your hands dirty. Listen and learn from the experts. Do your homework and research before jumping into anything. “Bring your skills,” says Stormy Simon. “But don’t assume you’re going to lead the way.”

CANNABIS

{ 4 } Find a company or business that can really use your specific proficiencies, whether marketing, branding, finance, or data research. You don’t want to find yourself in the same situation you were before you made the jump.

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When it comes to consuming cannabis, Bingham says that he partook occasionally over the years if a joint was passed around at a party but was never that interested in it. “I would cough and sputter and not have a particularly good experience. My tender little lungs were not used to that.” He does, however, use edibles, mostly before bedtime. “I’m English, it’s hard for me to relax,” he says with a touch of dry humor. “On Friday or Saturday nights, I like to sleep until seven the next morning, and it’s almost a guaranteed success.”

// L I N DA G I L B E R T // BEFORE : CONSUMER RESEARCH A F T E R : BDS ANALYTICS

For BDS Analytics, Bingham deliberately chose to hire people from outside the cannabis industry. He knew Linda Gilbert from his natural-food days. She was well-known for her consumer research on lots of products, including Viagra, amaranth, quinoa, and edamame.

Now she’s applying those same skills to launch a large, multistate survey of marijuana use habits for BDS to find out how large the cannabis market actually is in the US and what motivates people to use the products. “We want to hear views from across the spectrum, from those who think it should be illegal to those who think people should use marijuana every day,” Gilbert says of this ambitious campaign. “We don’t just want data. We want insight. We want to be able to incorporate the best practices of other consumer-goods industries to the cannabis industry.

That’s why we’re getting into it. We want to help make it a smarter industry and accelerate that learning curve.”

“What’s most compelling to me is the wellness association,” says Gilbert, who lives in Pennsylvania and doesn’t use cannabis herself. “Unlike alcohol, which outside of wine for the most part, is not considered a wellness drink, with cannabis, that’s really different,” she says. “It’s important to get people to start to see it’s not about a partying experience like with alcohol, that there’s a higher value and purpose in this.”

// S TOR M Y S I M O N // BEFORE : OVERSTOCK.COM A F T E R : CANNAKIDS

In 2001, Stormy Simon was a single mom starting a job in the lower ranks of Overstock.com. When she left the Internet retailer last summer, she was the company’s president and its highest-paid employee.

As she got older, she had begun to feel less fulfilled in her career and began thinking of other possibilities. Which led her to one conclusion: “I’m really a fan of cannabis, especially its healing properties,” she says. But she was still deciding exactly

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where she would fit into an industry she believes in. “Some things you do strictly from passion.” Simon gave a talk at the most recent Women Grow Leadership Summit in Denver titled “Buy In … Don’t Sell Out.” “This is the tribe—they used that term a lot at the conference. I kinda feel I’m coming a little late to it, but I would love to get into helping women who are trying to get medicine for their kids.” With that in mind, she recently joined the board of CannaKids, a company with a special extraction process for oils and tinctures for children.

Her experience with other women at Women Grow conferences solidified her decision to leave the corporate world. “I had been watching the industry for five years and found it so incredible that legalization happened in my lifetime. I want to be part of that leadership,” she says.

“I think that I could be helpful, and I would love to see women succeed.”

// L I N D S AY K R I T Z E R //

Lindsay Kritzer grew up in Denver and has always wanted to be an entrepreneur in her home town. She found success, eventually becoming global lead for e-commerce strategy at Kimberly-Clark, makers of personal health care products and accessories. Though she found the work challenging, she chafed under a system that rewarded the status quo over innovation and improvement.

“In many ways, if you see yourself as someone who likes to be able to be creative, corporate is probably not the right thing,” she says.

“When you’re working on Huggies, your job is to not screw it up. You become a steward of the brand in its current position and make sure it’s as good when you leave as when you started. You don’t get to do anything cool.”

She has recently joined LucidMood, which has developed a blend of terpenes and THC for customized highs. It might seem a long way from Kleenex to vaporizers, but she doesn’t think so. “The difference working with LucidMood is that it’s still data driven, but there are guts and instinct that go into it, too,” says Kritzer.

She says she enjoys the cannabis industry because it gives her the chance to work with smart, creative people. “I’m talking to the same women, but about different things,” she says. “I can bring something to the mix to entrepreneurs, with a little help from my super corporate background. It offers someone the opportunity to have autonomy and to actually shape a brand.”

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© DANIELLE WEBSTER

BEFORE : KIMBERLY CL ARK // A F T E R : LUCIDMOOD

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RxCBD

P R O MOT ION A L F E AT URE

Hemp Saves Pets’ Lives RxCBD PARTNERS WITH NO K ILL COLOR ADO TO OFFER LEGAL, NATURAL RELIEF TO ANIMALS. As part of its ongoing mission to aid pets and guard-

pharmaceutical, or over the counter,” Cokes says. “This

ians, RxCBD develops holistic, natural products utiliz-

includes anxiety reduction and pain relief when needed.”

ing cannabidiol, or CBD, the therapeutic component

No Kill Colorado works exclusively to save healthy,

of the hemp plant. But CEO Debbie Cokes says that

treatable pets that enter the Colorado shelter system,

it’s equally important to consider the welfare of all pets,

and all activities relate in some way to the 11 life-saving

especially those in shelters.

programs and services of the No Kill Equation. It works

The situation is improving. In 2015, Coloradoans ad-

with the Feral Cat Trap-Neuter-Release program, low-

opted more than 100,000 dogs and cats. But more

cost neutering and spaying, foster care and adoption

than 20,000 others weren’t as lucky. So RxCBD is part-

programs, medical and behavior plans, and brings light

nering with the No Kill Colorado organization to in-

to the issues involved in the adoption crisis and the special bonds that are forged between humans and adopted pets.

As it has in the past, No Kill Colorado will be sponsoring a statewide adoption event on June 11 called Just One Day, says Davyd Smith of No Kill Colorado. “Just One Day is a national event where every animal welfare organization is asked to commit to not kill a single healthy treatable pet and use all their resources to have an adoption event.” See more details of this year’s event at NOKILLCOLORADO.ORG. “The opportunity to use CBD products to lower the stress of homeless pets in shelters could result in higher rates of adoptions for cats and dogs,” says Smith.

“Cats and dogs may not show their true colors in the stressful environment of a shelter. If CBD can lower that stress, it could help save more lives.”

Cokes says there are easy ways to help save rescue

crease adoption numbers. “Rescue organizations sug-

animals through No Kill Colorado.

gest that animals are more grounded and are able to

Simply go to RAZOO.COM/STORY/NO -KILL - COLORADO to

show off their natural, confident self when taking CBD,”

make a one-time or recurring donation to the fund, or

Cokes says. “This gives them a much better chance of

send checks or money orders to:

No Kill Colorado

finding a home.”

Look at it from the perspective of the animal: many

PO Box 100613, Denver, CO 80250

are suddenly taken from their homes, which is traumatic enough, and then placed in a shelter, which can be an

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“RxCBD is so excited to be teaming with No Kill Col-

unfamiliar, often frightening situation. “The shelters we

orado,” says Cokes. “We want to support their amaz-

work with report many of their animals respond to CBD

ing efforts on behalf of all the abandoned and home-

in a way that they have not seen with any other product,

less animals in Colorado.”

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S P E C I A L A D V I S O R Y B OA R D S E C T I O N AS THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY GROWS, SO DO T H E N U M B E R OF NICHE EXPERTS WITHIN IT. FROM TOP-TIER

PTSD and Cannabis

by Londell D. Jackson, M.Ed., Simply Pure

BRANDS TO EDIBLE MAKERS AND MARKETING SPECIALISTS, T H E S E CO M PA N I E S A R E I N C R E D I B L E

IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE ARE AN ESTIMATED TOTAL OF 1.5

S O U R C E S O F I N S I D E R I N FO ABOUT

MILL ION INDIVIDUAL S REGISTERED AS MEDICAL MARIJUANA PA-

THE TRENDS AND ISSUES DRIVING

TIENTS ACROSS 29 DIFFERENT STATES. PATIENTS REPORT USING

THIS THRIVING M ARKE T PLACE

MEDICAL CANNABIS FOR VARIOUS REASONS, SUCH AS TO REDUCE OR RELIEVE STRESS, TENSION, AND ANXIETY. CONDITIONS THAT

FO RWARD. T H E S E NS I ADVIS ORY

QUALIFY A PATIENT TO ACCESS MEDICAL C ANNABIS OF TEN IN-

BOARD IS COMPRISED OF LEADERS

C LU D E C A N C E R, G L AU CO M A , H I V/A I D S, M U S C U L A R/ S K E L E TA L

FROM A VARIETY OF FIELDS WITHIN

SYS T E M DISORDERS, AND SEIZURE DISORDERS, TO NAME A FEW.

THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY. EACH

WHILE THESE CONDITIONS ARE COMMON AMONG THE LISTS FOR

ISSUE, ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

MEDICAL MARIJUANA REGISTRY APPROVAL, POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) OFTEN DOES NOT APPEAR ON THESE LISTS.

Nearly 9 percent of the general population is affected by PTSD at some point in their lives. Among anxiety disorders, PTSD is most prevalent. The disorder develops in individuals who have seen or lived through a shocking, scary, or dangerous event. Those who suffer from PTSD experience recurring memories of traumatic events, dissociative flashbacks, or reaction to external events that resemble the original triggering event. Patients with a diagnosis of PTSD account for nearly 40 percent of medical marijuana registrants.

To date, there have been less than 50 research studies completed to determine the effects of cannabis use among medical marijuana patients with PTSD. However, qualitative data from patients with PTSD indicated they use cannabis to cope with their symptoms due to its anxiety-reducing and sleep-inducing effects, and that habitual use helps to alleviate their symptoms overall.

In a 2009 study, Nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid modulator used for the treatment of chemotherapy side-effects such as nausea and vomiting, was found to halt PTSD-related nightmares in 72 percent of study participants who took it one hour before bedtime. These findings were validated and replicated in 2015. Additionally, in a study conducted in 2014, researchers found that THC, when administered twice per day as an add-on treatment, reduced symptom severity, improved sleep quality, and reduced the frequency of flashbacks.

While further research is needed to better understand the many ways in which cannabis helps improve the lives of millions across the country, it is evident that patients who suffer from PTSD can find relief through the use of medical marijuana. In particular, cannabinoids may offer the greatest relief of symptoms for those diagnosed with this condition.

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DISPENSARIES AND EXTRACTION

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SHARE SOME OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE WITH OUR READERS IN THIS DEDICATED S E C T I O N . THIS MONTH, W E HEAR FRO M T H E EXPERTS AT Growfax 5, Simply Pure AND Wana Brands.

For a full list of our Advisory Board Members, turn to the masthead on page 9.

S P E C I A L A D V I S O R Y B OA R D S E C T I O N

What is Hemp?

by Rachel Anderson, Growfax 5 Hydroponic Supply Center H E M P I S A C A N N A B I S P L A N T. H O W E V E R , I T I S A D I F F E R E N T T Y P E OF C A N N A B I S P L A N T T H A N M A R I JUA N A .

M A R I J U A N A I S P R I M A R I LY G R O W N F O R I T S M E D I C I N A L A ND P SYC H OAC T I V E E F F EC T S, AS I T CO NTA I N S A H I G H C O N C E N T R AT I O N O F T HC ( T E T R A H Y D R O C A N N A B I N O L ), W H E R E A S H E M P I S P R I M A R I LY G R O W N FO R I T S I N D U S T R I A L U S E S, AS I T CO N TA I N S A N E X T R E M E LY LOW CO N C E N T RAT I O N OF T HC . W I T H T H AT SA I D, H E M P A L S O H A S M E D I C I N A L U S E S.

Hemp has an enormous number of industrial and sustainable uses as well, and people have known this for quite some time. Historic evidence shows that hemp was used for things like clothing and strengthening pottery as far back as 10,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest known agricultural crops. Medicinal uses have been recorded as far back as 2700 BC. When the colonists arrived in North America, the European homeland made cultivating hemp mandatory. Over the next few hundred years, as the colonies developed, people were either required to grow hemp or highly encouraged—to the degree that fines were sometimes given to those who did not participate in growing the highly soughtafter resource. During peak times of hemp production, such as during times of war, the military relied heavily on hemp for rope, sailcloth, parachutes, and paper, for example.

Hemp eventually fell out of favor in the early 1900s due to a manifested propaganda campaign that was spread widely via media channels and a national speaking tour. It is believed that Mexico introduced the recreational use of hemp, which did not sit well with some US citizens.

Hemp was even renamed marijuana in order to confuse the public, who historically believed hemp was an efficient natural resource and a medicinal plant. The propaganda worked—too well. The brainwashing campaign eventually led to cannabis prohibition. Today, we are still fighting for the right to grow and use the life-sustaining resource.

The hemp plant is environmentally friendly, it grows very fast, and it has a versatile range of uses. The stalk can be used to make textiles: clothing, bags, shoes, rope, canvas, carpet. It can be used for industrial products such as composite materials, boards, insulation, hempcrete, animal bedding, mulch, paper, and cardboard. Hemp seed is a nutritious food that’s consumed in many forms: flour, milk, cereal, protein, oil, omegas—even animal feed. Hemp

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seed is also used in many skin care products such as soaps, creams, and cosmetics.

The hemp plant itself can even be used for industrial cleanup, as it absorbs contaminants out of the earth as it grows.

With all of these traits, hemp is an environmentally friendly and sustainable replacement for certain coal and oil products and some plastics. It can also replace some paper and building materials, which may stop forests from being ravaged.

We must support efforts that aim to protect hemp as an agricultural and industrial crop. Individually, you can write politicians, attend informational meetings and educational seminars, support organizations working toward appropriate wording for the hemp plant—distinguishing it from marijuana plants—and most importantly, help spread factual information.

As a group, we can help create and vote for smart policy. We can collectively let our voices be heard by signing petitions. And we must diligently follow all local guidelines currently set forth for hemp farms and businesses.

Hemp needs your support. To join the fight, visit these sites and get involved.

NATIONALHEMPASSOCIATION.ORG GROWHEMPCOLORADO.COM VOTEHEMP.COM THEHIA.ORG

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S P E C I A L A D V I S O R Y B OA R D S E C T I O N

Choose Your Adventure

by Wana Brands A DVA N C E S I N E X T R A C T I O N T E C H N O LO GY G I V E C A N N A B I S C O N SUMERS MORE OPTIONS THAN EVER BEFORE—AND MORE POWE R TO C H O O S E THE RE FI N E D, I N D I V I D UA L I Z E D E L E VAT E D E XP ERI E N C E THE Y D E S I RE. AS MA RIJ UA N A-I N FU S E D E DIB L E S AND CANNABIS CONCENTRATES HAVE EVOLVED, SO TOO HAS THE SOPHISTICATED CANNABIS CONSUMER. INSTEAD OF ONLY FOCUSING O N A S T R A I N O R P R O D U C T ’S T HC L E V E L S, C O N S U M E R S A RE I N CREASINGLY INTRIGUED BY THE NUANCES, ANALYZING TERPENES P ROF I L E S A ND C A N N A B I N O I D CO N T E N T S , L E A R N I N G H O W T H E Y WORK TOGETHER IN THE BODY TO CREATE THE DESIRED EFFECTS.

One of the differences between consuming flower versus infused products is that infused products can be constructed to provide specific cannabinoid and terpene profiles. Smoking a specific strain only delivers its given, fixed profile. Thanks to the recent advances in extraction technology, infused-product manufacturers are in the early stages of utilizing next-generation methods to produce cutting-edge products. This is accomplished through the use of extraction methods such as short path and fractional distillation, which isolate specific cannabinoids and terpenes that are then added back to a vape oil or an edible to engineer specific experiences or address specific medical needs.

Ultimately, this type of “stacking” of cannabinoids and terpenes may provide consumers with the ability to more distinctly choose their desired effect and experience. This is still in the early phases of research, however, and it is still too soon to know which of the thousands of possible combinations yield specific results and experiences in different individuals. Manufacturers and consumers alike are in a period of active experimentation to understand synergies between plant compounds as well as individual differences in reaction to various products.

All of this has the potential to revolutionize how we consume cannabis. The trend towards a more individualized experience is expected to continue to rise with the growth of the industry, and it is this ever-increasing level of sophistication that is driving new product innovation for cannabis companies across the board.

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THE CANNABIS MAVEN The afternoon tea tradition originated in British high society in the 1800s, when a duchess and her well-to-do friends began gathering in the early afternoon to sip hot beverages and dine on fancy finger foods while lounging in low armchairs. Some historical references even dub the ritual “low tea,” according to NPR. In modern-day Colorado, afternoon tea has now been elevated to mile-high standards.

Susan Squibb, also known as the Cannabis Maven, founded Mother’s High Tea in 2011 to bring people together to celebrate women and mothers in the cannabis industry.

The elegant annual tradition is a quintessential afternoon tea experience, complete with finger sandwiches, scones with Devonshire cream, delicate china, a sophisticated setting, a well-heeled crowd, and even an elaborate hat or two. The 5th annual Mother’s High Tea is taking place next month on May 12 at the McNichols Building. You still have time to get a ticket and find a fancy hat of your own.

Susan took a break from event planning to share her thoughts on life in Colorado.

Name // Susan Squibb Age // 42 Occupation // Cannabis Maven, Mother’s High Tea Director, and freelance marijuana writer Neighborhood // Denver Originally from // Springfield, IL Coloradan since // 1996 Motto // If you can dream it, you can do it!

Hero // Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Anita Roddick of The Body Shop, Ben & Jerry {CONTINUED ON PAGE 74 } 72

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© DANIELLE WEBSTER

by STEPHANIE WILSON

{ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 72}

CURRENTLY

ELE VAT E D TOPICS

Reading // Bust magazine, “Revolution” issue + Cannabis Cocktails Mocktails and Tonics + It’s Just Lunch Guide to Dating

Q // Who first introduced you to cannabis?

How old were you?

A // When I was 18, my boyfriend was a stoner.

Binging // Sitting for long periods of time in my new desk chair and working

Q // Did your parents find out?

A // Yes, my Mom found out eventually.

Loving // Prince’s song catalog now on Spotify

Q // Whatcha call it? Cannabis, marijuana, pot, weed, devil’s lettuce …

A // Cannabis, ganja, pot, marijuana.

If you didn’t live in Colorado, you’d … // be somewhere else SUSAN’S TOP SPOTS Neighborhood // Stapleton Coffee Shop // Quince Essential Coffee off Colfax Restaurant // The Cherry Tomato Brunch Spot // Four Friends Edible // Stillwater Tea and Coda Signature Truffles are my new favorites. Julie’s Natural Edibles, Incredibles, and Sweetgrass Kitchen make high quality edibles Topical // The Root of It All Ointment at MiNDFUL, Mary’s Medicinals Muscle Freeze, and ioVia transdermal cream at Groundswell Strain /Concentrate // My homegrown Pineapple Express or Sour Tangerine Dessert // Chocolate Mousse Tort at Cherry Tomato Salon /Spa // Corey Sutton Inc. in Boulder, Fauna Salon in Denver, R Luxury Nails in Cherry Creek Boutique /Shopping // Plum Consignment and SOL Hiking Trail // Eldorado Canyon trails Park // Central Park Ski Resort // Eldora Nordic Center Local Getaway // Red Rocks Workout /Gym // Denver Rec Centers Go-To Place to Take Guests // Red Rocks Your Happy Place // Red Rocks!

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Q // What was the first Denver dispensary you visited? What did you buy?

A // I don’t remember my first dispensary visit, but I was at 3D Cannabis Center for the first official recreational sale on January 1, 2014. That experience was a highlight of my life! I had the owner, Toni Fox, sign my pre-roll package. I also bought a Dixie Elixir.

Q // What’s your favorite way to elevate?

A // I like topicals. I am fascinated by all the new non-intoxicating cannabinoid therapeutic products.

Flower is my go-to favorite. I like my Pax vaporizer from Healthy Headie Lifestyles for a healthier consumption option to smoking.

Q // How’s it make you feel?

A // Relaxed and comfortable.

Q // Munchie style: are you more of a savory or a sweet snacker?

A // I gotta thing for sweetness.

Q // What’s your favorite thing to do after using cannabis?

A // Dancing and enjoying a live show, hiking or cross country skiing, wandering around an art museum.

Q // What’s on your playlist?

A // I have a Mother’s High Tea playlist with 80+ empowering songs by women. I love the jazz and specialty programming on KUVO. Lately, I listen to Prince, Leonard Cohen, and Trombone Shorty.

Q // Can you roll a joint?

A // Busted! I’m a horrible joint roller.

I need a rolling machine, when I do.

Q // Got any advice for anyone new to cannabis?

A // Be in a comfortable place, have healthy snacks at the ready, and for God’s sake don’t eat more than a 10 mg edible at one sitting!