Sensi Magazine - Denver/Boulder (April 2019)

DENVER / BOULDER

THE NEW NORMAL

4.2019

The Highest of High End

Cannabis Etiquette with the Emily Post Institute’s Lizzie Post

E T T A H G R I R B A E L TO CE H HIG

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KE A I L Y PART PPLE A PINE SE U B EC A A N C YO U

Shine On

All the Colors of the Northern Lights

{plus}

CULTURAL CALENDAR MUST-SEES + HAVE-TODOS FOR SPRING AND SO. MUCH. MORE.

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ISSUE 4 // VOLUME 4 //4.2019

FEATURES 96

SP EC IAL R EP OR T

CBDo or CBDon’t?

When it comes to cannabidiol, confusion reigns supreme. We’re going back to basics to clear it up for you.

104 Pot In Pans

Why the history of eating cannabis matters.

every issue 19 Editor’s Note 24 The Buzz 34 NewsFeed

WE’VE GOT TO FIGHT

40 CrossRoads

OUR RIGHT TO PARTY

60

46 StarPowered

APRIL HOROSCOPE

50 TasteBuds

46 WRITTEN IN THE STARS Sensi has a new Horoscope section.

BORN TO CELEBRATE

60 AroundTown

CULTURAL CALENDAR

GET FUNKY There’s a whole lotta reasons to celebrate the season.

68 HighProfile

HIGHER ETIQUETTE WITH LIZZIE POST

78 LifeStyle

CBD CARE FOR PETS

86 TravelWell

NIGHTS OF LIGHTS

140 The Scene

SENSI NIGHT COLORADO

144 HereWeGo

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Sensi magazine is published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2019 SENSI MEDIA GROUP LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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sensi magazine ISSUE 4 / VOLUME 4 / 4.2019

EXECUTIVE FOLLOW US

Ron Kolb ron@sensimag.com CEO, SENSI MEDIA GROUP

Tae Darnell tae@sensimag.com PRESIDENT, SENSI MEDIA GROUP

Alex Martinez alex@sensimag.com CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

EDITORIAL sensimediagroup

Stephanie Wilson stephanie@sensimag.com EDITOR IN CHIEF

Leland Rucker leland.rucker@sensimag.com SENIOR EDITOR

John Lehndorff edible.critic@sensimag.com DINING EDITOR

Robyn Griggs Lawrence CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Ricardo Baca, Natha Campanella COLUMNISTS sensimagazine

Cathy Brooks, David Duran CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

A RT & D E S I G N Jamie Ezra Mark jamie@emagency.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Rheya Tanner, Wendy Mak, Josh Clark em@sensimag.com sensimag

DESIGN & LAYOUT

BUSINESS & A D M I N I S T R AT I V E Liana Cameris liana.cameris@sensimag.com PUBLISHER

Richard Guerra richard.guerra@sensimag.com Steve McMorrow steve.mcmorrow@sensimag.com Amanda Patrizi amanda.patrizi@sensimag.com Tyler Tarr tyler.tarr@sensimag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS

Amber Orvik amber.orvik@sensimag.com CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR

Andre Velez andre.velez@sensimag.com MARKETING DIRECTOR

Hector Irizarry distribution@sensimag.com DISTRIBUTION

M E D I A PA RT N E R S Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy 18 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

LOVE

HIGH HOLIDAY

editor’s

NOTE

A short list of some of the reasons to celebrate this month—on

4/20 and beyond. I wanted to list 42 of them but only had room for half, because there’s a whole lot to celebrate in this edition. So let’s get started:

1. All music, with so many concerts taking place all over this season.

2. That includes the third-annual Tmrw Tday Culture Fest in Negril, Jamaica, kicking off April 30. Sensi’s managing editor Dan McCarthy outta Boston will be there. Follow @SENSIMAGAZINE on Insta for that tropical travel inspo.

3. The munchies and 4/20 celebrations giving us excuses to eat allll the food.

4. The mere fact that cannabis is legal here.

5. The fact that we know we still need to protest—and have the right to do so.

6. The sense of community coming together that’s so palpable this time of year.

7. All month long, national press outlets will cover cannabis in all its glory—and most of the stories will be positive, exemplifying what we like to call the New Normal.

8. That leads to more and more people coming out of the cannabis closet.

9. Including revered bastions of high society, such as the Emily Post Institute. The mere existence of Higher Etiquette by Lizzie Post is a stunning milestone in this march into the mainstream.

10. Yoga With a View coming down from the hills and into town for a cannabis-paired, yoga-fueled brunch feast at an art gallery on 4/20 itself.

11. All 31 events listed in this month’s cultural calendar are notable reasons to explore, connect, and interact with the community.

12. Maven Clinic: basic healthcare access for women, by women, online, on demand, and affordable.

13. Sensi’s new better paper quality, which debuted a few issues ago and still makes me feel all warm and tingly whenever I pick up a magazine.

14. This cover. I want to party with that pineapple.

15. CBD, explained, in this issue. We try to keep it simple.

16. THC. The elevating effects are always worth celebrating.

17. Sensi’s third anniversary party, taking place at EXDO Event Center on April 17. Come hang. We’re fun.

18. Other Sensi-sponsored celebrations happening coast to coast, all month long.

19. Pot in Pans by Sensi contributing editor Robyn Griggs Lawrence is out this month. I’ve read it, you should, too. You can pick up a copy from Robyn herself at said anniversary party.

20. Sensi’s nominations in both the Las Vegas Cannabis Awards and the New England Cannabis Awards. We’re honored.

21. You. You’re pretty awesome. Thanks for reading.

Stephanie Wilson ED I TOR I N CHI EF SENSI MAGAZINE

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ADVISORY BOARD 1906 New Highs // CHOCOLATE The Adjustatorium // CHIROPRACTIC Agricor Laboratories // TESTING LAB Bear Mortgage // RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE SOLUTIONS Cannabis Tax Solutions // TAX AND ACCOUNTING Cannopoly // MOBILE COMMERCE Canyon Cultivation // MICRO DOSING CLogistics // COURIER The Clinic // SEED BANK Cohen Medical Centers // MEDICAL CENTERS Colorado Cannabis Company // THC COFFEE Concentrate Supply Co. // RECREATIONAL CONCENTRATES CWC Soil LLC // SOIL Evolutionz Consulting // THE CLEAR™ Evolve Formulas // TRANSDERMAL Franklin Bioscience // PILLS AND TABLETS GoFire // DOSE CONTROL Greenhouse Payment Solutions // PAYMENT PROCESSING GreenLink Financial // BANKING Hybrid Payroll // STAFFING AND HR BENEFITS Incredibles // WELLNESS Jupiter Research // INHALATION HARDWARE L’Eagle Services // SUSTAINABILITY Lab Society // EXTRACTION EXPERT AND LAB SUPPLIES Lowspark Incorporated // DISTRIBUTION LUXX Retreat // LODGING Mac & Fulton Talent Partners // RECRUITING marQaha // SUBLINGUALS AND BEVERAGES Mary Jane’s Medicinals // TOPICALS MedPharm // LIFESTYLE VAPE Monte Fiore Farms // RECREATIONAL CULTIVATION Mountain High Suckers // CBD EDIBLES Mustache Dabs // ROSIN PRESS Nature’s Root // HEMP COSMETICS Next Frontier Biosciences // BIOSCIENCES PotGuide // TRAVEL/TOURISM Pyramid // DISTILLATES Revered Inc. // INHALERS RiNo Supply Company // CANNABIS CULTURE RxCBD // CBD PET TREATS Sharp Solutions // TRANSPORTATION Simply Hemp Wellness // NATURAL HEALTH FOODS Source Colorado // WHOLESALE CONSULTING Steve’s Goods // CBG PRODUCTS Terrapin Care Station // RECREATIONAL DISPENSARY Toast // MINDFUL CONSUMPTION ULEVA // HEMP PRODUCTS Wana Brands // EDIBLES WillPower // SPORTS NUTRITION Witlon Inc. // PAYROLL PROCESSING 20 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

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Feelin’ Ourselves

The rule of thumb is that if a magazine sticks it out for three years, it’s got a good chance of being around for the long haul. And not to brag (but totally to brag), Sensi is celebrating its third birthday this month. Come honor the occasion with us. Sensi Night, High Holiday Kickoff. EXDO Event Center, April 17. Follow the FB page to stay on top of allll the info—and to RSVP. See you soon.

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Holiday, Celebrate Some other ways to toke to our freedom to elevate as we see fit in the state of Colorado this month.

Colorado Cannabis Week 2019

By Cannabis Tours // COLORADOCANNABISTOURS.COM

From 4/28–4/22, one of the biggest and best can-

options include the Concentrates and Terpenes Tour,

nabis-specific tour and event companies is hosting a

Brewery and Grow Facility Tour, an introductory Cook-

plethora of parties. (You may have seen this team on

ing with Cannabis class, an infused dinner party, Puff,

CNN, ringing in 2018 on Anderson Cooper’s live New

Pass & Pottery classes, and—my personal favorite way

Year’s Eve countdown last year. If not there, maybe you

to spend a Saturday—extra-special Puff, Pass & Paint

saw them on one of the zillion and a half post-NYE

classes. (Think: cocktails and canvas-esque but with

coverage shaming the network for showing people

BYOCannabis and drinks instead.)

getting high on national television when they should

On 4/20 itself, the company is hosting an official tour

have focussed the coverage on people getting drunk

afterparty ($99), which entails a live DJ, hors d’oeuvres,

instead. Sheesh.)

live glass blowing and painting, beer, wine, and all the

The range of offerings is extensive, and you can see

good times you can handle. Or you could baller it up

the whole lineup at the website. Some of the high-

and pony up for the aptly named Baller 420 2019 Pack-

lights are the Original Cannabis Tour, which includes

age—$2,499 gets you hotel and tour packages, access to

stops at the Medicine Man grow, a glassblower’s work-

each event with transportation in a luxe SUV. Extreme?

shop, and luxe transportation with fun hosts on the

Yes. Worth it? One way to find out.

legendary consumption-friendly party bus. Other tour 26 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

–Stephanie Wilson

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Cannabis Pairing Brunch and Yoga with a View

By Mason Jar Event Group // MASONJAREVENTGROUP.COM

Without fail, the elegantly elevating gatherings hosted seasonally by Kendal Norris’s Mason Jar Event Group are flawless representations of the high-end potential of the legal cannabis industry. While some people opine that the pairing dinners are among the best offerings, others (read: me) are vocal advocates for the yoga and cannabis brunches. Typically only held once per year in the late summer at a farm in Boulder, Yoga with a View is coming into the city for the high holiday this year, bringing a marketplace and pairing brunch with it to the Space Gallery. The day begins with an inspired yoga experience, complete with essential oils and live music, while chef Kevin Grossi and his team from the Regional in Fort Collins prepare a thoughtful cannabis pairing brunch. While the live music continues, the blissed-out attendees can peruse the fine art pieces on display throughout the gallery and visit with sponsors and vendors, checking out the wares for sale.

–SW

Saturday, April 20, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Request your invitation now via Mason Jar’s FB page.

28 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

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The More Things Change, The More They Stay the Same In the premiere issue of Sensi Denver/Boulder (May 2016) our dining editor John Lehndorff imparted some of the dining wisdom he’s garnered during his 35-plus years as a food critic for outlets along the Front Range. He shared his picks for his favorite culinary destinations in Colorado, especially suited to what he called “elevated” dining experiences.

Meaning, these places pair well with a nice buzz. Here are some of the highlights: My Brother’s Bar // 2376 15th St., Denver: The coolest watering hole in Denver has no sign on the outside of the building, and the juke box only plays classical music. This is where On the Road inspiration Neal Cassady once ran up a tab. Elevation is grandfathered in. It is exceptionally blissful to sit at the bar or on the embowered patio to become one with a beer and the signature burger. Griddled beef patties on 30 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

a sesame bun come to the table alongside a plexiglass carrier that includes onions, condiments, and bowls of pickle slices and pepperoncini.

Domo Restaurant // 1365 Osage St., Denver: The nondescript building and neighborhood don’t prepare you for the transport you encounter inside Domo. Customers sit on cushioned tree stumps at stone tables at this northern Japanese-style restaurant near downtown Denver, which includes a small cultural museum and martial arts dojo. The ultimate spot for elevated dining (when the weather permits) is the garden, populated by Buddha statues and koi ponds, where it’s easy to forget time while nibbling raw fish served over rice or curry with udon noodles.

Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse // 1770 13th St., Boulder: Otherworldly. That’s the way teatime feels inside this ornately

decorated work of art, shipped piece by piece as a gift from Boulder’s sister city in Tajikistan. Everywhere you look are eye-candy details, like hand-carved and hand-painted ceiling tiles, tables, stools, columns, and exterior ceramic panels.

The rose garden outside is a perfect spot for a pot of lapsang souchong on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings in the summer, when the award-winning Boulder County Farmer’s Market is in session.

Tennessee Mountain Cookhouse // Leadville: A one mile hike (or ski) through mountain backcountry brings you to the door of this quintessentially Colorado destination. The menu leads toward the timeless versus the trendy, with four-course meals such as grilled elk tenderloin with blueberry sage port reduction plus appetizers, salad, and fruit pie for dessert. The wine lists includes Two Rivers cabernet sauvignon made in Fruita on the Western Slope. The final highlight comes as you amble back from backcountry under a twinkling comforter of stars.

TENNESSEEPASS.COM/THE-COOKHOUSE

–John Lehndorff

For more tasty tidbits of Denver/Boulder dining information, head to SENSIMAG.COM and check out our archives.

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 31

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HAVE AN

incredible 420 CELEBRATING 5 YEARS OF CANNABIS FREEDOM!

BE GRATEFUL BE RESPONSIBLE ENJOY!

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 33

{newsfeed } Story and Photography by L E L A N D R U C K E R

WE’VE GOT TO FIGHT Should 420 be a celebration or a protest?

You’ll be reading a lot about 420 (or 4:20, 4/20, 4-20) in the days leading up to April 20. Here in Colorado several events are in the planning stages, the largest being the Mile High Festival in Civic Center Park in downtown Denver.

You’ll hear about how some California high school students came up with the 420 “code” for gathering to get high, which, depending on the teller of the story, eventually evolved into events around the country protesting marijuana prohibition by lighting up at 4:20 p.m. on that day.

The rallies began as dissent in the truest sense. Besides being a not-so-subtle notice that a lot of Americans were cannabis enthusiasts despite the government warning that it was dangerous and illegal, it reminded everybody else, at least for a few minutes once every year, that the authorities and government were aware of that fact, too, and could do nothing about it.

It was a proud time. One of the places that gained notoriety for its 420 events was Boulder, where police estimated that, at its height, more than 10,000 people came to the university campus to do in public what we were all already doing in private.

As a Boulder resident and committed cannabis user, I attended several of these gatherings. Talk about amusing. At the beginning, they were smaller and more locally oriented. As media coverage ramped up even before the event, the number of participants grew. US 36 would be 34 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 35

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A plant that Colorado citizens and tourists use legally can put other Americans in jail.

That’s worth protesting.

jammed with participants rolling in from outside Boulder. There would be entrepreneurs selling crude T-shirts and people dressed up as joints or rolling papers, with a few daring souls swinging in the trees and beating on drums they carried up there. Police who gathered along the edge seemed more curious than anything else. Helicopters strafed the quad as a great cloud of smoke rose at 4:20pm. By 5 p.m. it was all over. A yearly reminder of the stupidity of the so-called War on Drugs.

The university reacted more negatively as the years went by, and CU authorities took measures to end the protest, one year spreading a malodorous solution that included fish entrails onto the quad to discourage protestors. Finally, CU resorted to illegally asking for IDs to even enter campus on that day.

The ultimate irony was that the 420 protests would have ended pretty much on their own without the university flexing its muscle and money as the state legalized in 2012.

At that point, I wondered out loud, why should we continue these events? We won. Game over. It’s legal. No need to gloat.

The Boulder event is now history. And in the years since, the Mile High Festival has taken on the 420 mantle, producing a daylong event with national bands onstage and media coverage galore. The event doesn’t have the feel of the old days. It’s been embarrassing at times to watch a nasty battle develop over who had the rights to produce the festival that included races to the doorway of the licensing bureau the moment it opened and lawsuits and charges flying about.

But then I read statistics that say citizens are still being arrested in states where cannabis is still illegal. In 2017, 660,000 Americans were detained for a marijuana violation, 600,000 of those, or 90 percent, for simple possession.

So we now live in a world where what any Colorado citizen or tourist can do legally can still put other Americans in jail, or stick them with a possession charge that follows them around like a hellhound on their trail. And that’s worth protesting. No American should be arrested for using cannabis. That was the point of the original 420 protests, for goodness sake.

And then I read the story of Nolen Sousley, the terminally ill cancer patient in Bolivar, Mo., who was humiliated and had his belongings searched for marijuana in his hospital room in March after telling authorities he had consumed edibles in the hospital parking lot.

It was a mistake that led to a pitiful situation. Thankfully, there were no citations, and Sousley himself asked people not to publicly berate the hospital or police over the incident, but it reminds us that even in Missouri, where voters approved medical marijuana in November, there is still much confusion over what’s legal and what isn’t, and in this case disparities over how patients can access cannabis as medicine.

And that’s another thing worth protesting on 420. By all means, celebrate our good fortune here in Colorado and the other states where adults can buy and consume cannabis legally. But don’t forget that the war on the War on Drugs hasn’t ended yet. There’s still a lot of work to do. sensimag.com APRIL 2019 37

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{crossroads }

by R I C A R D O B A C A

YOUR RIGHT TO PARTY The complicated artform of the cannabis event.

40 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

Ideating, producing, and hosting events is a legitimate art-

and New Orleans, at the last few New West Summits in

form. Throw cannabis into the mix—a newly legalized sub-

Oakland, at O’Cannabiz in Toronto, and we even hosted a

stance with ultra-restrictive rules governing all aspects of

renegade cannabis event at SXSW 2018. Outside of these

dissemination and consumption—and the artform requires

piggy-backed events, we’ve also produced thoughtful

an even higher level of skill, forethought, and refinement.

stand-alone events for clients—including a cannabis-in-

So how does one throw the perfect cannabis event?

fused farmers market that celebrated mainstream exhib-

Truth is, perfection doesn’t exist in the event production

itors alongside educational and experiential opportunities

space. Events are living, breathing, multi-tentacled beasts

for our client, a leading marijuana-infused topicals brand.

that rely on a team of collaborators, and while we event

Of course the proof is always in the pudding, and so

producers strive for perfection, it’s more of a lofty goal

here are a some tips to consider before starting to plan

than it is a concrete possibility.

your next cannabis-infused dinner, 420 event, industry

That’s why the best event producers plan ahead for the missed deadlines, the sick staff, the wayward subcontractors, and the venue limitations that are inevitable.

networking gathering, or renegade party.

PENCHANT FOR PREPAREDNESS

But how does one throw the best possible cannabis

There is no such thing as being too prepared for a can-

event—the kind of outing that celebrates an important

nabis event. Be it a simple happy hour at the office or a

milestone, subtly communicates a brand’s messaging,

large-scale activation at a conference, your guests’ expe-

pampers its attendees while also leaving a memorable

riences—as well as the quality of your sleep in the nights

impression? Here are some tips to consider—but first,

leading up to the event—will directly relate to how pre-

a bit about my background with creating meaningful

pared you and your team are.

events and activations.

So whether you’re self-producing or hiring an events part-

You see, long before I was lucky enough to stumble

ner, do yourself a favor and nail down your vision and ob-

upon the cannabis industry, I was embedded in the music

jectives a few months out; secure your vendors one month

industry as the longtime pop music critic for the Denver

out; have a functional run-of-show document at least two

Post. I got into the event production game early by creat-

weeks out; and check in with all hired staff, vendors, and

ing a multi-venue music festival, The Underground Music

subcontractors in the days leading up to the event.

Showcase, which continues to pack Denver bars, clubs and parking lot stages every summer. My work (and curiosity)

STAYING LEGAL AND RESPECTFUL

also took me coast to coast in those years, from the CMJ

Because we’re specifically talking about producing can-

Music Marathon in Manhattan to the Coachella Valley Mu-

nabis events, you need to fully comprehend the local rules,

sic & Arts Festival in California—but my annual highlight

regs, and laws surrounding the distribution and consump-

was regularly South by Southwest, the behemoth music

tion of marijuana. In these early days, event producers

festival taking over Austin, Texas, each Spring Break.

don’t have a lot of leeway in most localities—but there

I learned the art of the renegade party at SXSW. While

are generally options in each market, and if you’re not 100

the big event brings the masses together, the renegade

percent confident on local laws, call a local attorney to

parties add to the vibe. And as I would board my flight

protect yourself and your clients.

back to Denver each March, exhausted and likely hungov-

At Grasslands, we’re also careful to communicate clear-

er, I would think back to the festival’s most memorable

ly with the venue owner, ensuring that we’re on the same

moments—and oftentimes those experiences were pro-

page for which spaces are friendly for consumption and

duced by NPR, Pitchfork, IFC, or even Taco Bell.

which aren’t.

I’ve since produced a number of renegade music parties at SXSW, but my team at my marketing agency Grasslands

RESPONSIBLE DISTRIBUTION

and I have also produced our signature networking event

I’ve discussed the need for responsible distribution of

The Grasslands Party at multiple MJBizCons in Las Vegas

cannabis before in this column, but it’s worth repeating, sensimag.com APRIL 2019 41

Download the GoďŹ re App to scan the DoseCode on your Verra products.

42 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

given this subject matter. But let’s say you’ve checked with the attorneys and are confident your infused appetizers or THC-packed gift bag are legal, now it’s time to distribute the marijuana products responsibly.

This is simple communication, and it will set all of your guests up for a better experience. For your servers passing the appetizers infused with 5 milligrams of activated THC apiece, they need to communicate that to guests before the platter is offered to them. For the door staff handing out gift bags at the end of the night, they need to communicate the presence of THC to exiting guests, as that will change the handling and storage of the bag once

WHETHER YOU’RE SELFPRODUCING OR HIRING AN EVENTS PARTNER, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND NAIL DOWN YOUR VISION AND OBJECTIVES A FEW MONTHS OUT.

they get back to their car or home.

You never want your event to be the cause of someone’s bad experience with cannabis, so an informed, communicative staff is a necessity.

SUBTLE BRAND ACTIVATION It’s rare a company throws an event without intention. If you’re footing the bill or joining a party as a sponsor, you’re going to want to measure your return on investment (or ROI) after the fact—and that includes an idea of how many people encountered your brand and its messaging throughout the event.

Brand activation is a tricky one at cannabis events. It’s easy to go overboard, thinking that more is more and branding anything and everything. But my events team and I at Grasslands are of the belief that simple, subtle brand activation is a more meaningful method of connecting to your target audience.

An easy example: A thoughtfully assembled deck projected on a prominent wall is more powerful than a hard copy of that same deck (or brochure) in the gift bag. With the projected deck, your branding and messaging becomes a part of the decor and experience, something that embeds itself into guests’ psyches as they continue to see it throughout the event—whereas the hard copy brochure is a likely unwanted piece of marketing collateral that may or may not make it back to the office.

RICARDO BACA is a veteran journalist and thought leader in the legal cannabis space and founder of Grasslands: A Journalism-Minded Agency, which handles public relations, content marketing, social media, events and thought leadership for brands and executives in legal cannabis, hemp and other highly regulated industries.

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 43

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{starpowered }

by N AT H A C A M PA N E L L A

APRIL 2019 Introducing our horoscope section.

AIRES Mar 21–Apr 19 Every sign has a few months in the year when it’s particularly dynamic, and this, Aries, is one of your months. Hungry for adventure? Plan an exploration. Feeling argumentative and want to be right?

Initiate a debate. Desiring more passion in life? Break any ice that’s formed over the winter, and start a fire with the object of your affection. Take advantage of your month in the sun.

TAURUS Apr 20–May 20 The air is warming, and the luscious scents of spring are in the air. Taurus, you’re a tactile creature, and this is a month to touch and explore allll the indulgent things.

Seek out the sunshine, treat yourself to delicious food and sensual pleasures, devise creative ways to make 46 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

money, and definitely make time for good, solid conversation with people you love.

GEMINI May 21–June 21 Never one to shy away from mental stimulation, you’ll find yourself even more engrossed this month in the art of interesting dialog.

You have a gift for listening to the points of view of others—has anyone ever told you that? Of course, don’t gossip too much, but do exchange observations about the world at large and speak up for injustice, too. This is great month for listening, and for making yourself heard.

Gemini, this is a great month for listening and making yourself heard.

CANCER

around you. In the early part of April, that just may not

Jun 22–Jul 22 The beginning of April brings some pushy energy, and you might feel intruded

upon

because

of it. Solve that problem by seeking some private, quality time with the one you love because romance and self-care are your happy places right now. Talking about your relationship and your feelings is best done in the early weeks of April, so don’t wait to have difficult (or intimate) conversations. On the flip side, by the end of the month, those unpleasant energies should settle, making you a happy affectionate crab.

LEO Jul 23–Aug 22 Leo, you’re generous, expressive, and clever by nature, and it’s important that those qualities are appreciated by the people

happen. Don’t lose hope though; later in the month, the dam breaks and you’ll be far more appealing and dynamic, both in love and in conversation. In other news, you’ll have extra energy to create excitement and joy in your life, and you’re very supported when it comes to moving into action and making changes.

VIRGO Aug 23–Sept 22 “I love you, I love you not” may be your mantra in April, as everything gets a little prickly. You may feel like no one is capable of meeting your high standards and that your hard work is being undervalued. You can make the most of this prickly month by being adaptable to plan changes. Show off your many skills by offering them to someone in need.

LIBRA

SAGITTARIUS

Sept 23–Oct 22

Nov 22–Dec 21

You love to be in love, it’s

Not that there’s anything

true. But this month, you

wrong with it, but com-

may have to put in a bit

passion isn’t always your

more effort than usual,

strong point. So when your

especially when it comes

love life demands it, you’ll

to sharing your thoughts

have to work past your

and

Honesty

blocks to conjure some

isn’t always easy (be-

up. Play your cards right

cause frankly, you hate

and that empathy will pay

to disappoint), so use tact

off with some heat. When

but don’t let it obscure

it comes to the rest of

your

good

the people in your world,

news is that your confi-

know that you may have

dence need not take a hit,

to balance your desire to

and your ability to make

“be right” with a little bit of

decisions will be height-

“actually paying attention

ened—if you choose to

to what others are saying.”

won’t enjoy) but you’ll get a

PISCES

assert yourself.

If you’re able to do that,

burst of solid, dependable

Feb 19–Mar 20

expect rewards, including

strength in the second half

Pisces, if you’re awake and

a refreshed outlook on life.

of the month (which you

aware, you have a real gift

will enjoy).

for seeing the endless pos-

feelings.

truth.

The

SCORPIO Oct 23–Nov 21

Pisces, allow that natural creativity to flow this month.

April brings many con-

CAPRICORN

tradictions as romance

Dec 22–Jan 19

AQUARIUS

may begin on a bed of

Capricorn, you can be as

Jan 20–Feb 18

low that natural creativity to

roses that ends up feel-

traditional as they come,

This is a good month for

flow this month. Your built-

ing rather thorny toward

but every so often, you

you, Aquarius. Something

in tenderness is supported

the end of the month. The

let loose and transform

to remember: although

both in your partnerships

same can be said for the

into a provocateur of the

detachment can actually

and in the other relation-

ways you relate to every-

most interesting kind. Do

be quite stimulating (for

ships in your life. You may

one else, too—the livin’

that in the early part of

you), relationships of any

however find it difficult to

is easy until your buttons

this month and make your

kind (including the love va-

harness your energy and

get pushed, and then

desires known, because

riety) require more creativ-

move into action, leaving

things get real. Dramatic

you may find that you get

ity than that. If you really

your clever imagination with

changes are kind of your

more controlling in mat-

want to arouse your own

a lack of clear direction.

thing, so just go with the

ters of love and commu-

interest,

flow. Know that it’s all a

nication toward the end.

and listen to the answers.

means to an end and if

When it comes to your

This will provoke inspira-

you pay attention, you’ll

overall ability to complete

tion and originality, which

learn some good stuff

projects, your natural log-

you can incorporate into

about yourself and those

ic-based decisiveness may

meaningful activities with

you love.

feel scattered (which you

your friends and loves.

ask

questions

sibilities available to you (and those around you). Al-

Some call astrology a science, some call it an art. NATHA CAMPANELLA ( @NATHA_CAMPANELLA_ASTROLOGY on Insta) calls it both. Natha is a professional astrologer specializing in evolutionary astrology. When she’s not working, you can find her writing for online publications and conducting interviews on her podcast Star Narratives. NATHACAMPANELLA.COM

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 47

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sensimag.com APRIL 2019 49

{tastebuds }

by J O H N L E H N D O R F F

BORN TO CELEBRATE The app for what ails us is good company and great food.

We come into this world mouth-first. The very first thing we do after making our entrance is shout for mom’s sweet

THE HOST CATCHES A BUZZ Once I started hosting, I realized it wasn’t some al-

milk. That’s the way our party starts, with people and food.

truistic, kumbaya, self-sacrificing thing you do to better

My recall doesn’t stretch back quite that far, but my

humankind. For those who get “it,” hosting makes them

earliest flashbulb memories are around a table. I’m at a

happier than being a guest despite the hassles. Various

table in the kitchen or dining room at home, or a picnic

studies have shown that social connections are as im-

table at a lake, or a restaurant booth. Birthday cake or

portant as kale and Pilates for your health, and the brain

Thanksgiving turkey or a slippery ear of buttered corn on

chemicals it releases are a decent buzz.

the cob is in front of me. Mom, dad, siblings, odd relatives

Celebrating is not partying. You can celebrate while sip-

and odder friends are always in the picture. Very early on,

ping mezcal, vaping cannabis, and eating poutine, but not

I understood that celebrating with food was fun.

by yourself or with strangers.

I learned a lot about food from my mom, who reserved labor-intensive family favorites—like egg croquettes, stuffed cabbage and lasagna—for special occasions. My big tent philosophy of entertaining came from my older sister, Barbara. She loved visiting global cultures that revere food and family and consider celebrating as essential as breathing. She figured that food is everyone’s first language.

When I was in high school, Barb had a party celebrating the fact that I was visiting her family in Florida. She invited students, teachers, and friends from various cultures. We talked about peace and war and music and nibbled simple, high-flavor finger food. For me, it was a new kind of fun.

I gleaned that the welcoming spirit of the host determined the quality of the celebration. Barb showed me that gathering the tribe regularly is so important it overrides the usual objections to hosting, i.e., my house is too small and too dirty and I can’t afford fancy hors d’oeuvres.

50 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

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Entertainment is passive. You get entertained. The dictionary definition of “celebration” is to pay attention to a life event with a gathering of related folks.

Celebration is participatory, and, at its best, slightly magical. You learn as much about your family and friends at the table as you do from 23andMe. I have always been a celebration instigator. My 25th birthday at a Boulder restaurant featured seafood crepes and balloons filled with nitrous oxide.

Nothing was ever more fun than planning a birthday party for my son featuring cake and odd foods he loved. For Thanksgiving last year, I hosted the feast crowd in my tiny apartment, and it was like the old days. I like that every-chairfilled, elbow-to-elbow atmosphere with too much food and drink on the table and all the technology turned off. It was an actual—not virtual—event.

THE PLAGUE OF ‘EATING ALONE TOGETHER’ Some may feel we work too little and celebrate too much, but I am not among them. We celebrate and vacation too little and we are a poorer nation for it.

I have spent four decades as a food writer, eight years as a dining critic and a lifetime going out to eat. I watch other people at dinner and learned that sadly, many people don’t know how to celebrate…or are simply unwilling.

I see a lot of “eating alone together.” Everyone around a table at a birthday dinner is looking down at their phones. Eye contact is minimal. As they leave, they don’t look like they’ve been celebrating. They look relieved. They look at their phones. I’ve always felt sad for them.

I chalk it up to an epidemic of loneliness and a sea change caused by technology. The numbers don’t lie: • Open Table reports that restaurant reservations by solo diners rose 80 percent from 2014 to 2018.

• A Cigna survey of 20,000 US adults found that nearly half of people have feelings of loneliness.

52 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

• Only 53 percent of Americans say they have meaningful, daily, face-to-face interactions with other people. Statistics show that nearly 30 percent of US households consist of one person.

We also drive alone in cars, vote by mail and get food, beer, entertainment and groceries delivered, further reducing our social interactions.

Social media is great for keeping far-flung relationships alive, but it makes it less likely we’ll have the eyeball-to-eyeball contact that cements personal bonds. You can end up blowing out the candles on your cake with family on Facebook Live and Siri singing “Happy Birthday.” Besides, the anonymity of cyberspace makes it easy to be mean and may explain some of the increasing brutality of our political discourse and polarized cultural life.

Studies show that having dinner with family teaches children how to talk and behave and seems to support healthier eating and body weight, and much less early use of tobacco, drugs and alcohol. Teens get better grades and better sleep. I bet it works on adults, too. Celebrating together with food seems to civilize most of us.

HOW TO BE A HEAVENLY HOST As a host, I ponder the logistics from dietary restrictions to my favorite, the party’s background soundtrack music. My gig as host is to pay attention to everyone around the table and to draw them into the buzz.

Celebration food doesn’t need to be artisan, just profoundly tasty. Parties give us a pass to eat things we deny ourselves the rest of the time. I try to pull together treats that sound so damn good in the invitation that the guests can’t refuse. Social media and texting makes it easy to invite folks but, exponentially easier for them to cancel at the last minute.

Whether at home or a restaurant, you need to address the 800-pound “virtual” gorilla in the room. I try to make it a device-free gathering as much as possible. We turn off and hide our cell phones. If they sit on the table the sensimag.com APRIL 2019 53

54 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

sight entices us with tweets, posts, likes, and texts. That

matter. I don’t feel “lucky” because I have an incredible ex-

temptation rips us out of the moment and away from the

tended village of family, friends and neighbors in my life.

company. My modest hope is for everyone to experience

I’ve selfishly made them a priority.

emotions, not emojis.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO CELEBRATE

Two of my best friends from college in Montreal ended up in the Denver area. In recent years we’ve managed to align our lives in order to meet for dinner once a month or

When my sister Barbara passed away a couple of years

so. The three of us together is a celebration and a reminder

ago, it was definitely not a funeral or a memorial service.

just how difficult it is to find people who uplift you. After a

This was a real celebration of life with far-flung family and

parade of life challenges kept us from connecting for many

friends. The crowd laughed, wept, made music, told tales

months, we started to wonder: Can we keep doing this? Is

and, of course, ate. Heartfelt tributes were offered by the

it still important enough? The three of us resolved to move

newcomers, strangers and “others” from many nations

mountains to maintain the connection as long as we can.

who celebrated around Barb’s tables. It was exactly the kind of love-in with comfort food that she would have loved.

At the end of the day, relationships are all that really

So, raise a toast to your family, in whatever form it takes.

Let your friends eat cake with you. Invite a stranger to lunch and bridge the great divide.

JOHN LEHNDORFF writes the Nibbles column for the Boulder Weekly and hosts Radio Nibbles on KGNU.

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 55

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sensimag.com APRIL 2019 59

{aroundtown }

by S T E P H A N I E W I L S O N

30 days in April? Well, fill them all with these 30 must-see, must-do events and activities to put on your agenda this month.

CULTURAL CALENDAR

try to win some big prizes, enjoy the company, and just have fun and be yourself.

Grandma loves you just the way you are.

Grand Opening of Engine Room

ket, if weather cooperates and allows the garage doors to be thrown open. Whether you swing by for the opening party or satiate your hunger with a NY slice any other day of the year, you’ve got a new go-to spot by Coors Field for some stellar pizza.

DENVERMILKMARKET.COM/ENGINEROOM

TUES, APR 2

EXDO Event Center // Denver

MON, APR 1

Dairy Block // Denver //

The first day of the month is no joke in the activated alleyway of LoDo’s hottest complex. The scent of freshly baked pizza dough will be wafting through the alley— and into the Maven Hotel and Milk Mar60 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

Tuesday Night Bingo!

Grandma’s House // Denver // GRANDMASBEER.CO

The hipster hideout on Broadway has a super-fun lineup all month long—including Bingo! every Tuesday night. Go laugh,

WED, APR 3

7th Annual High West Oyster Fest JAXFISHHOUSE.COM/HIGH-WEST-OYSTER-FEST

You don’t have to shuck ’em, you just have to slurp them down at this annual mollusk extravaganza, presented by one of the area’s most esteemed seafood en-

claves. The $45 ticket includes viewing of the 19th-annual Oyster Eating Contest and 7th-annual shucking contest. PLUS (and this is why you want to go) freshshucked Emersum Oysters from Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar, food from eight of your favorite Denver restaurants, and live music by Guerrilla Fanfare Brass Band, playing some NOLA-style funk. VIP entry is $65 and gets you early entrance and a sweet swag bag.

Same great vendors as the years before, plus a few more. Tickets are just $5, and you’ll get a chance to pick up some stunning plants to add to your collection, plus attend some how-to glasses, talk to experts, purchase some pottery and accessories, and much more.

THU, APR 4

High fashion in the Mile High: what’s not to love? This new marketplace event is where guests can try on and purchase items they’ve seen on Denver Fashion Week runways past and present. Come check out and shop clothing, jewelry, and accessories from local designers and boutiques.

An Evening with Viola Davis Macky Auditorium // Boulder // CALENDAR.COLORADO.EDU

The Cultural Events Board and Distinguished Speakers Board of University of Colorado Boulder’s first collaboration of the year sold out quickly, but it’ll be so worth scalping some tickets to this one.

Ms. Davis, whom you may know from her starring role in How to Get Away with Murder if you spend your Thursdays in Shondaland, is the first black actress to win a Tony, Oscar, and Emmy Award. And she’s the most Academy Award nominated black actress in history. Tickets for students start at a whopping $2; public tickets for $25. If you manage to snag some, hit us up and let us know how much they cost ya.

FRI, APR 5 // EDITOR’S CHOICE

Rockies Opening Day

Coors Field and LoDo // Denver // MLB.COM/ROCKIES

In Denver, we may not be totally serious about the Rockies all the time, but we are serious about wearing purple and heading downtown for a shake-off-thewinter block party every year on Opening Day. This year, it falls on a Friday again.

Whether or not you’ve snagged tickets to the game itself, you’ll want to be hanging around the stadium. It’s an annual Denver tradition; it sometimes gets as sloppy as St. Paddy’s Day, but it’s always fun.

SAT, APR 6

SUN, APR 7

Denver Fashion Week Pop-Up Marketplace

McNichols Building / Denver / DENVERFASHIONWEEK.COM

MON, APR 8

Neighborhood Movie Night feat. The Big Lebowski Oriental Theater // Denver

Berkley Regis United Neighbors association, known as BRUN, and the Oriental Theater are hosting the first Neighborhood Movie Night, with a special screening of a feature film chosen by community vote.

And—no surprise here—the Denver community loves the Dude. Best part: you can get a seat for just the suggested donation of $5. Search for the event name listed here on FB to keep up with the details; no website or event page existed as of press time.

THUR, APR 11

Inside Ornette: The Dave Corbus Quartet Nocturne // Denver // NOCTURNEJAZZ.COM

Ornette Coleman was pivotal in the free jazz movement of the late 50s, playing “outside” the jazz norm. At this weekly showcase happening every Thursday in April at the modern jazz club, guitarist Dave Corbus and his bandmates explore the ways that Ornette’s music featured more “inside” jazz elements in the spirit of the moment including blues based melodies, modal improvisations, a harmolodic universal music language, and happenstance. $8 per guest artist fee applies to the show.

FRI, APR 12

Fetch Spring Market

RiNo Parking Garage // Denver // THISISFETCH.COM

Denver, it’s time to make Fetch happen.

The vintage marketplace’s name is so

TUE, APR 9

Maggie Rogers

Ogden Theatre // Denver // AXS.COM

If you’ve still got a CD player, then you’ll definitely want to get a ticket to this show, presented by KBCO. Each ticket (except the resale ones) comes with a CD copy of the songstress’s new album, Heard It in a Past Life (released January 18, 2019). Tickets start at $30.

46th Annual Cactus & Succulent Show & Sale

Dizzy with a Dame

If you’re used to heading to Denver Botanic Garden for this event, you’ll want to put this new address into your GPS should you want to celebrate all things spiky. It’s going down on April 6 and 7 this year at the event center on Sable Road in Aurora.

This local band is an homage both to the great small jazz groups of the swing era such as the Benny Goodman Sextet, Count Basie’s Kansas City Six, and Artie Shaw’s Gramercy Five, and the “girl singers” of the same era such as Helen Ward, Martha Til-

Summit Event Center // Aurora // COLORADOCACTUS.ORG

ton, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Helen Forrest. Dizzy With a Dame also explores the show tunes of Cole Porter, the Gershwins, Lerner and Loewe, Harold Arlen, Rodgers and Hart, and Irving Berlin with the same infectious swing groove as the classic swing tunes. Tickets to the show, which also features Bianca and the Flyboys and Paranoid Image, start at $10.

WED, APR 10

Globe Hall // Denver // TICKETFLY.COM

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 61

Made at High Altitude in Durango, CO

much more fetch than its former one, Denver Flea. Which conjured up mental images of dirty, flea-infested junk. This market is full of posh vendors selling anything but buggy junk. It kicks off on Friday for the 21+ crowd, and continues through the weekend at the garage on Blake Street.

SAT, APR 13 // EDITOR’S CHOICE

Adult Egg Hunt

Walnut Creek Golf Preserve // Westminster WESTMINDER.CO.US

You thought hunting eggs was fun as a child, but it is even better as an adult.

Compete for great prizes in egg hunts, an egg race, and a carrot toss. Take a break and sip a signature drink, The Bunny Drop.

Pose for a photo with the deranged Easter Bunny and model your most outrageous Easter bonnet. Tickets are $40 per person or $70 for a pair, and include one drink ticket each.

courses, this feast is a near-exact replica of the original meal served on the ship on April 14, 1912. The Lumber Baron mansion was built in 1890, and its Victorian style is an ideal backdrop for such a fine occasion. Guests are encouraged—but not required—to dress in Victorian or Edwardian attire. Tickets are $130 per person, and expected to sell out.

TUE, APR 16

Trav’lin: The 1930s Harlem Musical

Arvada Center for the Arts & Humanities // Arvada ARVADACENTER.ORG

The official description: In 1930s Harlem, three couples from three different generations strive to hold onto each other in a complicated time. A funny and heartfelt look at love, Trav’lin rediscovers the music of Harlem Renaissance songwriter JC Johnson. His songs were recorded by legendary jazz and blues artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. Trav’lin is a romantic evening of jazz combined with an engaging story that captivates audiences of all ages. Tickets start at $53 for the show, which runs April 9–28.

WED, APR 17 // EDITOR’S CHOICE

Sensi Night Denver: 3-Year Anniversary Party SUN, APR 14

Psilocybin Mushrooms 101

Mercury Cafe // Denver // Tickets via Eventbrite and FB

5 years in the Industry.

Small Batch Extraction.

Eco-Friendly Packaging.

62 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

Did you know “magic” mushrooms are making an appearance on the Denver ballot in May, thanks to a grassroots effort to decriminalize the fungi. At this educational symposium and community discussion hosted by Influential X and Decriminalize Denver, you can learn all about the efforts, the reasons, and the implications. There is basically no better way to spend your Sunday.

MON, APR 15

Titanic 1st Class Dinner

Lumber Baron Inn & Gardens // Denver // (303) 477-8205

This one may be the most off-beat recommendation on our lineup. It’s the third-annual Titanic Recreation Dinner: an authentic recreation of the first class dinner that was served on the RMS Titanic on its final night at sea. Served in 12

EXDO Event Center // Denver

Come hang out with us, we’re fun. If you didn’t add this to your calendar after reading about it in The Buzz, here’s your second reminder of the issue. There will be more.

THU, APR 18

Mary Jane’s Wellness Retreat Red Rocks // Morrison

Celebrate the high holiday with the doggfather. Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube, along with Warren G and Tha Dogg Pound, take over the Rocks for this special event, which tends to come to town every year around this time. Tickers start at $80 at the Denver Coliseum box office from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday. Go get in line. Or go to AXS.COM , which sounds way easier but comes with those hefty “convenience” fees that are anything but convenient. Then again, neither is waiting in line on a Saturday. Your call.

FRI, APR 19

420 Eve on the Rocks Red Rocks // Morrison // AXS.COM

The legendary Colorado venue throws a legendary party, featuring Jesse Royal, 311, Method Man & Redman, The Green 808 and Dizzy Wright.

SAT, APR 20

Mile High 4.20K Race/ Walk and Pop-Up Shop Sloan’s Lake // Denver

A Mile Higher, a Mile Healthier: That’s the motto for this year’s fitness gathering of high-minded Mile Highers. Raise awareness and promote a healthy lifestyle with cannabis for medicinal purposes, and engage physically, mentally, and psychologically and participate in the 4.20K Race/Walk. There’ll be food trucks, ven-

dors, info tents and more throughout the event, which runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There’s no specific website, but there is a FB event page, so give it a Google to find the link to sign up.

SUN, APR 21 // EDITOR’S CHOICE

America Israel Cannabis Association’s 4/20 Passover Seder LoHigh House // Denver // AICANNABIS.COM

This prestigious association is coming to town for a traditional Passover seder with an untraditional cannabis twist. It’ll be an amazing gathering, and details were still being finalized as of press time. Follow the organization and signup for the newsletter to stay abreast of the highend happenings.

MON, APR 22

Plant Night—Make a Succulent Garden

Improper City // Denver // YAYMAKER.COM

Create a table top succulent garden at Improper City. Grab your pals and cultivate your creativity, naturally. These gifted growers guide you step-by-step in your making of a mini Zen garden, succulent arrangement, or tiny terrarium.

Dig in for two lively hours of planting, creating, and laughing. This goes down every Monday all month long. Use code YAYCITY for $10 off tickets.

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 63

64 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

TUE, APR 23

Tibetan Singing Bowls Concert

Denver Botanic Gardens // BOTANICGARDENS.ORG

The Denver Botanic Gardens hosts its semi-annual Tibetan Bowls Concert to celebrate spring. Denver Yoga instructor and sound healer Chris Anne Coviello and her husband Jason perform together, with Jason playing his Hang Drum—a very rare steel drum made by only two people in the world.

Some say it sounds like a stringed instrument. It’s tuned to the note that vibrationally corresponds to the heart chakra, which allows you to embark on a heart-opening journey. Tickets $15 (members) to $18.

WED, APR 24

Cats

Denver Center for the Performing Arts // DENVERCENTER.ORG

Rediscover Cats, featuring new sound design, direction, and choreography for a new generation.

THU, APR 25

Inglenook Wine Dinner

EDGE Restaurant, Four Seasons Hotel // Denver EDGERESTAURANTDENVER.COM

The first exclusive wine dinner of the spring at this upscale eatery focuses on

the wines of the legendary Inglenook— aka Francis Ford Coppola’s Napa Valley winery. The five-course pairing event runs for a pricey $250 per person, but you’re worth it. Because so are these wines.

SAT, APR 27

Monster Jam

Broncos Stadium at Mile High // Denver // MONSTERJAM.COM

Start your engines. This big-engined, huge-tired extravaganza was the first event of the season to get a mega banner hung up on the side of Mile High Stadium, so you know it’s gonna be good. It’s gonna be exactly what you expect: large trucks driving over other large trucks, with all the exhausting exhaust you can take on any given Saturday. Tickets start at $15.

SUN, APR 28

Taste of Pearl

Downtown // Boulder // TASTEOFPEARL.COM FRI, APR 26

Make Your Own Custom Mala Necklace

River North Workshop Co. // Denver // DABBLE.CO

Join Liz Layne Yoga + Megan of Mala Magick for a Custom 108 Bead Mala-Making class at River North Workshop.

You’ll learn about the history and traditions of mala making, plus how to care for your mala and how to use it. Which is an important thing to know, since you’re going to then make one and have it around.

Tickets are $75.

An unforgettable afternoon exploring Boulder’s tantalizing culinary arts scene and celebrating Colorado’s distinctive wines and distilleries while strolling through some of Downtown Boulder’s most vibrant galleries and retail boutiques.

MON, APR 29

WomenCook

EXDO Event Center // WORKOPTIONS.ORG

Hosted by Work Options for Women, this 14th-annual fundraiser takes over a new venue this year for a day of fun, featuring the unveiling of the delivery model for the new program, Mobile Culinary Classroom, made possible by a generous grant from Impact100 Metro Denver. The silent and live auctions are the highlight of the event, with lots ranging from two tickets to Hamilton in Chicago to an electric guitar autographed by the late great Tom Petty.

Plus there’s a chance to get your hands on a pair of tickets to the always-sold-outin-seconds Derby Party.

TUE, APR 30

Humane Society Drive Arapahoe Community College, Littleton

Wrap up the month with some dogooding AND some spring cleaning. If you’ve got extra pet supplies around, bring them to the CC in Littleton and help out some of Denver’s furriest friends in need. ARAPAHOE.EDU for directions; the donation bin is at the front desk all month long.

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{highprofile }

by S T E P H A N I E W I L S O N

PROPER PUFF PIECE Lizzie Post follows her great-greatgrandmother’s path and defines the rules for cannabis etiquette.

In polite society, there are certain ways of doing things.

Best practices, if you will, for basic interactions with other humans one follows. Take, for example, dining with others. When you’re alone in your apartment, eating shredded cheese from the bag while standing in your underwear in front of an open fridge, well…you do you. When you’re at a dinner party at your boss’s home, however, you don’t want to do that version of you. You want to do the polite version, the one who knows how and when to place a napkin on your lap, how to discern the salad fork from the other pronged utensils, which direction to pass the joint after you’ve puffed it. Or how to politely decline should you not wish to puff, which is totally fine because, you know: you do you.

Basically, basic manners. “Basic manners according to whom?” you may be wondering.

According to the rules of etiquette established by the Emily Post Institute, that’s whom. The grandame of manners and etiquette, Emily Post formally defined the still-established cultural norms with the publishing of her first book in 1922 titled, simply, Etiquette. Her advice centered on the basic concept that “no one should do anything that can either annoy or offend the sensibilities of others.”

According to the “About” company overview on EMILYPOST.COM ,

those principles are more important that

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WARNING: THE IRS IS AFTER YOU Are You Ready?

Meet Lizzie Post On Wednesday, April 10, Tattered Cover’s historic LoDo location is hosting Lizzie for a book talk and signing. It kicks off at 7 p.m., and more details are available at TATTEREDCOVER.COM .

Etiquette-interested readers should keep an eye on Sensi’s Instagram page for details about how to win tickets to a private afterparty with the author.

Can’t make it to the reading but still want a signed copy? Sensi will be giving away two signed copies at Sensi Night on April 17 at the EXDO Event Center.

Follow Sensi Media Group on Facebook for details.

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knowing which fork to use. “Whether it’s a handshake or a

a book on cannabis etiquette. Did Lizzie know of anyone

fist bump, it’s the underlying sincerity and good intentions

who would be interested?, the email read. Alone in her of-

of the action that matter most.”

fice in Vermont, Lizzie’s hand shot into the sky. Dreams

Simple. Basic.

coming true, she says. When Ten Speed Press found out

And basically awesome. As is the woman who’s head-

the Emily Post Institute was willing to tie the Post name

ing up the family’s Emily Post Institute today: Lizzie Post.

to it, they said to get them a proposal but consider the

She’s the co-president of the New England-based institu-

project green lit from the start. (Pun intended.)

tion, which operates under the guiding motto that though

“I was really grateful,” Lizzie recalls. “At first, the thought

times have changed, the principles of good manners remain

was that it would be more of a gifty-style book, and I was

constant. The Vermont-based author, podcast host, and

really appreciative they went down the rabbit hole with

speaker is highly aware of how much times have changed.

me and really joined the Emily Post style of ‘how-to’ with

Cannabis is legal now, for starters, in a lot of places.

a deeper exploration of the topic.”

Which means that the basic rules of interaction with it need

The resulting guidebook is an elegant addition to any

to be defined. And who better to do that than the co-author

home library, its soft green linen cover embossed with

of books such as Emily Post’s Etiquette 19th edition and the

gold begging to be displayed on the coffee table. And beg-

co-host of the Awesome Etiquette podcast. So she did that.

ging to be picked up. And filled with messages ranging

“At first, the thought was that it would be more of a griftystyle book, and I was really appreciative they went down the rabbit hole with me and really joined the Emily Post style of ‘how-to’ with a deeper exploration of the topic.”

—Lizzie Post, on the development of Higher Etiquette

World, meet Lizzie Post’s Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties, published last month by Ten Speed Press ($18.99). Speaking with Lizzie by phone in the weeks leading up to the book’s release, I asked how this project came to be.

from the basic principles to deep dives into the nitty gritty details that allowed Lizzie to “nerd out.”

But first things first, the book outlines the question on everyone’s mind: what would Emily Post think?

“I don’t think she’d be rolling over in her grave,” Lizzie says.

Her enthusiasm is infectious. “This has been a subject I’ve

“She was a modern woman, and she was someone who

definitely wanted to engage with for a long time. … We had

changed with the times. I don’t think she would approve of

the idea to write the book in one of those dream spaces.

smoking it. I think she would approve of other forms of us-

‘Yeah, we should write a book on weed etiquette!’ But at

ing it, and how to work with the interactions surrounding it.

the same time, we knew it was going to be some time be-

If it’s a subject that’s going to be legal, you have to know.”

fore a publisher wants us to or the family is ready to do it.”

With that out of the way, the book dives into the basic

Fast forward a few years and as cannabis legalization

principles, which are rooted in the institute’s long defined

starts to spread across the nation like a weed, the op-

focus on being considerate, respectful, and honest in your

portunity to write such a tome presented itself when an

interactions.

agent Lizzie was working with for a different project got wind that a particular publisher was interested in writing

When it comes to cannabis etiquette, a fourth theme emerges: sharing. sensimag.com APRIL 2019 71

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She writes: “It was so encouraging to hear people ex-

And, my goodness, she continues, when you get into

citedly talk about etiquette in a positive way. Rather than

that world, “the scope of what cannabis looks like in a

hearing complaints about rudeness and being offended,

community is so different. I was literally coming from the

conversations [during my research] focused on how to be

land of the good and the bad, and maybe some people

aware and respectful of those around you.”

who spoke about it liked sativa or indica and the associ-

That research included a good stint of time in Boulder

ated affects with them. And then you jump into the real

and Denver, exploring the ins and outs of the state’s legal

legalized world, that’s not even the case: you’re talking

cannabis industry. “I’m a big lover of Colorado,” she shares.

cannabinoids and terpenes and flavonoids. It’s a whole

“I spent my teen years coming out to hike and go to this

different place.”

summer camp and the Rockies and do western horseback

In 2018, she came out to Colorado for a two-week trip,

riding. When I was 30, I came out to go stay at a cattle ranch

spending a week actually living at Dan’s house and going

and do some actual cowboy ranching, which was really fun.”

with him into the dispensary. “Every day, interviewing his

Her trips out here to research Higher Etiquette were real-

budtenders and sometimes interviewing the patients if

ly fun as well. “It was really my first destination when I had

they were willing or the customers if they were, spend-

been working on the proposal.” She connected with Dan

ing time talking to people, asking, ‘What is your life with

Martin, the owner of Boulder-based dispensary Magnolia

cannabis like?”

Road Cannabis Co., who gave her hours of his time when she was first getting rolling on the project.

The answers she received from that trip and subsequent journeys to other legal markets shaped the book

“I only knew cannabis through an illegal framework at

all cannabis consumers should add to their collections to-

the time. [In Vermont], we did not have legal cannabis, and

day. It covers the basics and the intricacies, from defining

we certainly still don’t have retail and regulation.”

terms to establishing rules about who should empty the ashtrays and how often during a consumption-friendly dinner party.

It’s old-school etiquette for a modern world. And there’s a whole lot to love about that.

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 73

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{lifestyle }

by C AT H Y B R O O K S

CBD CARE FOR PETS Let’s debunk the hype about hemp for our fur babies.

Love, happiness, comfort, and devotion describe what our pets give us. We celebrate National Pet Month while embracing Hug Your Dog Day on April 10 and rejoicing on National Pet Day on April 11. Our pets depend on us for their care, and we want only the best for them.

So, I’m going to start with a disclaimer: I’m not a vet. I didn’t attend vet school and don’t play one on TV. I am not a hemp specialist, botanist, or scientist. I have, however, spent the better part of the last year exploring the rapidly evolving and expanding world of hemp products, cannabidiol (CBD) in particular, as a powerful asset in dogs’ health.

Let’s get another important fact clear up front. There are, as of today, no comprehensive data regarding the efficacy of CBD for dogs (or any pet). There is anecdotal evidence as well as small studies and initial data. However, the nascent nature of the market and the product has, to date, limited any group’s ability to gather the data to state unequivocally that CBD does or doesn’t answer pets’ specific health needs. The best CBD pet products on the market do not promise anything but “possible” and “potential” benefits.

Hemp is among the most versatile, powerful plants known to humans, and while scientific data are minisues from joint and hip pain to injury recovery to arthritis in pets. The highly anti-inflammatory properties of CBD make it a superb augmentation to, and in some cases a replacement for, more toxic pharmaceutical solutions for everything from overt injuries to relieving discomfort.

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PHOTO BY MATT NELSON

mal, there is anecdotal evidence of great efficacy on is-

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Some advocates believe CBD can and should serve as

and continue through to how it’s grown and harvested. On

a central solution for pets’ behavioral issues and anxiety,

top of that, many extraction processes use chemicals such

but the evidence is far less clear. While cases of dogs ex-

as butane (as in lighter fluid) or even ethanol to leach CBD

periencing reduced anxiety after taking CBD exist, there

out of the plant. That not only means the core product has

is no real consistency across those cases (much like with

been exposed to harsh chemicals, but it also means the end

people). Pets with extreme anxiety and behavioral issues

product will retain some of those toxic elements. For iso-

would be better served using modification training with

lates, even harsher processing essentially tears apart the

CBD as an augmentation or supporting element.

whole spectrum of CBD. It is worth noting that about 90

When evaluating CBD products to use for your dog, there are many elements to consider:

percent of CBD isolate products are sourced from China.

To get the full power of the hemp plant’s properties in

How is the CBD grown and extracted? Hemp is an ex-

the CBD product, you need its full spectrum. That means

tremely absorbent plant. Whatever is in the soil, whatever

the entirety of the plant is utilized, each piece serving as

is used to produce or treat that plant, will end up in the plant

something of a key to unlock the next elements. Use of

and its byproducts. For that reason, making sure the hemp

THC, the psychotropic component of the plant that gets

is organically grown without pesticides and chemicals is

you high, is a delicate matter because it is profoundly

crucial. That organic process needs to start with the seed

toxic for dogs. Veterinarians have shared with me (again, sensimag.com APRIL 2019 81

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SWEATER DOG PHOTO BY TAMARA BELLIS

anecdotally) a rise in pets coming in with THC toxicity. Increased legalization for medical and recreational use has also resulted in an increase in THC-infused edibles in people’s homes. Where dogs would be unlikely to consume a plant, a bag of goodies captures a pet’s attention.

Some believe therapeutic CBD products for pets must be entirely THC free. That is not the case. There will be trace, as in undetectable amounts, in products as a necessity to fully unlock the true potential and value of the CBD. Without it, it’s like having a combination lock that’s missing a number.

The explosive growth of the pet-related CBD market implies it’s only a matter of time before more substantive data—anecdotal and otherwise—will be readily available.

In the meantime, the best judge of how well these products work for your pet is you.

CATHY BROOKS, a trained journalist, began ripping wire copy at an all-news radio station, and her career evolved to encompass nearly every platform of media.

In 2008, after engaging as an activist, she began exploring how personal stories impact people’s professional lives. She headed to Las Vegas to start The Hydrant Club, an educational facility embarking on a mission to change urban landscapes by changing the very nature of how people and dogs communicate. For more information, visit HYDRANTCLUB.COM .

Some believe CBD should serve as a central solution for pets’ behavioral issues and anxiety, but the evidence is far less clear.

The best judge of how well these products work for your pet is you. sensimag.com APRIL 2019 83

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{travelwell }

by DAV I D D U R A N

NIGHTS OF

LIGHTS

Aurora Borealis is the kind of experience one can only hope to have at least once. I’ve had the good fortune of seeing it twice.

After being teased by a faint sighting of the Aurora Borealis a couple years ago while on a trip to Iceland, I was pretty excited to have a second opportunity to potentially see the lights in Canada’s Yukon Territory. And because Canada had recently legalized cannabis, I was looking forward to an extra special light show this time around.

The evening temperature dropped to a frigid -36° Fahrenheit, so I bundled up in every layer I brought with me and carried along two critical items to maximize the experience: my headphones and my vape pen. As soon as we arrived at the site, we were blessed with an immediate light show. With no time to set myself up the way I had planned, I looked up and enjoyed the show until the lights flickered away.

About an hour passed before the magic returned, and this time I was ready to experience the lights as I had always dreamed of seeing them—high and with a carefully curated soundtrack. I was inside a heated yurt, eating cookies, totally lost in my own headspace when I heard what sounded like an orchestrated collective gasp. I quickly zipped up my coat, pressed play on my iPhone, and waddled outside in my heavy winter gear. I had been hitting my vape pen pretty regularly up until this moment, so I was in 86 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ARCTIC RANGE ADVENTURE

I WAS INSIDE A HEATED YURT, EATING COOKIES, TOTALLY LOST IN MY OWN HEADSPACE, WHEN I HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE AN ORCHESTRATED COLLECTIVE GASP.

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the perfect mindset. As I exited the yurt, I looked for a spot away from the others where I could have some alone time with the lights, even though I probably could have been standing in a sea of people and would have been clueless as to their presence. Ariana Grande’s “God is a Woman” came on. I looked up, and I was suddenly in another world.

The lights on this particular evening were extraordinary. The entire sky was shimmering with waves of lights flashing from one side to the other. I would be completely hypnotized by one light display only to realize that if I looked the other way, another, just as brilliant display was also taking place. I had a few moments of panic because I didn’t know where to look. My senses were happily overwhelmed. At moments, I could feel the actual energy from the lights going through me. It was all very dreamlike, and I questioned myself a few times because of, well, the weed, but thankfully, the photos I would later see of that moment matched up to my memories—and just like that, this Aurora sighting would top the list of the most incredible experiences of my lifetime.

The following Yukon venues offer opportunities to experience the Aurora Borealis for yourself. Please note that cannabis is not required but is highly encouraged—if it’s your thing.

THE TRADITIONAL WAY It’s important to note that all the incredible photos of the Northern Lights within this article were taken by my tour guide on the actual night I witnessed them, with Arctic Range Adventure. There are multiple options for viewing the Aurora Borealis with the simplest being a late-evening tour. Guests are picked up from Whitehorse and driven about 20 minutes outside of the city center to the Aurora Center Yukon, a private viewing space that has heated yurts to help stay warm while waiting for the lights to make an appearance. The tours come with expert guides and photographers who are more than happy to help explain the phenomenon as well as take your photos with the lights. ARCTICRANGE.COM

FROM THE COMFORT OF A GLASS CHALET One of the Yukon’s best resorts just got better. The Northern Lights Resort & Spa recently introduced three new glass-fronted chalets built with the perfect Aurora sensimag.com APRIL 2019 89

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MY SENSES WERE SO HAPPILY OVERWHELMED.

viewing in mind, offering a new opportunity to experience

have multiple days on the ground as the Northern Lights

the Yukon and ever-changing nature by bringing it clos-

are never guaranteed. Your flight will take you above the

er to you than ever. The resort’s new Aurora Glass Cha-

clouds so you can enjoy the view. AURORA-360.CA

lets are a magical way to experience the wintry star-filled sky and the Northern Lights, all while lying comfortably

A STORYTELLING EXPERIENCE

in your warm bed. The large floor-to-ceiling wraparound

For a unique take on the Northern Lights, this three-

windows open up into the northern sky, directly in front of

night winter program allows guests to experience the

the bed. NORTHERNLIGHTSYUKON.COM

magic of the lights through the eyes of the First Nations.

Listen to stories passed along by their ancestors and

THE AURORA FROM THE SKY

learn about living on the land during the winter months.

True Aurora chasers will want to grab a seat on this

Guests will experience this unique cultural opportunity

flight. This once-in-a-lifetime experience takes guests on

surrounded by the magnificent landscapes of Kluane

a private charter jet, where they will have the best access

National Park while staying in the comfort at Mount Logan

possible for seeing the Northern Lights. This new experi-

Lodge, which also has a private yurt and cabin option for

ence is extremely limited but more flights will be added

that next-level experience. The multi-day trip combines

each season. The 737 aircraft, provided by Air North, will

hands-on cultural immersion into Yukon’s First Nations

sell 80 seats and fly at 36,000 feet sky high to give guests

Culture, breathtaking natural wonders, and exhilerating

a spectacular light show. Special multi-night packages

winter activities such as dogsledding, snowmobiling, and

are also available. When booking this option, it’s best to

ice fishing. YUKONTOURS.CA

5

THINGS YOU MAY HAVE NEVER KNOWN ABOUT THE NORTHERN LIGHTS, AKA AURORA BOREALIS.

1. Aurora is the Roman goddess of dawn, and Boreas is the Greek term for the north wind.

2. Gas particles from the earth colliding with charged particles from the sun’s atmosphere cause the Northern Lights to appear. These protons and electrons travel millions of miles.

3. Dating as far back to the 1600s, people have been in awe of the Northern Lights’ wonder, and some Inuit believe the lights act as the spirits of their ancestors playing a game.

4. While many colors are visible, if you witness pure blue light, consider yourself lucky as that is very rare.

5. Aristotle is among the first to give a scientific account of the lights back in 4th century BC. He concluded they were flames of burning gas. A 13thcentury study called “The King’s Mirror” suggests the lights are reflections from Earth’s oceans.

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CBDo or SPEC IAL REPORT

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CBDon’t?

When it comes to cannabidiol, confusion reigns supreme.

We’re going back to the basics to clear it up for you.

by L E L A N D R U C K E R and S T E P H A N I E W I L S O N

Disclaimer: The following conversation didn’t happen—NOT EXACTLY, NOT WORD FOR WORD AS IT APPEARS HERE. BUT IT’S ROOTED IN REALITY. CBD IS ON EVERYONE’S MINDS, BUT INFO ABOUT IT IS ON NO ONE’S RADAR. IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS ALONE, WE’VE FIELDED CALLS AND QUERIES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AS FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY REACH OUT FOR ADVICE. The questions below are on the lips of curious consumers who have heard they need to be taking CBDs but

Yes, it’s confusing. Here’s a handy cheat sheet: Cannabis sativa: plant species.

they don’t quite know what this means. We’re here to

cannabis: a subspecies of Cannabis sativa containing

help. First thing’s first: it’s CBD, not CBDs.

more than trace amounts of THC. It remains federal-

Jane Doe: What is CBD? CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive chemical compound found in the cannabis plant.

Jane: So it’ll get me high?

ly illegal, classified by the DEA as a Schedule I drug, in the same category as LSD and heroin. The government claims cannabis has no medicinal purposes and a high potential of abuse. hemp: a subspecies of Cannabis sativa with no more

No, that’s what non-psychoactive means. You’re think-

than 0.3 percent THC by weight. When the federal gov-

ing of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol. That’s the com-

ernment outlawed “marihuana” in the 1930s, it did so us-

pound associated with feelings of euphoria.

ing broad language that banned all Cannabis sativa—in-

Jane: But you said CBD comes from cannabis.

Isn’t that what weed is called nowadays?

cluding hemp. The prohibition of hemp just came to an end last December, with the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill.

You are correct. Cannabis is how people refer to what

Jane: What does this have to do with CBD?

used to be called “marijuana,” a word with racist under-

CBD is found in Cannabis sativa varieties, so it can be

tones best removed from the modern lexicon. Cannabis

derived from both cannabis and hemp. But not all types

is short for Cannabis sativa, the scientific name of the

(or strains) of either necessarily have any CBD content at

plant species that includes both cannabis—the kind that

all. Some have a high percentage of CBD. Growers breed

gets you high—and hemp, the kind that doesn’t.

plants to maximize or minimize the cannabinoid content.

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 97

98 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

Because cannabis remains federally illegal, CBD de-

Jane: So what are the effects of CBD?

rived from a plant with more than trace amounts of THC

There are all sorts of claims out there. But are any of those

is illegal as well. This doesn’t apply in the 10 states where

claims backed by science or data? Not really. A highly infor-

recreational cannabis is legal. However, it is illegal to

mative deep-dive into CBD published by Vox sums it up per-

take it across state lines—but don’t let that stop you.

fectly: “Anyone who tells you anything definitive about what

As hemp broke free from prohibition late last year, the

CBD—or THC for that matter—does to your body is lying.”

DEA reclassified hemp-derived CBD with less than 0.1 per-

Cannabis prohibition, ongoing since 1937, outlawed more

cent THC from a Schedule I to a Schedule V drug—one with

than personal use; it blocked scientific studies of the plant’s

a low potential of abuse, similar to low doses of codeine.

medicinal properties and potential. Today, there’s a huge

Jane: Are you saying the effects of eating a CBD cookie or two are the same as taking a dose of prescription cough syrup? That’s intense.

void where research should be. That void has to be filled

No. Keep in mind, this classification is from the same agency that still claims cannabis is as dangerous as heroin—that highly addictive drug responsible for a growing number of overdose deaths each year as its popularity grows in the wake of the opioid epidemic. The DEA claims cannabis is just as bad. As heroin. This despite the fact that you are as likely to die from a cannabis overdose as you are from a unicorn attack.

But I digress. No, eating CBD cookies won’t have the same effect as taking a codeine-laced prescription med, despite what the DEA would have you believe.

(The DEA rescheduling allowed for the first cannabis-derived medicine approved by the FDA for the treatment of a rare seizure disorder to enter the marketplace through typical pharmaceutical channels last fall. There are now two cannabis-derived pharmaceuticals on the market.)

with the very basics that can be built upon. There’s not even an official cannabis seed bank or strain database in existence from which scientists can pull reliable information needed to conduct the studies from which we are so desperate to learn the results. The process is basically just getting started, and it’s going to take awhile. Decades even.

That said, there is strong anecdotal evidence as well as some small studies that point to medicinal properties and health benefits. Secretions from the flower of the cannabis plant contain more than 100 chemical compounds known as cannabinoids—CBD and THC among them—that interact and bind to receptors within our body’s endocannabinoid system, which regulates basic functions like sleep, cognition, and stress. Cannabinoids such as CBC, CBG, CBN, THCa, THCv, and so on are said to provide relief to an array of symptoms and ailments—migraines, insomnia, stress, Crohn’s, PTSD, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, cramps, cancer, and more.

Like magic. Until science tells us otherwise.

CBD is a miracle compound, said to fix whatever ails you.

Or not. Depends on which you trust— science or marketing.

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 99

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Jane: Me too! I think I read the same article.

So, what’s the best kind of CBD? Oh my. There’s only one kind of CBD. But there are all sorts of factors that affect its quality and your experience. Some factors to keep in mind: 1) Is it derived from hemp or cannabis?

2) If it’s derived from hemp, where is the hemp from? The US imports a lot of hemp from China, where the list of approved pesticides is far from safe. You don’t want to be ingesting that.

Jane: So what does taking CBD do?

3) Is it a CBD isolate? Was the CBD isolated from the other plant compounds during the extraction process?

Again, studies are limited, but the ones out there show

This is an important factor for anyone who’s sensitive

that CBD is anti-inflammatory. It also can provide relief

to THC or who may be subject to drug testing

from anxiety and stress, induce calmness, and may even

4) Or is it full spectrum? The opposite of an isolate,

counterbalance anxiety brought on by THC in some can-

full spectrum refers to an extraction method that’s

nabis users. That’s part of something known as the en-

sometimes called “whole plant extract.” These include

tourage effect, but we’ll save that for another day.

all of the cannabinoids found in the plant.

Jane: That’s it? All this hype for something that may reduce anxiety and inflammation?

Yep. There’s a whole lot of anecdotal evidence about it being an effective treatment for other ailments, but there’s not a whole lot of science. Yet.

5) How will you ingest it, or get it into your body? Are you smoking it, putting some drops of a tincture under your tongue, drinking a beverage infused with it?

6) How much are you supposed to take?

There are millions and millions of CBD products being sold

We can thank the prohibition for getting us here—to

today, with more coming out every day. The market is large-

a place where a plant byproduct, federally illegal for all

ly unregulated, although the FDA does prohibit marketing

but the final 10 days of 2018, was a $350 million industry

CBD as a dietary supplement. New York State officials re-

in 2018. And that’s by conservative estimates. The Hemp

cently imposed rules blocking restaurants from serving

Business Journal puts that number closer to $1 billion.

CBD-laced menu items and drinks. Other than that, CBD is

I blame savvy marketing and risk-taking entrepreneurs eager to capitalize on the post-prohibition “green rush.”

regulated a lot like the vitamin and supplement industries, which is to say not at all. Companies can’t make claims

CBD is everywhere right now—even in the gift bags at

about health benefits, but can make claims about what’s in

the Oscars in the form of infused chocolate and luxe lo-

the product without any data to back it up. Last month, NBC

tions. You can smoke it, you can ingest it, you can drink

Miami collected an array of CBD products and sent them

it, you can vape it. You can spray it on your face, rub it on

to a third-party lab for testing. The majority had much less

your body, or pay a massage therapist to do that for you.

CBD than the labels claimed. Some had none at all.

You can drop a bomb and soak in a bath of it, you can

Jane: How much CBD should I be taking?

chew gum made with it, you can give it to Fido as a treat.

What you can’t do is ignore it. CBD dominates headlines, piques interest, generates anecdotal testimonies to its healing powers, and is marketed to you by a growing range of companies introducing new infused products and new brands in hopes of capitalizing on the buzz. They don’t all have your best interest at heart. Be skeptical.

Jane: But…I should be taking it, right? I’ve heard I should be taking it.

No one knows. This whole CBD thing is an experiment, and we are all the subjects. If you use or are just curious about CBD today, you are at the consumer end of a great trial that includes users, growers, producers, sellers, and now government. Until more extensive research is done— which will take awhile—you’re pretty much on your own to find the right products and dosages that work for you.

You’ve got to separate the hype from the reality. You’ve got to be willing to experiment, which can get pricey. If you

According to articles on the internet, you definitely should.

spend $50 on a bottle of CBD pain cream and it provides no

It’s a miracle compound, said to fix whatever ails you. Or

relief, will you be eager to try a different brand? It’s up to

not. Depends on which you trust more: science or market-

you. And your wallet. If the whole thing stresses you out,

ing. Personally, I’m a sucker for marketing.

try taking some CBD. It’s supposed to be good for stress. sensimag.com APRIL 2019 101

WELCOME TO THE CONCENTRATE REVOLUTION

info@waxnax.com

102 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

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POT Why the History of Eating Cannabis Matters

IN PANS

by R O BY N G R I G G S L AW R E N C E

From ancient India and Persia

TO TODAY’S EXPLOSIVE NEW MARKET, CANNABIS,

THE HOTTEST NEW GLOBAL FOOD TREND, HAS BEEN PROVIDING HUMANS WITH NUTRITION, MEDICINE, AND SOLACE —AGAINST ALL ODDS–SINCE THE EARLIEST CAVEPEOPLE DISCOVERED ITS POWERS. This is an excerpt from my book, Pot in Pans: A Histo-

alized they could control the commoners by prohibiting

ry of Eating Cannabis Food, which will be released this

a plant that they relied on for food, fiber, medicine, and

month as part of publisher Rowman & Littlefield’s Stud-

mind and mood alteration. For the hard-working class-

ies in Food and Gastronomy series, featuring “the best

es, who often lived in hopeless poverty, cannabis was

in food scholarship, harnessing the energy, ideas, and

magical for its ability to act as both stimulant and sop-

creativity of a wide array of food writers today.”

orific and its promise of gentle relief from the drudgery and humiliations of daily life—a far cry from the sinister

We write history books, in part, so we don’t repeat our

reputation foisted upon it by centuries of propaganda.

mistakes. The history of cannabis food, rich and deep, is

We are reaching the end of a centuries-long story, born in

marred with the stains of prohibition, propaganda, and

the Mazanderan mountains in ancient Persia in the 12th cen-

persecution—abysmal mistakes we’ve only just begun to

tury and used throughout history in racist campaigns to prove

rectify. This history is a long way from being written—

that cannabis makes people violent, insane, and uncontrol-

though many like to say we’re now on the right side of

lably horny (parents, hold onto your white daughters!). The

it as centuries of fear mongering finally start to unravel.

legend of Hassan-ibn-Sabbah, the Old Man of the Mountain

Finally, but still painfully slowly, cannabis is taking its

who plied his disciples with splendid food, fine women, and a

rightful place as a unique culinary ingredient that has

hashish confection so they would assassinate his enemies—

proven through the centuries that food is medicine.

popularized in the West by explorer Marco Polo—would forev-

Locally, nationally, and globally, we’ve reached a pivot-

er associate hashish with assassins and sinister business.

al moment in the history of a plant that has been beloved

In the 1930s, during his successful drive toward canna-

by the masses, reviled by the elite, and shrouded in con-

bis prohibition, US Federal Bureau of Narcotics chairman

flict and secrecy for centuries. Cannabis has been out-

Harry J. Anslinger masterfully fomented Americans’ rac-

lawed and demonized since the powers-that-be first re-

ist and increasingly moralistic national mentality with a sensimag.com APRIL 2019 105

106 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

propaganda blitzkrieg that included a book and motion

remained readily available to those who wanted them. In

picture titled Marihuana: Assassin of Youth—based upon

the early and mid-1970s, several countries and US states

his discovery of the Old Man of the Mountain legend. In

decriminalized cannabis, but this attitude change was

testimony before Congress and in newspaper interviews,

short-lived, squelched by marijuana’s association with dirty

Anslinger said marijuana, a frightening “new” drug used

hippies and the counterculture. The Nixon administration

primarily by Mexicans and African Americans, could

doubled down, sending military helicopters to scorch can-

turn upstanding, middle-class kids into helpless victims

nabis farms from Orange Hill, Jamaica, to the mountains of

and raging monsters. His campaign resulted in cannabis

Colombia’s Cauca region and declaring cannabis a Schedule

being effectively outlawed through draconian taxes and

I drug with no medicinal value, alongside heroin and LSD.

regulations in the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.

Down through the ages—through multiple prohibitions on every continent, imposed by sultans, colonialists, and a pope—cannabis had managed to somehow

You Can’t Keep a Good Plant Down For a century now, cannabis has

survive, and even thrive. But never had it faced an en-

existed in most parts of the world

emy so formidable or iron-fisted as the United States in

only because humans’ love for it

the mid-20th century. When US Treasury Secretary An-

is so great that they’re willing

drew W. Mellon appointed Anslinger and tasked him, for

to sacrifice being persecuted,

whatever reason—and speculation is rampant—to wipe

imprisoned, having their teeth

out cannabis, he intended the war to be global. Through-

pulled out, and even being put

out the rest of the 20th century and into the 21st, the

to death for cultivating and

United States used its considerable influence to force

nurturing it. The irony of prohi-

cannabis prohibition around the world, leaving people

bition, of course, is that the lucra-

in countries where it had been used and enjoyed for cen-

tive black market made it worth

turies scratching their heads in confusion—and finding

the risk and only drove breeders to

ways around the laws.

develop ever-mightier plants delivering

In Canada in the 1930s, when Royal Mounted Po-

whopping amounts of psychoactive tetrahy-

lice officers told an elderly woman they had to eradi-

drocannabinol, or THC. In the face of adversity, cannabis

cate the hemp plants she grew to

was no shrinking violet. The plant grew stronger, better,

feed her canaries, she chased

faster, and more potent—unstoppable, no matter how

them away with a broom.

much paraquat the DEA threw at it.

cannabis

If the history of cannabis proves anything, it is that you

continued to be a key

can’t keep a good plant down. A cabal of global elites is no

ingredient in the tra-

match for this one, which in its cunning evolved to provide

ditional “happy” soup

humans with nutrition, fiber, medicine, and, if you believe

served at weddings

many ethnobotanists, the ability to make huge mental and

and celebrations, just

spiritual leaps as a species. Had it not been for the latter—

In

Indonesia,

as it always had. In-

all due to the presence of that THC molecule—this would

dia managed to keep

be a boring book about a multifaceted, utilitarian plant that

on the right side of the

served humans in many different capacities for centuries.

United States while quiet-

This is not that.

ly allowing people to drink

This is a story with many layers, spanning many conti-

bhang, a traditional holy drink

nents, held together by the thread of an Islamic confection

made from cannabis. By the 1970s,

created to inspire a band of 12th-century fedayeen, which

the Netherlands had adopted a policy of tolerance to-

was ported throughout the Middle East, Central Asia, and

ward retailers and users while making cannabis cul-

beyond, invoking hilarity and hostility wherever it went.

tivation and production illegal, creating a “back door”

Inspired by this legend, Western intellectuals and literati,

problem that no one wanted to replicate.

and then the masses, discovered and enjoyed cannabis,

It was more than clear by the 1970s that the global war

hashish, and majoun (a Moroccan candy mixed with can-

on drugs was a failure. Violent cartels were ravaging South

nabis) for much of the mid-19th century and into the 1930s,

and Central America, and heroin, cocaine, and cannabis

when Anslinger shut that down. sensimag.com APRIL 2019 107

108 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

This is the story of how Brion Gysin, an ex-patriot artist and writer in Tangier, discovered majoun, typed up a recipe, and sent it to Alice B. Toklas, an ex-pat writer in

in legal states. They can buy water-soluble cannabis-infused liquids and powders to stir into beverages or add to any recipe for immediate gratification. With such a wide range

Paris, to include in a cookbook published in New York

of culinary opportunities and resources literally at their

and London, causing a minor scandal in the mid-20th

fingertips, only the laziest or most unimaginative eaters

century and leading to a major mix-up in a major motion

are choosing the brownie.

picture that morphed majoun into the pot brownie, and

We stand on a precipice. Once criminalized, cannabis

turned the pot brownie into a Western icon forevermore.

is now being rapidly commodified, and there’s no putting

It’s the story of the rowdy band of artists, rebels, and intel-

that genie back in the bottle. Analysts predict cannabis

lectuals who partook of majoun’s charms and an activist

will be a global industry worth $57 billion by 2027—in-

who made the pot brownie a symbol of compassion.

vestment firm Cowen and Company suggests that will

Down through the ages, the cannabis plant has gath-

reach $75 billion by 2030—numbers that are respectful

ered about it a charismatic and eclectic assortment of

enough to prevent cannabis haters like US Attorney

protectors and advocates, from the Hindu lord Shiva, who

General Jeff Sessions (the 21st-century’s answer to An-

was said to sustain himself for long periods by eating

slinger) from prosecuting companies working within le-

cannabis, to Brownie Mary, whose insistence on baking

gal state infrastructures. Money talks.

cannabis-laced brownies as medicine for AIDS patients

Money’s talking. Scotts Miracle-Gro and Monsanto are

in San Francisco, despite several arrests, drew huge pub-

circling. Food conglomerates are dipping toes, preparing

lic sympathy in the 1990s and eased the way for Califor-

to jump in when—and everyone now agrees it’s a matter

nia to legalize medical marijuana in 1996.

of when—federal cannabis prohibition ends in the Unit-

And that, really, may have been the beginning of the

ed States. Hemp is legal, and a bill has been submitted to

end of the pot brownie. Several states and countries fol-

Congress to legalize psychoactive cannabis. Cannabis is

lowed California in approving cannabis for medical use,

now the second most valuable crop in the United States

and in 2012, Colorado and Washington voters took the

after corn. Chefs, foodies, and nutritionists are playing

game-changing step of legalizing all adult use. More

with this new functional food ingredient, finding cre-

states followed, then Uruguay, then Canada. Canna-

ative uses for every part of the plant, as the world’s atti-

bis-infused edibles grew into a robust and well-regulat-

tude toward cannabis normalizes.

ed industry with no room for crumbly chocolate cakes

This may sound far-fetched, particularly to peo-

that had miserable shelf lives and were impossible to

ple who live in places where cannabis remains illegal,

imprint with the new THC warning stamp some states

where citizens—inordinately, people of color—are rotting

began requiring.

in jail because of a plant. It will never be okay that (most-

In most cases, pot brownies have evolved into

ly) white men in suits rake in millions of dollars on can-

shelf-stable, easier-to-dose chocolate bars, one skew in

nabis and cannabis products while others go to jail over

a wildly popular category of cannabis-infused products

the very same plant. As we celebrate the strides we’ve

that no one saw coming in the early 2010s. In addition

made toward liberating cannabis, we must never forget

to a range of chocolate products from gourmet truffles

that this progress has been made on the backs of those

to peanut butter cups, today’s cannabis consumers can

willing to pay the price before us.

enjoy infused potato chips, gummies, hard candies, raw cacao butter, soda pop, caramel corn, coffee, tea, cookies, pies, and nuts—all readily available at cannabis stores

ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE (@cannabis_kitchen) is the author of Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook and the upcoming Pot in Pans: A History of Eating Cannabis (Rowman & Littlefield, $34).

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 109

110 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 111

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As the cannabis industry grows, so does the number of professionals within it, acting as incredible sources of insider info on the trends and issues driving the marketplace forward. The Sensi Advisory Board is comprised of select industry leaders in a variety of fields, from compliance and education to concentrates and cultivation. They are invited to share specialized insight in this dedicated section. This month, we hear from a member in the Recreational Dispensary category.

FOR A FULL LIST OF ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS, SEE THE MASTHEAD ON PAGE 20.

BIPARTISAN BILL WOULD ALLOW CANNABIS HOSPITALITY ESTABLISHMENTS Offering adults regulated spaces to consume responsibly.

by P E T E R M A R C U S , T E R R A P I N C A R E S TAT I O N A N D C I N DY S OV I N E , S OV I N E C O N S U LT I N G

won’t have to worry about residents and tourists smoking in parks because they’ll now have a place to go.”

Other prime bill sponsors include Rep. Jovan Melton, D-Aurora, and Sens. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, and Vicki Marble, R–Fort Collins.

A bipartisan bill proposed in the Colorado Legislature

The legislation is the result of a multi-year effort that has

would offer a regulated system for cannabis consumption.

been responsive to the concerns of numerous stakehold-

The measure would allow licensed cannabis hospi-

ers. Last year’s “tasting rooms” measure in the legislature

tality establishments, where there would be limited on-

was called an “incremental approach” by state cannabis

site sales and consumption beginning in January 2020.

regulators. It had bipartisan approval before receiving a

The measure achieves the goal of Colorado voters when

misguided veto by Gov. John Hickenlooper. Newly elected

more than six years ago they passed Amendment 64 to

Gov. Jared Polis, however, stated on the campaign trail that

regulate marijuana like alcohol.

he would sign a cannabis consumption measure into law,

A gap in policy has prohibited cannabis from being

leaving stakeholders optimistic this year.

recognized as a hospitality similar to other industries.

“Cannabis patients and retail consumers alike deserve

This year’s legislation fixes that by offering a balanced

to have a place to go to find each other, create commu-

approach to regulating cannabis hospitality.

nity, and consume marijuana safely,” said Cindy Sovine,

“This bill will help make sure people are consuming

chief executive of Utopia Natural Healing Lounge, which

responsibly similar to what you would see at a winery,

hopes to be the nation’s first cannabis spa. “This legis-

brewery or distillery,” said Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Long-

lation is about harm reduction and monitoring intoxi-

mont, a sponsor of the legislation. “Local law enforcement

cation. It is about honoring the reality that we benefit sensimag.com APRIL 2019 115

116 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

economically from the sale of cannabis products, but we should respect where and how it is consumed.”

“Colorado NORML is happy to see the cannabis hospitality bill language expand to include micro sales and a consumption lounge business model, which will bring social equity to all,” said Ashley Weber, chair of Colorado NORML. “As of January 2019, cannabis taxes from Colorado tourism reached almost a billion dollars, yet six years later there is no place to legally consume the product. We are happy to see Colorado take a leadership role in allowing social consumption to consumers for safe access to legally use cannabis.”

Chris Woods, founder, owner and chief executive of Boulder-based Terrapin Care Station, which has six cannabis retail stores in Colorado, said the proposal is “a step towards providing a licensed and supervised environment for residents and tourists seeking a safe, responsible place to consume marijuana.”

“Regulatory uncertainty on the local level has resulted in confusion, prompting the need for a statewide uniform policy,” Woods said. “This bill creates a uniform policy for licensed marijuana consumption establishments; provides a critical step towards cannabis-free public spaces; and allows consumers safe and supervised consumption while comporting with the state’s indoor smoking ban and protecting the integrity of Colorado’s regulatory system.”

The bill remains compliant with the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act, allowing consumers to vaporize cannabis products. A measure in the Colorado legislature would add vaping to the Clean Indoor Air Act. But stakeholders are working with lawmakers to provide an exemption for cannabis hospitality establishments.

• The legislation seeks to clarify policy for cannabis hospitality tours, which take consumers on mobile consumption education shuttles;

• Allows for sampling single-serving infused products in addition to flower and concentrate;

• Sets consumer purchase limits, keeping in line with standard serving sizes that already exist under Colorado law;

• Requires consumers be at least 21 years old; • Mandates training for employees to spot for intoxication and to educate consumers on safe and responsible consumption practices;

• Promotes cannabis-free public spaces, which reduces

• Creates a consistent statewide policy with oversight that local regulators can understand; and

• Places a heavy focus on local control, giving towns and cities the power to decide whether to allow cannabis hospitality establishments.

The bill would also help retain Colorado’s economic leadership role in the cannabis industry, an industry that was born in the Centennial State. Cannabis hospitality measures are already moving in several other states, meaning Colorado risks falling behind.

The ancillary opportunity for businesses is also immense, which is why cannabis hospitality has received support from outside the cannabis industry.

Companies developing vaporization products—including GoFire and Hopper Labs—would be able to sell those products in the same room where consumers are

burdens on state and local law enforcement while of-

testing those products. And because it would be prohib-

fering a safe alternative for parents who want to sample

ited to prepare food on premises in a tasting room, food

products outside of the home;

trucks could provide a valuable service. sensimag.com APRIL 2019 117

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CANNABIS TAX SOLUTIONS

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Cannabis and Taxes CANNABIS TAX SOLUTIONS CAN KEEP YOUR COMPANY AUDIT-READY.

Tax guru Mike Moran has been working in the canna-

With more states allowing medical and/or recreation-

bis industry about three years in a five-person firm that

al cannabis, and all the new regulations that come with

he founded, Cannabis Tax Solutions, doing tax plan-

that, it could be hard to keep up with what a canna-

ning and preparation, performing complex cannabis

bis business should do with its taxes. “That’s why I have

accounting functions, corporate formation, entity struc-

strategic partners in most of those states,” Moran says. “I

turing, tax resolution, exit strategies and more.

may partner up with another well-qualified accountant

He sees Section 280E—the IRS code that forbids busi-

in one of those states, who may be up on all of those

nesses from deducting ordinary expenses from gross

regulations. And that’s the world that we live in before

income because of cannabis’ Schedule 1 designation—

it becomes federally legal.”

as the biggest problem for cannabis businesses today.

He recommends three things for a cannabis business.

“The problem with 280E is if you have just a dispensary,

The first is to work with a qualified cannabis attorney.

and there is no vertical integration like a grow or a MIP

“There are always moving pieces, and there are a lot

(an infusion facility), outside of the cost of goods sold,

of factors that come into play,” he says. Secondly, the

you can’t do anything. Our hands are tied,” Moran says.

business has to make sure that it is working with some-

He says that the place to get legally creative on 280E

one who knows how to file tax returns. “That’s where

is in a cultivation facility, or MIP, where there are more

we make our bread and butter,” he says. “If it’s not done

expenses to put into costs of goods sold, and the client

right, you are going to be hammered in an audit.”

can get additional deductions to get taxable income

The final thing is to work with a payroll service, such

down. Moran wants to protect clients from automatic

as Wurk, that can better track possible deductions. “Do-

audits. 280E can be part of that issue, but there’s more.

ing these three things put you in the best situation to

Triggers for the IRS on a tax return include having

be audit-ready.”

nothing on the tax return that shows any breakdown or proper filtering of expenses. “Or if someone is trying to take a Section 179 depreciation deduction (the deduction limit is $1 million for 2019), which is not allowed,”

For more information, visit:

CANNABISTAXSOLUTIONS.COM

he says. “Those are real ugly things that are no-no’s for the IRS. It makes it too easy for the IRS to flag you for an audit.”

Many clients don’t even realize that there is a problem on their tax returns. “They don’t even know what they are looking at,” Moran says. “They are probably aware of the 280E issue, but as far as the who, what, where, when and how, that is where they get lost. They rely on incompetent tax preparers and accountants who don’t know the industry.” sensimag.com APRIL 2019 121

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CRAFT CONCENTRATES

A Full Spectrum of Products CRAFT CONCENTRATES MAKES SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY IN BOTH MED AND REC MARKETS. Craft Concentrates, a leading brand in the Colorado market for years, now operates with a crew of more than 100 employees creating three different product lines now available in more than 400 stores across the state. “We service markets corner to corner,” John Morgan, a former packager in the company, now director of sales, says. “We have our own in-house courier service to help extend our reach.”

Craft Concentrates opened in 2015 with a lab in Denver. The company’s 4,500-square-foot, state-ofthe-art lab is now in Pueblo, where about 73 people work “almost 24-7,” he says, while the grow operation and corporate offices remain in Denver.

Craft Concentrates makes PHO wax, distillate syringes, vape pens, and live resin.

“What sets Craft apart in Colorado is that we continue to produce a full spectrum of product lines to meet any consumer’s needs,” Morgan says.

Craft Concentrates has three different product lines.

The company doesn’t sell any flower, because state

Panacea is its top one, and includes a live-resin-based

law dictates that the grow has to go to infused prod-

cartridge with a high terpene content for more avid

ucts. But consumers can get an idea of what that

dabbers. There is also live resin in the Panacea line, ei-

might taste like.

ther as a full gram jar, a quarter ounce or a full ounce.

Craft Concentrates just launched an infused hand-

“We are looking to launch a sauce product in the Pan-

rolled cone-shaped ¾-gram joint that is flower-infused

acea line in the future,” he says.

with both the Sesh PHO wax and the Panacea live res-

Next is the Sesh, a more casual line for the every-

in. “Our cones actually give people a chance to try our

day smoker that features a strain-specific distillate car-

flower for the first time since our inception,” Morgan

tridge and a syringe with a full gram of strain-specific

says.

distillate. And there is a signature, pure propane-based

Over the last year, he says, the company has become

extracted wax in this product line. “We brought the

a leader in B-to-B sales, as other oil manufacturers and

pure PHO wax mentality to the market in 2015, when

other edible makers have begun sourcing Craft distil-

a lot of people were doing mixed gases,” Morgan says.

late. “We have taken that raw distillate ingredient and

“It set us apart from the beginning, as it does now.”

turned that into the commodity that it is, and we been

Finally, there is the oil line. “It offers the best value

able to do business with a lot of companies that have

on the market,” he says. It’s a similar formulation as the

cut out the headache of creating oil themselves,” Mor-

Sesh distillate cartridges, with an added five percent

gan says. “It’s become an incredible partnership.”

propylene glycol (a synthetic organic compound, colorless with a faint sweet taste) cut. “All of those products are available in medical and recreational,” he says.

For more information, visit:

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MAC & FULTON

Finding Qualified, Dependable Workers for an Evolving Industry MAC & FULTON BALANCES EMPLOYEE WORK BACKGROUNDS WITH BUSINESSES’ NEEDS. There is no shortage of people looking for work, some more qualified than others for what is still a new industry. “We have people looking for work that have a bachelor’s degree in horticulture and have done some sort of greenhouse work, and are talking about cannabis now,” Gruetzmacher explains. “Then there are people who have grown cannabis in their backyard at home and want to get into more of a professional setting.”

As with many new and evolving industries, turnover is an issue. “A lot of cannabis companies are highly competitive startups and don’t offer a lot of job stability,” Gruetzmacher says. “But the horticultural equipment companies have been around for 40 years and are more stable. So it’s a little different kind of ballgame.”

Ruane recalled a company that had 100 percent turnover for trimmers, because the people hired for that job found out that they didn’t like it—they thought it would be about smoking weed, trimming at their leisure, and One thing that this industry needs as it continues its

hanging out. “It wasn’t like that,” he says. “You gotta put

growth surge—and something that is getting harder to

on your white suit and just sit there and trim. That was

come by—is a qualified, stable, dependable workforce.

the job.”

These employees are not just the customer-facing,

Mac & Fulton offers résumé writing tips and training,

front-line people—budtenders, receptionists—but the

called Career Assessment and Résumé Writing, for can-

technical and management people for engineering,

didates, which helps them better understand what pre-

manufacturing, and logistics in the cannabis, hydropon-

vious jobs might attract interest from a cannabis recruit-

ics, and horticulture markets. That’s the niche business

er. “A lot of hiring managers are trying to figure out what

that Mac & Fulton Talent Partners discovered in 2014.

industries people could come from that would be good

Co-founder and lead recruiter Mike Ruane, and his

in cannabis,” Gruetzmacher says.

friend, co-founder and director of business development

As far as recruitment trends in the cannabis industry,

Kent Gruetzmacher, saw a way to transition Ruane’s back-

Ruane says they are seeing multi-state operators repre-

ground of 10 years in engineering and manufacturing re-

senting future opportunities. “I think there is opportunity

cruiting into the cannabis industry and related ag-tech

for us with those companies because they really have

businesses by his brother-in-law, who had been working

tried to standardize the recruitment and hiring process

in warehouse and logistics for nutrient companies. Mac

across multiple states.”

& Fulton works with clients in Colorado, Illinois, California, and “all throughout the US,” Ruane says, with some clients in Canada and a lighting company out of Sweden.

For more information, visit:

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ULEVA

Hemp as a Wellness Product Finding Customers ONE COMPANY’S UNIQUE LINE OF DIETARY HEMP PRODUCTS TURNS HEADS AS IT GROWS IN POPULARITY. Contract Pharmacal Corp. (CPC), one of the leading

Full-spectrum extracts do not violate the FDA’s exclu-

contract development and manufacturing partners in

sionary clause, he says, because they contain the full ar-

the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries, has

ray of naturally occurring nutrients at their naturally oc-

created one of the first hemp wellness products posi-

curring concentrations without isolation or fortification

tioned to appeal to a mass market in the wake of the

of any one component. “Our nutraceutical consumers

legalization of hemp by the 2018 Farm Bill that passed

will appreciate that CBD is one important and natural-

in December.

ly occurring component of full-spectrum hemp, which

The CPC dietary supplement line, Uleva, is made with

contains over 100 phytocannabinoids,” he says.

hemp and six different blended formulas that include

The company has been told by its retail partners that

herbal and nutritive ingredients for various natural ef-

they appreciate CPC’s nearly five decades of experience

fects. The Uleva Fuel capsules combine the power of

in R&D, analytical testing, manufacturing, packaging,

green-tea extract with full-spectrum hemp extract to

supply chain, and compliance, Wolf says. “They also like

provide a natural energy boost. Uleva Sleep capsules

the hold-harmless and guaranteed-sale backed by CPC’s

blend melatonin with full-spectrum hemp extract to of-

$250 million dollars in yearly revenue.”

fer a relaxing touch at bedtime. Uleva Digest, Uleva Flex, Uleva Relieve and Uleva Relax round out the offerings in the Uleva line.

Through the CPC collaboration, Uleva is positioned to

For more information, visit:

ULEVA.COM

be on the shelves in regional and national drug chains in the coming months. But as these hemp products compete for dominance in the new and fast-growing market, there is still some uncertainty about hemp-based supplements and how the FDA will deal with them.

Matt Wolf, the CEO of CPC, explains that the hemp supplement category is “by far the largest opportunity” he has seen in his 25 years in the nutraceutical industry.

“However,” he added, “there is an understandable hesitation on the part of retailers to merchandise full-spectrum hemp supplements such as Uleva because of the nuance in FDA regulatory guidance. It’s complicated.”

Wolf notes that the FDA provided a path to bring full-spectrum hemp products to market, using Uleva herbal supplements as an example. “Uleva’s ingredients comply with Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act (DSHEA) requirements and are legal throughout the United States,” Wolf says. “Uleva is not a CBD product.” sensimag.com APRIL 2019 133

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136 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

WHOLE MEDS

Timing Your Moves Takes Time WHOLE MEDS EXPANDING ITS SERVICES IN DENVER AND LOOKING BEYOND.

“There’s a lot going on,” Andy Brody, the owner of

He explained that Whole Meds strives to carry every-

Whole Meds, says in a sort of understatement of the

thing from balms, lotions, topicals, sexual enhancement

year, talking about the company, the changes it has

products and non-alcoholic cannabis-infused beer,

been going through, and the changes to come.

alongside hand-crafted, top-shelf flower and designer

The original Whole Meds store near 38th Avenue in

strains. “We try to carry 15-plus strains at a time and

Denver opened in 2014, and a year later relocated to

change them out regularly, so there is always some-

the trendy RiNo (River North) Art District. Whole Meds

thing new to try,” he says. OGs are the best sellers across

has a 15,000-square-foot grow facility north of Denver.

the board, he says, followed by a popular hybrid called

A team of ten employees currently operates the ware-

SkunkBerry.

house on a perpetual harvest basis. The facility hand-

He says that Whole Meds loves being part of the dis-

trims all of the product after it hangs to dry and stores

trict, placing artwork on display at the dispensary and

it in a cure room until packaged for transport and sale.

serving as a primary sponsor for local theaters. “We re-

The booming construction and development along

ally are pretty active. We are open to anything that we

Brighton Boulevard slowed progress, but Whole Meds

are allowed to participate in, even as a sideline sponsor,”

has been able to build up its facilities and expand the

Brody says.

business. “Short term, we are looking to add a second

As far as expansion outside of Colorado, he says that is

store here in Denver and bring on a large greenhouse

definitely on the horizon, in markets such as Florida and

located out in the mountains, not too far from Brecken-

others. “We have been speaking to a few groups out on

ridge,” Brody says.

the East Coast to see what is possible,” he says. “In California, we are taking more of a back seat. We hope to be able to enter into the Canadian market sometime in the near future. In the short term, we will do some branding deals only in select markets while we wait for regulations to catch up.”

Brody says that the company is working to add an infused-products line and hopes to release it later this year. Whole Meds plans to use molecular manipulation and nanotechnology as part of the infusing process to create superior products to those currently on the market. “My main goal is, down the line, is to enter into health food stores and groceries,” Brody says.

For more information, visit:

WHOLEMEDS.COM

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 137

138 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 139

SENSI NIGHT DENVER

The community came out in full force on this cold February evening for the first Sensi Night

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JADE WILLIS

of 2019. The free events take place every quarter, and the next one is on April 17—kicking off the High Holiday and celebrating Sensi’s third anniversary. Join us.

140 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

Where: EXDO Event Center When: February 20, 2019 Info: fb.com/sensimediagroup

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 141

142 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 143

{HereWeGo }

by L E L A N D R U C K E R

Take a surrealist walk through the woods.

At least until the end of this month, you don’t have to head into the mountains, or even outdoors, to experience walking through a forest. The latest installation at the Museum of Outdoor Arts (MOA) in downtown Englewood is Natura Obscura, an immersive self-guided tour that lets you explore an unreal, illusory world—part museum, part reality—using state-of-the-art technology and a free app, and learn more about nature’s amazing beauty and adaptability. Natura Obscura’s six galleries take about an hour to fully experience, but it’s only here until April 28. If you want to spend more time, the MOA has plenty of other things—don’t miss the permanent Cabinet of Curiosities & Impossibilities. There are sculptures galore, indoors and out, from a bust of Michelangelo’s David to whimsical creatures both real and imagined.

Go to NATURAOBSCURA.ORG for times and ticket information. Pre-purchasing tickets is suggested since they are limited and on a first-come-first-serve basis.

MOA is located at the Englewood Civic Center.

144 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

sensimag.com APRIL 2019 145

EXHIBIT PHOTOS BY HEATHER LONGWAY, COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM OF OUTDOOR ARTS

146 APRIL 2019 Denver // Boulder

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