Sensi Magazine - Denver/Boulder (January 2020)

OVER THE RAINBOW

How chromotherapy boosts your mood and aligns you with the universe

I DENVER/BOULDER J A N 2020

OK, BOOMER

The viral phrase that’s dividing generations

SAD SEASON

How to beat Seasonal Affective Disorder

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DENVER / BOULDER SENSI MAGAZINE JANUARY 2020

sensimediagroup @sensimagazine @sensimag

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F E AT U R E S

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In Living Color

An introduction to the ancient practice of chromotherapy

So SAD

For people with Seasonal Affective Disorder, winter brings more than the blues.

The B-Word

Is “OK, boomer” a slur, a sign of generational conflict, or just a meme-able mic drop?

SPECIAL REPORT

Arrested Development

These six ridiculous cannabis restrictions are still in effect around the country.

66 Ode to Bowie A remembrance of our favorite Starman

72

Pizza, Darling

Erin Darling Torralva of the podcast Hot Pizza Ass, delivers more than a good laugh.

ON THE COVER Chromotherapy adds a little more color to your life.

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EXECUTIVE

PUBLISHING

Ron Kolb Founder + CEO ron@sensimag.com

Tyler Tarr Founding Publisher

Tae Darnell Tae Darnell Co-Founder, VP of Business Development Alex Martinez Co-Chief Operations Officer Mike Mansbridge Co-Chief Operations Officer

DENVER/BOULDER Liana Cameris Publisher Ilee Desoto Associate Publisher Amanda Patrizi Associate Publisher

Laurie Zink Chief Marketing Director

SOUTHERN COLORADO Liana Cameris Publisher

B R A N D D E V E LO P M E N T

LOS ANGELES Mark Basser Publisher

Ashley Couch Vice President, Legal and Business Affairs Rob Dial Vice President, Digital Marketing Kristan Toth Head of People Andre Velez Marketing Director andre.velez@sensimag.com Jade Kolb Recruiting Director Jodie Villanueava Recruiting Manager Graham Gerritsen Legal Ruel Hatcher Accounting Kisty Stephens Accounting Bookkeeper Jessica Martinez Executive Assistant A DV E R T I S I N G J. Brad Britton Corporate Development Director Derek LaCrone Director of Sales, Sensi East Brian Gilchrist Director of Sales, Sensi West brian.gilchrist@sensimag.com Nancy Reid Director, Team Building, Sensi East Joel Bergeson Director, Team Building, Sensi West

CORP ORATE ADVISORY BOARD Dave Tran Business Development Douglas McKinnon Finance Charles Gillespie Technology Chuck Arnold Investor Relations MEDI A PARTNERS Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy

SAN DIEGO Rob Ball Associate Publisher Angelique Kiss Associate Publisher LAS VEGAS Abi Wright Publisher BOSTON Leon Drucker Publisher Richard Guerra Associate Publisher EMERALD TRIANGLE, CA Lelehnia DuBois Publisher Shannon Golightly Associate Publisher Tad Sarvinski Associate Publisher COACHELLA VALLEY, CA Greg Jelden, Co-Publisher Jason Zahler, Co-Publisher Sat Panesar Associate Publisher Quentin Dusastre Associate Publisher DETROIT Jamie Cooper Publisher Eric Bulls Associate Publisher Kile Miller Associate Publisher Leah Stephens Associate Publisher Constance Taylor Associate Publisher PITTSBURGH Gina Vensel Publisher Matt Raymond Associate Publisher NORTH BAY, CA Nancy Birnbaum Publisher Sam Delapaz Associate Publisher PHILADELPHIA Michael Fanini Publisher Russ Cacciavillano Associate Publisher Wendy Lubell Associate Publisher Rick Rueda Associate Publisher

FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES

in Denver/Boulder, please contact Liana Cameris: liana.cameris@sensimag.com

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JANUARY 2020

C ont inued D E PA R T M E N T S

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17 EDITOR’S NOTE 20 THE BUZZ

News, tips, and tidbits to keep you in the loop THE FIT LIST Healthiest cities in America ALL YOU EVER WANTED Take part in the holiday wherein

you plan your next holiday.

DOWNWARD DOG Yoga gear for your pets? Sure, why not?

LOCAL COMPANY Buy boutique at Apricot Lane in Lakewood.

ACCESSORIES TO SWEAR BY The latest in expletive fashion

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80 THE LIFE

Contributing to your health and happiness WINTER GLOW Here’s how to keep your complexion clear in the cold, dry months ahead.

GET SET Goals trump resolutions. Science tells us why.

WE MEAN GREEN This healthy smoothie is serious business.

SPRING BREAK CAME EARLY DIA now has nonstop flights to the Bahamas. What more of an excuse do you need?

HOROSCOPE Learn what the numbers mean for 2020.

CANDIDATES ON CANNABIS Presidential hopefuls weigh in.

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106 THE SCENE

Hot happenings and hip hangouts around town WEIGHT LOSSES How (not) to lose weight, according to vintage diet guides LOOPHOLES Local schools deny students cannabis medications on campus, even though it’s legal. #TRENDING Frontrunners predict what will be hot in 2020.

HIGH SOCIETY Recapping Denver’s Sensi Connect event INTO THE DARK Enter Meow Wolf’s Dark Palace.

CALENDAR Fight the winter blues with bacon and brews.

138 THE END

“The elections are just around the corner.” That’s what you wish we’d say. Try not to go insane before November.

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ADVISORY BOARD

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TWITTER Follow @sensimag to stay up-to-date on the latest news from Sensi cities.

Evolutionz Consulting The Clear™ Evolve Formulas Transdermal General Cannabis Consulting Genesee Sports Nutrition

GET CRATIV WITH YOUR PACKAGING. Check out our edible, vape and preroll lines today.

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Magazine published monthly

by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2020 Sensi Media Group. All rights reserved.

T

Stephanie Wilson Co-Founder & Editor in Chief stephanie.wilson@sensimag.com Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com

Robyn Griggs Lawrence Editor at Large Leland Rucker Senior Editor John Lehndorff Dining Editor

Lindsey Bartlett, Katherine Rothman, Dorian Smith Contributing Writers Helen Olsson Copy Chief

M A N AG I N G E D I TO R S Dawn Garcia Southern California Debbie Hall Las Vegas, Nevada

Nora Mounce Emerald Triangle, California Darralynn Hutson Detroit, Michigan Patty Malesh North Bay, California Aaron Bible Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Jenny Wilden Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Leandra Romero Coachella Valley, California DESIGN Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director Wendy Mak Designer Josh Clark Designer Kiara Lopez Designer Jason Jones Designer VIDEO Jeremy Pape Head of Production John Gray Production Videographer PRODUCTION

EDITOR’S NOTE

This month’s cover feature was

written, as most things with my byline are, in the middle of the night, my finishing touches and flourishes (or the reining-in-of-flourishes, as often is the case) happening right around dawn.* As I wrapped up a piece about how color is literally everything, dawn arrived. The early morning rays saturated the world just beyond my keyboard with brilliant hues that ultimately underlined the point I was trying to make: color is everything.

Color is light, light is energy, energy is everywhere, vibrating all around us. There’s a reason we don’t see the world in black and white, and it’s because we’re literally vibing with the colors all around us. No, that’s not hippie-dippy BS; that’s science. If you don’t believe me, I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t have either when I set out to write what turned into a feature on color as medicine.

I was planning on putting together a quick-and-easy story on how adding color to your wardrobe and home decor could help combat the winter blues.

There’s so much more to it than that. Colors help us navigate the world. There is a reason we don’t see the world in black and white.

With that in mind, we’ve packed this issue with topics that cover the full spectrum of what’s new and what’s next. It’s our way of celebrating the arrival of a new year, a new decade. A ray of light in the middle of a long winter, a reminder to be brilliant and send good vibes out to the world.

And if things are seeming a bit dull, don’t worry. Put on some bright yellow, and be happy.

Color is light, light is energy, energy is everywhere, vibrating all around us. There’s a reason we don’t see the world in black and white.

Amber Orvik Administrative Director amber.orvik@sensimag.com Neil Willis Production Manager Hector Irizarry Head of Distribution

Stephanie Wilson @stephwilll

*Standard practice, because whenever I am wrapping a story, it is undoubtedly overdue, and my East Coast design team needed it last week. (Hence the addition to our masthead of my saving grace, our executive editor, Doug Schnitzspahn.. He is to processes and efficiencies what I am to overthinking things, and he is the only reason I write this note calmly, happily, merrily content knowing that you are about to read what may be one of our best issues of Sensiʼs flagship edition to date.)

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Taking the guesswork out of cannabis.

www.pax.com NOT FOR SALE TO MINORS. PAX DOES NOT PRODUCE, MANUFACTURE OR DISTRIBUTE CANNABIS. © 2019 PAX Labs, Inc. All rights reserved. PAX LABS, PAX, PAX 2, PAX 3, PAX Logo, X (Stylized), ERA, ERA PRO, and PAXsmart are all trademarks of PAX Labs, Inc. US and International Patents Pending.

Patents: pax.com/intellectual-property-list

CONTRIBUTORS

Dawn Garcia, Doug Schnitzspahn, Dorian Smith, Stephanie Wilson

The Fit List Fresh research confirms Denver and Colorado Springs are among the healthiest cities in US. The MindBody Wellness Index surveyed the most populous 50 cities in the US and ranked them by health. In 2020, Miami topped the list as the healthiest city in America. A number of factors contribute to a city’s score, including how much locals prioritize wellness and ultimately invest in it (including fitness, beauty and grooming, and integrative health services), their healthy habits (across multiple 20 D EN V ER / BOU LDE R

dimensions of wellness), and the success of wellness businesses within the city.

Denver, which came in at number four behind Atlanta and San Francisco, is home to some of the most dedicated fitness fans in the country. Over 80 percent of residents work out at least once a week.

And those sweat sessions are paying off; 40 percent say they’re satisfied or very satisfied with their fitness

JANUARY 2020

level (compared to the national average of only 31 percent). Denver residents especially love yoga and weight/strength training, and the top reason Denver works out is to feel good. The same research put Colorado Springs as the 24th Denver B-Cycle is being healthiest city in America, based phased out. The bike on physical activity, BMI, alcohol sharing program will consumption, connection to the cease operation on community, healthy eating, and January 30. spiritual wellness.

END OF CYCLE

BY THE NUMBERS

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Instant Potted Plants

This vegan cookbook proves that plants and pots go together.

Nisha Vora may be one of the most brilliant and flavor-forward, down-to-earth vegan chefs youʼll come across. She has devoted her life to finding delicious, nonboring ways to make plant-based eating the greatest thing since vegan sliced bread. Though she started out as a lawyer, her story isnʼt unlike most. She worked hard, joined a legal team, but after two years realized that she wasnʼt happy. So, she threw caution to the wind, quit her job, and she and her partner backpacked around the world for six months. In that time, she gained a totally new perspective on life, which included transitioning to veganism. Not only did Vora adjust her own lifestyle, she started blogging about it, learning the art of food photography, and launched a highly successful platform sharing her thoughts, her poems, her musings, and her recipes for living an intentional life.

The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook features 90 recipes meant to be made in an Instant Pot pressure cooker and includes cooking tips and cooking guides. Between the YouTube tutorials, brand partnerships, and overall awareness raised around the joy of cooking, Vora is doing more than making plant-based eating appealing. Sheʼs making it downright gorgeous and practical.

The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook / $15 on Amazon

96 HOURS

Time artists spend hand-carving 20-ton blocks of snow into works of art during the International Snow Sculpture Championships in Breck, on view Jan. 24–29

$12.85 The new minimum wage (per hour) in Denver as of Jan. 1, up from $11.10 per hour

26 CARS

Number of vehicles that will fit in the drive-thru lane of the Lone Tree In-NOut Burger, set to open this year near Park Meadows Mall

I’m not making New Year’s resolutions this year. No one likes a sober skinny bitch anyway.”

—meme

PLAN TO GET GOING January 28 is National Plan for Vacation Day 2020, a campaign organized by the US Travel Association.

The goal is that you plan your vacation days for the full year at the start of it. If your anxiety spikes at the thought of committing to anything a month in advance (feel you on that!), there are a bunch of reasons to consider daydreaming about your dream trip this month. First, the mere act of planning a getaway is shown to improve happiness, boost morale, prevent burnout, and reduce stress. Second, Americans who plan their vacation time are more likely to use it to venture away from home (76 percent) compared to non-planners (50 percent), according to the US Travel Association. And people who actually do get away report they are happier with their job, company, relationship, and health. Carve out some time on the third Tuesday of the month and commit to taking some time off. It’ll be good for you.

49.6% The percentage inhaled cannabis reduces self-reported migraine severity, according to a recent study SOURCE: Journal of Pain

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THE BUZZ

SENSIBILITIES

Downward Dog

Yoga-inspired dog wear is finally here. How did our pooches live without this apparel? If WHAT MATTERS THIS MONTH BY STEPHANIE WILSON only they could tell us. Alas, weʼll just have to trust they are able to move freely and comfortably during zoomies thanks to a new line 1 GOALS ARE THE NEW RESOLUTIONS. And since we’re in a new decade, let’s from Pet Life. The collection features stateset loftier targets, hit them, surpass them. Where do you want to be in 2025? of-the-art materials that are antimicrobial, 2030? Start manifesting the life you want. In the shorter term, however… quick-drying, and breathable. The collection ______ includes stretchy dog T-shirts, polos, full2 MANIFEST THE OUTFITS YOU WANT by signing up for Nuuly clothing rental body gear, tank tops, and hoodies. from Free People’s parent co. For just $88/mo., you get six temporary additions to “It took years to develop this collection your wardrobe—perfect excuse to try out new trends. after studying what the leading activewear ______ manufacturers are doing in the human space,” 3 BE EXTRA EXTRA. I resolved to be just that at the start of last year. Met that says Joseph Braha of Pet Life. “We undergoal and have a photo of the statement jacket I borrowed from Nuuly as proof. stand the yoga fashion market very well and See @stephwilll if you’re curious just how extra “extra extra” is. how dog yoga is becoming a larger trend.” ______ With breathable four-way stretch fabric, 4 SEE ALSO: posts about my apartment/urban jungle. the Eboneflow dog yoga T-shirt worn here ______ starts at $43.

5 PUTTING IT OUT THERE NOW. I’m setting my first intention for 2020: I will shop.petlife.com get my place featured on Apartment Therapy as a home tour this year. Boom.

______ 6 WANNA BE MY GOAL BUDDY? DM or post a comment—we’ll start a club.

One with books and discussions involved. Community and knowledge will result.

We’ll call it…The Book Club. Let’s do this.

“Experience is the name so many people give to their mistakes.”

—F. Scott Fitzgerald, This Side of Paradise (1920)

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THE BUZZ

LOCAL COMPANY

Boutique Buys

Apricot Lane Boutique is the newest fashion boutique at the Belmar Center in Lakewood. A locally owned women’s and teen shop offering a handpicked assortment of on-trend clothing, accessories, and gifts, Apricot Lane Boutique has a curated collection of casual and going-out styles of well-known and up-and-coming brands along with a great selection of the latest denim brands. “Think of us as your fashion fairy godmother: we transform your look by providing the outfits of your dreams,” said Owner Lisa Hild in a recent press release. Cheesy? Yes. Still a cool store worth checking out? For sure. apricotlaneboutique.com

GOING BACK IN TIME

PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNITY VIBRATION, VORTIC, AND APRICOT LANE

Vortic is taking vintage timepieces to a new level.

Vortic Watch Company is a small-batch, vintage timepiece restoration company headquartered in Southern Colorado. Vortic offers several wrist watch lines: American Artisan, Railroad Edition, Military Edition, and Red Rocks Edition. You can also have your own timepiece custom-made from your own family’s heirlooms with the “convert your watch” program.

Each line is unique, from the American Artisan pieces made from upcycled parts to the Railroad Edition’s removable bezel and other features. The newest line, Military Edition, features meticulously restored AN5740-1 pocket watches, which were commissioned by the United States government at the beginning of World War II. The originals were designed to withstand altitude as they were utilized by navigators on bomber aircrafts including B-17s and B-29s, equipped as stop watches, used as location devices, and made to meet very clear specifications to ensure the navigators would always have accurate time.

Timepieces steeped in American culture combined with the Vortic promise to preserve history through truly refined and unique watches is what sets them apart.

Strange Brew

Combine a mother mushroom and hops and you get a drink that blends the best of kombucha and beer.

Kombucha is that increasingly popular drink that owes its probiotic properties and tangy taste to a mother fungus. Beer is, well, you know. Kombucha can contain small amounts of alcohol due to fermentation, and it also mixes well into a cocktail, but Unity Vibration has taken the pairing one step further with its kombucha beers. They combine the healthy tonic with organic hops and fruit flavors ranging from ginger to peaches to elderberries to create a concoction thatʼs easy to sip. Just be prepared: it packs a whopping 8 to 9.1 percent ABV. The Bourbon Peach is the beer snobʼs favorite, and the Raspberry is a crowd pleaser. unityvibrationkombucha.com

$1,295–$6,995 | vorticwatches.com

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JANUARY 2020

THE BUZZ

VOX POPULI

MEL HAYES

Empowering Tax Resolution Uptown

___________________

Marriage, on leap day!

Coral hair! Setting goals of more exercise and reaching the next level of my career…and learning SQL!

Question: It’s 2020. What’s new, what’s next?

EVAN LENTZ Systems Engineer Uptown

___________________ The next trip is going to Gorge Amphitheater to see Tame Impala and visiting family back home in Washington.

TINA SMITH Preschool Teacher City Park

___________________ This year is bringing me to grad school. Heading back to University of Denver for a master’s in early childhood education with a focus on policy.

EXPLETIVE INFIXATION If looks could kill, you’d slay all day… No, actually, you wouldn’t because you’re not totally cliché like that. You’ve got all sorts of style, and you’re used to standing out in crowds of Coloradans. You’re a badass statement maker who commands attention when you walk in a room. Maison BangBang’s latest release lets you make an effin’ statement without so much as parting your lips. The US-designed, French-made products are produced in super limited numbers and sold exclusively through the company’s website. This limited-edition unisex Nessuno Black & Gold Rosé bag, crafted from non-animal leather and adorned with a gold rosé motif, is going for $449. maisonbangbang.com

CATHERINE KARTMAN

KELSEY HEFFERNA

Montessori School Director Capitol Hill

___________________

I have plans to move in with my main squeeze, and we’re keeping our fingers crossed that his cats and my dog are as excited to be under the same roof as we are.

Hospice Social Worker Kings Ridge, Boulder

___________________ I envision 2020 to be a grounding year for me, as well as a year full of spiritual growth, personally and with my hubby! We will go on our honeymoon to Hawaii in the spring, and I hope to go to Burning Man in September.

“I HOPE THAT IN THIS YEAR TO COME, YOU MAKE MISTAKES. BECAUSE IF YOU ARE MAKING MISTAKES, THEN YOU ARE MAKING NEW THINGS, TRYING NEW THINGS, LEARNING, LIVING, PUSHING YOURSELF, CHANGING YOURSELF, CHANGING YOUR WORLD.” —Neil Gaiman, author

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THE BUZZ

HIGH PROFILE

MY BEST BUD

This pet wellness company is advocating cannabis-derived medicine to ensure the wellness of animals.

My Best Bud co-founders, Irena Raskin and Irena Hauser (the two Irenas), are serial entrepreneurs with backgrounds in aerospace engineering, biomedical science, and biochemistry as well as law. My Best Bud offers scientifically formulated, pharmaceutical grade, cannabis-derived health and wellness products made specifically for animals.

Working with leading veterinary medicine specialists, its core mission

is to advance cannabis-derived medicine that maximizes the entourage effect to successfully treat arthritis, neurologic disease and disorders, anxiety, spinal or brain trauma, and other health conditions. The products are also free of toxins and additives. “Pet owners most commonly tell us that our products offer significant relief and return their pets back to their former selves. At My Best Bud, we want nothing less than to revo-

lutionize pet wellness,� says Raskin.

Committed to the wellness of animals, My Best Bud diverts a percentage of its proceeds to the wellness of other animals. The Irenas also care for and train two white Bengal tigers in hopes of saving the dwindling Bengal tiger population from extinction.

My Best Bud offers three CBD-toTHC product ratios, 20:1, 4:1, and 1:1, available in 15 mL and 30 mL bottles. mybestbudca.com

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IN LIVING C LOR An introduction to the ancient practice of chromotherapy. Or, how a story about beating winter turned into a manifesto about the vibrations of the universe.

TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON

Y

our aura is purple. (“What?” you’re thinking. I can see it on your face.)

Purple! I said your aura is purple!

Fine, I can’t really tell what color your aura is from where I’m sitting.

Or from anywhere; I’ve never seen anyone’s aura. Last week, I still held the belief that

auras were “such total and utter bullshit,” to quote snow_enthusiast’s answer to a post on the subject in the /r/ isitbullshit subreddit.

But here’s the beauty of making magazines for a living: you get to learn new things all the time.

I learned I was wrong to assume auras were some sort of metaphysical

woo-woo, something being peddled by calm yoga teachers to eager crowds of Onzie-clad pretty people. But as I fell down a rainbow-hued rabbit hole in a quest for information about how color affects one’s health—physically, mentally, emotionally—I discovered that color is everything. Really, truly: everything.

Put another way, everything that exists in this world is a combination of different colors, and every color is a form of energy, every shade vibrating on its own frequency. (It has to do with light and electromagnetic radiation and the visual spectrum.

We’ll go into the science more later; just JANUARY 2020

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stay with me.) Every part of our body—organs, limbs, cells, atoms, whatnot—has its own distinct color, which in turn has its own vibrational energy, each organ vibrating in harmony with the frequencies of those colors, which exist in wavelengths that don’t fall within the “visual spectrum,” or light the human eye can perceive.

Auras are composed of wavelengths the eye cannot discern.

Full disclosure: it was dark when I fell down this colorful rabbit hole.

And I was trying to stay out of the dark place I got stuck in last winter when struck by seasonal affective disorder (SAD). The world was cold and gray, I was blue. Light therapy is shown to be effective for SAD (see the feature on p.42 for more on that), but for me, I wanted more than intermittent blasts of light for temporary relief. I wanted to surround myself with warmth, my apartment to be saturated by it, my

body to be draped in it.

What that looked like, exactly, I wasn’t sure. I wondered, is color the answer?

Color Is Everything Turns out humans have been asking themselves questions like this since forever. The history of color as medicine is as old as that of any other medicine, according to a critical analysis of chromotherapy research undertaken by Samina T. Yousuf Azeemi and Syed Mohsin Raza, published in 2005 by Oxford University Press. Chromotherapy is a method of treatment that uses the visual spectrum (colors) of electromagnetic radiation to cure diseases, and the physicists’ research found a number of studies that have elaborated on the relationship between the human body and colors. This shouldn’t be confused with color psychology, which looks at the influence of colors on human behavior. We’ll get into that in a bit. First, we’ll

start at the beginning: ancient Egypt.

While ancient Greece, China, and India were using phototherapy (sunlight), Egyptians used color for healing as well. According to Egyptian mythology, the art of chromotherapy was discovered by Thoth, the god of writing, wisdom, and the moon. Ancient Egyptians and Greeks used colored minerals, stones, crystals, salves, and dyes as remedies and painted treatment sanctuaries in various shades.

(Technically more color psychology than chromotherapy but we’ll let it slide.)

Fast forward a few thousand years, and in the late 1800s, The Principles of Light and Color reports that rays of color/light can affect the blood stream, which in

turn affects the full body.

Later research confirms this, and one researcher found it to be a complete therapeutic system for 123 major illnesses.

Today, bright white, full-spectrum light is being used in the treatment of cancers, SAD, anorexia, bulimia, insomnia, jet lag, shift working, alcohol and drug addiction, and more. Blue light has been shown to help treat rheumatoid arthritis and is used to help heal injured tissue, prevent scar tissue, and is used for burns and lung conditions.

Since 1990, it’s been used in the treatment of a wide variety of psychological problems, including addictions, eating disorders, and depres-

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sion. Red light helps with cancer and constipation.

It can improve athletic performance: red light for short, quick bursts of energy; blue light to encourage steadier energy output. Pink light is said to have a tranquilizing effect, which is why it’s often used by police in holding cells.

Basically, chromotherapy is as tested a practice as any of the “alternative” medicines today— Ayurveda, acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology—and more research is needed.

The researchers conclude: “Chromotherapy as a system of treatment can benefit people because of its harmony with nature. Everything that exists in this world is a combination of different colors.”

Vibrant Vibrations On the flipside, studies about the psychology of color are spurred by motivated marketers trying to tap into our wallets through our psyches. It might seem like a relatively new development, but humans have used color to express ideas and emotion for thousands of years, according to color specialist and trend forecaster Leatrice Eisman. As executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, she’s the world’s leading authority on the topic of color. In The Complete Color Harmony, Pantone Edition, she writes about how subtle nuances in color can result in shades that excite or calm, pacify or energize, and even suggest strength or vulnerability. “They can nurture you with their

warmth, soothe you with their quiet coolness, and heighten your awareness of the world around you.

Color enriches our universe and our perception of it,” says Eisman.

She notes we all respond to color at a very visceral level, associating specific hues with another time or place. “Color invariably conveys moods that attach themselves to human feelings or reactions,” she notes.

“Part of our psychic development, color is tied to our emotions as well as our intellect. Every color has meaning that we either inherently sense or have learned by association and/or conditioning, which enables us to recognize the messages and meanings delivered.

A good part of the emotions that colors evoke is tied to natural phenomena. Yellow, the color of the sun, is associated with warmth and joy. Blue with steady dependability, calm, and serenity. Green with nature, health, and revival.

White stands for simplicity; black for sophistication. A 1970s study on the body’s physiological responses to colors revealed that warm hues (red, orange, yellow— the colors of the sun) aroused people troubled with depression and in-

creased muscle tone or blood pressure in hypertensive folks. Cool colors (green, blue, violet) elicited the reverse, but the important finding was that all colors produced clinically tangible results.

One of the earliest formal explorations of color theory came from German poet and politician Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. His 1820 book Theory of Colours explored the psychological impact of colors on mood and emotion.

Yellow, Goethe wrote, is the color nearest the light, yet when applied to dull, coarse surfaces, it is no longer filled with its signature energy.

“By a slight and scarcely perceptible change, the beautiful impression of fire and gold is transJANUARY 2020

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plants. You can never have too many plants.

And you should eat more plants, too, filling your plate with healthful fruits, vegetables, and spices from every part of the spectrum.

If a lack of sunlight has you feeling a lack of joy, paint your home or office—warm, vibrant yellows and oranges showcase excitement and warmth; browns and neutrals decidedly On the Bright Side do not. Choose wisely.

When your physical Painting not an option? landscape is devoid of bright, vibrant hues, your Consider temporary wallpaper or hangemotional one is affecting large artworks. On ed as well. That’s where a budget? Head to the color therapy comes in. thrift shop and repurIt has a deep effect on pose an old canvas by physical, psychological, and emotional aspects of painting it white and then adding whatever our lives, and it comes in many forms: light ses- hues you are vibing with this winter. If it doesn’t sions that include color turn out well, cover it up wheels. Colored crystal with more white paint lights. Breathing in colors through meditation. and start again. Have fun with it, consider it art Infrared saunas with chromotherapy add-ons. therapy.

There are also an array (See the sidebar for local resources where you can of therapeutic options to explore near Denver and learn more.)

Boulder, as wellness stuThere are actually dios, spas, and alternamany ways of adjusting the color in your life, and tive medicine practices incorporate chromothernot all of them require a trip to see a specialist. apy treatments into their offerings. At Vive Float Unlike trying to self-adStudio in Cherry Creek minister acupuncture and Frisco, the infrared (don’t do that), techsauna features chromoniques can be as simple therapy benefits, and as putting on colorful the combination of the attire or getting some full-light spectrum and bright throw pillows or formed into one not undeserving the epithet foul; and the colour of honour and joy reversed to that of ignominy and aversion.”

Of red: “All that we have said of yellow is applicable here, in a higher degree.” Goethe’s theories continue to intrigue, possibly because of the lyrical prose rather than its scientific facts.

the heat effectively tricks the brain into thinking it spent a full day basking in the sun, causing it to release those sweet endorphins that flood your body when the warm rays of spring hit your face when you step outside. It feels good.

And really, that is everything. Color is everything.

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So For people with Seasonal Affective Disorder, winter brings on a lot more than the blues.

TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

Y

ou know you need to exercise and socialize, but it’s all you can do to drag yourself to work in the dark, try to focus while you’re there, then drag yourself back home in the dark.

Maybe you rely a little too much on your favorite substance to numb your aggro. Maybe you binge on pretzel crisps, then beat yourself up because you should be eating kale chips—or no chips at all.

You wonder why you’re even on this cold, bleak planet. Every morning you want to pull the covers over your head and pretend your life isn’t happening. Some days you do.

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For about five percent of Americans, this nightmare is a recurring reality.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) settles in just as winter does and doesn’t lift until spring. It’s been plaguing humans for centuries—French physician Philippe Pinel noted the onset of mental deterioration in psychiatric patients in his 1806 Treatise on Insanity—but it wasn’t included in the American Psychiatric Association’s official manual until 1987.

While studying the impact of light on mental health in the early 1980s, National Institute of Mental Health researcher Norman Rosenthal discovered Seasonal Affective Disorder, a recurrent annual depression characterized by hypersomnia, social withdrawal, overeating and carbohydrate cravings, and a lack of sexual energy that seems to respond to changes in climate and latitude. About 1.5 percent of Floridians have SAD,

Rosenthal found, compared with nearly 10 percent of New Hampshirites.

No one knows why some people get SAD and others don’t. There seems to be a link to alcoholism as well as a genetic history of depression and bipolar disorder. Numerous studies have shown a correlation between SAD and the reduced ability to transport the mood-regulating neurotransmitter serotonin. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), people with SAD produce too much serotonin transporter protein in winter, leaving less of the “feel good” hormone available.

Rosenthal suggests lack of sunlight throws off circadian rhythm and interferes with the hypothalamus, the part of the brain responsible for hormones. This causes abnormalities in the genes responsible for both serotonin transmission and retinal light sensitivity. Just recently, Johns Hopkins

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researchers discovered a third photo receptor in the eye that syncs our internal clocks with daylight and provides a direct pathway to the areas of the brain that affect mood—backing up the ocular part of Rosenthal’s theory.

When your brain stops producing serotonin, it starts pumping out melatonin, the sleep hormone that responds to darkness, instead. This naturally makes you lethargic and groggy, and your brain’s instinct to correct serotonin deficiency could be the cause of your monster carb cravings, according to NIMH. Studies have also found a link between vitamin D, which the skin produces after sunlight exposure, and serotonin production.

In northern climates, rays aren’t strong enough to trigger vitamin D production during winter months.

This suggests that vitamin D supplements might help with SAD, but studies have been inconclusive.

TORCH IT There is no cure, per se, for SAD. The most prominent treatment is light therapy to replace sunlight with bright artificial light. You need to sit for about 30 minutes in the morning in front of a light box (readily available online) that exposes you to at least 10,000 lux of UV-free cool-white fluorescent or full-spectrum light—20 times more than regular indoor lighting.

(You get 50,000 lux on a sunny day.)

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Infuse your home with a warm, woodsy scent like cedarwood or cypress when you’re feeling cold and down.

SOURCE: Winter Blues: Everything You Need to Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder by Norman E. Rosenthal

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The treatment is not unlike indoor tanning beds (but without the tan), and researchers speculate that frequent tanners might be self-medicating for SAD as much as getting their tans on. (Excessive indoor tanning is now recognized as a psychological disorder.) Red River College in Manitoba, Canada, offers light therapy stations for students who are suffering and also loans out portable SAD lamps.

Response to light therapy generally begins within a week or two, and its effectiveness seems to depend on how severe your SAD is. Studies have found that light treatment in the morning causes remission in two-thirds of patients with mild episodes but less than half with moder-

ate to severe cases.

Light therapy is also being studied as a treatment for other types of depression, sleep disorders, and dementia, among other conditions. It’s not safe for people with diabetes and retinopathies and may contraindicate with certain medications.

little extra attention. Tell them not to take no for an answer when you try to weasel out of the Mardi Gras party. Find a workout buddy.

No matter what, succumbing to the urge to sink back under the covers will only make things worse. Sunlight is most effective against SAD in GREENS AND GOALS the morning, so that’s the Experts will try to tell you time to get out there. An that your best bet for deal- intense morning workout ing with SAD is to get your- can do a lot—but again, be self up and out there, living nice to yourself if you can’t your best life. This is clearly make that happen. Taking easier said than done when a brisk walk whenever you your serotonin-deprived, can—even on cloudy days, melatonin-drenched brain sunlight filters through—is is begging for a long winter powerful medicine. nap. You need outside help.

Moving your body, Lean on a good therawhether running or pracpist or coach, in person or ticing yoga, and eating a online, and let your inner diet rich in protein and circle know you need a greens are helpful when

SAD is hovering. It also can’t hurt to give yourself something to live for as the dreary months drag along. Set short-term goals and see yourself reaping the benefits in the spring. This could be as simple as knitting an afghan, reading a classic, or trimming your fall harvest—anything you find worth getting out of bed for.

Those instincts to pull the duvet over your head and sleep the winter away aren’t wrong, by the way.

Humans evolved to be less active in winter because they needed to save energy when food was scarce, but modern Type A culture never cuts us any slack— even when we’re going to and coming home from work in the dark.

SAD Symptoms In people who suffer from SAD, these symptoms recur at the onset of winter every year.

Daily depression No interest in activities once enjoyed Low energy, sluggish Easily agitated, irritable Reduced libido Unstable emotions Sleeping issues Changes in appetite or weight (carbohydrate cravings) Trouble focusing Feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness Oversleeping Heaviness in limbs Suicidal ideation

14 percent of US adults suffer from a lesser form of SAD known as the winter blues, which leaves them feeling less cheerful, energetic, creative, and productive.

SOURCE: Winter Blues: Everything You Need to Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder by Norman E. Rosenthal

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Is “OK, BOOMER” a slur, a sign of increasing generational conflict, or just a meme-able mic drop?

TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

C

aitlin Fisher, an Ohio writer who describes herself as “queer as hell, autistic, prone to sudden outbursts of encouragement” and a lover of avocados, cats, plants, and soy chai lattes, released a new book this year, The Gaslighting of the Millennial Generation, based on a blog post by the same name that caught Twitter’s fancy and went viral in 2016. “The millennial generation has been tasked with fixing the broken system we inherited and chastised for not doing it right or daring to suggest improvements,” she wrote in the original post. “If you think we’re doing a bad job, ask yourself how it got this way in the first place.”

For Fisher, “OK, boomer”—the catch phrase that has surfaced as a way to dismiss stubborn, intolerant older folks—is nothing new. “We live in a meme culture, and this is a viral punchline,” she says. “It’s the new ‘whatever,’ a mic drop of, ‘I’m not dealing with this anymore.’”

Most boomers were blissfully unaware of the phrase “OK, boomer” until this fall, when a 25-year-old member of the New Zealand Parliament let it fly during a speech about climate change and the New York Times ran a “Style” section piece on it. Nearly every mainstream media outlet followed suit. Establishment boomers, publicly butt-hurt, declared intergenerational war, culminating in 60-year-old radio host Bob Lonsberry calling the phrase “the n-word of ageism” in a tweet he later deleted. Reaction was swift, fierce, JANUARY 2020

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TALKING ’BOUT MY GENERATION Pundits break US generations into generally accepted categories, though thereʼs hardly universal agreement about when one ends and the next begins. Age can be a powerful predictor of attitudes and behaviors because it denotes where someone was in their lifecycle during specific time periods and historical events. “Boomers” born after 1960 were toddlers during Woodstock and Vietnam and are more likely to identify with The Breakfast Club, not The Big Chill. And the lines between millennials and Gen Z are as fluid as its members. They share a lot of characteristics and have quite a bit in common with their great-grandparentsʼ generation as well.

GREATEST GENERATION: 1901–1925 Conservative, security-oriented, grew up in Depression and came of age during WWII SILENT GENERATION: 1925–1945 Thrifty, moral, conformist, patriotic, came of age as America became a superpower BABY BOOMERS: 1946–1964 Indulged, self-centered, iconoclastic, goal-centric, competitive, came of age during post-WWII boom

GENERATION X: 1965–1980 Freedom-loving, family-oriented, multicultural, jaded, grew up as latch key kids after Watergate and Vietnam MILLENNIALS (A.K.A. GEN Y): 1981–1996 Technological, independent, image-driven, open-minded, ethnically diverse, grew up during peaceful times but lost innocence to 9/11, Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, and the Great Recession GENERATION Z: 1997–2012 Traditional, family- and security-oriented, image-driven, open-minded, collaborative, most diverse (52% non-Hispanic whites), grew up with global terrorism, school shootings, smartphones, and social media

and often hilarious. “You can’t say that, #boomer is our word,” @JazzHendrix tweeted. “But you can say booma.”

Though new to the mainstream media, #OKBoomer has been around awhile. Its first recorded use is in 2015 on 4chan, and it made its way to Reddit by 2017, according to Know Your Meme. In 2018, it erupted in a flurry of tweets responding to politicians criticizing millennials and their successors, Gen Zs, and it’s now a Twitter and Reddit standby.

On the subReddit r/BoomerTears, 17,400 members post “any sour or garbage logic from boomers explaining why they’re special or complaining.” #BoomerAdvice, blasting out-oftouch words of wisdom from you know who, trends pretty regularly on Twitter. And of course, there’s a viral TikTok of a white-haired boomer ranting while a teenager scribbles “OK, Boomer” (flanked with hearts) on his notebook as well as an “OK, booomer” song that has spawned 4,000 TikToks.

Hoodies, t-shirts, phone cases, and stickers emblazoned with the phrase are available on Redbubble and Spreadshirt.

This is not your father’s generation gap; memes

like “OK, boomer” spread exponentially faster in 4G. “We can talk to people across the world, and we have the power to create whole new movements and share information really fast,” Fisher says. “Teenagers are no longer rolling their eyes at the dinner table. Now, teenagers are joining the revolution.”

WHAT IS THIS REVOLUTION? Millennials—along with their predecessors, Gen X, and successors, BEFORE IT WAS OK Gen Z—are angry. And The term baby boomer was first used in a 1963 whether they deserve it Salt Lake City Tribune or not, boomers are takarticle about the spike ing the blame for social of births that occurred and historical factors that during the decade following World War II. haven’t been kind to the generations that followed them. Boomers got college degrees “for the price of a McChicken,” according to one Redditor, while millennials are strapped with record student loan debt. The climate crisis and the rising tide of nationalism, inequality, and economic uncertainty all happened under the boomers’ watch. They elected Donald Trump.

Even to boomers, it’s pretty clear this hippie-cum-capitalist generation kicked a lot of cans down the road while they were chasing profits and partying like it was 1999 (well into the 21st century). “How many world leaders for how many JANUARY 2020

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decades have seen and known what is coming but have decided that it is more politically expedient to keep it behind closed doors? My generation and the generations after me do not have that luxury,” Chlöe Swarbrick told the New Zealand Parliament in her climate speech just before she dropped the OK bomb.

Even more maddening, boomers won’t acknowledge that younger generations are being forced to operate in a completely different economy, without the equity and safeguards boomers had and with huge fear about the future. “The world is just different,” says 30-yearold Lindsey Turnbull, who owns an empowerment company for teen and tween girls, MissHeard Media. “We need the adults to acknowledge that and not brush kids’ very real worries off as hormones.”

These millennials are quick to point out that not every boomer is a “boomer” (thank God!).

And furthermore, anyone who is intolerant to new ideas and unwilling to unlearn their biases can be “OK, boomered.”

It’s more about attitude than ageism.

“I know how exhausting it can be to debate with people, especially online, who are really adamant

about not seeing another point of view,” says Turnbull. “‘OK, boomer’ just says you’re not wasting all that time and emotional energy trying to come up with a well-thought-out response when the person on the other side doesn’t listen.”

hoarded all the wealth and polluted the planet in the process; they haven’t had to witness—or deal with the ramifications of—old age and precarity for millions of working people in that generational cohort,” he writes in the Guardian. “Instead they get to revel without self-reflection in oedipal TRENDING ON angst about their elders— WHITE TWITTER many of whom were kind One of the biggest issues many people see with this enough to pass them their ill-gotten privileges.” meme-inspired revoluFisher doesn’t distion is that its guerrillas agree. “It’s important to tend to be of a type—upacknowledge that ‘OK, per-middle-class white youth—and they’re com- boomer’ is about priviplaining about issues like leged older people, baby boomers in Congress who lack of economic opporkeep voting to give themtunity and silencing that people of color have been selves pay raises but don’t dealing with for centuries. want poor older people to have affordable health Black Twitter sees #Okcare,” she says. “While Boomer as nothing more than disrespect for elders. we’re fighting against the “White Brogressives never ‘royal boomer’ we can’t cared about income ineq- ignore the needs of older uity when it was just black people in our communities. Ageism is really serior brown folks on the ous. There’s elder abuse, wrong end of it,” @Wonderbitch82 posted. and medical debt is bankBhaskar Sunkara, found- rupting older Americans. er of Jacobin magazine and We can’t point to all older author of The Socialist Mani- people and say they are the problem the way they festo: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme point to our generation and say we are the probInequality, believes white lem. We have to open up upper middle-class youth the conversation.” who find themselves shut The conversation opens out of the housing market up for Turnbull, who lives and exploited by the gig economy should aim their angst at investment bankers, not boomers. “These young people are surrounded by baby boomers who’ve

in Washington, DC, when she mingles with people of all ages during political marches and protests.

But in many places in the US, opportunities for cross-generational conversation are becoming rare as children are shunted into age-based sports and activities while the elderly are sent to care facilities, says Timiko Tanka, an associate professor of sociology at James Madison University. “As is said in an African proverb, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’” she says. “But today, many children are growing up without such a community.”

Tanka says intergenerational care centers, which are starting to crop up across the country, have been proven to be useful in reducing age-based prejudice and stereotyping. In her Social Gerontology course, students spend at least 20 hours interacting and becoming comfortable with elderly people—so comfortable that by the end of the semester, they’re playing cards together. Schools, care facilities, and municipal governments need to create more opportunities for people to share different perspectives, she says. “‘OK, boomer’ is a warning that we need to find a bridge, not a wall, and have meaningful conversation,” says Tanka.

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Generationalism: the systematic appeal to the concept of generation in narrating the social and political as a way of explaining political and social shifts.

SOURCE: Baby Boomers and Generational Conflict by Jenny Bristow (2015)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robyn Griggs Lawrence is the author of the bestselling Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook and the recently released Pot in Pans: A History of Eating Cannabis.

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SPECIAL REPORT

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT While legalization is on a roll, these six ridiculous cannabis laws and regulations made it onto the books across the country.

TEXT LINDSEY BARTLETT

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C

annabis prohibition is falling like an old empire across the United States. Yet not all new laws and regulations surrounding cannabis are winners. There are many laws in legal marijuana markets, both medical and adult-use, that are not based on data but are in fact quite arbitrary. At best, these regulations are off-base. At worst, they are curtailing access for medical patients who desperately need to access their medication. Laws have forced patients, adult consumers, and cannabis companies alike to jump through unnecessary hoops in order to get weed. But why?

Lawmakers have predisposed notions of what would happen if weed became legal. Unfortunately, many of the laws you see today were written by people coming from the perspective of a deeply ingrained “Reefer Madness” culture. Those in charge fear repercussions that are simply not backed by the data. When laws are developed through that lens, they are not likely to make a lot of sense.

It will take time to iron out these regulations, but someday they will be history. Fingers crossed. Here are six ridiculous, arbitrary, and damaging cannabis laws across the country.

NO RESTROOMS ALLOWED In West Hollywood, a lot of attention has been given to the country’s first open cannabis consumption lounge licensee. The Original Cannabis Cafe (previously known as Lowell Farms) has one bizarre quirk in its regulations forced by zoning. The restroom, formerly a part of the building located within the walls of the restaurant, had to be built out with a separate entrance.

The café owners told Sensi they were asked to disconnect the bathroom from the main building space.

This forces customers to exit the front door and walk around the exterior of the building to use the restroom. Before opening its doors in October 2019, the restaurant scrambled to comply with this seemingly arbitrary building requirement.

As far as zoning is concerned, cannabis consumption needs to happen in a closed space. It is all very confusing. But the first cannabis consumption licenses to get off the ground will undoubtedly have some kinks.

LIMITED LINEUP Yes, there is a medical marijuana program in New York.

No, it is not making a dent in the demand in the unlicensed market. This can be attributed to the state’s strict regulations, which make it so the only available products are items that aren’t as popular with medical patients.

Products in New York are limited to edible cannabis concentrate oil, capsules, or topicals. You can’t smoke it. Keep in mind, the allowable cannabis concentrate oil is not the same as the popular oils you’d dab with or put in a vape pen. You also can’t buy edibles that are already made with cannabis. Just capsules. New York consumers and patients do not have the option of regular ol’ flower.

This tight restriction on the products available for sale has deterred many cannabis patients, store owners, and cultivators from participating. While its medical program was enacted in 2014 by the Compassionate Care Act, the state has fewer than 30 medical dispensaries five years later.

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ENVIRONMENTALLY UNFRIENDLY All the largest markets have one unfortunate regulation in common: You cannot recycle or reuse any cannabis packaging. In Oregon, plastic childproof containers are required, but once the container is used to store cannabis, it is not allowed to be recycled, meaning all this plastic packaging ends up in landfills. The Bureau of Cannabis Control in California and Washington State laws make recycling products difficult.

Colorado does not have any language in place for the recycling of cannabis containers.

It will become a Goliath issue if these laws are not amended to make practical recycling a part of the cannabis industry. Companies want to recycle, and they want a safe and effective way to reuse the old vape cartridges that are brought back into the store. Bad news is, because of these strict state regulations, they can’t. One solution companies are finding is to begin with recycled and reclaimed plastic, like products made by Sana. An innovative company called TerraCycle offers another solution in melting down and cleaning cannabis packaging waste. But like all other industries grappling with the plastic problem, the most impactful changes will be made top-down, not at the consumer level.

NOT FIT TO PRINT Marketing regulations for the cannabis industry are a patchwork of chaos. There remain a limited number of ways that companies can advertise, and those laws vary state-by-state. Facebook and Instagram have gone out of their way to shadow ban cannabis companies, sometimes deleting the accounts of licensed, legal businesses. Google AdWords doesn’t play nicely with cannabis companies either, offering payment ad options to very few exceptions. In Colorado, you can’t advertise on billboards, on mobile, in banners, or in handout leaflets. California allows cannabis companies to advertise on billboards, but there is currently a lawsuit attempting to ban that method.

As a result of this mess, the industry has gotten creative with advertising. This very magazine is one avenue that exists without restriction, paving the way for marketing in the cannabis world.

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CASH OR… CASH States that legalize cannabis want cannabis tax money. But they don’t allow companies to have a safe way to pay their bills, pay their employees, and to store revenue. Until the SAFE Banking Act makes its way through the Senate and eventually to the desk of President Trump, there is a massive regulatory issue.

Dispensaries across the country are forced to operate as cash-only businesses—in a cash-only billion-dollar industry.

Stripe, Square, and other payment apps are cracking down not only on cannabis businesses, including CBD businesses, but on ancillary companies as well.

Hopefully a solution will be found in the SAFE Banking Act. Cannabis businesses need to be able to lean on legitimate financial institutions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lindsey Bartlett has been writing about cannabis since 2012. An advocate and 10-year medical cannabis patient, her work has been featured in Yahoo Finance, Benzinga, and The Cannabist.

MANDATORY MONOPOLY Some cannabis regulations go so far as to defy capitalism at its core. In Vermont’s medical cannabis program, for example, a registered patient must choose one—and only one—dispensary to buy from.

Patients can change their designated dispensary, but only once every 30 days, and only for a $50 fee. The cost is an access issue for many medical patients.

Another peculiar move for Vermont: while any 21plus adult can legally grow two mature and four immature plants for personal use outside in the sunshine (fenced yard, screened from public view), medical cannabis patients must grow indoors if they want to take advantage of the higher plant count available to them (seven immature).

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BOWIE ODE TO

A remembrance of our favorite Starman TEXT PATTY MALESH

O

n January 10, 2016, Daappetite for change and transformavid Bowie turned from tion was one of his most defining starman to stardust, just features. But every January, I feel a two days after his 69th bit haunted by his spirit, as if he has birthday. I comfort myself become the patron saint of self-reby thinking of his passing flection in death just as he was a as just another facet of his eternal man of it in life. evolution—as a musician, as an Bowie’s journey as a musician artist, and as an icon. After all, his was not linear nor was it safe. He

did not color between the lines.

And he did not record within them either. His artistic career was an exercise in showing the world the creature that was Bowie even as that creature morphed before our very eyes (and ears).

In memoriam, four years after Starman Bowie joined his fellow

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DAVID ROBERT JONES

(a.k.a. David Bowie) January 8, 1947–January 10, 2016

It took exactly three minutes Bowie’s musical career and 32 seconds for David Bowie spanned over 50 years. to become a superstar.

During this time, he released 27 On June 6, 1972, David Bowie studio albums, 11 live albums, 51 looked directly into the camera compilation albums, eight EPs, during his performance of “Star128 singles, 5 UK number-one Bowie was a British invader. man” on Britain’s Top of the Pops, singles, 4 soundtracks, 14 video At the height of the British Inpointed at the home audience, and albums, and 72 music videos. vasion, Bowie’s first recordings changed the image of rock and roll in 1967—with Deram records— forever. In this same appearance, he If we could recommend one tapped into that contemporary also unapologetically showcased the Bowie album, and only one, it would be Hunky Dory (1972). sound. His self-titled LP, David sexually inclusive and gender fluid In 2010, Time named Hunky Dory, Bowie, was not well received. identity of Glam Rock. Ask nearly along with The Rise and Fall of any British boomer about the most Recommended: memorable TV moment from their Ziggy Stardust, as one of its 100 “Love You Till Tuesday” (David Bowie, 1967) best albums of all time. The first youth and this is likely to be it.

“Did You Ever Have a Dream” (The Deram Anthology track, and iconic single, “Chang1966-1968) Recommended: es” introduces us to a Bowie conDavid Bowie Is (documentary film, 2013) sumed by his own desire to evolve.

Bowie wrote, but didn’t “Life on Mars,” also on Hunky release, Glam Rock’s Anthem Bowie spent the ’90s Dory, tops The Daily Telegraph’s “All the Young Dudes.” recording Industrial Pop. 2015 list of “100 Greatest Songs Written by Bowie for and recorded Earthlings (1997) is Bowie’s stronof All Time” and, in 2016, Pitchby Mott the Hoople in 1972, “All gest industrial influenced album fork named it the best song of the the Young Dudes” is #256 on Roll- thanks in part to the single “I’m 1970s. The recording featured, for ing Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of Afraid of Americans,” a timely collab- the first time, all the band memAll Time” and one of the Rock & oration with Trent Reznor of Nine bers who Bowie dubbed “The SpiRoll Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs that Inch Nails. However, Bowie made a ders From Mars” during his time Shaped Rock and Roll.” name for himself within the genre as Ziggy Stardust. several years earlier in 1992 when he recorded the title track “Real Cool World” for the techno-heavy soundtrack to the cult action/animated fantasy film Cool World. celestials, we offer up some of the lesser known and more interesting Bowie factoids that showcase the complex creativity of this captivating artist.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Patty Malesh is the managing editor of Sensi North Bay

Recommended: “Little Wonder” (Earthling, 1997) “Dead Man Walking” (Earthling, 1997)

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l Dar ing P I Z Z A , Erin Darling Torralva, creator of the podcast Hot Pizza Ass, delivers more than a good laugh.

TEXT DAWN GARCIA

PHOTO BY DINA RENEE

H

ot AF, funny AF, and unwilling to dumb herself down, Erin Darling Torralva, creator of the Hot Pizza Ass podcast, is the kind of take-me-as-Iam force of nature every woman can (and should) appreciate. Torralva is a Latina writer, comedian, actress, and no-bullshit artist who delves deep (unrelentingly so) into body image, self-love, sexual orientation, and how women are all too often marginalized in society.

The Hot Pizza Ass podcast focuses on how inspirational people work through these challenges in their everyday lives to shine their light and become who they’re meant to be in this world. In other words, it’s not cotton-candy talk. It’s blow-the-goddamn-house-down kind of talk, and Torralva’s bubbly and snarky disposition is why it’s so entertaining.

Before Hot Pizza Ass, writing was her first love.

“Growing up, I identified more as a writer than a performer. My favorite toy was a typewriter,” says Torralva. “I was always writing plays and trying to get my brother and cousins to act them out in the backyard.” In middle school, she attended a performing arts school. She loved the spotlight, but after she graduated from college, she was in an accident that gave her a concussion and left her face disfigured.

She battled a range of fears, uncertain of how her face would heal. But once she did heal, she saw life through a more daring lens. “It took me a while to feel comfortable on stage again, but then I just went for it,” she says. “You never know what tomorrow is going to bring. You might as well try everything you want to try and explore all of your curiosities and passions, so I took the leap, committed, and in the process learned how JANUARY 2020

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to believe in myself. That was also a springboard to me doing stand-up.”

Comedy comes naturally to Torralva.

Through self-deprecating content, a waggish approach, and having the knack to turn the negative into a comical positive, she approaches every part of her life with alacrity. “My hope is that I can be a positive voice by making a conscious effort to do what it takes every day.” Torralva elaborates, “It’s so easy to be negative or pulled down by the situations around you—especially if they’re stressful. We’re only human after all, but when you focus on gratitude, empathy, and being kind to yourself, you have a shot at turning it around.

It takes legitimate effort to be positive, but the effort is worth it.”

In a time where women are embodying the strength they yield as empowered and equal, Torralva owns her inner feminist and supports other women in the industry. “We [women] have to stop being competitive and stop comparing ourselves to our peer group. Go to their shows, retweet their good news, tell them when you like something they did instead of acting like you didn’t see it. And most importantly, stop

talking shit. We have enough hurdles to jump.

Let’s have each other’s backs. I’m a big believer in that.”

According to a KPMG Women’s Leadership study, 67 percent of women said they needed more support to build confidence and feel like they can be leaders.

Torralva is also a firm believer in growing your confidence and recognizing what it is that makes you want to stand tall.

“Crushing it makes me feel confident. Acquiring a new skill, committing to it, and getting really good at it,” she says.

“Whether it’s communicating with other people, sticking it out through a really tough workout, or closing in on a goal I’ve been working toward— these are the things that make me feel confident.”

Born in San Jose in the Silicon Valley, Torralva was surrounded less with the entertainment industry and more with technology. The ever-increasing influx of evolving tech gave her a curiosity to learn. The Bay Area also happens to be home to several sports franchises she’s a big fan of. “I take pride in where I’m from.

All of my favorite sports teams are still from my hometown. That will never change. I’ll always be loyal to my soil.”

“I have learned that hard work

doesn't always pay of f,

but consistent work does. I love seeing people really going for it, but

talent takes time

to develop no matter what you do or who you are.”

Being devoted to where she’s from also translates into being committed to working hard and not being afraid of taking on new challenges. “I have learned that hard work doesn’t always pay off, but consistent work does. You can work your ass off RAPID FIRE Q+A every day, put pressure on yourself, lose passion, What havenʼt you done and burn out. Or you can that you want to do?

I want a TV and film cafocus on working a cerreer. I want to write and tain amount every day, produce content that crebe dedicated with the ates opportunities for women and minorities time that you have set like me. aside for your art, trust the process, and stay If you could meet any three people who inspired. I love seeing people really going for it, inspire you, who would you choose and what but talent takes time to would you talk about? develop no matter what Jesus, George Carlin, and you do or who you are,” Audrey Hepburn. How Torralva says. “We often great would that be? Iʼd forget that because we’ve love to talk to them about making an impact. all been sold on the idea of becoming an overnight If you could give everyone in existence success. It’s so easy to one common behavior romanticize, but slow, that they actively steady, dogged perseverapplied, what would ance through obstacles, it be? frustration, and rejection Love. Simply, love. wins the race.”

One of the things that Torralva has done is take her own insecurities and flip them on their head by accepting her curves, her love of pizza, and telling everyone else to stop their inner mean-girl talk and be kinder to themselves.

That’s how her podcast Hot Pizza Ass came to be.

“I posted an Instagram photo with a piece JANUARY 2020

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of pizza on my butt. I wrote a caption about self-love and acceptance.

It read, ‘This is my body, it changes every day, and I love it.’ This was a big leap for me. I’ve struggled with eating disorders and haven’t always had the healthiest relationship with my body, so posting a photo that showed my body and announced that I was actively choosing to love it was terrifying for me. I was fearful that I would be made fun of, and judged.”

According to a study done by Dove for its Self-Esteem Project, by the time girls reach the tender age of 17, 78 percent will be unhappy with their bodies and 47 percent of girls aged 11 to 14 refuse to take part in activities that might “show their bodies in any way.” In that same study, only 4 percent of women worldwide said they consider themselves beautiful. Women’s relationship to their bodies has been one of complication, and Torralva wants to be instrumental in changing that.

Torralva admits, “I archived the photo three times after posting it.

When I finally got the courage to read some of the comments, something amazing happened.

I saw so much support.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dawn Garcia is the managing editor of Sensi Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange County.

I realized I wasn’t alone.

This feeling was relatable for so many others.

I knew it was a platform I wanted to create for

myself. If my moment of strength, talking about my insecurities, and my journey of self-love resonated with other peo-

ple, I knew interviewing people about their selflove struggles could be inspiring and helpful to a greater audience.”

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JANUARY 2020

Get Glowing It’s a new year, but there’s no need for a whole new you—just a new skincare routine to combat the havoc the harsh winter air is wreaking on your complexion.

TEXT KATHERINE ROTHMAN

When winter rolls around and the temperature drops, everyone winterizes their wardrobes, homes, and even their makeup. But people often neglect their most important shield from the icy months of winter: their skin.

Skin is the body’s natural barrier from harmful agents in the air, and it should be treated with the care it deserves.

The combination of exposure to cold, windy air outdoors and the dry heat indoors can leave skin looking scaly and blotchy.

Flaky, dry, irritated skin doesn’t have to be the norm every winter.

We enlisted the expertise of Dr. Manish H.

Shah, a boardcertified plastic surgeon with a private practice near Cherry Creek.

Follow the docapproved SOS game plan and bypass the chapped, scaly misery of the season with these smart, easy skincare switch ups.

Small tweaks to your daily skincare routine will work wonders to repair any damage winter has already ravaged and get you prepped to, ahem, face the rest of the harshest season.

Prep Your Home: The drier the air, the drier the skin.

To maximize the amount of water in the air, Shah recommends placing a humidifier in the room where you spend the

most time, which, in many cases, is the bedroom. “A cool air humidifier increases the moisture level in the air,” Shah says, helping the skin’s barrier stay hydrated. In addition, be sure the heat is kept on low or at a moderate temperature to avoid extra dryness.

Wash Your Face with Lukewarm Water: Cold winter nights can make a hot bubble bath sound appealing, but you should avoid soaking very long in water that’s toasty and steaming. Water can strip the skin of its natural oils. The hotter the bath, the more the skin loses moisture, leaving it flaky and easily cracked. “Use luke-

warm or cool water when washing your face and showering, and avoid extreme hot or cold,” Shah suggests.

“Also, keep showers at a maximum of 10 minutes, and then pat yourself dry with a towel rather than rubbing, as it will leave some water on your skin for added hydration.”

Switch Your Moisturizer: One of the most important and commonly overlooked steps is changing to a seriously hydrating moisturizer. “Look for creams, rather than lotions, that are made with ceramides and hyaluronic acid,” Shah says. Ceramides aid in the prevention of the skin’s barriJANUARY 2020

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THE LIFE

er, which is “easily broken down during the winter.”

For patients with severely chapped faces, slather on a generous amount of product, morning and night.

Exfoliate Once a Week: It’s nearly impossible to look flawless in the winter without exfoliating. Slathering on extra moisturizer will work effectively only if you get rid of the dead cells on the dermis, or top layer of your skin. Otherwise the cream will not “The sun penetrate the skin may not feel for maximum hyas strong in dration. “Because the winter cold the winter… leaves skin drybut the er than usual, the harmful flaky build-up on the surface of the UVA rays are skin causes skin to still in full appear dull,” Shah says. Exfoliating effect.” with a nonabrasive —Dr. Manish H. Shah product once or twice a week will allow moisture to penetrate the skin er, colder air calls more easily, yielding more supple for milder skin and radiant skin. products. In the winter, your skin craves more nourChange Your ishment when it’s Face Wash: The change to dri- cold out, so skip

products with alcohol or antibacterial soaps, as they tend to strip moisture from the skin.

Instead, opt for milder, soap-free products. Shah recommends changing from gel and foam cleansers to a richer milk cleanser and from a light summery moisturizer to a thicker nourishing cream.

your skin far more than a slew of expensive products.

Skimping on sleep can leave your usually rosy skin looking dull and sallow, not to mention the dark circles that will develop under your eyes. To keep your skin looking radiant, Shah recommends getting at least eight hours of sleep a night.

Sleep Easy: If you’ve been losing sleep lately, your skin will surely show it. Getting plenty of restful sleep can benefit

Keep Using Sunscreen: One of the greatest misconceptions about winter is that the sun isn’t as strong in winter,

and thus it won’t damage your skin.

“The sun may not feel as strong in the winter because the air is cold, but the harmful UVA rays are still in full effect,” Shah says.

UVA light is the main culprit responsible for longterm skin damage and premature aging of the skin.

Make sure the sunscreen you’re using protects against UVA rays, especially if you ski, snowboard, or engage in other outdoor activities for extended periods of time.

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THE LIFE RESOLUTIONS

Goals vs.

Resolutions Setting focused goals can be exactly what you need to reset.

TEXT DAWN GARCIA

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THE LIFE RESOLUTIONS

New Year’s resolutions are the thing everyone either anticipates or dreads.

The promise of resetting after a month (or three) of overeating, letting the gym membership collect ample cobwebs due to its neglect, and indulging in sweets, cannabis, alcohol, or whatever else you’re into can be what leads to the urgency of a total body, mind, soul reset.

So, does fasting for a week or promising to hit that boot camp you’ve been eyeing really translate into life-changing results? Not so much, but creating a goal and taking all the necessary steps to get there absolutely can be the difference between proclamation and action.

According to motivational speaker Brian Tracy, setting goals is mandatory if you want to see results in your life. Author of more than 70 books on subjects ranging from productivity to public speaking, Tracy

has become the resource for getting things in order— mentally, personally, and professionally. On his website (briantracy.com), Tracy lays out six steps of why setting goals is paramount to your life’s journey. “Goals help you measure success, stay motivated, keep you focused, help you beat procrastination, achieve more, and determine what you want in life. It is, therefore, the act of setting, achieving, and surpassing goals that makes living your best life possible.”

During the days when her show ruled the airwaves, Oprah introduced a concept of vision boards and manifesting the life you want.

Her advice was to create a vision board with specific goals, wants, and successes. The thought process behind making a vision board is steeped in the law of attraction; that if you manifest it, you can attract it.

While this is definitely not a prac-

tice that science will confirm as reliable and true, it caused a wave of people around the world setting specific goals and putting photos of things they wanted to attain on a board hoping to make those ideas a reality. Photos of supermodel bodies, a winning lotto ticket, your dream house, a new car, a happy family, whatever the ultimate “thing” you wanted to obtain in life, it was on that board.

To this day people are firm believers in the power of vision boards.

According to an article written by psychotherapist Amy Morin in Inc. magazine, vision boards hinder more than help. “While my anecdotal evidence shows that vision boards backfire, research also shows that focusing on attaining your goal—as opposed to the effort it will take to succeed— will increase your chances of failure.

There are a multitude of studies that show athletes, students, and mu-

sicians perform worse when they visualize themselves succeeding, as opposed to visualizing themselves going through the steps it takes to succeed.”

Morin cites a 2011 study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology that found fantasizing about an idealized future decreases the likelihood that someone will expend energy trying to turn their fantasy into a reality. “Positive thinking only works when it’s combined with positive action,” Morin writes in Inc. So why set goals versus making New Year’s resolutions?

Let’s start with the reason we all make resolutions in the first place.

Most of the time we make resolutions because we’re tired of a certain part of our lives.

We’ve made promises to ourselves to diet consistently, work out five days a week (to look like we did when we were 18 and had no stress), eat more healthily (avoid-

We make grand declarations, and we’re convinced this is the year we’ll stick with it and not quit—but sadly, studies show quitting usually happens before January ends.

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THE LIFE RESOLUTIONS

ing that trough of nachos), practice meditation (we swear we’ll do 10 to 20 minutes a day), stop falling in love with every person we meet (because, you know, Tinder), and not drink as much (because the year of drinking benders caught up to us), etcetera, etcetera. We make grand declarations, and we’re convinced this is the year we’ll stick with it and not quit—but sadly, studies show quitting usually happens before January ends. Yah,

we’re not so great at resolutions.

In an article written in Lifehack.org

by Daniel Wallen, he informs readers that 12 percent of people making resolutions will actually see them through.

In doing the math, by his estimation, roughly 156 million people will give up their resolutions long before January sees its midpoint. Wallen’s piece makes some valid points.

“You’re treating a marathon like a sprint,” Wallen warns. “Start with

something easy like committing to drinking more water that first week of the new year, and build from there.” In that same article he also reminds readers that the only way to defeat doubt is to believe in yourself.

In other words, take your time, have realistic expectations and don’t assume you can change every bad eating or workout habit instantaneously. Instead, try applying a Mister Miyagi–like mindset. Remember, the karate kid— Daniel-san—had to

wax on and wax off a whole lot before he could successfully kick the Cobra Kai’s ass. Well, until the reboot anyway.

“Habits seem to be more than behaviors—they seem to be part of who we are,” writes Julie Layton on science. howstuff works.com.

“Changing a habit is never that simple. If it were, overeaters would all be thin, alcoholics would never relapse, and everyone would be up early enough to eat a healthy breakfast before work.”

So, this month

while you faithfully commit to making changes, try setting goals instead. Once you know what you want, write down all the steps it’s going to take to make those goals a reality and start there. Lastly, don’t be in a hurry. The mindset of self-improvement is a dayby-day process and respecting that while making daily strides will lead you to being the best possible you imaginable.

Now go. Set the hell out of those goals.

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THE SCENE RECIPE

Serious Business This healthy blended concoction will get your inner strength pulsing.

TEXT NORA MOUNCE

When the consuming hubbub of the holidays finally tapers, it’s back to the grindstone of life. After a season of too many libations, Christmas cookies, and family drama, it’s easy to start the new year feeling drained. For a fast fix for mind and body, integrate this supergreen smoothie into your weekly routine.

Packed with fiber, immune-boosting vitamins, essential proteins, and medicinal CBD (optional), this smoothie is my go-to morning Rx to stay grounded throughout the workday. The CBD tincture we recommend is made with lemon balm, passionflower, and skullcap to soothe anxiety.

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JANUARY 2020

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nora Mounce is the managing editor of Sensi Emerald Triangle

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THE LIFE T R AV E L

Better in the Bahamas This Spring, United Airlines will unite Denver with Nassau—inviting you to unite with shimmering turquoise waters so bright, they can be seen from space.

TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON

Good news, jet-setters: Starting this spring, you can go lie on the white powdery beaches of the Bahamas without enduring a layover. Unit-

ed Airlines begins nonstop service between Denver International Airport and Nassau in the Bahamas beginning March 7. You know what’s

a hop, skip, and a short footbridge from Nassau, right?

Paradise Island.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I audibly sighed while typing that because

it just sounds so very nice.

Even if you weren’t aware that Paradise Island even existed, you know what it looks like almost instinc-

tively. No, not because the visuals on this page give it away, although it is a bit of a #spoileralert. Stay with me anyway. Pull out your phone or fire JANUARY 2020

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During astronaut Scott Kelly’s year aboard the International Space Station, he was captivated by the Bahamas, calling it “the most beautiful place from space.”

up your laptop, and do a quick Google Images search for “paradise.”

Powdery sand beaches dotted with palm trees and lapped by shimmering turquoise waters kissed by a golden sun. The concept of paradise conjures up a universal image of tropical escapes around the world, places where the water is so blue it seems to be illuminated from beneath the surface.

Waters so turquoise

that they make the word turquoise pale in comparison.

That’s what paradise looks like.

And that’s what Paradise Island looks like. It’s part of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, a string of 700 islands and 2,400 cays stretching over 100,000 square miles. The brilliant aquamarine waters surrounding the archipelago are so vibrant, they are one of only two

natural landmarks clearly visible from space. During astronaut Scott Kelly’s year aboard the International Space Station, he was captivated by the Bahamas, calling it “the most beautiful place from space.”

If you’ve still got your phone out, google “Bahamas seen from space,” and you’ll see what he means. Go ahead, we’ll wait…

Stunning, right?

You want to be there right now. I

know. United can’t get you there until March, but you can book your flight right now. If the thought of floating in that gemstone-hued salt-water bath isn’t reason enough to get you on the plane, we are motivated by very different things.

That’s ok; there’s more to the Caribbean-adjacent destination than can be seen from above.

Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, is located on New

Providence Island at the heart of the archipelago. It’s the 11th largest island in the Commonwealth. The aptly named Paradise Island is less than a half mile away. International travelers and locals alike are lured to Nassau by its charm, rhythms, flavors, beaches, and— worth mentioning again—some of the clearest waters in the world.

And they are never far from JANUARY 2020

EVERY DOLLAR HELPS RECOVERY While Nassau escaped the brunt of Hurricane Dorianʼs wrath, Bahamian islands of Grand Bahama and Abaco were devastated. The best way to support the relief and recovery effort is through a monetary contribution to one of the trusted partners listed on bahamas.com/relief.

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THE LIFE T R AV E L

view in Nassau.

A combination of low tidal range and shallow depths result in the stunning hues. Visibility often tops 250 feet, making this a prime spot for snorkeling with

stingrays, diving with dolphins, seeking out shipwrecks, and checking out coral reefs.

Back on land, part of Nassau’s allure is its harmonious blend of old and new. The

The candy-hued seat of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas government dates from the late 1700s.

streets are lined with a wall of pastel-hued boutiques, restaurants, and bars, offset by the Parliament, the Supreme Court, and other government offices. The result: Nassau’s distinctive

colonial-meetsmodern flair.

The island’s history is as colorful as its architecture.

The Bahamas became an independent nation within the British Commonwealth in 1973, but 200-plus years of British rule left a lasting mark on the culture. In Parliament Square, Nassau’s lawmakers still wear white wigs inside the candy-pink Georgian-style government buildings, which date from

the late 1700s. The Queen’s Staircase—65 steps carved out of the side of a limestone cliff—lead to Fort Fincastle and its 126-foot Water Tower. That’s the highest point on the island. Just imagine how much oxygen is in the air there.

While the local attractions are plentiful, perhaps the most notable is the Ardastra Gardens and Zoo—the only place in the world to see the marching flamin-

Pastel buildings line the waterfront in the capital city.

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THE LIFE T R AV E L

DIA BY THE NUMBERS

177K

PASSENGERS

The average number of people per day who take off or land in DIA

44,255

SPACES

The amount of public parking—more than 23 football fieldsʼ worth

52.38

SQUARE MILES

The amount of land the airport occupies Why swim with the dolphins when you can paddle with the pigs? Take a day trip to Big Major Cay, a.k.a. Pig Beach, and you'll be greeted by snorting bovine swimming out to greet you.

215+ DESTINATIONS

gos, which literally march on command.

You can find places to stay on Nassau, but you’ll want to consider instead the main attraction just across the way: Atlantis, Paradise Island, the lost city brought to life. Featuring five distinct properties, the most recognizable of which are the Royal Towers, Atlantis is also home to the largest open-

air marine habitat in the world. It’s also got Aquaventure, a 141-acre waterscape that includes a glasstube slide through a shark tank, a 14-acre marine mammal habitat, an incredible spa, a Tom Weiskopf–designed golf course, a huge casino, duty-free shopping, and more than 40 restaurants, Fish

by José Andres, Nobu by Nobu Matsuhisa, and

Olives by Todd English among them.

It’s pretty swanky. To balance it out, make sure you take a day trip to the nearby island to swim with the wild pigs. Trust us: the photos alone make it worth the time and cost.

United’s new service operates once a week yearround on Saturdays, except during the height of hurricane season from mid-August

The number of locations reached with nonstop flights

through late October. It’s about a five-hour flight on a Boeing 737.

It’s the first nonstop flight between Nassau and Denver, and it makes Denver the western-most stop for direct flights from the Caribbean. Un-

til the flight debuts, Denver is the third largest US market without nonstop service to the Bahamian capital.

As of press time, a Basic Economy roundtrip ticket was going for $457 for the inaugural flight.

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THE LIFE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mona Van Joseph has been predicting the potential of her clients since 2002. She is an author and columnist who hosts Psychic View Radio weekly. mona.vegas

HOROSCOPE

ANNUAL FOURCAST

The number 2020 vibes to the number four. How will that affect the coming year?

TEXT MONA VAN JOSEPH

The sum of the numbers of the last year of the decade is four. Four is the number of foundation and structure.

This is the year of establishing your legacy. Wills, trusts, inheritances, and the settling of old affairs will be a priority. The faster any pending legal issues are concluded, the better it will be for you moving forward.

This is where you leave your home each day with the vibration that things are squared away.

Do not worry about those people who haven’t taken care of their issues; just gently remind them that you are

taking care of yours.

This is not a time of preaching what you know to be right for you. Wait until you are asked for your advice. Each of us knows what’s right for us (if we are still enough to relax into our spirit).

Think of the things and people around you as treasures.

They are your foundation for the upcoming years.

This decade is ending on the vibration of setting things in order, so that means that you are establishing the energy for the next decade (beginning in 2021) with the structure of what you set in place in 2020.

Also, 2020 can be considered a “Master Year,” because of the number 22.

It resonates with the master builder, so think of large projects where the attention to detail is respected, honored, and celebrated. The number 22 is also the only master number where its digits can be multiplied or added together to reach the sum of four. Because the energy revolves around setting things in order, you will find that your awareness of what’s most important will be what attracts your attention.

Some cultures resist the number four

in the same way we avoid the number 13.

In languages such as Mandarin and Japanese, the word “four” sounds identical to the word for “death.” In this case, however, that death is not an actual ending of life; it is the end of irresponsibility. It is the freedom that comes from being disciplined enough to plan, from here, your future.

The year 2020 will be one for checking the details of everything before making any decision and not a year of shortcutting anything.

Purge away any old, unused items and sage your home on New Year’s Day

(or as close to the beginning of the month as possible).

It’s a lovely ritual to cleanse away any negativity from the previous year.

Have flat surfaces in your home become a cluttered menagerie where dust bunnies lurk?

Then it’s time to get rid of that clutter. Even those clothes that still have the tags on them could be returned or donated to an organization that helps people restart their lives.

THINK OF THE THINGS AND PEOPLE AROUND YOU AS TREASURES. THEY ARE YOUR FOUNDATION FOR THE UPCOMING DECADE.

See your individual astrology forecast for January 2020 at vegasastrology.com, and download the Dice Wisdom app to keep you focused on what’s most important to your spirit in 2020.

JANUARY 2020

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THE LIFE W H E R E C A N D I D AT E S S TA N D

The Race for POTUS It’s going to be a strange and curious ride.

TEXT DAWN GARCIA

If you have a pulse, you know we’re in the throes of a rather colorful—and heated—presidential race for 2020. It’s hard to ignore the many things happening in our nation’s political arena, so rather than focus on the chaos, let’s take a look at some of the Democratic candidates and how they stand on one particular issue: marijuana and cannabis legalization.

With 11 states that have fully legal markets and Illinois just joining the ranks, the topic of legalization is one of great debate. Looking at a breakdown done by politico.com, six Democratic candidates have a spectrum of thought on the topic. Despite believing that marijuana is a “gateway drug,” former Vice President Joe Biden supports it being downgraded to a Schedule II of the Substance Abuse Act and decriminalizing it at the federal level, though states could still prosecute its use as a

punishable offense. Indiana’s mayor of South Bend, Pete Buttigieg, is a strong supporter of legalizing, as are Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, New Jersey senator Cory Booker, Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren, and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.

“We will take executive action to de-schedule and legalize marijuana nationwide and expunge as many prior marijuana-related convictions as possible,” wrote the Sanders campaign in response to a questionnaire supplied to all presidential candidates on what executive actions they would commit to. Warren wrote on prospect.org, “I support delisting marijuana as a Schedule I drug to limit federal intervention when states have already legalized marijuana…I also support the full legalization of marijuana and restorative justice for those unjustly jailed for marijuana crimes.”

Her office confirmed that this was an endorsement of administrative de-scheduling.

Cannabis has become too big to ignore in terms of its economic impact, its health benefits as an

alternative to opioids, and its use as an agriculture necessity. From food to medicine to pet wellness to stress relief, cannabis is here to stay, and we’re well on our way to changing the stigma.

JANUARY 2020

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My Life as a Loser Your parents’ bad diets weigh heavily on how you nibble today.

TEXT JOHN LEHNDORFF

Someone in my house was always on a diet when I was growing up.

Sometimes it was my older and younger sisters who followed various diets, and sometimes it was my older and younger brothers.

My dad—an anesthesiologist who struggled with his weight—believed in burning more calories than you eat.

My mom, the former nurse, was a chronic dieter throughout her life, from the Scarsdale, South Beach, and Atkins diets to 106 D EN V ER /BOU LDE R

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the Cabbage Soup and Grapefruit ones. She was one of the very early adopters of the original Weight Watchers. More often than not, she was on the Pall-Mall-cigarette-and-black-coffee diet.

“I didn’t want to be like my mother, Nanna, with her hanging stomach,” my mom would later say. She started smoking as a teenager to control her weight and inhaled for more than 70 years.

We all got the not especially subtle message.

I was the middle child and on a diet for half of my youth. I know all the euphemisms. Chubby.

Heavy boned. Overweight (or is it under-height?). The most feared was the dreaded obese, uttered by our terrifying family pediatrician who expressed apocalyptic opinions about my weight.

Fueled by shame, Catholic guilt over failed willpower, and sublimated anger, I was well on my way to the vibrant dysfunctional relationship with food that

stack of diet-related pamphlets and cookbooks, some now dating back 70 years. I started flipping through them recently and was stunned by the absolutely idiotic—if not dangerous advice and language that now would be labeled offensive, patronizing, and misogynistic.

has inspired my best writing over the years.

I was a great student, but I got a lot more positive feedback when I lost 10 pounds than when I got straight As—even if it was the same 10 pounds I’d lost (and gained) repeatedly.

They called me “Fatso.” Under the moniker “Fitchburg Fats,” I penned a high school editorial against overweight prejudice.

In college, I became “Big John.”

Eventually that became simply “Big.” I learned to wear all black clothes because, as Mom said, “It’s slenderizing.”

One summer, I lived on tomatoes, cottage cheese, grapefruit, hardboiled eggs, and burger patties. I tried low calorie, high protein, heavy on the broth, apple cider vinegar, and artificial sweeteners from saccharin to stevia. I wanted to be a loser.

My fatness was blamed on my Sicilian heritage or my Austrian parentage. Now, with genetic testing, I blame it on my Jewish heritage too. Mostly, I blame it on bad messaging.

When my mother moved out of our family home, I grabbed a

Simply Because They Eat Too Much The oldest of the pamphlets includes some of the most truthful tips. “Overweight and Underweight” (1950) by MetLife takes a matter-of-fact approach: “Overweight people are apt to develop diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure … die younger … are poor surgical risks, and have less resistance to infection.”

The volume offered some decent advice including: “Never eat when emotionally upset or overtired. Relax or rest first.”

Reducing Without Tears The pamphlet promises we can learn “how to eat as much as you

want and lose weight” without falling into the usual diet despair: “If you follow the rules, you will not be hungry, or depressed, or irritable, or weak for one minute during your reducing program.”

“The rules” largely center around the word no. One page is a laundry list of excluded foods including no jam, raisins, soft drinks, candy, macaroni, cakes, pies, white bread, grits, corn, potatoes, drippings, lard, bacon, cheese, chocolate, fatty ham, ice cream, beer, wine, or whiskey.

According to the pamphlet, you must confess your sins. “Keep a record of the times you forgot and took sugar in coffee, just one bite of French pastry, just one cocktail.… Write all the forbidden foods you take in the Out of Bounds column.”

Allowed snacks ranged from bouillon, carrot sticks, and lemonade sweetened with saccharin to tomato juice, cantaloupe, and black coffee. Two appetite-supressing recipes are boiled beef heart and broiled smoked tongue.

JANUARY 2020

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The Reducing Cook Book and Diet Guide, published in 1951, offers some good news: “No longer is overweight just a subject for condescending humor. Today, practically everybody knows that [being] overweight threatens health and longevity.”

Three-Day Slimming with Pleasure Plan “If you’ve been hitting the calories a little too hard, you’ll be surprised how peppy and energetic a three-day rest from heavy meals will make you,” offers 1952’s “Best Diets from Good Housekeeping.”

The paperback book warns that exercise is not the answer to being overweight: “There is only one way to proper poundage: The quick way, the simple way, in fact, the only practical way to attain a pretty weight, and stay there, is to control your diet. So, don’t think you can play a few more sets of tennis, or do 50 bends a day, and take off fat.... To take off just one pound, you must walk about 36 miles or wash clothes on a washboard for 28 hours.”

If You Can Cut Out Just 50 Calories “Tempting Low-Calorie Recipes” (1956) turns to “science” to provide answers. The Cream of Celery Soup recipe includes “½ teaspoon monosodium glutamate.” In fact, flavor-enhancing MSG appears in multiple recipes, including a lamb kabob and the always-popular jellied veal loaf.

Many recipes such as Harvard beets call for saccharin, a substance that would be declared carcinogenic a decade later.

Why Be Fat When It’s So Easy to Slenderize?

“The Slenderizer Unit System Calorie Counter” (1958) proudly proclaims that it “recommends no starvation diets, no steam baths, or tiresome exercises—nor any other unpleasant experiences.”

However, it does recognize one reality: “Realize that it’s impossible to reduce your weight and at the same time freely indulge in alcoholic beverages.”

The Slenderizer includes calorie counts for a lot of foods most folks no longer consume such as Liederkranz cheese (100), gum drops (25), creamed chicken (150), chopped chipped beef (300), ladyfingers (25), fried ham (250), and banana custard (100).

JANUARY 2020

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VIRAL IN VOGUE

In the 1962 bestseller Sex and the Single Girl, a crash diet consisting of black coffee, hardboiled eggs, steak, and wine—“one bottle allowed per day”—promised weight loss of 5 lbs. in 3 days. The “Wine and Eggs” meal plan appeared in Vogue in 1977.

Men Never Get Chatty with Gals who Are Fatty The dieting artifact that made me cringe the most was “The Fat Boy’s Calorie Guide,” published in 1958. It is a treasure trove of antique insults. It offers wisdom like “Men never get chatty with gals who are fatty” and bad advice, as in: “To lose one pound, you have to take 370 steam baths.”

Under the heading “The Fat Boy’s Bartender,” the pamphlet reminds readers that “one jigger of Scotch has less calories than a glass of prune juice.”

Look at a Pound of Lard “For many and many a year, people have been inventing doodads to shake the fat off us, or to roll it off, or knead it away, or cook it out of our systems, or sweat it away,” notes the 1962 Edition Diet Handbook.

The book discourages excess eating by contemplating pig fat: “In a pound of excess human weight, there are about 3,500 calories. Look at a pound of lard.

It contains about 4,100 calories.”

One of the book’s 320-calorie lunches gives you 3 ounces liverwurst, 6 leaves lettuce, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 cup skim milk. However, it includes a warning: “Notice whether a too-light lunch leaves you faint in mid-afternoon.”

You Can’t Eat Cigarettes Under the heading of “Cigarettes and Your Appetite,” the Weight Losers Cookbook & Diet Guide (1967) offers dieters a low-cal option: “You can’t eat cigarettes, but in a pinch, they can serve as food until something better

avoid certain suggestive motions: “[Avoid] the hip-rolling act.…

This posture is vulgar as the lady throws herself about like a GradeB-Movie-Trollop-on-the-Prowl, until people fear she will become disjointed.”

Seeing these diet pamphlets and books after all these years, I’m amazed my relationship with food is not even more messed up than it is.

comes along. By smoking you can dull the pangs of hunger until you hardly knew you had an appetite … If you hold a cigarette in your fingers you can’t hold a chocolate.”

To be fair, the pamphlet notes that there is no evidence that smoking is a desirable health habit, and considerable evidence that it isn’t.

The paperback’s attitude toward women—the main target of all these volumes—is typical of the times. It recommends exercise but warns ladies to

Avoiding the Sleeping Beauty Diet However, despite how little they knew about nutrition and metabolism at the time, much of the advice remains true today. Seeing these diet pamphlets and books after all these years was like getting my 23&Me report and finding out my family is screwier than I ever imagined. Frankly, I’m amazed my relationship with food is not even more messed up than it is.

I live near Boulder, an area swarming with profoundly trim and fit adults (from age 20 to 90) who fast-walk past me on the trails and outswim me at the rec center.

I think I thought living here—instead of say, Green Bay, would inspire me, and maybe it has.

At least I’ve avoided the worst diet idea I’ve ever heard. The “Sleeping Beauty Diet,” an approach reportedly favored by Elvis Presley, pairs sedation with starvation. Dieters knock themselves out with sleeping pills and, since they’re asleep, they can’t eat.

I still need to lose 25 (or 50 or 75) pounds, and I may well let them go for all the best reasons.

I looked into the keto, Paleo, and Whole30 diets, and decided that a modified Mediterranean diet works best. I make small incremental changes I can maintain while supplanting Camembert, pie, and French fries with nonedible forms of joy. I’m a work in progress.

JANUARY 2020

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Lehndorff writes “Nibbles” for the Boulder Weekly and hosts Radio Nibbles on KGNU.

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Stuck in a Loop A loophole in Colorado law still allows school districts to deny cannabis medicine on their campuses.

TEXT LELAND RUCKER

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It’s one of those things that seems so easy but proves to be oh so difficult.

Benjamin Wann, 18, is a senior at Mountain Vista High School in Douglas County.

Diagnosed with epilepsy, he is a registered medical-marijuana patient who uses a product made from hemp oil, morning and night, to help keep seizures at bay. He also likes to keep a nasal spray (CannatolRx Rescue) handy, to stop unexpected seizures.

Call it insurance.

It’s that nasal spray that has made things difficult. CannatolRx Rescue contains a miniscule amount of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical associated with cannabis “elevation”), and it is the policy of the Douglas County School Board not to allow anything containing THC on school campuses.

It’s not that it’s illegal in the state.

Colorado passed House Bill 1373 in

early 2016, which allows a parent or designated caregiver to administer cannabis products to authorized patients on school premises. The bill was passed after a student named Jack Splitt, who used medical cannabis to curb his dystonia, and his mother, Stacey Linn, lobbied for the chance to allow Splitt, who died on Aug. 24, 2016, and other students like him to have access to their medicine at school. Splitt’s honesty and buoyant personality won the attention of lawmakers and everyone else at the Capitol, and the bill is commonly known as “Jack’s Law.” “We got some attention from folks in the cannabis industry and also (then) Rep. Jonathan Singer,” Linn says. “We were able to get an amendment to the caregivers act, which was being introduced at the time, to allow medical canna-

SUPPORT

THE SCENE

Learn more or support the Green Crayon Campaign online thegreencrayoncampaign.com

L E G A L I Z AT I O N N E W S

bis to be administered to kids at schools. That was the fi rst time in the country that happened.”

In June of 2018, legislators added an amendment, House Bill 1286, that allows school personnel and nurses to administer medical marijuana. But, like much state cannabis legislation, the bill allowed schools and districts to opt in or out. So far, only one of the 179 districts has incorporated the new law.

For its part, the Douglas County School District uses the federal definition of cannabis to disallow the THC nasal spray to be placed on its shelves— even for a just-incase situation. And since the parents are the designated caregivers, and neither could get to the school to administer the drug in time to do any good should he have a sudden seizure, it leaves Benjamin and others

like him without alternatives.

In October, school board president David Ray commended Benjamin and the family for their persistence on the issue—they have been attending meetings for more than a year—and said that the board would review the policy and put it on the November agenda. Before that meeting, the item was pulled at the behest of city attorneys, the board said, because it is dealing with another complaint filed against it concerning its cannabis policy. No date has been set for its return to the board’s agenda.

Benjamin will graduate in 2020, but the Wanns, along with the family of Marley Porter, a 14-yearold at Castle Rock Middle School who uses homemade cannabis capsules to help control her Crohn’s Disease, are not going to stop advocating for these rights in Douglas County.

The Wanns started the Green Crayon Campaign to bring awareness to the cause and pressure lawmakers to force districts to allow THC medicines to be on shelves and administered by school personnel and nurses.

They are also working with legislators to amend “Jack’s Law” during the 2020 session to force districts to obey state law as well as asking Governor Polis to sign an emergency executive order to allow medicine to be kept overnight and administered by school personnel. “The Green Crayon campaign stemmed out of needing a visual to catch the attention of our leaders and whoever we’re sending this campaign to,” says Benjamin’s mother, Amber Wann.

“It started with sending notes and crayons to the superintendent of the school.”

It appears the issue will be de-

Like much state cannabis legislation, the bill allowed schools and districts to opt in or out. So far, only one of the 179 districts has incorporated the new law.

cided by the legislature. “The governor understands the importance of access to medical cannabis for Coloradans who use these products to alleviate the symptoms of their health challenges,” a spokesperson from Polis emailed. “However, he cannot legislate or reverse legislation contemplated by the general assembly and will not act to overturn legislation through executive order. It is up to the legislature to take another look at Jack’s Law to determine how to encourage access for student patients who use medical cannabis.”

All this over keeping a state-legal bottle of medicine in a locked cabinet at a school with other medicines. School districts have too much power, Amber says. “We want to keep reminding people nationwide that we have to go to legislators and boldly demand mandatory laws.”

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THE SCENE TREND REPORT

Next Big Things The 2020 trend reports predict the colors, styles, places, and products we’ll be seeing a lot more of this year.

TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON

In the Information Age we’re living in, it’s increasingly becoming a borderless world. The lines are blurring—gender, age, season, personal or professional, conscious consumption but still consumers. We’re more connected than we’ve ever been—to information, to one another, to the planet’s pulse. We emit data. To companies, we are data. And that data tells us that there may be a lot that divides us, but there’s more that unites us.

“Every industrial revolution was catalyzed by a major technological evolution,” according to Deloitt’s first “Global Marketing Trends” report. “Today is no different. With 90 percent of the world’s data having been produced in the last two years and more than 26 billion smart devices in circulation, we are living in an era of un114 D E N V ER /BOU LDE R

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precedented technological innovation—one that has spurred the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

This is the time of year when the companies collecting and analyzing the data we put out there in hopes of capitalizing on our dollars either by influencing direct spending or capturing and monetizing our attention release their findings and predictions about what topics, colors, and styles are going to shape the year to come. The color and fashion predictions are more speculative than quantifiable, and they are coming out of disparate parts of the industry. Sure, it makes sense for a stock photography site like Shutterstock to say what colors are captivating users now; a brand of painter’s tape isn’t quite as qualified to announce 2020 home design trends. Not that it stopped FrogTape

from recruiting a celebrity interior designer to do just that.

To create their forecasts, Pinterest, Etsy, and Facebook comb through years of data, crunch a lot of numbers, and release reports filled with delightful info and insight bloggers pour over and magazines report. (Guilty!)

Pinterest determines what ideas are trending by looking at what its 320 million users around the globe are searching for.

If an idea keeps getting

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PHOTOS VIA PINTEREST

TREND REPORT

more and more searches each month and that trajectory holds steady for six months: it’s a trend.

“In a time when so much seems to divide us, these ideas represent what we share in common—from every day inspiration to the epic dreams-forsomeday stuff,” reads the Pinterest 100, is the company’s annual report, released each December, showing what’s next, with ideas across a bunch of categories, including food, home, style, beauty, health, travel, and family.

This year, Pinterest organized the trends into 10 themes that show broader cultural shifts and changes in consumer behavior.

It’s wildly interesting, made especially so by telling us just how many more searches for a particular topic trended up in global search volumes from August 2017 to July 2018 and August 2018 to July 2019.

The topics are broken into 10 defined categories. There’s “Beyond binary,” because more products and services are moving beyond gendered labels and structured options. Searches for “gender neutral names list” were up 301 percent, “gender neutral haircut” by 625 percent.

“Conscious consumption” finds that a push for more eco-friendly

BEYOND BINARY The Pinterest 100ʼs photo collage of trends in 2020

habits is changing how we live—from everyday choices to life’s biggest milestones. “Low-waste lifestyle” is up 446 percent. “Solar light crafts,” up 427 percent. “Thrift store crafts,” up 2,276 damn percent.

But that’s not even half of the biggest spike. That comes from the “90s rerun” category, where ’90s cartoons, grunge fashion, and music all captured attention. But the largest and truthfully most shocking item on the entire list is “hair scrunchie,” up 6,309 percent.

Other topics: space everything, responsible travel, re-wilding, internationally inspired, finding balance, home hub, and pampered pets.

In the coming months, don’t be surprised if you

see pieces on the benefits of sea moss, ylang ylang essential oil, art therapy, and cucumber juice in your media feeds. If you find out what bushcraft camping is, let me know.

Queries for the topic were up 1,069 percent.

Etsy takes a similar approach to Pinterest to put together its beloved trend report, looking for searches and purchases of items in categories on the rise.

It declared 2020 the “year of purpose,” predicting shoppers will be focusing on what’s important to them and what’s important to the world, making meaningful change and carefully considering their purchases.

Etsy trend expert Dayna Isom Johnson says color-blocking is hot in home decor, ’80s ensembles are

the hit style, couples coordinating coats is a rising wedding trend, pampered pets is here to stay, and bespoke beauty is the result of buyers’ attentiveness to what they’re putting on their faces and bodies. Etsy offers them bespoke options that are one of a kind.

Chartreuse is Etsy’s pick for the color of the year—a bold choice. The shade falls right in the

JANUARY 2020

SPACE EVERYTHING The Pinterest 100ʼs photo collage of trends in 2020

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dence that is expressed

by Pantone 19-4052 Classic Blue, a solid and dependable blue hue we can always rely on. Imbued with a deep resonance, Classic Blue provides an anchoring foundation. A boundless blue evocative of the vast and infinite evening sky, Classic Blue encourages us to look beyond the obvious to expand our thinking; challenging us to think more deeply, increase our perspective and open the flow of communication.”

The shade isn’t too different than Phantom Blue, a rich navy with significant depth that Shutterstock predicts to be a color on the rise in its “2020 Color Trends Report.” The company expects bold, saturated hues to dominate creative campaigns this upcoming year. By analyzing billions of pixel data from images downloaded, the report reveals which colors had the greatest

© IMAXTREE.COM

number but by instincts and the trained eyes of the world’s leading color authorities, who try to capture the mood of the moment with the selection, described

by Pantone as “a color snapshot of what we see taking place in our global culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude.”

For 2020, Pantone’s pick is Classic Blue, a timeless and enduring hue that the company asserts is elegant in its simplicity, suggestive of the sky at dusk, and its reassuring qualities “highlight our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era.”

Leatrice Esieman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, elaborated on the selection in a press statement.

“We are living in a time that requires trust and faith. It is this kind of constancy and confi-

© IMAXTREE.COM

© IMAXTREE.COM

middle of yellow and green, known for increasing energy, encouraging unconventional thinking, and evoking feelings of growth and harmony.

And, Johnson tells us, a nod to all of the ’80s neons making a comeback right now.

“It’s daring, statement-making, and unexpected—exactly what we’re all trying to embrace in the new year,” Johnson says. “I predict we’ll see this tone showing up everywhere from home goods to wardrobes. We’re already seeing shoppers jumping on the trend with searches increasing for various green tones.”

It’s starkly different than the shade the color experts at the Pantone Color Institute announced as the color of the year. Each December for the past 20 years, Pantone has released its selection of trending colors, chosen not by

© IMAXTREE.COM

TREND REPORT

growth between 2018 and 2019. Along with the dramatic blue, two other colors made the list: lush lava, a noticeably warm, fiery orange-red color that draws attention, and Aqua Menthe, a vivid cyan-tinged mint shade that conveys a playful, modern, and outgoing brand personality.

All of these hues and trends were seen on the runways for SS20, meaning top fashion designers don’t follow trends, they set them. The collections showed in the fall undoubtedly directed some of the “color of the year” declarations made by companies leading up to the start of this year—many of which came with a “back to nature” message.

The takeaway: Every shade of green inspired by nature and blues, both bold and subdued, look as great when paired with brilliant accents as they do when met with neutral hues.

JANUARY 2020

LEFT TO RIGHT Valentino / Rochas

LEFT TO RIGHT Valentino / Mark Fast

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HIGH SOCIETY

Extreme Team Building An event series born to help build relationships and foster new connections within the community, Sensi Connect brings industry partners and invited guests together for exclusive gatherings.

Area leaders and executives mingled in an elegant consumption-friendly environment where delicious libations and lively conversations flowed.

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SENSI CONNECT WHERE: BALDORIA ON THE WATER, LAKEWOOD WHEN: DEC. 3, 2019

THE SCENE HIGH SOCIETY

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MEOW WOLF DARK PALACE WHERE: NATIONAL WESTERN COMPLEX WHEN: NOV. 22–24, 2019 PHOTOS: JESS BERNSTEIN

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Into the Dark Santa Fe–based art and entertainment collective Meow Wolf took over the National Western Complex for three consecutive nights in late November, transforming the home of the Denver Stock Show into Dark Palace, a Dance Obscura. A variety of mind-bending installations from local artists, such as Audiopixel, Jon Medina, and Secret Love Collective provided the setting for the festival, which featured music from DJs such as Claude VonStroke, MK, Guy Gerber, and more. From the local Denver scene, Late Night Radio, Mass Relay, Mikey Thunder, LYFTD, NadaSound, Option4 also performed.

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BELOW: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART I

On the Calendar

Beat back the winter blues with bacon, bourbon, and brews; honor Martin Luther King Jr. at the nation’s largest march and rally; and get a pic with a bald eagle.

TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

No doubt, we’re in the thick of it—in every way. Don’t even think about hibernating. Winter on the Front Range offers the best of all worlds—there are opportunities to play, learn, and create that could keep you busy morning through midnight. Here are a few of our favorites.

Harry Potter National and the Deathly Western Stock Hallows Part 1 in Show Jan. 7–26 Concert Jan. 3–5 Boettcher Concert Hall, Denver coloradosymphony.org

National Western Complex, Denver nationalwestern.com

The film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 will be projected in HD on the big screen while the Colorado Symphony performs the full film score.

T2 Dance Project: Versatility Dance Festival Jan. 10–11 Dairy Arts Center, Boulder thedairy.org

REVolutions Dance and 3rd Law Dance/ JANUARY 2020

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TOP: T2 DANCE PROJECT BELOW LEFT: OATMEAL FEST + 5K BELOW RIGHT: ESTES PARK WINTER FEST

Martin Luther King Marade (March and Parade) Jan. 20 City Park, Denver drmartinlkingjrchc.org

The largest MLK march and rally in the US starts at the I Have a Dream

Theater will perform during two nights of the best in dance film and performance from Colorado and beyond. The companies will also offer workshops that are open to the public.

which began as a heart-health study for Quaker Oats, is followed by a 5K walk/run. This year, there will be two ninja courses, and six-time American Ninja Warrior national finalist Brian Arnold will be on hand to offer tips.

Lafayette Oatmeal Festival and 5K Walk/Run Colorado Indian Jan. 11 Market & Pioneer Elementary Southwest Art School, Lafayette Fest lafayettecolorado.com The 24th annual oatmeal breakfast,

Jan. 17–19 The Denver Mart, Denver dashevents.com

The 39th annual celebration of Native American, Southwestern, and Western arts features more than 200 juried artists,

tribal dancers in historic regalia, storytellers, and food. Capture Insta moments with a live hawk or bald eagle.

Estes Park Winter Festival Jan. 18–19 Estes Park Events Complex, Estes Park estesparkeventscomplex.com

memorial in City Park and makes its way to Civic Center Park. A program about MLK in Civic Center Park’s Greek Theater will immediately follow the Marade.

Taste of Greece Cooking Class— Winter Warmth Featuring Pastitsio Jan. 22 Assumption Greek Orthodox Cathedral Community Center, Denver Tickets on Eventbrite

Working in small groups with lots of hands-on instruction, learn how to prepare traditional Greek comfort foods like Pastitsio—baked pasta with ground meat and béchamel sauce—and then enjoy the meal you created.

Free food and beer from local breweries, a chili cook-off, silent disco, and live music from the Who Do’s, Dixie Leadfoot, and the Blues Dogs. Wait, did you say free beer?

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UllrGrass Music & Beer Festival

Bourbon & Bacon Fest

Jan. 24–26 Parfet Park and various venues, Golden ullrgrass.com/beerfestival

Jan. 25 McNichols Civic Center, Denver bourbonandbaconfest.com

Revelers dress in Viking regalia for this festival named after the Norse winter god. It features beer and cider from Colorado breweries and music from Coral Creek with Drew Emmitt and Allie Kral, FY5, Julian Davis and the Situation, and The High Road Home.

Winter Brew Fest Jan. 25 Mile High Stadium, Denver brewfestevents.com

This annual event featuring more than 100 beers and ciders from 40 breweries takes over Mile High Stadium and spills out into the parking lot, where there will be a heated

tent, live music, and food trucks.

Attendance is limited so tasting lines won’t be ridiculous.

The 27 Club—A Tragic DJ Tribute to Jimi, Janis, Onesie Pub Jim, Kurt & Amy Crawl Jan. 25 The Monkey Barrel, Denver monkeybarrelbar.com/ events

Jan. 25 Denver Tickets on Eventbrite

Icelantic’s Winter on the Rocks Jan. 31 Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre, Morrison icelanticskis.com

the ninth annual EDM show is a convergence of music, art, and community headlined by Zhu with support from They., Snbrn, Channel Tres, and DJ Cassidy.

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P R O M O T I O N A L F E AT U R E GRUVI

A Refreshing Enhancement A new line of nonalcoholic, noninfused beer and wine gives the cannabis consumer a refreshing drink without adding to the buzz.

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ne company is exploring a niche in the cannabis industry with beer and wine products that contain no cannabis or alcohol.

Denver-based Gruvi originally designed its beverage products for cannabis social consumption bars, but the appeal is much broader among cannabis consumers in general. “The relationship with cannabis started originally because we wanted to create a line of beverages that would go well with cannabis without having people experiencing double intoxication,” says Niki Sawni, founder of Gruvi. “People who consume more cannabis are more likely to consume less alcohol. But when you are in a social set-

finding out more about terpenes through real scientific process.”

Gruvi offers two low-calorie beers now—the Gruvi Weisse sour beer made with lemon peels and an IPA—and a prosecco. The brand is working on another wine and a stout beer. “There has been a sort of underground growing movement of people in general consuming less alcohol, whether it’s for health or just having a different mindset about how it affects their life,” Sawni says. “We wanted to play on that same trend, as people become healthier and more in tune to what they are putting in their body.”

Millennials are driving the trend of reduced alcohol consumption, he says. “If they are going to drink, they are going to buy higher-end alcohol or spirits or craft beer, and it will be more occasional.”

Gruvi is currently distributed throughout Colorado and sells online across the

ting, you are still going to need a social, healthy-acting beverage. That is where Gruvi comes in.”

Sawni says that when the company was designing the beverages and deciding what to create, they looked at terpene flavors that go well with cannabis. “Hops and cannabis are very similar plants. So, we wanted to use hops that were high in humulene that were very relaxing, and US. The company plans to expand to make sour beer made with lemon peels Toronto with a new brewing relationbecause cannabis is high in citrus. This beer would have the terpene limonene for ship in 2020. a complementary citrus effect.”

Terpene development is an area that has not had as much research as other cannabinoids, Sawni says. “There is an- Gruvi getgruvi.com ecdotal evidence, but I am interested in

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P R O M O T I O N A L F E AT U R E N O R T H E R N S TA N D A R D

Setting higher standards for better extracts Cleaner, better performing extracts are the goal, with an eye on more terpene development.

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orthern Standard, an 8,500-square-foot cannabis extracts company that features a lab and dispensary in Alma, Colorado, is built around an all-natural experience of oils with cannabinoids and terpenes only from the plant.

It uses no toxic solvents in its products, no foreign terpenes, no synthetic flavorings, no propylene glycol or any other additives. Helium is used to carry the terpenes from an unrefined crude matrix into a pure absolute. “Helium

is nontoxic, inert, and solutes diffuse rapidly in it,” says Jesse Owen, sales director. “This means there is less energy required for mass transfer. The less energy required to mobilize the terpenes, the more pristine the final product.”

Lab processors at Northern Standard use carbon dioxide as their cannabinoid extraction solvent, which is considered the ideal solvent by the pharmaceutical and food industries because it is safe to work with and leaves no harmful residue. “We ma-

nipulate the CO² with temperature and pressure in order to tune the polarity to best match the target compound,” Owen says. “The target compound may be a cannabinoid like CBD or THC, or it can be a highly volatile organic compound like a monoterpene or alcohol.”

The company currently offers a line of CO² full-spectrum and distillate vapes as well as edibles (chocolate bars and fruit jellies). As terpene development becomes more of the focus of oil processors in the industry, Northern Standard is poised to be one of the leaders, according to Owen. The goal now is to be able to identify each and every component within a plant’s terpene spectrum and learn how to induce those profiles with cultivation and how to reveal or rebuild them entirely with specific methods of extraction.

Northern Standard is also working on new brands of concentrates that “The target are gaining more popularity today. compound “Both sugars and diamonds are in the development phase,” Owen says. may be a “Also, we are currently developing a cannabinoid method for live plant CO² extractions. like CBD There is growing demand for conor THC, or centrates extracted from live plant it can be material. It’s not a process that has a highly been developed for CO², so naturally volatile we are curious, but beyond that we think we have an intelligent and very organic unique approach to extracting a live compound concentrate with CO².” like a The company is expanding to monoterpene California, where it has designed a or alcohol.”

10,000-square-foot state-of-the-art extraction facility and retail outlet with —Jesse Owen, construction to begin in spring 2020.

Sales Director

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THE END

Election Year is Here Preserve your sanity; there’s still a long way to go.

TEXT PAMELA HALL

November 3, 2020, is still a long way away—as of the first of the year, it’s 307 days and counting. One day at a time. This year is gonna be a wild one, friends, guaranteed to be contentious as can be. It’s far too easy to get overwhelmed by all the noise and burn out before the primaries even begin. We’ve got a long 138 D E N V ER /BOU LDE R

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road ahead of us, and the cacophony promises to grow louder and louder as the first Tuesday in November nears. Our nerves are frayed already, so if we’re not hypervigilant about protecting our mental health, they’ll be shredded long before November.

So, what do we do about it? Listen to Obama and chill. That’s the

instructions the former president gave a room full of donors last November, urging everybody to “gin up about the prospect of rallying behind whoever emerges from [the primary] process and making sure we’re hitting the ground running.”

This is a marathon, not a sprint.

Let’s pace ourselves. We need to be in it till the end.