Sensi Magazine - Southern Colorado (August 2017)

SOUTHERN COLORADO / T H E N E W N O R M A L / 08.2017

THE HEALTH+ WELLNESS ISSUE

VINE DINING

The Best Vegetarian Options In Southern Colorado

THE ENDOTRAINING CANNABINOID FOR 8 SYSTEM SECONDS OF GLORY Your Body is Made for Bliss

How Professional Bull Riders Stay Fit

PLUS

Sativa the Superfood + Hemp as Wearable Art www.sensimag.com

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"...ennani s acty  ha hati pota  lot  dies cig un."

- Dr. Pac & Dr. Kun Nata Init of HelH

It's time to rethink how you medicate! w.kisan.

7.4.27

22 E. Bij St. Sut 4, Colo Spig, CO 80 AU G U S T 2 01 7

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contents.

ISSUE 4 // VOLUME 1 // 08.2017

FEATURES

EVERY ISSUE

12 Sativa the Superfood

7 Editor’s Note 8 SensiBuzz 20 AroundTown

We’re eating, drinking, and juicing cannabis. Given its purported health benefits, can we start calling it a superfood?

16 Crossroads: Healthy Choices

The renegade cannabis expert Ricardo Baca shares his thoughts on alcohol and pot.

VINE DINING

50 BackPage Sensi Magazine is published monthly in Denver, CO, by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2017 SENSI MEDIA GROUP LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

S P ECI A L R E P O R T

28 Body Made for Bliss

Senior editor Leland Rucker investigates one of the oldest, most primal systems in the human body, and how it’s affected by cannabis.

30 The Buck Starts Here

One professional bull rider tells us how he combines his training with the cowboy lifestyle.

36 Highly Topical

Infused salves, balms, lotions, and patches are changing the way people use medicinal cannabis.

40 Hemptress

C.J. Jorgensen of Zen Cowgirl Studios shows us how she turns cannabis into stylish clothing.

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mast sensi magazine

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PHOTO BY KIM SIDWELL, CANNABIS CAMERA

Uplifting & Euphoric

sensimag

increased e n e r gy

head.

editor’s

note

ISSUE 4 VOLUME 1 08.2017

A DV I SORY B OA R D 1906 New Highs // CHOCOLATES Craft // RECREATIONAL CONCENTRATES Compliant Packaging // PACKAGING Dabble Extracts // MEDICAL CONCENTRATES DC Investigations // SECURITY

DON’T JUST TREAT YOURSELF, TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, TOO. I still remember the first time I ascended the Manitou Incline. Back then, I had no clue what I was getting into. From the bottom, it looks like a merry jaunt up a slightly steep hill. After the first thousand feet, I was

Doctors of Natural Medicine // MEDICAL CENTER

practically spent, as if I’d been climbing for hours. Then, just a short

Faragosi Farms // RECREATIONAL DISPENSARY

distance ahead of me, I could see what appeared to be the top. I mus-

Greenhouse Payment Solutions // PAYMENT

tered some up some reserves and charged.

PROCESSING

GRND Staffing Solutions // RECRUITMENT Happy-Kitchens // HOME EDIBLE MAKER

For those of you who’ve been to the Incline, you may recognize this moment: it’s the false peak, where the Incline dips downward at just the right angle so you can’t see past it. Once I got there, I realized I was only halfway up the thing. I still had another thousand feet to go. I’m proud to

Herbal Healing // COMPLIANCE

say I did it, even though I was, admittedly, out of shape. Once I reached

King’s Cannabiz // MEDICAL DISPENSARY

the top, I felt like a vagabond, scaling up an ancient temple’s steps to

Lux Leaf // EDUCATION

finally confront a meditating monk, only to have him tell me that the

Maceau Law // LEGAL Monte Fiore Farms // RECREATIONAL CULTIVATION Show Me Kindness // CAREGIVER Stained Glass // MEDICAL CULTIVATION Studio A64 // CANNABIS CLUB

wisdom I sought lay at the base of the mountain—where I began.

Colorado is considered one of the fittest states in the country. Maybe it’s the elevation. Maybe it’s the mountains, and all the opportunities for hiking, climbing, and camping they offer. Or maybe it’s because Coloradans observe a culture of self-care. Who knows.

In this issue, we’re focusing on health and wellness. Cannabis can heal

Taste Budz // CONFECTIONS

and soothe us in a number of ways, and inside these pages, you’ll discover

M E DI A PA RT N E RS

explores America’s fastest growing sport—bull riding—and how one of its

National Cannabis Industry Association

stars, Nevada Newman, trains to take on bucking bovines. And since

Women Grow

exercise works up the appetite, we got local food covered in here, too.

how. But cannabis is just one tool to promote our health. This issue also

Play hard. Eat smart. Savor life. You’re in Colorado, the coolest state in

PHOTO BY KIM SIDWELL, CANNABIS CAMERA

the US.

Randy Robinson

MANAGING EDITOR SENSI SOUTHERN COLORADO

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LELAND’S SENSIBILITIES

Sensi senior editor LELAND RUCKER weighs in on the attorney general’s “historic” views.

Have you no dignity, sir? The nation is ass-deep in serious problems, including a growing lack of trust in law enforcement and an opioid crisis tied to legal prescription drugs. And yet you, Attorney General Jeffrey Beauregard Sessions III, citing an “historic drug epidemic,” seem more concerned about the bad people who use cannabis than in emergency rooms and hospitals filling with overdose victims.

You’re actually asking Congress to allow you to prosecute states that provide legal marijuana to patients. Have you ever actually spoken with anyone who uses cannabis for pain or stress relief?

I’m ashamed to admit you’re only a couple of months older than me. Have you absorbed anything about cannabis beyond the last Cheech and Chong movie you saw? Is Reefer Madness on continual replay at the office?

You should probably do some checking around. Have you ever used a search engine? Even the scholarly stuff is online. The National Academies of Sciences, not an advocacy organization, in January 2017 published a lengthy review of all scientific research since 1999 that neatly consolidates what’s out there.

Do your handlers allow you to read Scientific American? It’s not exactly a bastion of pro-cannabis opinion, but it published a piece in June after one of your recent “bad people” tirades that quotes reputable Journal of Pain and Journal of American Medical Association studies that suggest cannabis be used for pain relief for some patients instead of opioids.

Dude, even the Koch brothers have thrown in the towel on this one. “You are never going to win the war on drugs. Drugs won,” their spokesman told reporters in Colorado Springs in response to your maximum-sentence request. Research on the endocannabinoid system is providing insight into how cannabis interacts with the body (See page 26). Heck, you could even go back and read the Shafer Report, “Marihuana, A Signal of Misunderstanding,” commissioned by Richard Nixon in 1972 as part of the Controlled Substances Act, which concluded, to Nixon’s disgust, that the only thing wrong with marijuana was that it was illegal and that it should be treated as a public-health issue.

Look at the way the US has dealt with hemp. The US literally gave away a valuable agricultural crop to the rest of the world simply because of its similarity to marijuana. This is not exceptionalism. You have the opportunity to change that.

You can’t be all bad—Senator Al Franken calls you a personal friend. But please start listening to him. Have some actual patients come to your office and talk about what’s happening. Read something that challenges your beliefs. Make decisions based on science, research, and the wishes of the American people instead of your lobbying buddies. Act your age, for goodness’ sake.

I won’t be holding my breath.

Got a cannabis question? askleland@sensimag.com 8

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By the Numbers It’s August—which means back to school. How do Colorado’s taxes on legal cannabis support the state’s students and educational institutions? Here’s a quick breakdown for the 2016– 2017 fiscal year:

1.8

$

MILLION

toward student retention and anti-bullying programs

2.4

$

MILLION

for university research grants

4.4

$

MILLION

for the Early Literacy Competitive Grant Program

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$

MILLION

to the Marijuana Education Campaign

40

$

MILLION

to repair and renovate public school buildings

LELAND PHOTO BY KIM SIDWELL, CANNABIS CAMERA

THE NEW NORMAL

The Secret to a Long Life?

Having Friends.

Your bestie may just be a genuine tonic. Last month, research from Michigan State University provided some new (but not surprising) insights into what makes us happy and keeps us spry. Compiling two studies, which looked at nearly 300,000 subjects from around the world, researchers concluded that deep social bonds outside family and workplace circles could do more to improve longevity than anything else: people with close friends tend to live 50 percent longer than those without. The takeaway? Keep your loyal buds close. Better yet, make them a workout buddy to double up on benefits.

Superfood Squared COCONUT OIL, hailed for its antioxidants and its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, doubles as a beauty-routine staple that makes skin smooth, hair shine, and makeup disappear. Hemp seed oil is also quickly gaining notoriety as a wonder ingredient. It has high levels of vitamins A, C, and E, it’s rich in amino acids, and it’s a powerful antioxidant to boot. Ojai Organics CBD Coconut Oil combines the two into one powerful product that can help you combat the damage done by Colorado’s dry summer air. Put it on after a shower, use it as a hair mask, massage it into your cuticles, or slather it on your face before bed and reap the moisturizing benefits. Tip: scoop some out into a compact to-go container (a contact case works wonders) and keep chapped lips at bay on the go. Bonus: you’ll smell like summer all year round. 5 OZ // $27.95 // OJAIENERGETICS.COM

Dragons Beget Dragons The Colorado Springs International Dragon Boat Festival returns on August 26. Following in the 2,500-year tradition of China’s momentous Dragon Boat Festival, Colorado Springs got its own counterpart for the first time last year. This year’s festival will take place at the same spot—Prospect Lake in Memorial Park—where teams of 20 must paddle as one to scull their serpentine vessel to the finish line.

Admission is free, and if you’re reading this, there may still be time to register yourself or a team for the boat races. For the non-racers, kick back at the festival’s Beer Garden and watch the boats zip by while partaking in another Chinese tradition, one that predates the festival by 6,000 years: drinking beer.

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THE NEW NORMAL

sensi

buzz

Quotable “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”

—Will Rogers

Humorist, Cowboy, Philosopher

Go-Go Granola Packed with tasty clusters of satiating fiber, hearthealthy nuts and seeds, and natural sweetness, granola is a refueling snack-food staple of trailheads everywhere, helping hikers power uphill to higher elevations. The THC-infused Fresh Granola by Julie’s Natural Edibles takes that notion to a whole new level. It’s made with simple ingredients—gluten-free oats, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, coconut, raisins, maple syrup, cranberries, kosher salt— mixed with a cannabutter infused with organically grown, strain-specific cannabis. The result: a healthy, nutritious all-star addition to a day on the trail. Pick some up at Bud Hut in Walsenburg and CannaCo in Trinidad.

Behold: The Great American Solar Eclipse It’s being called the Celestial Event of the Century, probably because the last time Americans experienced this was nearly 40 years ago when bellbottoms were chic and cassette tapes were a new thing. On Monday, August 21, the US will witness a total solar eclipse, where the moon passes in front of the sun. When this occurs, our lunar satellite will blot out our nearest star, blanketing the daytime hour in a brief bout of darkness. The sun’s corona may blaze around the moon’s perimeter, and stars might be visible in that inky near-noon sky, too.

In Colorado, we won’t see the eclipse in its “totality,” a term for when the moon completely covers the sun. Rather, we’ll get a glimpse of a “partial” eclipse, which still looks pretty gnarly, even if there’s a sliver of sunshine peeking from behind the moon. The eclipse should start around 10:20 a.m., reach its zenith by 11:50 a.m., and end around 1:15 p.m. If you want to catch the totality, better plan a trip to Wyoming or Nebraska now.

If you miss this month’s solar eclipse, 2045 marks the next time we will see one in Colorado. Fortunately, that one should total out,

so no treks to the cornfields or pastures of our neighboring states.

Caution! Staring at the sun is hazardous to the eyes. Avoid watching the eclipse with naked peepers.

To gaze at the astronomical anomaly, get your hands on a pair of special solar eclipse glasses. Pairs of these stellar spectacles will be available—for free—at local libraries through a project cofounded by astronomer Douglas Duncan of the University of Colorado. However, these free glasses likely will go quickly, so act now.

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{newsfeed}

by RANDY R O B IN S ON

SATIVA THE SUPERFOOD More than half of all US states—29 plus Washington, DC— recognize cannabis as medicine. But cannabis may be much more than a medicine. It could be considered a superfood, too.

In recent years, Americans have veered away from drive-

diet. Raw is key here, since cooking buds or heating them in

throughs and gas station food. Today, many are steering

any way can “activate” the plant’s cannabinoids, potentially

toward healthier diets. As people prod the Internet, maga-

causing the elevating effects for which cannabis is known.

zines, and shows for new sources of nutritious-yet-tasty meals, the term “superfood” is popping up quite a bit.

Which brings up the questions: What, exactly, is a superfood? And does cannabis fall under this category?

Nutritional Facts To view cannabis as a superfood, it helps to think about it as just another vegetable.

A superfood could be considered any food item that’s in-

Parts of the Cannabis sativa plant are already available

credibly dense with vitamins, proteins, amino acids, antioxi-

as a prepackaged superfood in nearly every grocery store.

dants, polyphenols, or any number of other molecules that

Hemp seeds, which are non-psychoactive, won’t give any-

provide health benefits. Examples of some superfoods include

one a buzz, and they’re packed with omega-3 fatty acids—

salmon, oatmeal, green tea, blueberries, and quinoa. Let’s see

the same heart-healthy oils found in avocados and fish.

how cannabis holds up to these superfood standards.

The seeds contain proteins, vitamins, and amino acids, too, which every person needs.

Beyond Edibles — Raw Cannabis When most people think about cannabis and food, they

more nutrition than the seeds. Raw juice and plant materi-

will probably imagine edibles: THC-infused gummies, suck-

al are packed with cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and

ers, and sodas. Raw cannabis and its juice, although grow-

other nerdy-sounding stuff that confer a ton of health ben-

ing in popularity, haven’t been heavily marketed by the bur-

efits. Those benefits include analgesic, anticancer, antitu-

geoning cannabis industry. Cannabis juicing is exactly what

mor, and possibly even antiaging properties.

it seems: dropping cannabis flowers and leaves into a juicer

Donna Shields, MS, RDN, founder of cannabis consulting

and separating its nutrition-dense juice from the solid plant

firm Holistic Cannabis Network, says making cannabis—

matter. Raw cannabis juice alone has no “recreational” po-

especially raw cannabis—part of a healthy diet might help

tential; it doesn’t get anyone high.

stave off illnesses. “Chronic disease is caused by inflam-

However, cannabis can be incredibly useful without any

mation,” she explains. “The reason we eat superfoods is to

psychoactive effect. The buds can be eaten raw as part of a

tame the fire of inflammation in the body. Cannabis is an

salad or as a side dish, but juicing is the quickest and easiest

antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties.”

way to prepare cannabis as a part of a healthy and balanced 12

The cannabis plant proper—its leaves and buds—offers

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But wait, there’s more: Raw cannabis offers fiber, folic

Where

do I get fresh cannabis?

Your chances of finding fresh cannabis at most dispensaries or retail stores are slim. These businesses prefer to harvest and cure buds for smoking, not for juicing. If you’re a registered medical patient, you can ask a caregiver to grow your cannabis for you, and they can provide you fresh trimmings. Or, as allowed under Colorado law (if you’re 21+), you can grow your own cannabis.

How to Make Raw Cannabis Juice ° Start with fresh cannabis buds and leaves. These should be moist.

Avoid dried or cured buds.

° Mix the buds and leaves with other fruits or vegetables to add flavor and more nutritional benefits. Run the mix through a juicer and enjoy. ° Experiment with fruits and vegetables—especially carrots—to mask the bitter flavors of the cannabis. Consider eating a slice of orange after drinking the juice to clear the palette.

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Where do I find

nutritional facts for pot?

If you’re looking for an official FDA chart, you won’t find it. The FDA won’t touch cannabis until the plant receives federal approval. We do, on the other hand, have some literature you can thumb through.

Hemp for Health by Chris Conrad Marijuana and Medicine by Janet E. Joy, Stanley J. Watson, Jr., and John A. Benson, Jr. Cannabis and Cannabinoids by Franjo Grotenhermen and Ethan Russo The eCS Therapy Companion Guide by Regina Nelson

Common Herbs, Fruits, and Veggies with the Same Compounds as Cannabis Cannabinoids: Camellia sinensis tea, Echinacea, kava, black truffles, cacao Omega-3 fatty acids: walnuts, avocados, sage, flaxseed Beta-caryophyllene: cloves, hops, basil, lavender, black pepper, rosemary Pinene: pine nuts, makrut limes, sage Myrcene: mangoes, lemongrass, thyme, verbena, bay leaves Limonene: oranges, limes, lemons, and other citrus fruits Linalool: sweet orange, sweet basil, lavender, coriander Quercetin: cilantro, dill, blueberries, kale, red onions Kaempferol: grapes, green tea, broccoli, peaches, berries

Will Cannabis Juicing Show Up on a Drug Test?

SHORT ANSWER : Yes, it can.

LONG ANSWER : Drug screenings look for THC and its metabolites (the smaller molecules created by THC’s breakdown in the body), so it’s entirely possible that you may come up hot if you’re drinking raw cannabis juice, even if it doesn’t get you high.

The one way around this is to stick to high-CBD strains (i.e. hemp). Most drug screenings only look for THC and THC metabolites. However, consuming massive quantities of CBD buds/ products could trigger a positive result on a drug screening. Keep in mind high-CBD strains will contain trace amounts of THC-a and THC, so this is not a surefire way around a test.

Commercially available hemp oil should be safe because it’s supposed to contain no THC. However, there’s still a risk that it could contain minuscule levels of THC, although it's rare and a positive test would require you to ingest unusually high amounts.

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acid, potassium, riboflavin, zinc, niacin, phosphorus, thiamine, beta-carotene, and beta-caryophyllene, and vitamins A, B12, D, and E. Woo! It’s practically like getting a full garden salad in one plant.

“It’s just another ingredient,” adds Shields. “It’s like if I put kale in my drink. If we put cannabis in the context that this is just another nutritious ingredient placed in the juicer or the blender, then it becomes easier for people to wrap their heads around it.”

As for how much cannabis you should include in your diet, that’s entirely up to you. If you’re drinking cannabis juice for medicinal purposes, you’ll need to gauge your intake based on your individual needs. If you’re drinking cannabis juice for general health purposes, adding as little or as much as you want according to your tastes should suffice.

About Those Cannabinoids The two prominent cannabinoids in cannabis are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC is the stuff that gets us lifted; CBD can make us feel chill, but it won’t get us spacey. In raw cannabis, these two compounds are in their natural, acidic forms, which we designate THC-A and CBD-A. When we heat the plant (such as by smoking), we knock off the acidic part of the molecule, which allows it to activate cannabinoid receptors on our cells.

THC-A, which is an “inactive” form of THC, behaves more like CBD in our bodies than THC, ironically. “One of the upsides of using it in its raw state is that you’re not getting the high,” explains Shields. “Most people are able to consume a greater quantity of the plant matter, getting a greater quantity of cannabinoids than if they used it in some other form.”

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{ crossroads}

by RIC ARDO BACA

HE ALTHY CHOICES Ricardo Baca reports on the intersection of cannabis and culture.

We’ve ultimately been familiar with the concept of

denly one of the medical world’s most discerning voic-

medical marijuana for centuries, and we’ve had med-

es was finally making a bold statement on the record,

ical cannabis laws on the books in this country since

reaffirming something already known anecdotally by

1996—thank you very much, Dennis Peron and Cal-

millions of medical marijuana patients across the globe: Marijuana is medicine.

ifornia voters.

But it wasn’t until June of 2015 that medical marijuana truly attained its top-level bona fides from the

around medical cannabis, but now I’d like to

Journal of the American Medical Association, the 134-

take this idea one step further. Because while

year-old top-ranked peer-reviewed publication that

I’ve successfully used cannabis to treat my

is largely considered to be one of the most conscien-

physical health, I’ve also come to recognize

tious, vetted, and respected medical journals in the

that marijuana can also be medicine for our

world.

mental health.

JAMA’s groundbreaking analysis from June 2015,

Too often when discussing marijuana as a

which was based on 79 trials involving nearly 6,500

health and wellness tool we ignore that it’s also

participants, found that cannabis absolutely does help

a legitimate medicine for our mental health. A

with certain ailments and conditions, including severe

number of legitimate studies have shown

pain, nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy,

marijuana’s positive effects on our mental

and spasticity from multiple sclerosis.

well-being, but a recent one in particular

(The analysis also found that marijuana’s efficacy

16

It really changed the worldwide conversation

stands out.

toward most conditions it is prescribed for is unprov-

Researchers in the Netherlands in

en, but that’s an entirely different story given the fed-

2016 conducted a random controlled

eral government’s many barriers to serious research

trial (a.k.a. the gold standard of scien-

on cannabis.)

tific research, per the Washington Post )

But that game-changing JAMA analysis represents

to investigate the link between hu-

a monolithic marker on the cannabis timeline. Sud-

man aggression and two of the most

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popular substances we’re known to consume: marijuana and alcohol.

Of course cannabis has a reputation for chilling out those who use it, but what did the scientific research say?

“The results in the present study support the hypothesis that acute alcohol intoxication increases feelings of aggression and that acute cannabis intoxication reduces feelings of aggression,” the researchers wrote in medical journal Psychopharmacology.

Forget about the alcohol making us more aggro and focus on that last part.

This study found that marijuana, separate from any other substance, reduces feelings of aggression.

“

T H E R E S U LTS I N T H E

P R E S E N T S T U DY S U P P O RT T H E H Y P O T H E S I S T H AT AC U T E A LC O H O L I N T OX IC AT I O N I NC R E A S E S F E E L I NG S OF

AG G R E S S I O N A N D T H AT AC U T E C A N NA B I S I N T O X IC AT I O N R E D UC E S F E E L I NG S O F AG G R E S S I O N. PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY // MEDIC AL JOURNAL

”

As WaPo reported: “This is in line with other research. A study in 2014, for instance, found that marijuana use among couples was linked to lower rates of domestic violence. In a fun study from the 1980s, researchers gave undergraduates varying doses of marijuana and then asked them to administer electric shocks to people in another room. The more stoned the undergrads were, the less interested they were in zapping other people.”

I remember posting this Washington Post story on social media last year to a chorus of duuuhs from friends and acquaintances who are longtime cannabis consumers themselves. But going back to the JAMA example, anecdotal evidence is of course meaningful—but it won’t ever be as trusted or compelling as peer-reviewed analysis or, in this case, a random controlled trial.

As I contemplated a less aggressive world with lower rates of domestic violence—heck, with lower rates of violence in general—it brought me back to a conversation I’d had with my girlfriend (and now wife) years before. I was a still-new marijuana aficionado trying to put my stoned experiences in perspective, and she was a knowledgeable, more-experienced sounding board with wise-beyond-her-years insight.

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“We’ve never argued all that much,” I told her one day in the car, “but I’m thinking we argue even less now

tal health, including my ability to cultivate meaningful personal relationships.

that we’re consuming marijuana more regularly than alcohol.”

She understood the point, but she challenged me to go broader with the hypothesis. How was cannabis

It means better communication and fewer arguments. It means more patience and less aggression.

It means more respectful conversations and fewer tirades on social media.

impacting all of my relationships—with family, with friends, with colleagues, with strangers?

For me at least, marijuana has made an already spectacular life even better. And I’m looking forward

After a couple weeks of deep and sometimes-un-

to more science-based research in the future to tell us

comfortable introspection, I arrived at my own per-

more about how our relationship with this plant can

sonal epiphany: Cannabis absolutely bolsters my men-

help our relationships with those who matter most.

“

I A R R I V E D AT M Y O W N P E R S O NA L E PI P H A N Y : C A N NA B I S A B S O LU T E LY B O L S T E R S M Y M E N TA L H E A LT H, I NC LU D I N G M Y A B I L I T Y T O C U LT I VAT E M E A N I N G F U L P E R S O NA L R E L AT I O N S H I P S .

”

RIC ARDO BACA is a veteran journalist and the founder and original editor in chief of The Cannabist. His content agency Grasslands works primarily with cannabis and hemp businesses on messaging and branding via thoughtful and personalized content campaigns.

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{ aroundtown }

by R ANDY R O B IN S ON

VINE DINING Vegetarians may be onto something with this fitter, happier, healthier, more productive thing.

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A CULTURAL SHIFT RECENTLY SLID INTO SOUTHERN COLORADO: PEOPLE ARE INCORPORATING MORE FRUITS, VEGETABLES, NUTS, AND LEGUMES INTO THEIR EVERYDAY EATING HABITS, AND THIS PHENOMENON HAS LEAPT FROM PRIVATE KITCHEN COUNTERS TO THE CAREFULLY CRAFTED MENUS OF LOCAL FINE DINING ESTABLISHMENTS. IN YEARS PAST, “PROTEINS,” A CULINARY TERM FOR “MEATS,” WERE THE STARS OF EACH ENTREÉ. NOW, NEARLY EVERY EATERY OFFERS DISHES WHERE VEGETABLES TAKE CENTER STAGE, OR IN THIS CASE, THE CENTER PLATE. AT OUR HALF OF THE STATE, WE HAVE YET TO SEE DEDICATED VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN RESTAURANTS LIKE THOSE FOUND IN BOULDER AND DENVER. YET DEMAND FOR VEGETARIAN OPTIONS HAS SPIKED AS TASTES HAVE VEERED VEGGIE, AND LOCAL CHEFS ARE CHALLENGING BOTH THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMPETITION BY CREATING INNOVATIVE PRODUCE RECIPES TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR STANDARD FARE.

College of Nutrition found vegetarian

high amounts of fruits possess more

diets were twice as effective at reducing

physical stamina than those who

vegetarian, reducetarian, flexitarian,

weight compared to standard calo-

subside on meaty, carby, or other

fruitarian, and other low-to-no-meat

rie-restricted diets that included meat.

omnivorous diets. And if the brain is the

lifestyles is essentially rewriting

The reason: vegetarians lose fat from

most powerful sex organ, then a

Western bromography. According to

their muscles, which accelerates the

plant-based diet can certainly aid the

Harris Interactive polls, in 2006, 4.7

body’s metabolism, not only burning fat

libido. In 2012, Nutrition Journal

million American adults identified as

but keeping it off in the long run.

published research that discovered

Treat Yourself The recent rise in popularity of vegan,

vegetarian. Ten years later, and that number almost doubled, with an estimated 8 million Americans identifying as vegetarian. What happened over that ten-year period? There are several reasons more people are making vegetables the staples of their diets, which include concerns for environmental sustainability, climate change, ethical treatment of animals, and religion.

However, the top reason, from a Faunalytics 2017 survey, is health.

Over the past two decades, research from around the world suggests vegetarians live longer than folks who regularly eat meat. Longevity among vegetarians could be due to their lower rates of chronic illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

Regarding that last item, “going veggie” is also one of the best ways to lose weight. A study published last month in the Journal of the American

Veg Va Va Voom Prioritizing plants on our plates may

vegetarians reported being happier and more carefree than meat eaters—and happy lovers tend to be active lovers.

make us more sexually appealing, too.

A 2006 study in Chemical Senses discovered that women were more attracted to body odors from men on

The Best Part: Everyone Can Win Here’s the real kicker to all these

vegetarian diets than from men who ate

research findings: although vegetarian-

red meat. Sorry, ladies, this experiment

ism has a lot of advantages over meaty

has yet to be repeated with female

diets, you can still get many of the

aromas.

benefits of a plant-based diet without

There’s more. Fair-skinned people

dropping steaks or chicken tenders

who eat a lot of plants with pigments

altogether. A Harvard study from last

called carotenoids (think: carrots) appear

month’s New England Journal of

more attractive due to slight yellowing

Medicine concluded that skipping a

of the skin. This yellowing effect is

serving of meat just once a day, and

similar to tanning, except subjects were

replacing it with nuts or legumes,

more enticed by faces with carotenoid

reduced the risk of an early death by 17

coloring than by faces with sun-induced

percent. That figure suggests eating a

melanin. And unlike baking under

purely vegetarian meal, just one time

UV-radiation, beet smoothies won’t—

every day, can significantly drop a

ahem—put a beating on the skin.

person’s chances of developing a

In terms of bedroom prowess, plant-based diets may help there as well. Vegetarians who chow down on

chronic illness.

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21

non-profit founded by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Meatless Monday helps schools craft healthier, plant-laden menus for America’s students. For the general public, it advocates going vegetarian just one day a week—on Monday, obviously. Meat is permitted on any other day of the week, with similar results to the Harvard study’s suggestion.

Meatless Mondays and other approaches to boosting plant intake have made major inroads to American dietary habits. Polls from the Vegetarian Resource Group estimate anywhere from 30 to 40 percent of Americans

Adam’s Mountain Café

MANITOU SPRINGS // 26 MANITOU AVENUE ADAMSMOUNTAIN.COM

regularly eat fully vegetarian meals “at

This eatery trains its cooks and

least some of the time.” That means at

servers with vegetarians in mind, to

least one-third of all adults are

better direct diners to the tastiest

following plans like Meatless Monday

dishes sans meat, whether breakfast,

and have been since 2000.

lunch, or dinner. One of the biggest hits

So What About SoCo? Making vegetarian meals at home is easy. Finding perfectly prepared and seasoned vegetarian meals while dining out can be a bit trickier, especially in any Colorado township south of Castle Rock.

Where can diners in southern Colorado gratify their appetites, minus the meat? We may lack bona fide vegetarian and vegan eateries here, but several restaurants (and one brewery) in our area serve up enough plant-based options to sate the palate and the belly. The following list consists of just a few of our area’s favorite herbivorous hot spots.

is the ramen noodles in coconut curry, although the Buddha bowl—a spicy medley of potatoes, braised greens, mushrooms, quinoa, chick peas, and avocado—can be incredibly filling. For vegans, there’s a special creamy pasta

COLORADO SPRINGS // 4375 SINTON ROAD CASPIANCAFE.COM

Caspian Café serves two vegetarian dinner entreés. The first is the moussaka, a Greek pie filled with herbs, roasted bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and eggplant.

The second is the bougetiere, a bouquet of fresh veggies presented in fine-dining fashion. Where Caspian

Till Kitchen

African eggplant in spicy honey sauce

COLORADO SPRINGS // 9633 PROMINENT POINT TILLKITCHEN.COM

Till Kitchen, a New American eatery, could best be described as Euro-American fusion food with a contemporary twist. Appetizers include aged goat cheese spread, roasted cauliflower served with toasted almonds and a romesco sauce, and a wood-grilled artichoke that may make you think

and plain out of a jar. For a full AU G U S T 201 7

Caspian Café

truly excels is its appetizers, most of

plant most of us usually eat pickled

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pizza or wild mushroom risotto.

with pistachio pesto just for you.

twice about the possibilities of a

22

stomach, check out the margarita

which are meat-free. Try their North or the spanakopita, a flaky pastry stuffed with feta cheese, red pepper coulis, and spinach.

Little Nepal

COLORADO SPRINGS // 1747 S. 8TH STREET OR 4820 FLINTRIDGE DRIVE LNEPAL.COM

Indian food, the original vegetarian delicacy. Little Nepal has two locations, and both offer over a dozen vegetarian dishes. The veggie kormas, makhanis, masalas, and curries are just as rich—

THANK YOU to our

Summer hosts!

Subscribe to our newsletter for information about future Mason Jar events at MASONJAREVENTGROUP.COM

BUZZ ON THE STREET Dear Sir or Madam, Let me begin by telling you a little bit about myself before I disclose my personal sexual details. I am 38 years old. For the past five months, my lover and I have had the worst sex of our lives. Honestly, we don’t know what happened. We consistently execute our routine to prepare for a spontaneous night of passion, which I will list for you now: 1. I trim all the candlewicks to the exact same height because I cannot get horny if even one candle flame is off.

2. I replace my regular bedsheets with my family’s antique ones because you can’t go wrong with 250-year-old lovemaking bedsheets.

3. I wear my lucky headband which keeps my bangs out of my eyes.

After completing these pre-sex steps, we then proceed to one of our three timehonored, quality-tested sex routines.

Unfortunately, none of our usual go-to’s were working. While researching possible solutions, I stumbled upon High Love chocolate in a recent Penthouse Magazine which impressed me. I purchased a dozen.

On Friday the 18th of April at 0700 hours, my lover and I indulged in a High Love and in a matter of minutes the candles were out, the sheets were wet and my headband was flying off. It is now safe to say that we have a new go-to routine.

Kindest regards, Lieutenant Sandra Ortiz, Canadian Army

It took more than a century for the world to return to its senses.

1906NEWHIGHS.COM

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if not richer—than the lamb versions. If

items, which are served throughout

dining. The Broadmoor’s Natural

you’re new to Indian or Nepalese

the day. The restaurant offers

Epicurean restaurant complements

cuisine, do some sampling at the lunch

vegetarian or vegan breakfast burritos

the 5-star Penrose Room, where

buffets, open seven days a week, or

and breakfast sandwiches packed

world-class chefs offer fine diners

the dinner buffets on Thursdays and

with portabello mushrooms. For those

ecologically friendly dishes all made

Sundays.

hankering for Mesoamerican, their

from locally sourced, organic farms.

tamales come in a vegetarian style,

Many of the ingredients come straight

covered in vegan green chile.

from The Broadmoor’s very own

Rooster’s House of Ramen

COLORADO SPRINGS // 323 N. TEJON STREET MAKEAMERICASLURPAGAIN.COM

Rooster’s whips up a lot more than just ramen. The teriyaki tofu bahn mi, a type of Vietnamese sandwich,

Rabbit Hole

COLORADO SPRINGS // 101 N. TEJON STREET RABBITHOLEDINNER.COM

For late-night munchies, drop by

contains wakame seaweed with tangy

the Rabbit Hole. The “Rabbit Food”

Bulldog Sauce. But if you would just

menu contains some rather inventive

like a loaded bowl of ramen, try the

salad mixes, such as the gold and

coconut miso stewed with tofu,

purple beet salad or the arugula salad

bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts, all

with apples, hazelnuts, and hay stack

topped with a soft boiled egg.

goat cheese.

Hanging Tree Café

Natural Epicurean at The Broadmoor

PUEBLO // 209 S. UNION AVENUE THEHANGINGTREECAFE.COM

Coffees and teas are typically vegan, but Hanging Tree’s most surprising delights are their breakfast

COLORADO SPRINGS // 1 LAKE AVENUE BROADMOOR.COM

The Broadmoor is one of the crown jewels of America’s luxury hotel

garden. Try the mushroom ramen noodles containing wild shrooms and bok choy, slicked with a fiery jalapeño oil for extra kick. The grilled soya steamed buns are also made with mushrooms—the hearty shiitake variety—spiced with a pungent hoisin sauce.

Trinity Brewing Company

COLORADO SPRINGS 1466 W. GARDEN OF THE GODS ROAD TRINITYBREW.COM

Did you know that most booze is vegan? Trinity Brewing specializes in vegan beers (though they occasionally put non-vegan brews on tap). The menu of bar food is marked for vegetarian or vegan preferences, and some can be quite filling. Try the vegan pulled pork sammy or the veggie breakfast burrito to cushion those bubbly ales.

24

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Do you know you have an endocannabinoid system? YOU DO. Your self is full of CELLUL AR RECEPTORS that bind with the active ingredients in cannabis known as CANNABINOIDS. So why are we just now starting to hear about it?

made

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for

by LEL AND RUCKER

ONE THING

I’ ve noticed

OVER THE YEARS, WHEN TALKING WITH MY

CANNABIS-USING FRIENDS, IS THAT THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO SAY IT MAKES THEM FEEL “NORMAL” RATHER THAN “STONED.” I GENERALLY ANSWER THAT “IT KEEPS ME BALANCED” OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES. I WOULD NEVER SAY THAT ABOUT OTHER MIND-ALTERING SUBSTANCES ( ALCOHOL, FOR INSTANCE), AND IT’S AT LEAST ONE REASON MILLIONS OF US KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE. BUT W H Y DO SO MANY PEOPLE WHO USE CANNABIS FEEL THAT WAY? A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I BEGAN READING ABOUT SOMETHING CALLED THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM, A REGULATING PROCEDURE WITHIN THE BODY THAT WORKS IN MUCH THE SAME WAY CANNABIS DOES. MY BS DE TEC TOR TURNED BRIGHT RED. YEAH, RIGHT. EVEN FOR AN ADVOCATE, THAT SEEMED A LIT TLE TOO MUCH TO SWALLOW, A LIT TLE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE .

There is much evidence that cannabis, or what’s in

relief from the sun’s UV rays. The most recognized are

cannabis, has been used to treat symptoms of human

tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), known for its psychoac-

illnesses, disorders, and diseases in many cultures for

tive properties, and cannabidiol (CBD), recognized for

centuries and that it was a standard pharmaceutical

its medical applications. “Many people have tried THC

product in the United States. Today, after decades of

and CBD. Those are called phytocannabinoids,” says

lies from the government and popular culture’s con-

biochemist Samantha Miller, founder of Pure Analyt-

tinuing depiction of marijuana users as inept “ston-

ics, a cannabis testing facility in California.

ers,” we’re finding that ordinary people are using

Scientists have also discovered cannabinoids that

cannabis for pain, arthritis, and muscle relief and

are produced naturally in the body. Called endocan-

— surprise — just to relax. But why?

nabinoids, they have structures similar to phytocan-

Cannabinoids are chemical compounds found in

nabinoids. Raphael Mechoulam, William Devane,

cannabis plants, more than a hundred different ones

and Dr. Lumir Hanus found the first endocanna-

so far. For the most part, no other plant accumulates

binoid and called it anandamide after the Sanskrit

them quite like cannabis, and these cannabinoids pro-

word for bliss, in 1992, and later found another,

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So far, so good. In 1988, scientists found receptors in all mammals that respond to cannabinoids, CB-1

the body,” he says. “Endocannabinoids are a way to keep the body in balance.”

receptors found in the brain and CB-2 receptors found

There are literally thousands of research papers

throughout the body. These endocannabinoids hook

and studies around the world on cannabinoids. But

up with these receptors. In biochemistry, it’s called

cannabis research remains a somewhat arcane

the “lock-and-key” model, where the cannabinoid

branch of science in the United States, which, under

molecules act like “keys” that fit into the CB receptor

the auspices of the National Institute of Drug Abuse,

“locks.” When the CB receptor is “unlocked” by a par-

until recently would fund only projects that were

ticular cannabinoid, it changes its shape, and how it

aimed at the abuse side of the equation.

changes shape determines how it regulates cell sig-

US researchers still encounter bureaucratic has-

naling (how cells communicate within themselves

sles, lack of adequate study product, and the fact that

and how they communicate with other cells). From

cannabis remains a Schedule I drug, which by defi-

a chemical standpoint, THC is structurally similar to

nition means it has no medical purpose. “Conventional medicine traditionally has concentrated on opi-

” says Dr. Selma Holden, a physician and assistant “ Historically, people just oids, clinical professor at the University of New England.

But even US scientists and doctors are beginning to thought cannabis was recognize that something’s going on.

“Historically, people just thought cannabis was something that got you something that got you high and concentrated on the THC. Because of medical-marijuana efforts and a little high and concentrated increase in evidence, they’re starting to come around,” she explains. “And more patients are turning to their on the THC. Because of medical doctors and saying, ‘this stuff works for me.’”

Currently, the University of Vermont is the only medical-marijuana efforts medical school in the country with an accredited and a little increase in evidence, they’re starting to anandamide, and CBD is comparable to 2-AG. THC come around,” she explains. “unlocks” the CB-1 receptor in almost the same way anandamide does, and CBD “unlocks” the CB-2 recep“And more patients are tor much like 2-AG. “The reason we interact with cannabis so strongly turning to their medical is that we have this natural architecture to interact with cannabinoids,” Miller says. “You find these all over the doctors and saying, ‘this body, in the nervous system, the immune system, everywhere. The endocannabinoids control and influstuff works for me.’” ence a lot of different things, like sleep, appetite, anxi-

28

ety, addiction, the cardiovascular system, immune

course on the endocannabinoid system in its curric-

system—everything to do with quality of life.”

ulum. “The people who should know about it aren’t

Perry Solomon is chief medical officer at HelloMD,

taught it in medical school,” says Solomon, and he

a popular wellness website with a growing number

understands some doctors’ initial reluctance to deal

of patients using cannabis. He describes the endo-

with the endocannabinoid system. “Until doctors

cannabinoid system as a feedback mechanism that

come out and become familiar with what’s involved

helps keep the body in equilibrium. “When you get

in the system, there’s a hesitancy.”

excessive stimulation, pain, emotions, or bad expe-

Oncologists, who already know it helps relieve the

riences, chemicals are released that can overwhelm

nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy,

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are among the leading edge of physicians beginning

And that gets us back to where we began. That al-

to take cannabis seriously, and other specialists are

tered state of consciousness that has offered me and

looking into cannabinoid alternatives, Solomon says.

so many people a feeling of relaxation, of being in a

“A recent National Academies of Science study found

place where they can be creative and focused or as a

that cannabinoids are being used to treat chronic pain in adults, and it does work,” he says. “So anesthesiologists are saying, ‘Maybe this is something we should look at.’”

Holden says that some of the most exciting research today concerns cannabinoids’ anti-inflammatory qualities. “When you think of it, a lot of diseases, not all of them, have an inflammation component,” she says.

“In dementia, in asthma, it’s all inflammation. That’s what’s interesting about the endocannabinoid system.

It’s influencing these inflammation markers.”

Much of the research is being done at the behest of drug companies eager to create new products from cannabinoids and able to afford the expensive research needed for approval. GW Pharmaceuticals has developed a couple of cannabidiol products to combat epilepsy that are close to authorization. Arizona company Insys Therapeutics recently received preliminary DEA approval for a synthetic cannabis drug called Syndros. (The company also contributed to the successful effort to stop a marijuana legalization initiative in that state last year.)

Oncologists, who already know it helps relieve the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, are among the leading edge of physicians beginning to take cannabis seriously, and other specialists are looking into cannabinoid alternatives.

Much of the emphasis on cannabis healing these days is concentrated around CBD and marketed for

way to deal with common maladies. “Our brains are

its non-psychoactive effects. Holden cautions that if

ideally suited for cannabis,” Chris Kilham, an author

someone is using cannabis for a chronic condition

and ethnobiologist who studies plant-based reme-

like back pain or Crohn’s disease, the feeling of ele-

dies as the Medicine Hunter on Fox News, told me.

vation can be an important part of the therapy, too.

“There’s no substance other than water that has the

“We can’t fall too much into the belief system that

health benefits and continued significance of those

having an altered state of consciousness is bad.”

benefits.”

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Nevada Newman in 2016

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It’s an eight-second game

WHERE ONE OF THE COMPETITORS IS

A O N E-T O N B E H E M O T H T H AT D O E S N ’ T P L AY BY A N Y R U L E S , T H E O T H E R I S A D I M I N U T I V E G U Y I N A C O W B OY H AT A N D F R I N G E D L E AT H E R C H A P S J U S T T RY I N G T O H A N G O N . A S T H E S TA K E S H AV E SOARED HIGHER, SOME PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDERS LOOK TO THE NEWEST TRAINING TRENDS T O K E E P U P W I T H T H E B U L L S . O T H E R R I D E R S L O O K N O F U R T H E R T H A N T H E I R R O O T S : T H E C ATT L E R A N C H E S W H E R E I T A L L S TA R T E D .

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BO KNOWS BULL RIDING If bull riding is the world’s most dangerous sport, then a bull named Bodacious will forever be its champion. His legacy forever changed bull riding, not only in terms of

“I have some friends who live and die in the gym. I hate that stuff. I’d rather be outside doing something, like riding horses.”

—Nevada Newman

its worldwide popularity but also in terms of how

ning brutality, his ability to grow more dangerous with every ride. After all, the more buck, the better.

PBR’s crowds want action, and mean cattle make for the most memorable rides.

“I know I’ve gotten on some bulls sired by Bo-

professional riders have

organization based in

ment. By that point, even

to train for a chance at

dacious, but there’s never

Pueblo, Colorado, to the big

the greatest cowboys—

greatness.

been a big-time sire out

leagues. That ride matched

including the legendary

of him like himself,” says

the notorious bull with

Hedeman—refused to ride

rocked the bull riding

pro rider Nevada Newman,

Tuff Hedeman, considered

him, their perfect tech-

world with his signature

a 24-year-old rising PBR

the best of the best bull

niques no match for the

move: he’d buck the rider

star coming to Colorado

riders at the time. Two

bull’s explosive frenzy. In

into the air, then violently

Springs next month for

years prior, Hedeman

a sport devised by some

snap his horns up as the

the Rumble in the Rock-

received a near-perfect

of history’s most daring

rider tumbled downward.

ies competition. Most pro

score on Bodacious, but

men, it was a beast who

Lucky cowboys missed his

riders have likely tussled

their final ride at the PBR

became the ultimate

horns and hit the ground.

with at least one of Bo-

World Finals left him

victor.

The less fortunate ones

dacious’s progeny. If they

with a pulverized face

got smashed. Bad. Of the

just four seconds in. That

est contribution to the

135 riders who dared to

jaw-plummeting moment

sport wasn’t his infamy. It

mount “The World’s Most

drew an audience of 2.4

was his genetics.

Dangerous Bull,” only 8

million, officially placing

made it to eight seconds.

professional bull riding

remaining days as a sire,

monstrous stock grows

The Pro Rodeo Hall of

viewership among the

breeding some of the nas-

stronger, smarter, more

Fame, which inducted Bo-

ranks of NASCAR and

tiest, most ferocious cattle

agile. Since physical size

dacious in 1999, described

the NHL. The sport hasn’t

beasts ever to rampage

is every bull rider’s limit-

the bovine as “virtually

been the same ever since.

PBR. Although he maxed-

ing factor, these advances

That same year, Bo-

In the 1990s, Bodacious

But Bodacious’s great-

Bodacious spent his

haven’t yet, they will.

SIZE MATTERS With each new generation of bulls, PBR’s

out at 1,900 pounds during

leave today’s cowboys at

dacious was titled PBR’s

the peak of his career,

a stark disadvantage. The

broadcast with Bodacious

World Champion Bull. Yet

he was considered small

average bull in the pro cir-

catapulted the Profession-

1995 also marked the end

relative to the other bulls.

cuits reaches well over 6

al Bull Riders (PBR), an

of the bull’s run, culminat-

It wasn’t his size that

feet from head to hoof and

international pro riding

ing with an early retire-

made him valuable to

weighs about 1,700 pounds.

unrideable.”

In 1995, one defining TV

32

breeders. It was his cun-

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The biggest bulls can top

damage—and slips happen

local rodeo company. At

raking and stacking bales

2,000 pounds, rivaling the

often. According to a 2006

age six, he started riding

of hay. These activities in-

size of a black rhinoceros.

study from the University

sheep. Then cows. Then

volve heavy lifting, careful

Compare that to the aver-

of Calgary, serious injury is

horses. At 12, he mount-

balancing, and constant

age bull rider, who stands

10 times more likely with

ed his first young bull.

stretching for nearly 10

between 5′6″ and 5′8″ and

bull riders than with foot-

In high school, he hit in

hours straight. According

weighs about 150. If they

ball players. On average,

junior circuits, and con-

to the website CalorieLab,

are any heavier or taller,

they get badly hurt at least

tinued riding through his

ranchers burn almost

the inertia of their body

once every 15 rides. And

college years. Now, New-

twice as many calories per

trying to remain on top of

Newman knows all about

man rolls with PBR, where

hour than most construc-

a bucking bull becomes a

this: at the time of our

he vies for a piece of the

tion workers do on any

liability rather than a boon.

phone interview, he was

organization’s $11 million

given day. Newman saves

recovering from a shoulder

in annual prizes.

the weights and biking for

Newman, at 5′8″ and 140 pounds, falls within the

surgery, his third surgery

average range. His training

since he started riding

through, Newman makes

regimen, however, isn’t

professionally.

the ranch his training

“I’ll ride my horse bare-

ground. Depending on

back to get that feel of the

the season, he spends

forward movement of an

the bulk of his waking

animal moving away from

hours calving and lamb-

me,” Newman explains.

ing, branding cows by the

“Bull riding is a lot of

hundreds, feeding and

technique. You can take

grooming the animals, or

the power away from the

what you would expect of an average professional athlete. “There’s a whole different kind of shape you need to be in to ride bulls,” says Newman. “It’s not a running-on-a-treadmill

READY FOR BATTLE Newman was born to ride. Raised on his family’s ranch in Montana, some of his earliest memories were of his grandfather’s

A cowboy through and

he isn’t ranching.

shape. It’s a muscles-you-

bull if you ride them right.

don’t-use-every-day kind

There’s one certain spot

of thing.” That’s because

in the middle of that bull,

a bull rider’s most im-

and if you can stay in that

portant muscles aren’t in

spot, there’s hardly any

the hands or arms. The

power. But if you get out

most important muscles

of whack, that bull on the

are the adductors in the

PBR can really throw you,

legs, groin, and hips, the

and you have to hustle to

cowboy’s points of contact

get back in that spot.”

with the bull.

Unlike Newman, not

Since bulking up is not

every rider resides in a

an option for profession-

homestead, and many

al bull riders, they must

outsource their ranching

incorporate cross-training

duties while they trav-

to maximize their chanc-

el the world, raise their

es of victory. They can’t

families, endorse name

just rely entirely on raw strength, either. Bull riders require flexibility, a keen sense of balance, and the wits to recognize when it’s time to hop off and tip their hats. One misguided shift along the bull’s back can result in permanent

34

those rare occasions when

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AU G U S T 201 7

Matt Triplett, a PBR veteran, meditates in his cold space.

brand products, or manage businesses of their own. How do PBR’s other steadfast runts go toe-totoe with untamed bovines over 10 times their size? It depends on the rider.

Take Brazil’s Guilherme Marchi. He holds the

record for more rides than

to keep the muscles lithe

one’s game, no matter how

any other cowboy in the

and supple.

hard they train. Athletes in

sport’s history. Marchi’s

Then there are guys

any aggressive sport must

regimen is simple. He lifts

like Nevada Newman.

spice up their grinds with

weights, rides bikes, and

When Triplett introduced

something unusual every

jumps rope at least four

him to PBR in 2014, he got

now and then. Otherwise,

days a week, even while

a taste of the city-slick-

the training hits a wall and

traveling between events.

ing workout practices of

the body ceases progres-

His diet includes gener-

cryotherapy, hot yoga, and

sion. If plateau goes on for

ous portions of eggs and

the gymnasium life. Even

too long, the competitor

chicken.

if Newman raised and

may lose gains rather than

sold cattle as a day job,

maintain what he or she

Matt Triplett, who ranked

the rookie needed care-

already has. Newman is

third place at the 2014

ful preparation for PBR’s

just like every athlete in

PBR World Standings.

specially bred steers. Once

this regard. Ranching is

Triplett diligently follows

he got into professionally

an incredibly effective

a gym program much like

competitive shape, he

cross-training workout,

Marchi’s, with the addition

made the ranching life-

but it can become repeti-

of some unconventional,

style his full-time training

tive, too. The gymnasium

cutting-edge practices.

regimen. “I have some

life may not be his thing,

One of those is cryother-

friends who live and die in

but he admits some of

apy, which subjects an

the gym,” says Newman. “I

Triplett’s style rubbed off

athlete’s body to extremely

hate that stuff. I’d rather be

on him.

cold temperatures—far

outside doing something,

below freezing—for a few

like riding horses.”

Or take Montana’s

minutes to reduce muscle

However, workout pla-

“If it’s going to be a long event, and I’m feeling sluggish, I’ll do some hot

teau—when the body grows

yoga the day before, to take

healing. The other is hot

accustomed to the same

off the edge,” he says with

yoga, which involves yoga

exercise routine day-in and

a chuckle. “You do sweat

poses in a sweltering room

day-out—can stunt any-

your ass off there.”

Catch a glimpse of the cowboy life and watch Nevada Newman and other tough-as-nails athletes try to tame the world’s fiercest bulls during PBR’s Rumble in the Rockies— one of the final four events before the 2017 World Finals—

at the Broadmoor World Arena on September 30 and October 1.

Opening at the 2016 Iron Cowboy Competition —Courtesy of Andrew Giangola

swelling and facilitate

Rodeo A-Go-Go

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35

HIGHLY

TOPICAL

by ROBYN GRIGGS L AWRENCE

The localized, body-pleasing benefits of cannabis-infused LOTIONS, PATCHES, OILS, and BALMS are propelling topical treatments into the mainstream.

36

www.sensimag.com

AU G U S T 201 7

Kim Frazier, A LOUISVILLE, COLORADO-BASED HEALTH COACH AND MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENT, USES MEDICAL CANNABIS FOR ONGOING PAIN FROM TWO HERNIATED DISKS IN HER LUMBAR SPINE AND PINCHED NERVES AND OSTEOPOROSIS IN HER NECK. A FEW YEARS AGO, SHE DISCOVERED THAT APPLYING CANNABIS-INFUSED TOPICAL OINTMENTS EASED HER PAIN WITHOUT FOGGING HER MIND, SO SHE BEGAN BUYING THEM AT DISPENSARIES AND MAKING HER OWN AT HOME. LAST YEAR, FRAZIER HAD H ER FIRST MASSAGE WITH CANNABIS-INFUSED OIL AND FELT A “NOTICEABLE AND PROFOUND BENEFIT AND RELAXATION RESPONSE” THAT LASTED FOUR DAYS. WEEKLY MASSAGES WITH CBD OIL ARE NOW AN IMPORTANT PART OF HER HEALTH PROTOCOL. “It’s just logical,” Frazier says. “The skin is our

to medicate, which opens the door for many pa-

largest organ. Topicals are a great way to get canna-

tients who would like to experiment using canna-

bis into the system and still be functional. They’re

bis treatment but would prefer not to ingest it or

also a great way to introduce ‘newbies’ to cannabis,

experience any kind of mental high.”

and even longtime smokers find benefits.” After applying cannabis-infused oil for three days, Frazier says, her husband’s eczema cleared up, and he was able to stop using steroidal creams.

An up-and-coming segment of the medical cannabis industry, “topicals” include cannabis-infused balms, lotions, oils, alcohol solutions, and transdermal patches that penetrate the skin to deliver cannabinoids, including THC and CBD. Cannabinoids are specialized signaling chemicals in cannabis that bind with CB receptors in our bodies and skin, influencing and regulating appetite, pain sensation, inflammation, temperature regulation, muscle

HOW TO USE

{ T O PI C ALS }

Adam Stone, who developed SweetStone Candy Luscious Lemondrop Lotion, an award winner at this year’s Cannabis Cup, offers the following advice for safe, effective topical use.

1. Read the labels and warnings.

2. Don’t eat them, no matter how

control, metabolism, stress response, mood, and

memory. Because cannabinoids don’t reach the

3. Always test on a small area first in case

brain or central nervous system through topical delivery, most medical researchers don’t believe they can deliver psychoactive effects.

Denver-based Adam Stone, who developed and

delicious they smell.

of skin irritations or allergic reactions.

4 . Apply to clean skin at a time when

you won’t wash or sweat it off.

sells cannabis-infused SweetStone Candy Luscious Lemondrop Lotion, which took second place at the 2016 Michigan Medical Cannabis Cup, believes

Medicine Hunter Chris Kilham, a Massachu-

that’s the biggest benefit of using topicals. “They

setts-based ethnobotanist and medical marijuana pa-

won’t get users high,” he says. “There definitely

tient who writes extensively about cannabis and other

seems to be a body buzz, but they are a gentler way

medicinal plants, points out that “it’s entirely possible

AU G U S T 2 01 7

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37

that some people taking transdermal THC-based lo-

with a heat source such as a neck warmer, they’re

tion might get quite high.” His preferred method for a

particularly effective for neck and lower back pain,

painful shoulder issue is a cannabis-based lotion from

Cohen says. The former obstetrician, who delivered

his local dispensary. Kilham learned of cannabis’s

10,000 babies in Colorado and was named “Best Deliv-

ability to relieve pain when he began smoking and

ery Man” by Westword in 1993, uses Apothecanna Ex-

eating it after a car crash many years ago, and he dis-

tra Strength Cream with arnica, juniper, peppermint,

covered topicals when he applied tamanu oil to areas

CBD, and THC for his own aches and pains.

of his skin where he had residual nerve damage from

CBD-only formulas, which are becoming very pop-

the accident. “It’s actually quite miraculous,” he says.

ular, appeal to people concerned about legality, psy-

“We’re in the very, very early stages of what’s likely to

choactive effects, or passing a drug test—even though

be a pretty exciting category in the cannabis industry.”

that’s highly unlikely with creams and oils because

Graham Sorkin, director of business develop-

topically applied cannabis doesn’t enter the blood-

ment for Mary’s Medicinals, which sells transder-

stream—but Cohen prefers a combination of THC and

mal patches, gels and topical compounds to pa-

CBD. “The two generally work better together than

tients in Colorado, Washington, California, Oregon,

one does alone,” he says. This is what’s known as the

“

T H E R E D E F I N I T E LY S E E M S T O B E A B O D Y B U Z Z ,

B U T T H E Y A R E A G E N T L E R WAY T O M E D I C AT E ,

WHICH OPENS THE DOOR FOR MANY PATIENTS WHO WOULD LIKE TO EXPERIMENT USING CANNABIS TREATMENT BUT WOULD PREFER NOT TO INGEST IT OR EXPERIENCE ANY KIND OF MENTAL HIGH.

”

Vermont, and Arizona, says more patients—particu-

“entourage effect,” meaning the combination of can-

larly older ones—are willing to try topicals because

nabinoids found in cannabis is greater than the sum

they carry less stigma. “My grandma is never going

of its parts, and it’s why Stone uses cannabis culti-

to smoke a joint, but she likes the patch,” he says.

vars with a balance of both CBD and THC for Sweet-

Mary’s Medicinals’ customers range in age from 2

Stone Candy Luscious Lemondrop Lotion. “Research

to 92, he says, and most use the products for local-

has shown that this potentially has more therapeutic

ized and broad-spectrum pain such as arthritis. Pa-

advantages than CBD alone,” he says.

tients also use them to help treat epilepsy, insomnia, and sleep disorders.

38

Frazier has found this to be true in her own experiments with massage at Nature’s Root spa in

At Holos Health, in Boulder, Colorado, Dr. Joe Co-

Longmont, Colorado, where the same 90-minute

hen, DO, who integrates cannabis into his holistic

massage is exponentially more relaxing and effec-

functional medicine practice, often recommends

tive when she upgrades from hemp-based oil to

sprays, creams, and lotions with a one-to-one THC-

cannabis oil with a high CBD content. “I can honest-

to-CBD ratio to patients with joint and neuropathic

ly tell you, the difference is night and day,” she says.

pain and muscle spasms. Cohen says topicals work

“With the addition of CBD oil, I have to be able to go

locally to reduce pain, inflammation, and spasms and

home and not do anything that requires a lot of en-

can be used as frequently as needed because of their

ergy and brain power. I’m arranging my schedule so

limited psychoactive effects. When applied along

that I can always go home and chill”.

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AU G U S T 201 7

MAKE YOUR OWN TOPICAL Colorado-based health coach and medical marijuana patient Kim Frazier makes this edible topical oil by combining a one-to-one ratio of food-grade oil with some cannabis that has been decarboxylated and some that has not. Decarbed cannabis contains THC, CBD, and other beneficial cannabinoids, and non-decarbed cannabis contains THC-A (acid) and CBD-A. The oil is cooked at a temperature too low to decarb the cannabis.

Frazier’s favorite oils for this recipe are coconut, MCT, avocado, flax, hemp, and macadamia, which penetrate skin effectively and offer an array of beneficial nutrients, making the medicinal impact even stronger.

This kind of oil is not to be confused with full-extraction cannabis oil such as Phoenix Tears oil, which is made through a distilling process and involves a solvent such as alcohol.

Ingredients: 1 ounce cannabis, coarsely ground 1 cup food-grade oil Mason jar Cheesecloth or nut milk bag (both available from Amazon) Fine mesh strainer

To decarb cannabis, place it in an oven-safe container, seal the container with a lid or aluminum foil and cook at 220 degrees for an hour. Remove from oven and let cool. Remove

lid. Place oil and cannabis in a mason jar. Leave some room free at the top of the jar; don’t fill completely. Seal jar.

Preheat oven to lowest setting, typically 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a water bath in an oven-safe pot or Dutch oven by pouring enough water to cover the material in the jar. Place jar in water bath.

Place pot in oven and slow cook for at least 10 hours. The oil can cook for up to 24 hours. If you need to leave the house (or go to sleep), it’s fine to turn it off and restart the process when you return home (or wake up).

Note: You can use a crockpot or slow cooker if it has a setting around 170 degrees or less.

About every two hours,

check container to ensure the water level remains higher than the material in the jar.

Add water if necessary. Remove jar and shake it for a few seconds, then return it to the water bath. After 10–24 hours, remove jar and let cool.

Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth or nut milk bag. Place strainer over a bowl or jar and pour oil through until all plant material has been strained out. (You can keep the cannabis “sludge” in your fridge or freezer to use in the bathtub. Simply place some in a piece of mesh fabric along with some Epsom salts, tie up the mesh fabric and put it in the bathtub for a relaxing, therapeutic soak.)

Store in a labeled jar in the refrigerator for up to six months.

AU G U S T 2 01 7

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39

h

emp

by ROBYN G R IG G S L AWRENCE

C . J. Jorgensen C R O C H E T S E V E RY C H A N C E S H E G E T S . T H E F I B E R A R TI S T A N D C L O T H I N G D E S I G N E R W O U L D C R O C H E T 24/7 I F S H E C O U L D . S O , W H E N S H E

M O V E D F R O M N O R T H E R N C O L O R A D O T O T H E W E S T E R N S L O P E A C O U P L E Y E A R S AG O , S H E N AT U R A L LY B E G A N E X P L O R I N G N E A R BY T E X T I L E R E S O U R C E S .

One day, she was given several skeins of a hemp-

nal pieces, often crocheting into the wee morning

wool blend (or bouclé) that had been sitting in the

hours, while she built a career as a hair stylist, ran a

EnviroTextiles warehouse in Grand Junction be-

sweet shop in Montana, and worked in sales.

cause no one could work with its uneven texture.

“I’ve always gravitated to entrepreneurial things

Always up for a challenge, Jorgensen began experi-

that give me freedom and independence,” Jor-

menting with the tedious yarn, creating projects

gensen says, revealing the cowgirl attitude that in-

and tearing them apart, developing stitches to ac-

spired her studio’s name. “And I’ve always felt it’s

commodate the thick-then-thin material. She fell in

important to have some form of art in my life.”

love with the yarn’s nubby texture and found ways

In 2015, shortly after Jorgensen began playing with

to stitch it into elegant, flowing garments. Inspired

hemp, she was invited to be part of Elemental Rising

by the blend, she also began playing with smoother,

Fashion Show in Paonia, Colorado. She had three

more workable pure hemp. Jorgensen now works

months to create eight items, and she set to work mak-

almost exclusively with Cannabis sativa, and she’s

ing dresses, ponchos, tops, and hats—all at the same

carving out an edgy niche in wearable art through

time. When she couldn’t figure out where to go next

her company, Zen Cowgirl Studios.

with one piece, she put it down and picked up another.

“The more I work with hemp, the more I like it,”

As all eight pieces sat in various stages of completion,

Jorgensen says. “It shapes really nicely, and it moves

she says, “the garments took on a life of their own.” The

and contours with the body. Hemp fiber is not as soft

resulting collection of timelessly sexy dresses and ver-

because it’s not processed with any synthetic fibers,

satile accompaniments pairs perfectly with boots and

but it turns out really cool designs. It’s also surpris-

cowboy hats (Zen Cowgirl boasts over 50 different hat

ingly lightweight. You barely know you have it on.”

designs) and could be worn to a rodeo or the opera. It

Inspired by her mother’s beautiful handknit

40

was a huge hit at the fashion show.

sweaters, Jorgensen taught herself how to crochet

Though she creates and works from prototypes,

when she was a teenager because she thought work-

every piece Jorgensen makes is one of a kind. She

ing with one crochet hook would be easier than han-

has a vision as she begins a project, but she may

dling two needles. She immediately became ob-

find new ways to play with stitches or the pattern as

sessed with the art and churned out sweaters, doilies,

it comes together. At her home studio at HCZG

ponchos, and blankets as gifts for her large family in

Ranch (so named for Hippies & Cowboys and Zen

Georgetown, Colorado. She continued to create origi-

Cowgirl), Jorgensen crochets custom hemp pieces

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AU G U S T 201 7

IN

G

D

I ES

ar

R

le b a

N E Z

s e n of

IR L G W CO

M E H

S T UD I O S t ur n s s im ple s

.

T R A P

titc

he

s

int

o

we

E GN

n or ge J .

J C.

F IB E R

ART

IS T

an

dC

LO

TH

p tress

AU G U S T 2 017

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41

The newest Zen Cowgirl collection focuses on natural fibers made of hemp, wool, and flax.

hemp COMES

home

Hemp {Cannabis sativa }, one of humankind’s first domestically cultivated plants, has been used to make cloth-

ing since at least 8000 BC. One of the world’s strongest and most durable textile fibers, hemp is also one of the most sustainable. One acre of hemp produces as much fiber as two to three acres of cotton, and hemp can be grown without the herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides that cotton and other textiles require.

This miraculous plant—considered so valuable that it was used as legal tender in colonial America—fell victim to prohibition when reefer madness swept the United States. Though it contains less than 0.3 percent of the psychoactive cannabinoid THC, hemp was outlawed alongside its psychoactive cousin as part of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.

Most hemp sold in the United States today comes from China, Hungary, Thailand, Romania, Chile, and Canada. That may change as cannabis law reform sweeps the United States. Congress is considering legislation that would exclude hemp from the legal definition of marijuana,

“

I’m passionate

A B O U T F I N D I N G W AY S T O H E L P PE OPLE I NCORPORAT E H E M P INTO

T H E I R L I F E ST Y L E S. I ’ M E XC I T E D A B O U T B E I N G PA RT O F A W H O L E

new industry.

”

and clothing for special occasions, crafting items such as christening gowns and wedding dresses.

“I’m passionate about finding ways to help people incorporate hemp into their lifestyles. I’m very excited about being part of a whole new industry,” Jorgensen says. “I want to make clothes for the rich and famous.”

42

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AU G U S T 201 7

and several states—including Colorado—have legalized cultivation and research of industrial hemp. Colorado has 1,600 acres of hemp under cultivation.

LOCAL

LEADERS.

NATIONAL

IMPACT.

LET’S BUILD A SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRY TOGETHER NCIA is the only national association bringing the voice of the responsible cannabis professional to Capitol Hill.

Invest in your future and the future of America’s next best industry. Join our network today by becoming a member.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT at TheCannabisIndustry.org / AU G U S T 2 01 7

@NCIAorg

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43

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

HERBAL HEALING

Healthy High HERBAL HEALING OPENED ITS DOORS ON APRIL 15, 2015. LESS THAN A WEEK LATER—ON APRIL 20—IT WON THE COVETED HIGH TIMES CANNABIS CUP’S BEST INDICA FLOWER AWARD. AND THERE’S A GOOD REASON WHY.

THC and CBD, two most promi-

the story. “We believe THC is much

much medicine they can access. “We

nent medicinal molecules found in

of the miracle that comes from

solve that by finding super-high pro-

cannabis, work in tandem. Studies

cannabis,” he says. THC confers

ducing plants that give us twice as

show CBD stimulates cell recep-

the elevating effects from canna-

much product than any other strain,”

tors responsible for homeostasis,

bis, but it possesses just as much

he says. “That offsets the price,”

the body’s natural balance that

therapeutic potential as CBD. “With

meaning more punch for lower cost.

promotes healing and well-being.

many conditions, if you don’t have

THC activates these same recep-

THC, you’re not going to get the

ny, we’re also the growers,” says

tors, amplifying the properties of

full benefits of CBD oils.”

Moore. “We are the storefronts. We

CBD for a longer, more sustainable medicinal effect.

cific needs, Herbal Healing offers a

are the company.”

Herbal Healing welcomes its

Herbal Healing, a medical dispen-

wide selection of products. These

patients to ask questions and learn

sary with two locations in Colorado

include flower, concentrates, tinc-

about the options available to

Springs, is one of southern Colo-

tures, and oils with varying ratios of

them. “There’s definitely a homey

rado’s top suppliers for high-CBD

THC and CBD: from high-CBD and

vibe here, especially with all of us

cannabis strains. These plants

low-THC products to products that

being from Kentucky,” says Moore.

provide patients more relief than

contain equal parts of the two. Pure

“Our patients feel that when they

buzz, but when it comes to treating

CBD products are available as well.

come in the store. They get that

debilitating conditions, that’s more than enough.

Ryan Moore, cofounder of the

44

Because every patient has spe-

“As the owners of the compa-

Potency and affordability are also

talk to us for an hour, we’ll talk to

production line. Many patients re-

you for an hour.”

Herbal Healing, understands CBD

quire large amounts of cannabis for

alone, although helpful, is just half

treatment, so cost can restrict how

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AU G U S T 201 7

Southern hospitality. If you want to

key components of Herbal Healing’s

AU G U S T 2 01 7

www.sensimag.com

45

GRND

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

The Bigger the Dream, The Harder the Grnd THIS COMPANY IS ON A MISSION TO CONNECT THE MOST ELITE, SKILLED PROFESSIONALS TO THEIR DREAM JOBS. Cannabis isn’t just one of

als with companies in the

cultivation. The main com-

ders. With clients in Cana-

Colorado’s fastest grow-

cannabis industry.

ponent guiding GRND’s

da, Puerto Rico, and other

placement decisions, she

US states where cannabis

says, is drive.

is legal, GRND introduces

ing industries, it’s one of

Nikki Mantooth, founder

the nation’s as well. For

and president of GRND,

professionals everywhere

has dabbled in the human

interested in a career

“I’m truly invested in

quality professionals to

resources field since she

my candidates,” she says.

companies with national

change, now is the time to

was a teenager in Atlan-

“The key in recruiting

and international reach.

get into the field. Employ-

ta. She has a knack for

quality professionals is lis-

For businesses, the

ers across the industry are

bringing together the

tening to what it is they’re

agency also provides

looking to hire deft talent

best talent with the most

passionate about and

consulting services to

for a variety of positions

conscientious companies.

matching their passion

help maximize employee

at all levels—including up-

Mantooth’s corporate

with their skill set. If you

retention and streamline

per-level management and

matchmaking expertise

find that position for them,

day-to-day operations.

executive. And since legal

helps cannabis companies

they’re going to thrive.

Additionally, a certified

cannabis is such a new

fill a whole array of critical

And when they thrive, the

cultivator program is un-

industry, the majority of

roles, and GRND special-

company thrives.”

derway, ensuring growers

the new hires will be peo-

izes in mid- to upper-level

ple who have spent their

management positions,

allows GRND to connect

stand and can faithfully

professional lives working

executive officers, head

individuals and companies

execute essential grow

in other fields, honing skills

growers, and directors of

beyond Colorado’s bor-

room practices.

coveted by modern cannabis companies.

recruited by GRND under-

“Cannabis truly changes people’s lives,” says

That’s where GRND

46

A recent expansion now

Mantooth. Whether that

comes in. The Global Re-

change involves a pro-

cruiting Network Develop-

fessional move into the

ment is a Colorado-based

industry or a move up the

executive recruiting

corporate ranks for those

agency that specializes in

already in it, no dream is

matching elite profession-

too big for the GRND.

www.sensimag.com

AU G U S T 201 7

AU G U S T 2 01 7

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47

FROM OUR ADVISORY BOARD

AS THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY GROWS, SO DO THE NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERTS WITHIN IT. THESE PEOPLE ARE INCREDIBLE SOURCES OF NICHE, INSIDER INFO ABOUT THE TRENDS AND ISSUES DRIVING THIS THRIVING MARKETPLACE FORWARD. THE SENSI ADVISORY BOARD IS COMPRISED OF A SELECT GROUP OF CANNABIS INDUSTRY LEADERS IN A VARIETY OF FIELDS, FROM COMPLIANCE AND EDUCATION TO CONCENTRATES AND CULTIVATION. EACH ISSUE, THEY ARE INVITED TO SHARE SOME OF THEIR SPECIALIZED INSIGHT AND PERSPECTIVE IN THIS DEDICATED SECTION. THIS MONTH, WE HEAR FROM ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS IN THE CAREGIVER AND EDUCATION CATEGORIES. FOR A FULL LIST OF ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS, TURN TO THE MASTHEAD ON PAGE 7.

Growing your own means you know precisely which plants are in your pots. With cloning, a simple process anyone can do with a little knowhow, you can keep the strains that work best for your medical conditions, long after the mother plant is uprooted and harvested. With breeding, you can cross your best

REAP WHAT YOU SOW

by MATT FOX OF SHOW ME KINDNESS

strains to generate new plants with qualities customized to your needs.

There’s a lot to growing, but there’s always help, too.

In Colorado, caregivers are

reward for persistence

tion and attentiveness, and

available to provide invalu-

are experiences gained by

increase productivity in

able experience and insight

growing cannabis. These

other areas of life. Tending

into the complexity of

from the ground up cul-

experiences can change

a personal grow keeps the

medicinal cannabis produc-

tivates a unique outlook

your perspective on the

body active, and an active

tion, better equipping you

on health and wellness

world and set the founda-

body is a healthy one.

to navigate the myriad of

that can only be nurtured

tion for a mental, physi-

in the home. Starting a

cal, and spiritual awaken-

ensures you know exactly

able today. Once you are

personal cannabis garden

ing that can change your

what you’re putting into

growing your own plants

introduces you to a way of

life for the better.

your body. This is espe-

and seeing the results in

cially important for pa-

your medicine and feeling

Growing cannabis can grow your soul.

Raising your own buds

thinking that produces a

48

Plants are an integral

A personal grow also

options and choices avail-

better, healthier lifestyle

part of our lives, and sur-

tients with compromised

the improvement of your

if you let it. The value of

rounding ourselves with

immune systems since

general wellbeing, you may

quality, the importance

living plants of any kind

these patients depend on

find yourself applying your

of knowledge, the burden

has been shown to lower

additive-free cannabis for

new skills to the rest of your

of responsibility, and the

anxiety, improve percep-

safe, reliable relief.

life—for the rest of your life.

www.sensimag.com

AU G U S T 201 7

UNDERSTANDING PTSD

by STAFF AT LUX LEAF

stress reaction.” The

terrors, paranoia, or OCD

phrase “post-traumatic

habits. The tradition-

stress disorder” didn’t ap-

al method of combating

pear until the 1980s, with

insomnia with pharma-

the publication of the third

ceuticals now has a new

volume of the Diagnostic

competitor. Many sleep-

and Statistical Manual of

ing medications, such as

Mental Disorders.

the benzodiazepines, con-

Post-traumatic stress

vert deep sleep into light-

disorder is not a qualify-

er sleep, so that while the

ing condition for medical

total amount of sleep may

marijuana in all medical

be modestly increased,

marijuana states, but it

it may not be of optimal

does qualify in a number

quality. Due to cannabis’s

of states. After a long, per-

long-standing scheduling

sistent effort, the state of

with the federal govern-

Colorado approved PTSD

ment, there is currently

as a qualifying condition

limited research on can-

for Medical Marijuana.

nabis and its effects on

This is the first new qual-

sleep. What we do know

ifying condition added

is that when compared

under the Colorado’s

to other common sleep

medical marijuana law

aid methods, such as al-

since it was implemented

cohol and pharmaceuti-

in 2001.

cal medications, cannabis

CAN CANNABIS HELP? Individuals who suffer from PTSD experience a wide variety of symptoms.

Many of these common

For as long as humans

juana has been found to decrease REM sleep while increasing slow-wave is the stage of sleep right

iety, depression, and into have positive effects

disorder (PTSD) is a men-

have been suffering from

when medical marijuana

tal health problem that

trauma, we have been

is used. Medical marijua-

some people develop after

dealing with PTSD in

na can help people with

experiencing or witness-

some form. As our phys-

PTSD by working with the

ing a life-threating or

iological development

body’s natural compounds

life-altering event. Symp-

evolved, we gained a

to create a relaxing ef-

toms include recurrent

greater understanding of

fect on the brain. Studies

re-experiencing of the

this and eventually gave it

show that medical mari-

trauma, sleep problems,

a name. During World War

juana with high levels of

irritability, anger, poor

I, the term “shell shock”

CBD provide therapeutic

concentration, blackouts,

was used to describe what

effect on those with anxi-

and a phobia of places,

is now better described

ety disorders.

people, and experiences

as PTSD. By World War II,

that remind the sufferer

shell shock was replaced

sue for those with PTSD,

with the term “combat

whether it is due to night

of the trauma.

ative side effects. Mari-

sleep. Slow-wave sleep

symptoms such as anxsomnia have been shown

Post-traumatic stress

has fewer long-term neg-

Insomnia is another is-

before REM: in this stage, the body builds mental and physical energy.

WILL CANNABIS WORK FOR YOU? Save the date: Find out if cannabis is the right therapy for you. We invite you to attend PTSD and

Cannabis, a free public event sponsored by Sensi

Magazine and Stratos and hosted by Lux Leaf, on Thursday, September 28, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Visit LuxLeaf.com for further event information.

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{ soCO}

by STEPHANIE WILSON

Telluride , a former mining enclave set in a box canyon in southern Colorado, is as picture-perfect as any mountain town can be, surrounded on three sides by peaks that stretch toward 14,000 feet above sea level. Up here, the air is clear in a town where the cultural attractions are almost as compelling as the surrounding traillined mountains. There are also a slew of top-notch cafés and lounges to keep you satiated after a day out exploring the stunning wilderness. But for the real fun, get out of town into the mountains and pitch a tent. Telluride is already at an elevation of 8,750 feet, which means there’s less atmosphere interfering with your views of the stars. Which means there’s no better place to be when the explosive Perseid Meteor Shower peaks and sparkling meteors shimmer across the night sky multiple times per minute the night of August 12 and morning of August 13.

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