Sensi Magazine - Denver/Boulder (April 2018)

DE N V E R // B OULDER

THE NEW NORMAL

leaf name

A

BY ANY OTHER

the

Counterculture Symbol turned Marketing Cliché

SPECIAL

ISSUE

4.2018

shaking up

T HE CAKE

Chic Wedding Desserts in 2018

bigger than

HIP-HOP

The Curmudgeon’s Guide to 420 Denver’s DIY Institution + More

Ru Johnson is Killing the Game

C2 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 1

2 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 3

4 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 5

6 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 7

8 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

ISSUE 4 // VOLUME 3 // 04.2018

contents

FEATURES

62

Bah Humbud!

Your alternative guide to 4/20.

78

GAME ON! Our newest columnist Cory Casciato takes a whack at Pickleball.

68

Music & Marijuana:

From Reefer Man to Method Man SPECIAL REPORT

A deep dive into the legacy of cannabis as a subversive influence in tunes, as well as modern acceptance.

74

Colorado’s 420 History

Honoring our favorite events.

78

Serving Up Pickleball

86

Iconography of the Fan Leaf

Truly a league of their own.

The pointy cannabis leaf, once a badge of the counterculture, may be in danger of becoming an overused marketing tool and cringe-worthy cliché in legal states.

94

Circle of Friends

68

Behind the scenes of the nationally renowned Seventh Circle Music Collective.

ISSUE

EVERY 12 Editor’s Note 18 The Buzz 26 NewsFeed

40 AroundTown

36 TasteBuds

ACTIVISM UPDATE

DITCHING CAKES

EARTH DAY

48 HighProfile

RU JOHNSON

54 LifeStyle

THE POD COUPLE

126 {SoCO}

Sensi Denver/Boulder is published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2018 SENSI MEDIA GROUP LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 9

sensi magazine ISSUE 4 VOLUME 3 4.2018

FOLLOW US

EXECUTIVE Ron Kolb

CEO, SENSI MEDIA GROUP RON.KOLB @ SENSIMAG.COM

Tae Darnell

PRESIDENT, SENSI MEDIA GROUP TAE.DARNELL @ SENSIMAG.COM

Alex Martinez

GENERAL MANAGER ALEX.MARTINEZ @ SENSIMAG.COM

EDITORIAL Stephanie Wilson

EDITOR IN CHIEF STEPHANIE.WILSON @ SENSIMAG.COM

sensimediagroup

Jake Browne

MANAGING EDITOR, DENVER/BOULDER JAKE.BROWNE @ SENSIMAG.COM

Leland Rucker

SENIOR EDITOR LELAND.RUCKER @ SENSIMAG.COM

John Lehndorff

DINING EDITOR EDIBLE.CRITIC @ SENSIMAG.COM

Randy Robinson

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR RANDY.ROBINSON @ SENSIMAG.COM

Robyn Griggs Lawrence CONTRIBUTING Ricardo Baca CONTRIBUTING WRITER

EDITOR

sensimagazine

ART & DESIGN Jennifer Tyson

DESIGN DIRECTOR JENNIFER.TYSON @ SENSIMAG.COM

Amanda Turner

DESIGNE R AMANDA @ N2PUB.COM

John “Ljfresh” Gray

HEAD OF SENSI PRODUCTIONS JOHN.GRAY @ SENSIMAG.COM

Danielle Webster

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

sensimag

BUSINESS & A DM I N IS T R AT I V E Liana Cameris PUBLISHER

LIANA.CAMERIS@SENSIMAG.COM

Amanda Patrizi

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER AMANDA.PATRIZI @ SENSIMAG.COM

Amber Orvik

CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR AMBER.ORVIK @ SENSIMAG.COM

Andre Velez

MARKETING DIRECTOR ANDRE.VELEZ @ SENSIMAG.COM

Hector Irizarry

DISTRIBUTION HECTOR @ SENSIMAG.COM

M E DI A PA RT N E R S Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy 10 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 11

editor’s

NOTE

high

HOLIDAY

This time of year, I’d usually be in training.

April in the cannabis world means a non-stop barrage of dabs and doobies akin to the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating contest, only with fewer “reversals.” The last thing you want to find yourself is a little too elevated in a sesh with friends, suddenly wondering if you’re being weird because no one is talking, then realizing it has only been a half a second and that’s how time works. In the past, I would be intentionally elevating early and often to prepare, building up a tolerance to avoid being “that guy.” It was a tough job, but someone had to smoke it.

As someone whose relationship with this breathtaking plant has changed over the years, I find myself consuming more conscientiously, using cannabis as a scalpel instead of a jack hammer.

More micro than macro dose, I’m inclined to ask what’s in a bowl before hitting it, curious about the terpenes in that strain because I’m aware of how they affect me.

Don’t get me wrong: I have nothing but respect for the iron lungs that can take down a halfgram dab without batting a red eye. All I want is the same respect in return for occasionally passing on a joint rolled in kief and filled with a couple grams of distillate to boot. No matter how you get down, this plant binds us together, and that is always worthy of celebration.

This issue gave me all the feels, starting with my old friend Cory Casciato coming on board to tackle the emerging sport of Pickleball. We primarily know each other from more geeky pursuits, like Magic: The Gathering, so I joked about him actually taking the court for a lesson.

Not only did he bust out a racket, but he did so with aplomb before suffering defeat at the hands of two retirees.

Amanda EK also graces our pages for the first time to get you the scoop on Earth Day in the Denver metro area. While 4/20 is always a blast, I know many of our readers feel a deep obligation to help preserve the planet that gives us cannabis. I hope I see some of you out and about.

Our SoCo editor Randy Robinson was on fire this month with the ultimate guide to skipping the 4/20 crowds and enjoying some solitude while everyone else fights traffic. And if you don’t know Ru Johnson, I don’t believe you, but Leland Rucker has you covered with a profile on the hip-hop magnate.

My interview with Aaron Saye floored me. As someone who documented the Denver DIY scene from behind his camera for years, he’s made the community-driven venue Seventh Circle much more than a place where bands rock out. He’ll challenge your misconceptions about the punk scene and its inclusiveness.

Happy April, everyone. I’m off to not train.

Jake Browne

MANAGING EDITOR

SENSI DENVER/ BOULDER

12 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

1906 New Highs

Merkabah Labs

Agricor Laboratories

Monte Fiore Farms

Azara

Mountain High Suckers

CHOCOL ATE

COMPLIANCE

RECREATIONAL CULTIVATION CBD EDIBLES

Baker Technologies

Mustache Dabs

Bulldog Protective Solutions

NanoSphere Health Sciences

CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT SECURITY

Cannabis Clean CLEANING

CannaRabbit COURIER

Cohen Medical Centers MEDICAL CENTERS

Colorado Cannabis Co. THC COFFEE

Concentrate Supply Co.

RECREATIONAL CONCENTRATES

CWC Soil, LLC SOIL

Denver Custom Packaging PACKAGING

Durango Cannabis Co. GENETIC INTEGRITY

EndoCanna

MEDICAL CONCENTRATES

Escape/Evolutionz

ROSIN PRESS

TRANSDERMAL

Nature’s Root

HEMP COSMETICS

Purple Monkey TEAS

Pyramid

DISTILLATES

Revered Inc. INHALERS

RiNo Supply Company CANNABIS CULTURE

Rogue Recovery AUTISM

RxCBD

CBD PET TREATS

Safe Haven Solutions ARMORED GL ASS

Sharp Solutions Courier & Consulting

THE CLEAR TM

TRANSPORTATION

Franklin Bioscience

SoHum Living Soils/ American Cannabis Company

PILLS & TABLETS

GreenHouse Payment Solutions PAYMENT PROCESSING

GreenLink Financial BANKING

Hybrid Payroll

STAFFING & HR BENEFITS

I&I Boulder

WHOLESALE CULTIVATION

L‘Eagle Services SUSTAINABILITY

Lab Society

SOIL

Source Colorado

WHOLESALE CONSULTING

Steepfuze

CBD COFFEE

Success Nutrients NUTRIENTS

Terrapin Care Station

RECREATIONAL DISPENSARY

The Clinic

SEED BANK

EXTRACTION EXPERTS & L AB SUPPLIES

Toast

Lowspark Incorporated

Verra Wellness/ Next Frontier Biosciences

DISTRIBUTION

marQaha

SUBLINGUALS & BEVERAGES

Mary Jane’s Medicinals TOPICALS

MedPharm

LIFESTYLE VAPE

ADV ISORY BOARD

TESTING L AB

CBD EXTRACTS

MINDFUL CONSUMPTION

BIOSCIENCES

Wana Brands EDIBLES

WillPower Products SPORTS NUTRITION

Witlon

PAYROLL PROCESSING sensimag.com APR I L 2018 13

Double Down ON OUR DICE AND SAUCES

12 Dice Flavors Medical 20mg THC Recreational 10mg THC 10 pieces per package

Where everything is Better Baked

BetterBakedEdibles.com 14 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

•

720.339.2477

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 15

CELEBRATE, ADVOCATE, AND ENJOY SAFELY ON THIS 420 HOLIDAY 2018 4 Mouth Watering New Flavors for 420!

RASPBERRY

SPICEY ORANGE MANGO

BUTTERSCOTCH TOFFEE

GRAPE

MOUNTAIN HIGH SUCKERS Since 2009 • MountainHighSuckers.com

16 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 17

THE NE W N O R M A L

the

buzz

we will

Rock you April 6 can't get here fast enough for Rockies fans still jazzed the team finished over .500 last season for the first time since 2010. The Friday home opener is the first chance many

Black Panther has done over a billion worldwide at the box office, Jessica Jones is crushing on Netflix, and yet you’re still cool for comics? I was once like you. Then a trip to DiNK Independent Comics & Art Expo changed everything.

Now in its third year, the vaunted independent comics expo isn’t only people swapping old issues of Batman with corny onamonapia in caption boxes.

get to see some of the improvements made in advance of the 25th anniversary of Coors Field, and not all of those upgrades are on the roster. Much like a bro with his first big paycheck, the Rockies bought a flatscreen.

Focusing on webcomics, zines, and the new school world of animation, you

Coming in at 8,369 square feet, the logo-­

can see how the art forms have adapted to engage more mature audiences

inspired scoreboard is equal to 784 sixty-inch

with stronger storylines and characters. “Bringing in over 200 local, national,

televisions, making it only 26 percent smaller

and international artists and events like the Cannabis and Comix tour, every-

than the giant Jumbotron the Dallas Cowboys

one is able to find their tribe at DiNK,” says Bonnie Graham, DiNK’s producer and program director, via email.

Programming has also extended beyond the bindings to tattoo and street art, some of DiNK’s most popular exhibits. With live art, show-only specials, and actual face time with creators, the expo feels less like an excuse to bust out cosplay and more like an intimate afternoon.

installed that people couldn't stop talking about for years. The thing is a beast. If the crack of the bat doesn't do it for you, sound upgrades have been made, as well.

For the ultimate stoner food experience,

Because it’s hard to find a comic that doesn’t pair well with cannabis, DiNK’s

try out the Apple Pie Nachos — yes, that's a

programming includes the Cannabis + Comix tour. (Full disclosure: I was a guide

thing featuring sweet tortilla chips, nacho

the first year.) The VIP package includes a tour of a dispensary and grow

cheese, and apple pie filling. Of course, some

alongside Dope Comix legend Denis Kitchen and Love and Rockets co-creator

things never change: the top item on their

Mario Hernandez, plus other elevated surprises.

prohibited item list includes "marijuana

– JAKE BROWNE

{ When } April 14-15 { Where } McNichols Civic Center Building 144 W. Colfax Ave., Denver { Tickets } $22.75-$59.95

DINKDENVER.COM

18 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

(medical or otherwise)." They kick off their initial six-game homestand against the Atlanta Braves. Play ball!

–JB

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 19

THE NE W N O R M A L

Our curious cannabis expert, LEL AND RUCKER .

the

buzz

pausing to

LEL AND’S S E N S I B I L I T I E S

CELEBRATE

As we celebrate the 420 holiday this month, I’m thankful for a lot of things.

First off, I’m so thankful I can always get cannabis if I want it. No more looking at the little bag of shake and wondering whether it will last you another week before a shipment comes in. No more “down to seeds and stems again.” In fact, no more seeds!

And I’m really thankful that I know what I’m buying is what it says it is on the label, not just a sometimes used baggie of green (or brown) plant material. Colorado cannabis is grown under supervised conditions and regulated from seed to sale, and it’s as good as any cannabis in the world.

I’m thankful that I don’t have to meet some friend-ofa-friend in a nasty-smelling apartment who makes me sit there for a half hour before handing over the product. Today, I spend a few minutes with friendly, usually knowledgeable budtenders talking about strain quality and which products are going on and off the market.

I’m thankful that the taxes we pay go to support construction for outdated rural schools, for dropout and bullying prevention programs, and for improving housing and mental health programs. Cities and counties are using some of their tax money for everything from providing college scholarships to repaving streets. None

Wholesale Handled.

Serving Medical and Recreational Flower, Trim, and Concentrates

of the money goes to syndicates or outside the country.

Last but not least, I’m so thankful to the citizens of Colorado who voted against the federal Drug War in 2012 and began this experiment. And, let’s not forget that in spite of the taxes, legal cannabis in Colorado is cheaper right now than the illegal ditch weed we used to exist on. Thank you, Colorado.

www.yoursourceco.com 20 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

720.370.3590

info@yoursourceco.com

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 21

THE NE W N O R M A L

the

buzz

a tech timeout

When I posted a meme about going to the bathroom without my phone and it received more likes than when I proposed to my fiancé, I knew we had a collective problem. I’m currently obsessed with my new OnePlus 5T device, but no matter how dope your tech is, every once in a while, you need to take a break from the pixels and engage with the living world.

Enter Thrive, the free app that helps you reduce screen time through a number of self-selected methods. Want to kill all of your notifications for an hour while you’re out for dinner? Done.

Expecting a big call from work, but don’t need that text from your mom asking if you’ve changed your air filter lately? Add your boss to the VIP list and her calls break through. The only downside?

Thrive is currently limited to the Samsung market.

For Android users, Off the Grid makes you bet how long you can go without checking your phone. Tell it how long to keep you disconnected then be prepared to pony up $1 to break early. iOS users can check out In Moment: there’s a $10 monthly fee, but it’s worth every penny for the gorgeous, minimal interface and reports on how you’re doing.

22 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

–JB

ltivation post-harvest cu Specializing in and sanitizing. facility cleaning p a no cost, us today to setu l ai em or ll ca Please site quote. no obligation on

1-866-505-0420 420Klean.com

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 23

24 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 25

{newsfeed}

by LEL AND RUCKER

MARIJUANA ACTIVISM When it comes to cannabis, Americans are passionate—and quick to change our minds.

Eventual legalization of cannabis in America seems a

and caused innocent people to commit acts of rage

certainty. Twenty-nine states now allow some form of

and violence, and most Americans believed it. National

medical marijuana. Nine of those and the District of Co-

support was virtually nil.

lumbia allow adults to possess and use it for any reason.

Marijuana made a reappearance in the mainstream

Congresspeople on both sides of the aisle, who for the

via poets like Allen Ginsberg, musicians, and bohemi-

most part have been silent on the issue for decades, are

ans, all who praised its virtues in public, with Bob

signing onto bills seeking legalization for adults and ac-

Dylan declaring in 1966 in a hit single that “everybody

cess to banking and standard business deductions for

must get stoned.” Marijuana became associated with

cannabis companies. Investors are looking to get in. Ev-

popular music as well youth protests against the Viet-

eryone, it seems, is predicting victory for marijuana.

nam War, leading President Richard Nixon to force

With so much success, it’s easy to think it’s a given.

cannabis onto the Schedule I substances list in what

I’ve written as much myself, so I got to thinking again

aide John Ehrlichman later admitted was a blatant at-

about it after reading Emily Dufton’s new book, Grass

tempt to disrupt the president’s two least-favorite

Roots: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Marijuana, which re-

minorities: black Americans and the hated hippies,

minds us that public support for cannabis legalization has

both of whom opposed his policies.

changed dramatically, especially in the 48 years since

“We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either

1970, when Congress passed the Controlled Substances

against the war or blacks, but by getting the public to

Act. Adult support for legal marijuana back then lingered

associate hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin,

below 20 percent. Today, more than 60 percent of

and criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those

Americans support cannabis legalization in every poll.

communities,” Ehrlichman told an interviewer. “Did we

“More than any other legal or illegal substance, mar-

know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”

ijuana is a drug that makes people care, that inspires

And here’s where it gets really interesting: Nixon’s de-

them to take to the streets,” author Emily Dufton

cision met with more citizen resistance than expected. In

writes in Grass Roots, which tells the stories of activists

the five years after the state of Oregon decriminalized

on both sides who have helped shape public opinion

possession and use in 1973, Alaska, Maine, Colorado, Cal-

about cannabis. “There has been nothing like it.”

ifornia, Ohio, Minnesota, South Dakota, Mississippi, New

Hemp, which is cannabis with minuscule amounts

York, North Carolina, and Nebraska followed suit. (One

of THC, was a staple industrial crop promoted by the

thing I liked about moving to Colorado in 1983 was that

founding fathers, and though Americans were using

possession was considered a civil, not criminal, offense.)

cannabis in the early 20th century, it was a mostly un-

Advocates, led by pro-cannabis lobbying organiza-

derground phenomenon. Fake news back then depict-

tions, especially the National Organization for the Re-

ed marijuana as a substance that drove children insane

form of Marijuana Laws (NORML), provided grassroots

26 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 27

support for those regional successes, and its flam-

Grass Roots: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Marijuana,

by Emily Dufton is now available on Amazon, Google Books, and other retailers.

boyant director, Keith Stroup, made national inroads that reached all the way into the Jimmy Carter White House, who won the presidency in 1976 on a platform that included decriminalization at the state level. The public seemed to be seriously waking to the possibilities of legalization at the state level.

Then the whole movement unraveled. There is still debate over what took place at a 1977 holiday party that

wake of the Peter Bourne scandal and nationwide

included 400 supporters, including Stroup and Carter

coverage of the connections between paraphernalia

chief drug policy advisor Peter Bourne. Whatever hap-

and kids’ rising marijuana use,” Dufton writes, “parent

pened (did Bourne use marijuana or cocaine or not?),

activists turned their eyes to the nation’s capital in

the fallout, especially after revelations that he had pre-

1978, right when the city was becoming increasingly

scribed barbiturates for a colleague under an assumed

sympathetic to their cause.”

name, he was swept from the White House, and Stroup

At one point, more than 1500 citizen groups were

was ousted from NORML (he’s back again these days).

active against paraphernalia stores and “head shops”

At the same time, local citizens’ groups, outraged by

around the country. The final blow came when Ronald

the growing, unregulated paraphernalia market that

Reagan won the presidency in 1980, and his wife, Nancy,

they claimed was making major profits by marketing

co-opted the parents’ movement into her “Just Say No”

smoking accessories to children, began to organize

campaign. What public support there had been for le-

and contact legislators. It was the perfect storm. “In the

galization evaporated for more than a decade.

DONT BE VICTIMIZED BY BURGLARY OR ARMED ROBBERY

OUR LAMINATES ARE BURGLAR, BLAST, CHEMICAL, BURN, AND BULLET RESISTANT Safe Haven is the only licensed and certified installer of Clear Armor LLC products which are being utilized by government agencies, schools, police departments etc.

Glass is the weakest part of your building and cameras only work when there's power. Our products work 24/7. Harden your building, empower your people.

STEVE JOHNSON | 480-689-7871 steve@myshsinc.com | www.myshsinc.com 28 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 29

Today, LEGALIZ ATION is so much farther along than it was in the 1970s, with businesses, voters, and lawmakers all lining up behind the (at least) 50 MILLION AMERICAN C ANNABIS USERS .

Activists began getting traction in the late 1990s by emphasizing what we were learning about cannabis’

many people still against legalization, even in states where it’s legal.

medical qualities, the growing number of Americans in-

Possession arrests have plummeted in legal states

carcerated for using or selling cannabis, and the reali-

while teen use, crime, and impaired driving are statis-

zation that though whites and blacks used it at about

tically stable, but blacks are still arrested at a higher

the same rates, many more blacks were being arrested

rate than whites for cannabis offenses. “Legalization

and imprisoned. California, followed by a host of other

has raised questions about the effects of commercial-

states, allowed its citizens to use marijuana for certain

ization and business interests in a newly legal market-

medical conditions in 1996.

place,” Dufton notes. “And most importantly, about its

Today, legalization is so much farther along than it

ability to alter the racial dichotomy of drug arrests.”

was in the 1970s, with businesses, voters, and law-

I’m not suggesting that legalization is going to fail.

makers all lining up behind the (at least) 50 million

But Americans are not known for patience, and if voters

American cannabis users. But as there were back then,

notice, for instance, increased rates of adolescent drug

there are active parental groups in open opposition.

use, they could still change their minds. It’s not likely, but

The best-known, Smart Approaches to Marijuana, calls

in the long run, legalization is not really up to the whims

cannabis today’s “Big Tobacco” out to hook vulnerable

of Jeff Sessions as much as it is the whims of public

Americans. And though a majority support it, there are

opinion. Let’s hope we don’t change our minds again.

GOLDEN MEDS DISP ENSARIES "Home Of The Top Shelf" EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE - VERY COMPETITIVE PRICING ONE OF THE BIGGEST EDIBLE & CONCENTRATE SELECTIONS IN THE STATE HUGE GLASS/ACCESSORY INVENTORY

Be sure to come check out our daily deals!

GOLDEN MEDS

720.386.4665 30 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

www.goldenmedscolorado.com

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 31

{crossroads}

by RICARDO BACA

WE HAVE LIFTOFF On celebrating cannabis, the tamer of a captive mind.

I loved long flights when I was younger. I was ob-

It can get to be a lot—unless, I’ve found, you have a

sessed with the sheer spectacle of modern flight, and

head full of cannabis when you’re boarding the plane.

I even looked forward to those monster, double-digit

I’ll never forget my first time flying high. I was wrapping

treks to Asia and Australia, perhaps misapplying the ad-

my last day at a weed business conference in San Francis-

age of the journey being as important as the destination.

co when I remembered the edibles stash in my backpack,

But I’ve lost most of that awe at 40, when even the

the one I wasn’t planning on flying home with (because

two-and-a-half hours commuter flight is something I

that’s illegal, dear friend). After a quick assessment of my

don’t generally look forward to. The shrinking seats,

near future—BARTing to the airport, grabbing food, flying

the germy everything, the recycled air, the incessant

three hours home to Denver and Light Railing to the city

subconscious marketing and the travelers who inex-

from the airport—I saw the opportunity ahead.

plicably still don’t understand the best way to store their roller bags in the overhead compartment.

32 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

No driving. No heavy machinery. No real responsibility for the foreseeable future.

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 33

And that flight was fucking fantastic. From an unprecedented deep-dive into my iPhone’s psyche to

cisco Bay and landing a few hours later in the Colorado Rockies.

organizing the busy work week ahead to going cov-

And that’s one of marijuana’s wonders, right? Its

er-to-cover on the mediocre in-flight magazine star-

ability to temporarily reset some our mind’s settings

ing at me from the seat-back pocket, I was that awe-

back to its childhood defaults.

struck little kid again—finding pleasure in what was in front of me, ignoring my neighbor in the center aisle,

Thank goodness for it, because sometimes my adult mind resents being held captive.

appreciating the complimentary Canada Dry (and ask-

It’s pretty much the same if I’m sitting in an airplane,

ing for the whole can) and legitimately dumbfounded

a corporate-sponsored rock show or a movie theater. I’m

at the immensity of what all these random people and

getting something out of that

I were doing at that very moment.

Hundreds of people, in a giant metal machine, flying! So much fuel, sigh. But still, lifting off like some magical dragon from the San Fran-

34 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

experience, sure, but I’m also paying a business

for a service—and I’m being marketed to in the process.

moment to be thankful.

And that construct of me paying you so that you can then

Thankful I’m not driving cross-country. Thankful for

advertise further to me when I’m most captive can be

the singular views. Thankful for the quiet baby in

tough to stomach, even for a lifelong journalist who just

the row in front of me. Thankful that air travel remains

opened his own full-service agency.

mostly affordable. Thankful for the tucked-in hygiene

That movie trailer before the main feature. Those

of the beefcake in the center seat. Thankful for modern

Rold Gold pretzels tucked inside the United Airlines nap-

conveniences. Thankful the guy in front of me didn’t

kin. The sponsored content you’re inevitably absorbing

recline his seat while I was writing this column. And

at the big rock show or professional sporting event.

thankful for cannabis, which helps tame my aging brain

It can be a lot, which is why I’m thankful for the respite cannabis provides when my mind is in that prison of captivity-induced anxiety.

in the dreadfully captive situations I dislike the most.

So here’s to getting lifted before you lift off, friends.

Because even though your body is about to be restrict-

When I’m sitting in the movie theater ever-so-slight-

ed to an ever-shrinking seat, the doors to your mind’s

ly lifted, I remember the excitement of the film trailers

subconsciousness are already flung wide open—leav-

and view them as entertainment instead of advertis-

ing your anxieties and other baggage out of sight while

ing. At the rock show, I forget that I’m sitting

amplifying your ability to focus on what matters most.

inside the Pepsi Center and I enjoy the light show. In the airplane, I look out at the Sierras, the gradient blue sky, the checkerboards of houses and the dense forest lands below and take a

RICARDO B ACA is a veteran journalist, thought leader, and founder of The Cannabist. His content agency Grasslands works primarily with businesses and individuals in the cannabis and hemp industries on thought leadership, publicity, and marketing projects via thoughtful, personalized content campaigns.

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 35

{tastebuds}

by JOHN LEHNDORFF

VOW AND WOW Colorado couples toss out the wedding dessert rulebook.

Like most aspects of weddings, the tiered cake is

seen doughnut walls, pies, and liquid nitrogen ice cream

really about sex, not dessert. In ancient Rome, mar-

stations in the summer. Live food stations provide a fo-

riages weren’t official until the groom broke a barley

cal point at the reception,” Hoekman says.

cake over the bride’s head to assure fertility. Thank the

“One fun thing is having dessert tables featuring the

Victorians for the iconic all-white wedding cake that

favorite desserts from the grandmothers,” she said,

symbolizes chastity.

along with mini-desserts such as pie pops and small

Some of Colorado’s millennial couples are happily ig-

portions of strawberry shortcake.

noring nuptial traditions and skipping the wedding cake

When there is a cake, it tends to be over the top.

entirely in favor of pies, doughnuts, and liquid nitrogen

“There are a lot more show-stopper presentations like

ice cream. Others pick wedding cakes that are anything

hanging the cake from the ceiling. Hoekman says.

but traditional. It’s not surprising coming from 20-

She noted a recent cake covered in white fondant

somethings who propose with a ring hidden inside an

that was rolled away in the back to reveal a layer of

avocado. They toast with—drumroll, please—avoca-

comic strips painted on underneath. “You can get cus-

do toast.

tom cake (or pie) toppers that are exact replicas of the

Denver-area bakers, caterers, and consultants agree that a new generation of wedding guests expect to be

bride and groom as a much more personal keepsake,” Hoekman says.

wowed by the sweet grand finale.

A Hashtagable Wedding Dessert “The Millennials really want to make a statement.

They want the dessert to be hashtagable and Pinnable,” says Ileen Hoekman, owner of Colorado Springsbased Once Upon a Wedding Events.

“Not doing cake is where the real fun is now. We’ve 36 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

Here Comes the Pie “We get calls from couples that want something homey, especially for outdoor weddings,” says Kini Christie, owner of My Mom’s Pies in Niwot.

Christie recalled a formal reception at a country club where the mood was subdued. “When we served the pie, the room came alive. Pie makes people really hap-

# D o s:

# # # # # # # # #' ts: #D on # # # #

MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY. Liquid nitrogen creates a visual “wow” for elevated guests.

GO LIGHT ON THE THC.

PUT GRANDMA TO WORK. She can take a day off driving Uber.

Uncle Rich can only dance for so many hours.

GET MARRIED AT A DONUT SHOP. It’s a $20,000

investment in you, boo.

GET A BORING OLD CAKE. It’s 2018 and we’re all trying to reduce the carbs.

–JB

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 37

py,” she says. The couple often cuts a larger fancy pie

freezing and fire aspects. People take a lot of pictures,”

while guests get “palm” pies or 3-inch pies to enjoy or

he says. Their showstopper is artisan truffles “float-

take home.

ing” in midair atop super-chilled magnets.

“We can design fancy artistic crusts. One couple wanted yin/yang symbols decorating the top crust.

Tender Feeding or Face Smooshing?

Another bride chose scenes from an aspen forest - a

While couples choose alternative desserts, many

cabin, a squirrel and the couple’s initials carved on a

still follow wedding cake rituals. “They share the first

tree,” she shares.

scoop of ice cream together or they cut the doughnut

Before there were cakes, the early English served guests Bride’s Pye filled with lamb testicles, sweet-

together,” explains Ileen Hoekman of Once Upon a Wedding Events.

breads, oysters, and spices. My Mom’s Pie sticks to

She said that 99 percent of her couples take the

peach, blueberry, cherry, and other fruit fillings. Special

tender and sweet approach to feeding each other. “It

THE MILLENNIALS REALLY

WANT TO MAKE A

STATEMENT.

&

THEY WANT THE DESSERT TO BE

HASHTAGABLE

PINNABLE

.

wedding pie requests have included family recipes.

# # # # # #

can take two or three hours for brides to do her hair

“One family’s butterscotch meringue pie recipe had

and makeup. They don’t want it smeared. More adven-

been handed down for generations,” she explains.

turous couples do smoosh it in each other’s face be-

Christie commissions potters to inscribe pie plates

cause that’s true to who they are,” Hoekman says.

with the couple’s names.

Wedding cakes and Colorado are unfortunately linked in the nation’s mind as the US Supreme Court

Fire, Ice, and Steampunk Couples approach Ian Kleinman and Stacey Klein-

prepares to rule in the case of a Lakewood bakery that refused to make a wedding cake for a gay couple.

man, owners of the Denver’s Inventing Room Dessert

In season, cake artist Jennifer Noelani Akina works

Shop, looking for something safe. The steampunk-in-

on upwards of 20 wedding cakes a week at Denver’s

spired shop is famous for liquid nitrogen ice cream and

Azucar Bakery. “Why would I care about who you

toppings derived from molecular gastronomy experi-

choose to love? I’m an artist. I’m here to spread the

ments.

love,” she says.

“They want stuff to be real visual, something the

Many of the cakes she bakes are far removed from

guests will remember,” says Ian Kleinman. One popu-

the standard white frosted model. Akina’s elaborately

lar choice is a wine sorbet station. “People bring bot-

decorated cakes include some spectacular ones that

tles of wine, and we turn it into wine sorbet.”

look like cracked open geodes.

Another favorite is crème brûlée ice cream. “It’s got 38 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

Best known for its anatomically correct bachelor-

# # # # # #

ette cakes, Denver’s Le Bakery Sensual also designs out-ofthe-ordinary wedding sweets. “I’ve sculpted a cake mountain with the couple skiing down it. Another had the couple inside a replica of the groom’s collectible car,” says bakery owner John Spotz. One of the shop’s most eye-catching designs is a skulltopped cake inscribed with the slogan: “Till death do us part.”

Caution Comes with Infused Desserts Irie Wedding and Events can provide brides with bouquets of roses and sativa buds and wedding guests with a bud bar with cannabis options chosen by the bride and groom.

While the cake can be infused with THC distillate, Kelly doesn’t recommend it. “I tell couples: ‘Not all of your 150 guests may wish to partake. Infused cupcakes make it easier to measure the dose,’” says Madlyne Kelly, co-owner of Irie with Bec Koop.

Couples who consult with Irie aren’t traditionalists. “They are more avant-garde. Instead of cake we’ve seen mini ice cream sandwiches, s’mores, a hot cocoa bar, and pies and cobblers,” she shares.

“They drop the cake cutting and garter tossing. The desserts come out later after people have had a chance to visit the bud bar and dance. It’s almost like a midnight munchie,” Kelly said.

I Do Love Doughnuts Voodoo Doughnut, the Denver location of the legendary Portland bakery, supplies extra-large doughnut wedding “cakes” as well as hole-y pastries for nuptial doughnut walls, said Kara Knickerbocker, office manager for the 24/7 shop on Colfax Avenue.

More adventurous couples actually get married at Voodoo which hosts ceremonies in the store for up to 40 people. “We have several people on staff who are legal officiants. You just need to bring the license,” Knickerbocker says.

The folks in line for treats of their own become part of the ceremony as witnesses. “We stop the sales line for a few minutes to do the vows,” she says.

Participants have dressed in everything from wedding gowns to Star Wars costumes and matching doughnut-themed clothing.

Voodoo’s namesake person-shaped doughnuts with a pretzel stake through the heart are repurposed as bride and groom doughnuts. “We decorate them to match eye and hair color and details on the dress,” Knickerbocker says.

Best of all, the newly wedded bride and groom are toasted with fresh doughnuts.

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 39

{aroundtown}

by AMANDA E.K.

40 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

EARTH DAY Colorado is host to dozens of Earth Day events to inspire residents to get out and take that extra step to start or maintain conscious environmental lifestyles.

With so much beauty and natural resources, many Coloradans treat Earth Day on April 22, which falls on a Sunday this year, like a veritable statewide birthday bash in honor of the planet.

there are thousands of environmental groups across the world making efforts to impact our planet.

Whether your interests are gardening, protesting, recycling, or trail beautification, there’s an activity

The first Earth Day launched in 1970 in response to

suited for anyone who wants to get out and make a

the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California

difference. For example, Boulder is host to the Earth

by Gaylord Nelson, the U.S Senator from Wisconsin at

Day Birthday Party, featuring demonstrations of

the time, to force environmental protection onto the

earth-friendly products, along with activities for the

national political agenda. The event brought together

whole family. Or, for those wanting to be more hands-

20 million Americans—Democrats and Republicans,

on, Boulder also offers the Earth Day Recycling Chal-

rich and poor, tycoons and labor leaders—in support

lenge at the Capital One Cafe on Pearl Street.

of a common passion for the health of the Earth. This

Throughout the Denver/Boulder region, there are a

event led to the creation of the Environmental Protec-

number of Earth Day events where you can show your

tion Agency, and another Earth Day campaign in 1990

love for our local parks, mountains, lakes, and all the

when the event went global for the first time. Today

land connecting them. Read on for more info. sensimag.com APR I L 2018 41

COLORADO EARTH DAY CELEBRATION Like many Coloradans, the Sierra Club views every day as Earth Day. Founded in 1892, this national group of over 24,000 members and volunteers empowers individuals to explore, enjoy, and protect the planet’s wild places. This April, the club puts on the annual Colorado Earth Day in Denver, as part of its mission to build true, sustained movements and to act quickly and locally when health and the environmental issues are on the line. This Earth Day, the Sierra Club pledges to continue the fight for clean air, water, and healthy communities for all.

Colorado Earth Day is a free fair for the public, with demonstrations, entertainment, food trucks, and more fun happenings, all in the name of sustainability. There’s yoga, live music and performances, a beer garden, tabling opportunities, and guest speakers, as well as thousands of motivated individuals looking to make a difference. Last year’s gathering drew more than 13,000 attendees down to the capitol, and the Sierra Club is hoping to build on that momentum at a critical time for environmental activism. More info: SIERRACLUB.ORG/COLORADO/EARTHDAY When: Sat., April 21// 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (tentatively) Where: 200 E. Colfax Ave., Denver WILD EARTH WEEKEND Wild Earth Weekend is brought to life by Nederland’s Wild Bear Nature Center, the only all-ages nonprofit nature center in Boulder County since 1995. The event began as Wild Earth Day, created in partnership with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in 2001 as a way to

EARTH DAY

WAS RENAMED OFFICIALLY

BY THE UN IN 2009 AS

INTERNATIONAL

MOTHER EARTH DAY.

PLEASE, DON’T ASK WHY

W E DON’T A LS O CELEB RA TE

INTERNATIONAL

FA T HER

EARTH DAY.

42 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

TREAT YOURSELF TO Completely Clean Cannabis

Instant Infusions and More!

Infuse, homogenize, or extract in seconds.

Because when you know, you know better.

Use the SpeedMixer platform to customize concentrates, create nano products, infuse all the things, degas, emulsify, extract, whip, and innovate faster than ever before.

See for yourself. Contact us for a free onsite demo today.

Named “Best Overall Dispensary in Colorado” by Leafly (2017) Voted “Best Dispensary” by Cannabist Readers (2018) 380 Quivas Street, Denver, CO 80223 (303) 825-0497 www.LeagleDenver.com

www.SpeedMixer.com

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 43

celebrate Earth Day and involve the regional community in learning about sustainable practices and the planet.

The staff and volunteers at Wild Bear Nature Center offer this event as a gift to the Earth, providing free-to-the-public, hands-on nature activities alongside leaders in the environmental field. Visitors to the nature center can participate in crafts and music, enjoy performances and puppet shows about the planet, and visit booths with activities about the natural world and how we can leave a lighter footprint. Past activities WHETHER YOUR INTERESTS ARE

GARDENING PROTESTING

, ,

RECYCLING

,

OR TRAIL BEAUTIFICATION,

THERE’S AN ACTIVITY

SUITED FOR ANYONE WHO

WANTS TO GET OUT AND

MAKE A DIFFERENCE . have included meeting live birds of prey, going on a scavenger hunt for prizes, and learning about wildlife, plants, bees, climate, and the importance of food as medicine. Everyone is encouraged to carpool, walk, ride their bike, or take public transit to Wild Earth Weekend.

In line with its desire to daily inspire others to take care of the earth, Wild Bear Nature Center is open almost throughout the year so visitors can engage with its exhibits about mountain nature.

When: Sat., April 21 & Sun., April 22 // Noon-5 p.m.

Where: Wild Bear Nature Center, 20 Lakeview Dr., Nederland EARTH DAY CELEBRATION The city of Lakewood is the site of another of the region’s Earth Day celebrations, inviting the community out fora free event celebrating sustainability at the Lakewood Heritage Center.

Spend the day learning how to create habits that benefit the environment. The lineup features free demonstrations on beekeeping, seed starting, and composting, as well as eco-shopping opportunities showcasing products, services, and resources to help attendees find ways to improve their relationship with the planet. Between seminars, catch performances by youth poets from the Denver nonprofit Art from Ashes and music by various local artists. There’s also fitness activities happening every hour, plus a free bike valet, a climbing wall, interactive art, good eats, and a beer garden with local brews. This is a chance to get out and

44 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 45

celebrate your community while learning how to take a larger role in protecting its natural resources.

When: Sat., April 21// 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Where: Lakewood Heritage Center 801 S. Yarrow St., Lakewood MARCH FOR SCIENCE The March for Science is a grassroots, all volunteerorganized event, intended as an expression of a passion for science and a call to support and safeguard the scientific community. As stated on the march’s website, recent policy suggestions and changes have heightened the concerns among scientists, and the incredible and immediate outpouring of support has made clear that these concerns are also shared by countless people around the world.

The group believes that mischaracterization of science as a partisan issue is a critical and urgent matter that too often allows policymakers to reject the overwhelming evidence. The March for Science—while non-partisan—is openly political in its call for peer-reviewed evidence-based policy, and is a time for people who support scientific research, science education, and evidence-based policies to take a public stand and be counted.

You can show your support at this year’s March for Science, which will end with an informative “teach-in” at Civic Center Park, put on by scientists and educators for students of all ages starting at 10 am. While there, you can meet staff members of Colorado’s Nature Conservatory and learn how to be a supporter and defender of the environment all year long.

Attendees are encouraged to arrive at the park at 8:30 a.m.. Musicians and speakers begin at 9 a.m., and the march begins at 10 a.m.

When: Sat., April 14 // 8:30 a.m.

Where: Civic Center Park 101 W. 14th Ave. Parkway, Denver AMANDA is the editor-in-chief of Denver’s Suspect Press literary magazine, and she’s a member of the Knife Brothers writing group, a small collective of short fiction writers. You can find her work in Suspect Press, Birdy, Jersey Devil Press, and at yubikwetes.wordpress. com where she writes creative nonfiction vignettes.

46 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 47

{highprofile}

by LELAND RUCKER

48 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

SHE GETS IT Ru Johnson and her Roux Black brand start seeing the larger picture.

Anybody who follows Denver hip-hop knows Ru. An indomitable presence, persistent cheerleader, writer,

and then, ‘Hello, real life. That’s not how any of it is going to work.’”

provocateur, mover and shaker, Ru Johnson has been

Always politically driven, Johnson got her feet wet

promoting rap talent and concerts for more than a de-

interning in the offices of progressive icon Eric Schnei-

cade. And anybody who knows Ru or her company, Roux

derman when he was a New York state senator and

Black, also knows that she is always looking ahead.

then under New York Gov. David Paterson. When one

I caught up with Johnson one crisp February morn-

of her mentors suggested she move to Denver, she

ing, where she was giving a talk to Professor Storm

followed through, working on the unsuccessful 2006

Gloor’s “Music Cities” class on the Auraria campus on

Referendum I campaign, which would have estab-

the topic of “How to Kill the Game 101.” She’s already

lished domestic partnerships, and she began to learn

warned me via text that she is nursing a “gnarly hang-

even more about herself.

over,” but it doesn’t seem to affect her lecture. The

“I’ve always been good at organizing people, places,

class is attentive, with students asking a lot of ques-

and things, and identifying the parts that put those

tions about the Denver club scene and the music busi-

things together. People just follow me,” she says. “It’s

ness in general. Johnson is alternately animated, fun-

weird. I’m a good listener and a symbolism enthusiast,

ny, thoughtful, and reflective during her hour-long talk

so I kind of understand what people are saying when

and a conversation over coffee afterward.

they don’t say it.”

Growing up, she never thought her life would turn

Her other major crush is, of course, music, and she

out this way, she says. Johnson was born and raised in

got heavily involved in the Denver hip-hop scene, es-

North Carolina and had rather normal dreams of going

pecially after she began writing, starting at Westword

to college and becoming a lawyer, a Christian minister,

beginning in 2009 and moving to The Denver Post three

or maybe even an epidemiologist. “But then I kind of

years later—two jobs for which she says she is eter-

got radicalized by the craziness of the world,” she says

nally grateful, offering praise for the editors who helped

with a knowing smile. “I was going to go to law school,

her hone her voice. “Music has always been a thing sensimag.com APR I L 2018 49

that gets me, you know,” she says. “At Westword, Dave

promoters like AEG and Live Nation. “I am a power broker

Herrera took me from being anonymous and afraid of

and a content strategist,” she says.. “When I get into the

my talent to a real writer. And Ricardo Baca at The Den-

project, you are asking me to identify the upswing of

ver Post took me from being this scrappy person cov-

influence and figure out how to exploit it.”

ering underground hip-hop and made me a professional writer.”

{QUICK HITS}

WITH RU:

Roux Black’s biggest client this year is the National Cannabis Festival being held April 21 in Washington, DC. It’s expected to bring more than 15,000 advocates and business owners together to spend a day celebrating cannabis in RFK Stadium with Cypress Hill and a host of DC rap bands. She’s working with organizers to create, distribute, and audit content related to the

FAVORITE PODCAST RIGHT NOW

festival. “We’ll do live content work and make sure so-

Life is Dope with Graffiti and Davey

cials are cracking.”

VACATION YOU'D DO AGAIN

The south of France, my favorite little city Antibes BEST DENVER MIXTAPE

During her lecture, Johnson mentioned that cannabis legalization in Colorado provided a huge boost to the hip-hop scene in Denver, bringing musicians and acts from out of state and helping to promote local

Pacman!

ones. Although she tried cannabis in high school or col-

FAVORITE ACCESSORY

she hit the Front Range. “I started smoking weed when

Nivea lotion with almond oil FAVORITE INSTAGRAM

lege, she was never that much of an enthusiast until I moved to Boulder—I kid you not. My relationship with cannabis is comfort and stability and consistency.

Drake. Everything Drake. @CHAMPAGNEPAPI

I always know it’s there.”

FAVORITE WRITER NO ONE HAS HEARD OF

hopes to integrate her two great passions by helping

Lorenzo Asher LEAST FAVORITE INGESTION METHOD

To be honest, edibles are not my favorite. They knock me out, or I'll forget I ate them and agree to go to church with someone or something.

Beginning with the NCF and moving forward, she raise awareness about cannabis legal reform, focusing on expunging the criminal records of cannabis offenders arrested and/or incarcerated before it became legal.

It’s a problem that legal states, including California and Colorado, are just beginning to recognize and deal with.

Johnson says she knows too many people for whom a simple marijuana arrest derailed their lives, making it harder to get credit, buy or rent a home, or get a job.

She entertained thoughts of creating her own com-

Despite more or less equal usage rates, blacks are still

pany, but it wasn’t until 2012 that the Roux Black

more likely to be arrested than whites for cannabis-re-

brand became a reality. “I went to The Denver Post

lated offenses. “I want to talk about real-life reform,”

knowing that Roux Black was turning into something

she says, “about all the lives that have been impacted

and that eventually, I was going to have to phase my

by prohibition and make that part of music festivals

way out of that.”

around the country. That’s the long term, and that’s

Roux Black started with a big roster of local hip-hop artists but has pivoted to include concert strategy, and Johnson now works regularly with concert venues and

50 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

where we’re going. That’s how it all comes together for me. We have to free them all.”

Johnson has no regular outlets these days, so she

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 51

“I WANT TO TALK ABOUT REAL - LIFE REFORM, ABOUT ALL THE LIVES AFFECTED BY PROHIBITION …

WE HAVE TO FREE THEM ALL.”

confines her writing only to topics she considers important. “If Kanye West stops and spits on a photographer, I’m not going to write about that,” she says. “But if you want to talk about the historical examples and trends of marijuana branding in hip-hop, I care about that. If you want to talk about venues and access and resources and advocacy as it relates to the music business in this community, I care about that.”

Johnson says she still elevates socially, but she admits that the best time is when she’s all alone at home, reading or watching TV. “I like to say I like to smoke weed and watch Anderson Cooper ... even the reruns.”

52 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 53

{lifestyle}

by JAKE BROWNE

THE POD COUPLE Abdullah Saeed and David Bienenstock put smoke in the air and knowledge in our ears.

When Abdullah Saeed (you may know him as the former

culture and I’m honestly a little afraid of our outlaw his-

host of Viceland’s Bong Appétit hit or from HBO’s High

tory being erased as we move into legalization. I think

Maintenance series) and David Bienenstock (author of

it’s really important to tell these stories and I think people

How to Smoke Pot (Properly) ) and former High Times

are kind of hungry, whether you’ve been a part of weed

editor) teamed up to create the Great Moments In Weed

culture the whole time and you want to make sure that

History podcast, it immediately became one of the top

you know your own history or a lot of new people com-

cannabis shows on iTunes. Featuring ace reporting, a

ing in are fascinated and want to know these stories.

great rapport between the hosts, and plenty of joint ash flying, each hour-long podcast makes you feel like you’re

SENSI : YOU OPEN WITH WILLIE NELSON. IS THIS

in the smoke-filled room with them. I chatted with Bi-

MOSTLY GOING TO FOCUS ON US HISTORY OR ARE

enenstock, a.k.a. Bean, about outlaw culture, his podcast

YOU GOING TO TACKLE WORLD HISTORY? HOW

inspirations, and which of Oprah’s mentors you’d never

FAR DOWN THE WORMHOLE DO YOU GUYS GO?

guess used cannabis.

BEAN : We have 10,000 years of confirmed human use

to play with. The further you go back in history, the less SENSI : HOW DID YOU AND ABDULL AH MEET?

well recorded it is, but I can tell you we have one story

DAVID “BEAN” BIENENSTOCK : I put out an e-book called

already recorded that’s more than 2,000 years old that’s

Legalized It that collected a lot of my High Times report-

pretty well documented and fascinating. We have stories

ing, and he saw that and reached out. He’d been writing

from Africa, the Caribbean, South America, so trying to

the Weediquette column over at Vice already, and we just

be as global as we can, trying to mix up the time frames

started talking on the phone a bit and hit it off. We’ve

as much as we can, trying to come at this from all differ-

been working together and helping each other out for

ent angles.

four or five years at this point.

SENSI : ARE YOU ACTIVELY SEEKING TIPS SENSI : AND WHAT WAS THE GENESIS

FOR NEW STORIES FROM YOUR AUDIENCE?

OF THE PODCAST CONCEPT?

HOW INTERACTIVE IS YOUR PROCESS?

BEAN : We tried a few different approaches and even

BEAN : I’m getting great feedback on the show, and I’m

did some reporting, and this just clicked. We both love

getting the occasional suggestion, so I think we’re taking

history, in addition to, obviously, both loving cannabis

the title as widely interpreted as we can. So if somebody

and caring a lot about it. When we listened back to stuff

can convince me that even something that happened to

we recorded that was the best stuff, the most interest-

them personally is a great moment in weed history, I’m

ing, the funniest. I know there’s so many stories in this

open to it. There’s so many stories to choose from that I

54 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

Listen to Great Moments in Weed History on iTunes or GREATMOMENTSINWEEDHISTORY.COM

“CONVINCE ME that

something happening to you PERSONALLY is a great moment in weed history. I’M OPEN TO IT.”

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 55

feel lucky to be very selective. But I would love the idea

BEAN : Yeah, that was the reaction I was hoping for. It’s

of listener suggestion for stories for us to explore.

somebody that is very, very well-known and renowned but most people don’t understand that cannabis played

SENSI : WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE PODCASTS?

a really key role in her life. She wrote about it in one of her

BEAN : The gateway podcast for me was WTF with

books and we really delve into the details of that story.

Marc Maron. I think that that’s a fascinating show, and

My idea of the show expanded because it was a great

what’s great about it is it made me see the value of long-

moment in her history, of her life, and that to me is still a

form audio. That’s where I really fell in love with the idea

great moment in weed history and worth celebrating.

that you’re going to settle in for an hour and give your full attention to something, and that’s how I understood the

SENSI : HOW HAVE YOU GUYS STRENGTHENED

power of the medium. And since then, you know what,

YOUR RELATIONSHIP OR LEARNED ABOUT

I’m going to scroll through my ...

EACH OTHER SITTING DOWN AND HAVING

SENSI : YEAH, PULL UP THE APP!

THIS HOUR-LONG CONVERSATION?

BEAN : I will say that I like Weed Week, just to shout out a

BEAN : A lot of the work I do as a writer is done alone,

colleague and a cannabis one that’s pretty new. There are

and I enjoy it and think of it as a conversation with peo-

these guys, Savage Henry, up in Humboldt. They’re a hu-

ple, but ultimately, it’s a solitary job. The other thing we

mor magazine right from the middle of Humboldt County.

realized is we just love to make each other laugh. We

They’re amazing. If you’ve never had a chance to go up

have that vibe already, you know? We’ll grab something

there and chill, it’s a little slice of Humboldt you can listen

to eat after recording and we’re still just trying to make

to. I thought Slow Burn about Watergate was great and

each other laugh and talking obsessively about weed.

obviously super timely, and we’re big Dan Carlin fans.

SENSI : WHAT WAS ABDULLAH’S BIGGEST SENSI : I WAS ABOUT TO SAY: YOU BETTER HAVE

“MIND BLOWN” REACTION?

SOME HARDCORE HISTORY IN THERE.

BE AN : You know a certain amount of a story until you

BEAN : Yeah, we haven’t had any guests yet, but there’s

start digging into the details and the context. So what’s

a huge open invitation for Dan Carlin to come and burn

been kind of fun is taking him through the stories from

one with us and record a podcast anytime.

that sort of general idea of what might have happened, “OK, Willie Nelson smoked a joint on the roof of the White

SENSI : WHAT’S THE BEST STRAIN TO SMOKE

House” to who brought him up there, how did it happen,

WHILE LISTENING TO YOUR PODCAST?

what was going on that day at the White House. But also,

BEAN : Maybe we’ll have a strain pairing for each epi-

Willie Nelson’s whole life with cannabis. We don’t just fo-

sode. We’ll do episode one, Willie Nelson smoked a joint

cus on exactly the one moment. We talked about the first

on the roof of the White House, that was the ‘70s, so I

time he ever smoked in a bar in West Texas in 1954.

would say if you can get something [that’s] a real heavy sativa. Now, we’re speculating on this, but I would say

SENSI : YOUR FUNDING THE PODCAST THROUGH THE

Willie Nelson had access to the finest available. And that

PATREON MODEL, A MEMBERSHIP PLATFORM FOR

was the era of imported sativas. I say get yourself some

SUBSCRIPTION CONTENT SERVICES. WHAT ARE SOME

Acapulco Gold if you can still find it, that might be a good

OF THE BONUSES OR EXCLUSIVES THAT YOUR

pairing for episode one. Hard to find, but still around.

OFFERING TO PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THE SHOW? BEAN : We’re going to do online hangouts where we’ll be

SENSI : DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR HIGHLIGHT

seshing and you can jump on those, and we’re going to

OR SURPRISE IN THE FIRST FEW EPISODES?

put out some exclusive content. For higher levels, we have

Yeah, episode two is about Maya Angelou.

a lighter you can get or a copy of my book How to Smoke

SENSI : OH!

Pot Properly, so those are the biggest premiums.

56 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 57

58 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 59

Our mission is to create equal access and economic empowerment for cannabis businesses, their patients, and the communities most affected by the war on drugs.

DEVELOPING A nationwide network of cannabis business owners within a variety of disciplines, including ancillary businesses ADVOCATING For creation and fair enforcement of sensible, equitable policies ACCELERATING Increased cannabis industry growth by ensuring patient and consumer access to the most people SERVING As a voice for the minority population with programs that foster opportunity, education, and equality

Visit us at MinorityCannabis.org to join the movement today!

memberships@minoritycannabis.org @MinCannBusAssoc

60 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

@MinorityCannabis

@MCIA.org

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 61

GUIDE A CURMUDGEON ’S

: TO 420 BAH, HUMBUD !

by RANDY ROBINSON

I T D I D N ’ T A L W A Y S U S E D T O B E T H I S W AY.

SOME OF US R E M E M B E R

SIMPLER

D AY S W H E N A P R I L 20 W A S A P R I V A T E M O M E N T S H A R E D B E T W E E N F R I E N D S B E H I N D C L O S E D D O O R S . A T I M E W H E N E D I B L E S C A M E I N O N L Y O N E F L AVO R — B R O W N I E — A N D WE BAKED THEM OURSELVES. A TIME WHEN WE SPENT HOURS DRIVING FROM HOUSE T O H O U S E , U P H I L L B O T H W A Y S T H R O U G H T H E S N O W, M A K I N G N I C E W I T H C O M P L E T E STRANGERS WHO KNEW A GUY WHO KNEW A GUY WHO KNEW ANOTHER GUY WHO COULD D E F I N I T E L Y S C O R E U S A F A T D I M E B A G O F C R U S T Y B R I C K W E E D. 62 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

Okay, maybe those times sucked. Things are much better now. And while legalization is one of our generation’s greatest feats, some of you may feel like 420 has become a bit … saturated. Overdone. Kaput.

Or, in my case, old news.

Before legalization, I spent my 420s in Boulder rather than Denver. Back then, Northern Colorado hosted two gargantuan April 20 rallies: while the grown-ups frolicked in Civic Center Park, younger crowds descended on the University of Colorado-Boulder’s Norlin Quad, converting the pristine campus into a fevered orgy of hula hoops, hemp jewelry, and skunky smoke.

Then, in 2012, the university’s regents decided to dump dead fish bits on the school’s lawns to deter us reprobates. That was the first year I started going to Denver’s 4/20 Rally, an annual pilgrimage that swelled to immense proportions once the state went legal.

And it hasn’t stopped. Golden Goat has, in some sense, become the new Golden Calf.

Yet, for some of us, cannabis isn’t life; it’s just another part of life. Yet, still, for others like myself, cannabis is an everyday affair, so 420 doesn’t tickle our tenderloins the way it used to. No matter: this is the Denver area, and 420 falls on a fucking Friday this year (woo hoo!).

That means lots of events to hit up that have nothing to do with weed. However, expect some herbal clouds anywhere where you go. This is Colorado, after all.

for the Nerds Although Comic-Con is the best-known name when it comes to geek conventions, Denver is home to over a dozen smaller gatherings of like-minded weebs

DETOURS

FOR THOSE DOING THE 420 IF YOU’RE READING THIS ISSUE SENSI, THERE’S A CHANCE YOU PICKED IT UP AT ONE OF THE

CANNABIS -THEMED EVENTS ON GOING DOWN THE THIRD WEEKEND IN APRIL. IF YOU’VE HAD YOUR FILL OF THE HIGH HOLIDAY HOOPLA, HERE ARE SOME OTHER THINGS YOU COULD CHECK OUT AROUND TOWN.

Ai Weiwei’s Animal Head Statues If you’re in Civic Center Park on 420, take a moment to swing by the fountains. There, you’ll find 12 sculpted animal heads mounted on poles. Each head represents an aspect of the Chinese Zodiac as envisioned by China’s most (in)famous upstart artist, Ai Weiwei. Weiwei spent nearly seven years behind bars in Beijing for simply expressing himself, keep that in mind while you’re surrounded by tens of thousands of potheads openly blazing in defiance of governmental regulation.

Denver Spring Wine Festival If you’re feeling hungover after 420, cure it with some hair-ofthe-dog—a dog named Pinot Noir, anyway. Taking place along Denver’s “Green Mile,” the dispensary-dense stretch of South Broadway, the wine fest starts its sippers off with 15 wine tasting tickets, food and drink specials, and even a wine giveaway in case the tastings weren’t enough.

LI’L DEVILS LOUNGE {CHECK - IN LOCATION} 255 S. Broadway, Denver April 21, 4 p.m.–6 p.m. // (303) 733-1156

and dweebatrons. (Fret not, dear readers, for I am one of your slouchy brethren.) StarFest, which draws thousands of guests every year, caters to sci-fi fanat-

ware: you’ll probably swap out the scent of sativa for

ics, so break out your Starfleet Academy jackets and

plumes of smoke floating from cloves.

lightsabers, and go to town—downtown, that is.

STARFEST AT MARRIOT DTC

SUMMIT MUSIC HALL 1902 Blake St., Denver

4900 S. Syracuse St., Denver

April 20, 7 p.m. // (303) 487-0111

April 20-22, 9 a.m. // (303) 777-6800

THESUMMITMUSICHALL.COM // TICKETS: $26-28, VIP $75

STARFESTDENVER.COM // TICKETS: $15-75

for the Nic Fit

for those Gother Than Thou

Although Boulder no longer permits mass 420 gath-

Before we coined the term EDM, there was EBM, or

erings at the University of Colorado, the mountain

electronic body music. EBM, the dancier version of

town still throws a banging party. But for a chiller,

industrial rock, combines aspects of 80s synthwave

lower-key affair, check out Cigarettes After Sex, a

pop with the darker elements of gothic punk. On the

shoegaze group hailing from—of all places—El Paso,

evening of 420, the pioneers of Europe’s EBM scene,

Texas. You may have heard them featured in the hit

Front 242, will perform to gaggles of spikey-haired,

Hulu show The Handmaid’s Tale or USA’s The Sinner.

heavily mascaraed pseudo-Scythians. But buyer be-

If you’re a fan of Mazzy Star, you’ll likely dig Cigarettes sensimag.com APR I L 2018 63

After Sex’s “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby.” Give it a listen if you haven’t already.

FOX THEATRE 1135 13th St., Boulder April 20, 8:30 p.m. // (720) 645-2467 FOXTHEATRE.COM // TICKETS: $20-22

for the Giggle Fit What better way for cannabis curmudgeons to spend 420 than with the King of Comedic Curmudgery himself, Lewis Black? Black, who became famous as The

Daily Show ’s answer to Andy Rooney, is one of the few living stand-up acts that can deliver a punchline while veritably foaming at the mouth. Although Black’s

The Joke’s on US Tour will certainly have a zinger or two written just for Colorado’s tokers, expect a most of his cracks to be directed at the media, politicians, and, well, Americans in general. If we can’t laugh at ourselves, who can we laugh at?

for the Bookworms Cannabis legalization got one of its earliest starts from the Beat Movement of the 1950s and 60s, a school of thought led by American poets, novelists, and other visionary artistes. The leaders of this movement—Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and Neal Cassady—laid the foundations for the subsequent psychedelic counterculture movement that popularized weed to a nation of squares. Fittingly, they did it right here in Denver, too.

For a historical self-guided tour, swing by My Brother’s Bar and Confluence Park, both located on 15th Street, which were favorite hangout spots for Denver’s beat figures. Kerouac wrote about the Sonny Lawson Baseball Field at 23rd and Welton Street in his classic tome On the Road, and Cassady was known to frequent the dives around Larimer Square.

However, many of the spots on the City of Denver’s “Beat Legacy Itinerary” reside in downtown Denver.

To avoid the heaviest 420 traffic, literary enthusiasts can skip town to head to the Allen Ginsberg Library

PARAMOUNT THEATRE

in Boulder. Or better yet, avoid the crowds altogether

1621 Glenarm Pl., Denver

by making a trip to Central City’s Opera House—40

April 20 & 21, 8 p.m. // (303) 623-0106 LEWISBLACK.COM // TICKETS: $75

64 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

miles west of Denver—another locale detailed in Kerouac’s On the Road .

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 65

for the Jazz Hands

marry marijuana, and some of its most stellar charac-

Today, cannabis is married to hip-hop and rock and roll,

ters—Josephine Baker, Louis Armstrong, Duke Elling-

the two homegrown American musical genres that

ton, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk, to name a

adopted our favorite flower as a dual act of unity and

few—found inspiration from rippin’ roaches at the

rebellion. But jazz was our first music community to

height of Reefer Madness. Unsurprisingly, the jazz age heavily influenced the Beat Movement as well.

On 420, two events will celebrate jazz in the Denver area. In the morning, the Denver Jazz Ladies will throw down some tunes at Dazzle. In the evening, Colombian-born Edmar Castañeda will change the way you forever hear jazz by masterfully playing the harp with his band in Lakewood. Can ya dig it, hepcats?

DENVER JAZZ LADIES {FREE TO THE PUBLIC }

Dazzle 1512 Curtis St., Denver April 20, 11 a.m. // (303) 839-5100 DAZZLEJAZZ.COM

EDMAR CASTAÑEDA TRIO Lakewood Cultural Center 470 S. Allison Pkwy., Lakewood April 20, 7:30-9:15 p.m. // (303) 987-7845 LAKEWOOD.ORG/CULTURALCENTER

66 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 67

MUSIC & MARIJUANA The Muse: From REEFER MAN to METHOD MAN

#thenewnormal

by LELAND RUCKER

Where there's MUSIC, there's often CANNABIS. GANJA AND SONG SEEM TO CROSS ALL BORDERS. TODAY MORE THAN EVER. THE OCTOGENARIAN COUNTRY ICON WILLIE NELSON (“ROLL ME UP AND SMOKE ME WHEN I DIE”) IS PEDDLING HIS BRANDED WILLIE’S RESERVE STRAINS JUST AS HE DOES HIS ALBUMS. YOU CAN PICK UP A COUPLE GRAMS OF KHALIFA KUSH TO ENJOY ALONGSIDE THE LATEST WIZ KHALIFA RECORD, AND SNOOP DOGG AND THE CHILDREN OF BOB MARLEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN BRANDS. EVEN COUNTRY SUPERSTAR TOBY KEITH, THE BIG DOG DADDY HIMS E L F , L A S T F A L L R E L E A S E D “ W A C K Y T O B A C C Y ,” A N O T - S O - S U B T L E W E E D E N D O R S E M E N T .

68 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

It’s really no secret. Musicians love marijuana. Always have. I have spoken with many of them about it over the years. Some love to perform while under the influence, others only for composing, and many like to do both. As guitarist and oud master Neil Haverstick, who uses it for creativity, puts it: “I surprise myself. And that is the key word: surprise. I am often able to create new shapes, patterns, something that did not previously exist. And I assure you that, for many artists, that's the greatest moment of all—the moment of discovery.”

Or as Louis Armstrong, and we’ll get back to him in a bit, told his biographer, “We always looked at pot as a sort of medicine, a cheap drunk and with much better thoughts than one that’s full of liquor.”

Not surprisingly, it’s not only musicians. Many people who listen to music like it even better after a little ele-

REGGAE {&}CANNABIS FOR MOST LISTENERS, REGGAE AND CANNABIS ARE A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN. Even more than jazz or rock or hip-hop, reggae music has always been associated with marijuana, mostly because of its association with Rastafari, a loosely defined religion and social movement developed in Jamaica in the 1930s that celebrates a god named Jah who lives inside humans. Many Rastas believe that Haile Selassie, the Ethiopian emperor from 1930-1974, was the reincarnation of God on earth.

More importantly in this context, Rastas consider cannabis as a sacrament. Its most famous musical disciple was Bob Marley, an ardent Rasta who became an international musical star and celebrity, who talked openly about his marijuana use and was often pictured with a large spliff between his fingers.

Americans caught onto the music in the 1970s, and there were plenty of ready/steady musicians on the island to accommodate the growing taste for the music. Reggae today is considered world music and still almost perfect for enjoying with cannabis.

–LR

vation. And if you don’t, you know somebody who does.

Keith’s “Wacky Tobaccy” represents perhaps the

We smoke it and it reminds us of different things.

complete mainstreamization of marijuana songs, and

We remember the miracles of the world.

the most recent example of how music about can-

We remember those far and near.

nabis has always reflected the culture in which it is

We remember.

created. Here’s a guy who’s as all-American as they come, who’s known for his patriotic songs, and on the

The Jazz Age: Vipers and Reefer Men

video for “Wacky,” Keith and his boys are grinnin’ and

Perhaps the first popular song to be upfront about

tokin’ on the tour bus just like Snoop or Dr. Dre or Un-

cannabis in the United States was “Have You Ever

cle Willie Nelson (who appears in the video) might.

Met That Funny Reefer Man?” The tune, a.k.a. “The

You can bake it in some brownies, smoke it through a bong

Reefer Man,” ostensibly about a guy, obviously stoned,

Roll up a great big fat one like ol’ Cheech and Chong

who “trades dimes for nickels and calls watermelons

Burn it through a hole in a can of Budweiser

pickles,” was performed by Cab Calloway in the 1933

If you can't take the heat, son, vaporizer.

film “International House” and is still popular. Like-

Before Recording: The Smoking of Dagga

wise, jazz violinist Stuff Smith, playing off the Harlem term for a pot user, had a regional hit with his

It hasn’t always been out in the open like that. Be-

“You’se a Viper,” in 1936, and it became perhaps the

fore sound could be recorded, there are, of course, no

best-known cannabis song after pianist Fats Waller

concrete examples of pot songs. But to imagine that

became the first of many to record it in 1943.

marijuana was first used by musicians after they

What we know of the connection of jazz and can-

started recording in the last 100 years sounds pretty

nabis in that period comes at least in part from the

unrealistic, right?

autobiography of Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, a white

We know there was music for the Parisian elite

clarinetist better known for his pot dealing during

that included Charles Baudelaire and Alexandre Du-

the 1930s than for his own musical prowess. Mez-

mas, who came to Club des Hashischins for séances

zrow was an odd fellow who considered himself a

and hashish experiments. Cannabis historian Chris

black man, even getting himself placed in the black

Bennett has found written records of dervish sects

prison ward after being arrested in 1937. But his writ-

and African tribes with music dedicated to hashish.

ing about how cannabis was intertwined with jazz

A 1913 report, “The smoking of dagga (Indian hemp)

reached far beyond his own generation.

among the native races of South Africa and the resul-

Mezzrow’s book included passages like this one,

tant evils,” included a cannabis smoking song of the

recounting a dancing woman at a party: “The rhythm

Besotho people who settled there:

really had this queen; her eyes almost jumped out of sensimag.com APR I L 2018 69

their sockets and the cords in her neck stood out stiff and hard like ropes.”

Lyrics like “The Reefer Man” and comments like that also drew the attention of Harry Anslinger, who, upon being appointed director of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics in 1930, began waging a campaign of arrests and disinformation against cannabis that lasted several decades. By all accounts a nasty piece of work, Anslinger peddled the cockamamie story that jazz musicians on marijuana were creating extra beats in the music that were making listeners, like the Mezzrow woman depicted above, go crazy. As silly as this seems today, Anslinger was able to use it to harass black musicians, especially those who flouted him.

Then there was Louie Armstrong, who began using it in the 1920s and whose affinity for the plant became legendary. Though busted a couple of times, he somehow escaped Anslinger’s wrath—I even found a clip of him joking about getting high while a contestant on the 1960s TV quiz show What’s My Line?.

“That’s one reason why we appreciated pot, as y’all calls it now. The warmth it always brought forth from the other person—especially the ones that lit up a good stick of that shuzzit or gage, nice names,” Armstrong once said. Anyone who has shared a joint at a concert with the stranger next to you surely can appreciate exactly what Armstrong was talking about.

But relatively speaking, during World War II and beyond there were few references to cannabis in popular song. General public acceptance for cannabis was at a low. But jazz culture, and Mezzrow’s book, caught the attention of others, like influential poet Allen Ginsberg, writer Jack Kerouac, and others of the socalled Beat Generation, who picked up on his language and style, which they found wasn’t that different from their fledging, marijuana-influenced writings.

The 1960s and Beyond: Everybody Must Get Stoned Perhaps the most important beneficiary of the Beats was Robert Zimmerman, who changed his name to Bob Dylan after moving to New York in 1961 and became close friends with Allen Ginsberg soon afterwards. (That’s Ginsberg hanging in the alleyway behind Dylan in his iconic video for “Subterranean Homesick Blues.”) One early song, “Mr. Tambourine Man,” seemed to many listeners to be about someone under the influence (“Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin’ ship/My senses have been stripped, my hands can’t feel to grip/My toes too numb to step”), especially after it became a massive hit for the Byrds in the summer of 1965.

Less than a year later, his own single, “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35,” with its leering, wheezing horn chorus screaming “everybody must get stoned,” reached No. 2 on the US charts, which, not surprisingly, most listeners took as an appeal to indulge. Interestingly enough, neither song mentions cannabis, but both were immediately and have been forever associated with it.

The floodgates opened, and as the youth counterculture embraced rock and roll as its music of choice, those musicians began writing and recording songs about cannabis. For anyone growing up then, there seemed to be a tune for every situation. Anyone growing up back then knew exactly what Commander Cody was talking about when he sang about being down to “Seeds and Stems Again,” or what an “Illegal Smile,” as described by folkie John Prine, looked like in the mirror. High-end strains like Panama Red and Acapulco Gold were celebrated in song, and titles like “Don’t Bogart That Joint” became buzzwords.

Country star Merle Haggard even penned a reaction to the hippies’ cultural dominance, and “Okie From Muskogee” (“a place where even squares can have a ball”) became a monster hit in 1969. Most listeners never realized that the song’s point of view was written tongue-in-cheek by Haggard, a user himself, who in 70 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

2015 wrote and sang, with Willie Nelson, “It’s All Going to Pot.”

{high-minded}MEDLEYS JAZZ //Compiled by LELAND RUCKER 1 “Have You Ever Seen the Funny Reefer Man,” Cab Calloway and his Orchestra 2 “You’se a Viper,” Fats Waller 3 “When I Get Low I Get High,” Chick Webb & His Orchestra 4 “Here Comes The Man with the Jive,” Stuff Smith & his Onyx Club Boys 5 “Wacky Dust,” Ella Fitzgerald & the Chick Webb Orchestra REGGAE

Compiled by JOHN LJFRESH GRAY 1. “Easy Skanking,” Bob Marley 2. “Smoke Two Joints,” Sublime 3. “Come Around,” Collie Buddz 4. “Police in Helicopter,” John Holt 5. “Unda Mi Sensi,” Barrington Levy

HIP-HOP

Compiled by JOHN LJFRESH GRAY 1. “I Got 5 On It,” Luniz 2. “The Weed Song,” Bone Thugs ‘N’ Harmony 3. “The Recipe,” Kendrick Lamar 4. “Mary Jane,” Rick James 5. “Blueberry Yum Yum,” Ludacris

ROCK AND ROLL //Compiled by LELAND RUCKER 1 “Planet of Weed,” Fountains of Wayne 2 “One Toke Over the Line,” Brewer & Shipley 3 “Seeds and Stems (Again),” Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen 4 “Illegal Smile,” John Prine 5 “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35,” Bob Dylan Nelson is his own story, and except for perhaps Bob Marley, the most iconic marijuana character of all time. He worked the outside fringes of the country music industry for a couple of decades, living off a couple of standards he wrote while his career went nowhere, before finally chucking Nashville for Austin, where he hooked up with a nascent batch of other similarly minded, former Nashville has-beens and wanna-bes like Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson who became known as leaders of the Outlaw movement.

Today, at 84, Nelson is arguably the best-known musician espousing the new normal, a common-sense voice for cannabis, seniors, and sensible drug laws. As he puts it, marijuana won’t kill you “unless you let a bale of it fall on you.”

Hip-Hop: Snoop, Wiz, and Cypress Hill With the ascendance of hip-hop as the dominant music form in the US, marijuana made the complete transition to the mainstream. Before hip-hop, there was always the wink and the clever turn of phrase to alert those in the know to what was going on. That went totally out the door with hip-hop. Using the relatively new medium of video—which debuted on MTV in 1981—hip-hop musicians ran with it. By the early 1990s, everybody was hitting the blunts and the bongs and celebrating the wicked weed in song and rhyme, all in front of the camera. Rappers and reefer became synonymous.

Wiz Khalifa, Snoop Dogg, Method Man and bands like Cypress Hill built their songs, recordings and live shows around cannabis use. That hasn’t stopped, and today rappers who deny cannabis use are in the minority. The smell of cannabis can be detected at nearly every live music event—trance and EDM to country—especially in states where cannabis is legal. “Wacky Tobaccy” rules. The reefer man has become the method man. Cannabis and music have finally come full circle, and perhaps we have reached a time when they are just indicative of #thenewnormal.

“It has a lot to do with calming the nerves,” good old Louie Armstrong once said, “which makes the creative juices flow a little easier.” Snoop Dogg adds, “It makes me feel the way I need to feel.” May it ever be so.

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 71

72 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 73

P I R4/20 74 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

Pouring out some BONG WATER for some of Colorado’s celebrations that went UP IN SMOKE.

COLORADO’S WELL-EARNED REPUTATION AS

the place to be in April

IS OWED TO MANY PIONEERS THAT WERE WILLING TO STAND UP, SMOKE OUT, AND BE

TICKETED IN THE NAME OF MOVING FORWARD THE CONVERSATION ON CANNABIS. THEN AGAIN, SOME WERE MASSIVE COMMERCIAL PRODUCTIONS THAT MET THEIR OWN UNT I M E L Y D E M I S E S . W I T H T H E W O R L D F A M O U S 4/20 R A L L Y A T C I V I C C E N T E R P A R K F I N A L LY GETTING THE BOOT FROM THE CITY OF DENVER, HERE’S A MEMORIAL FOR MANY OF T H E P L A C E S W E G A T H E R E D U N D E R A C L O U D O F S M O K E A S T H E C L O C K S T U C K 4:20.

The 4/20 Rally {1996-2017} Civic Center Park

CU Boulder {1997–2012} Farrand Field, Norlin Quad

Founded in 1996 by pot proponent and self-pro-

In what became one of the largest study groups ever

claimed agitator Ken Gorman, this free speech rally

assembled on campus, the CU smokeout became leg-

started from humble roots as members of the med-

endary for the large plume of smoke that would rise

ical cannabis community engaged in civil disobedi-

from the field at 4:20 on April 20. According to a West-

ence by lighting up on the steps of the capitol. When

word interview with NORML@CU executive director

Gorman was murdered in 2007—a case that remains

Alex Douglas, the whole thing began in 1997 when a

open to this day­—fellow activist Miguel Lopez took

local business passed out flyers saying Farrand Field

over and fashioned it into the more modern festival it

was the place to meet. This continued until the uni-

became for years, which organizers claimed attract-

versity had a brilliant idea: get rid of said field. Stu-

ed a crowd of 125,000 at its peak. Far from perfect, the

dents simply moved on to the Norlin Quad and the

event saw its share of problems, from the mundane

smokeout continued to grow, reaching modest esti-

(a blizzard in 2016) to the life threatening (a shoot-

mates of 10,000 Buffalos at its peak. In 2012, the school

ing in 2013.) In the end, it was piles of trash strewn

decided to drop a staggering $80,000 on a Wyclef Jean

over the park that finally did in the celebration that

performance elsewhere on campus, designed to lure

brought 2 Chainz, Rick Ross, and Wiz Khalifa in to

revelers away from the quad, despite his waning

perform over the years. The Mile High 420 Festival

commercial popularity. At the same time, officials

takes its place in 2018.

ordered fish fertilizer to be dumped on the field, de-

High Times Cannabis Cup {2011–2015} Exdo Event Center, Denver Mart It’s hard to overstate how big having the largest cannabis competition in the world come to Denver when the medical marijuana industry was finally finding its footing. To wit, it was only their second medical cup out-

terring anyone who could resist Wyclef’s siren’s song.

Choosing a more subdued tactic, the university simply closed the campus the following two years, and only a handful of people showed up in recent years.

KushCon {2010–2011} Colorado Convention Center

side of Amsterdam at that point. Originally housed at

Run by the now-defunct Kush magazine, KushCon

the Exdo Event Center when people still incorrectly re-

was the talk of the town as organizers aggressively

ferred to the RiNo neighborhood as Five Points, the High

marketed the event, buying up bus ads from RTD like

Times Cannabis Cup did a ton to put early dispensaries

they were half-priced concentrates. Back then, any

on the map, and it brought in some world-class enter-

cannabis-related event at the Colorado Convention

tainment. Quickly outgrowing the original digs, the

Center was a huge deal, even though consumption

event moved to the Denver Mart in Adams County and

was a big no-no, and a performances by then-hot

drew 35,000 attendees a day, leading to traffic jams and

Asher Roth made it seem like KushCon was here

one seriously overwhelmed staff at Taco John’s. High

to stay. But it wasn’t. It’s hard to determine exactly

Times had planned to return in 2016 but the county put

what led to the convention’s demise. Like that dealer

the kibosh on its permit application, and attempts to

you had back in the day that fell off the map, one day

relocate to Pueblo were met with the same enthusiasm

KushCon was simply gone.

you’d have for an eighth of schwag. The competition returned to California and hasn’t been back since. sensimag.com APR I L 2018 75

76 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 77

l l a b e l k c i p

by C O R

IA Y C A SC

TO

ILL D L A E T HE R

“ Keep your arm down!

YOU KEEP KNOCKING IT UP IN THE AIR!”

I T ’ S A L I T T L E A F T E R 10 A . M. O N A T U E S D A Y A N D I ’ M I N A G Y M I N A R V A D A I N M Y SKULL -

A ND - B O N E S P A J A M A P A N T S A N D A H O O D I E — T H E C L O S E S T T H I N G I H A V E TO W E A T H E R A P P R O P R I A T E W O R K O U T C L O T H E S — L I S T E N I N G T O A N A V U N C U L A R G U Y N A M E D TOM ADMONISH ME ON THE POOR FORM OF MY SWING. THE GAME IS PICKLEBALL, AND I’M ABOUT TO S C O R E M Y F I R S T P O I N T OF T H E F I R S T G A M E I’V E E V E R P L AY E D. A kind of halfway point between ping-pong and

volley going. The third or fourth time it came my way,

tennis—think ping-pong if it was scaled up to the

something truly magical happened: I stepped into the

point you were on the table—pickleball is, despite the

ball and hit a sweet shot that followed a nice, tight

terrible name, pretty entertaining. Four, or occasional-

downward arc, right to where our opponents weren’t. I

ly just two, players pair up and knock a wiffle ball back

scored. It felt pretty good. (We still totally lost, 4–1 be-

and forth with oversized ping-pong paddles. Points

fore they called the round to let the next set of players

are scored similarly to tennis; the court is the same

rotate in.) I had to leave right after, but I was starting to

size as a badminton court, but the net is closer to the

understand how the game could sink its hooks into

ground—just under three feet high at its midpoint.

people so easily.

Anyone who’s ever played a racquet sport will pick

Pickleball got its start in 1965 when a pair of bored

it up in 10 minutes. Me, on the other hand … The last

rich dudes in Washington state cobbled together a

time I did anything of the sort was a half-hearted

handful of mismatched gear—a badminton net, some

game of badminton while day drinking a little more

ping-pong paddles, and a wiffle ball — to entertain

than a decade ago. I was just happy to be able to hit

their families on a summer day. The game was a hit

the ball, which was why Tom was reminding me,

within the small group, and before long they’d for-

again and again, to take it easy and control my swing

malized the rules and started promoting pickleball to

as I batted the thing everywhere in my enthusiasm.

the world at large. Here in Denver, it was first cham-

Lucky for me, my partner was as just as inept, so there

pioned by a retired teacher named Chris Beal.

were no hard feelings about my inability to keep a

Beal had initially taught the game to her students

volley going, but it meant the other pair—two retired

as part of a badminton unit before she retired, but it

women—were killing us, 3–0. Then, it happened.

wasn’t until a friend came across a tournament in

Who knows how it happened, or why. Maybe some

Utah and asked her about it that she took up the

of what Tom was telling me sunk in. Maybe I just got

game in earnest. After playing in that tournament

into the fabled “zone” that high-end athletes talk

herself a year later, she introduced it at one of the

about. In all likelihood, it was just luck, but somehow

local rec centers in 2006. For the first year, it was just

my shots were landing in bounds and we had a nice

a small group of less than a dozen players, until the

78 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

OR T S P S d i p e Our i n t r s p e nd s R E T R REPO e n g on t h i n r o m a COUR T L L A B PIC K L E i n s a nd e h t g n le a r n i NE W R U O Y f ou t s o s po r t E T I R O F AV i nvo l v e ’t n s e o d t hat BA L L S. G N I K K IC

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 79

rec center added the game to the catalog and people started showing up out of curiosity, eager to learn and play the oddly named sport.

“All of the sudden our eight people became 30, and it was getting a little crowded,” she remembers. “One day, Ken Marquardt walked into the gym and asked me to teach him to play. I said sure, and then he just went wild. He’s just a fanatic over the whole thing.”

Marquardt, better known as Pickleball Ken these days, is the local pickleball equivalent of the apostle Paul, spreading the gospel of pickleball to rec centers and parks across the metro area since 2010 and serving as the regional ambassador for the USAPA, the national organiza-

The Whole Plant Experience

tion that maintains the official rules and promotes the sport at all levels.

T N A I “I T’S G -PONG! PINGsn’t that W h o do

e

o?” t n u f d s o un

“When I started seven years ago,” Marquardt says, “I made up signs and put them in rec centers: ‘Pickleball players wanted. It’s a little bit like tennis, only smaller. A little bit like ping-pong, only bigger.’”

“Seven years ago, [we had] only one place to play. Now there’s 72 places to play. It’s grown a little bit,” he says, laughing. “I have 4,175 people on my email list, and we now have 24 of the best outdoor courts in the United States.”

Much of that growth is directly attributable to Marquardt, a tireless advocate for not just the game but for the community that’s sprung up around it. In addition to convincing rec centers all over the north metro to build pickleball courts and run leagues, he organizes a charity tournament that’s raised almost $200,000 for veterans and runs his own website — PICKELBALLKEN.ORG — that’s something of a one-stop shop for the aspiring pickleballer, listing resources of every kind, from where to play locally to links to videos of high-level tournaments across the nation.

You don’t have to talk to him long to see how he’s so effective at proselytizing for this oddball sport. His boundless enthusiasm for the game is both sincere and a little bit infectious, even as it comes across as a bit over the top.

“It’s the perfect sport because anybody can play it,” he enthuses. “I have one gal who has two hip replacements, two knee replacements, and one

Shop At thefirefly.com

shoulder replacement. Ten pins in her feet. And she’s lost a hundred pounds, she plays three times a week. It’s a perfect sport for all ages.”

Speaking of ages, yes, the game does skew toward an older demographic — at my 9 a.m. skills

80 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 81

pickleball

online

F OR MORE INF ORM ATION ABOUT PICKLEBALL, VISIT THE F OL LOWING WEBSITES :

USAPA.ORG

The USA Pickleball Association is the national organization for the sport, dedicated to its growth and development.

PICKLEBALLKEN.ORG

Pickleball Ken’s own site, full of local and national resources, including the most comprehensive lists of where and when to play available.

DENVERMETROPICKLEBALL.CO

The Denver Metro Pickleball Association website, another excellent source for local pickleball news and information.

and drills session, I was probably the youngest person there by at least five years, and I celebrated my 45th birthday this year — but plenty of younger people are involved as well. Denver’s local USAPA ambassador Dave Franco says his regular playgroup ranges in age from 19 to 45, and he emphasizes that it’s not just a sport for retirees.

“High-level pickleball is athletic; it requires a great deal of skill and hand-eye coordination,” he explains. “At the highest levels, it’s a sport, no doubt. It’s intense, and it’s tough, and there’s some national-champion caliber players in the Denver metro area.”

“One of my focuses is getting younger players or people that might not think they’re athletic, or people who want to try something different and cool to look past the name and give it a try because it really is a blast,” he continues. “It’s giant ping-pong! Who doesn’t that sound fun to?”

One thing all of the pickleball aficionados I spoke to, from Pickleball Ken to the nice woman I was seated next to while we waited for our turns on the court, was the addictive nature of the game. Over and over again, they promised me—or was it warned?—that it was only going to take a handful of times on the court before I was hooked.

“It does have one problem,” Marquardt admits slyly. “If you play three times, you get addicted and then you want to play all the time.”

And I have to admit, after just one time on the court, I find myself wondering if I could interest my wife in it, or maybe hook one of my gaming friends in as a partner for one of the leagues kicking off in the spring …Who knows? Maybe I’ll see some of you out there.

CORY C ASCIATO is a Denver-based writer with a passion for the geeky, from old science fiction movies to brand-new video games.

His work has appeared in The AV Club, Colorado Public Radio, Westword, and many other places. He really likes zombies.

82 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 83

84 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 85

86 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

iconogr a phy OF THE FAN LEAF: FAN

Leaf?

NOT A

OF THE

by ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

The pointy cannabis leaf, ONCE A BADGE OF THE COUNTERCULTURE, MAY BE IN DANGER OF BECOMING AN OVERUSED MARKETING TOOL AND CRINGE-WORTHY CLICHÉ IN LEGAL STATES—BUT IT’S OUR ICON, AND WE’RE STUCK WITH IT. LET’S LEAD WITH TASTE AND RESPECT.

I own two pieces of clothing with cannabis leaves

When I visit my family and friends in the conserva-

on them: warm, fuzzy socks that were a gift from a

tive Midwestern state where I grew up, I leave those

dear friend and a three-year-old Women Grow t-shirt,

items at home. I’m a sissy rebel—or maybe no rebel at

vintage in this young industry and soft from many

all—because I wear them only in legal states, where

washings. I love wearing both in Colorado and Califor-

cannabis leaves are a networking tool, not a counter-

nia, where they spark good conversation.

cultural icon. They’re so ubiquitous in Colorado and sensimag.com APR I L 2018 87

California these days, in fact, that I might not wear my

Jacquie Aiche Sweet Leaf jewelry and clutches featur-

socks and shirt to industry events because I’m slightly

ing that leaf.

embarrassed about what a cliché that pointy leaf has become.

But let’s face it: Mara and Margot weren’t breaking new ground. They’re all following Gram Parson, who

If you’ve been in the cannabis industry for a minute

had suits with cannabis leaves embroidered on them

or two, you can’t help but catch the yawn. It’s been

made for him and his Flying Burritos Brothers band-

three years since Mara Hoffman dressed her New

mates to wear on the cover of their first album in 1968.

York Fashion Week models in dresses and pants wo-

The mainstream fashion world may still get a little

ven with green cannabis leaves and two years since

titillated by the leaf’s countercultural edge—*so* Che

Alexander Wang worked them into a black leather

Guevara—but in the cannabis industry, we’ve all seen

skirt that Margot Robbie wore on Saturday Night Live.

that guy wearing a suit plastered with leaves at a few

We’ve all gotten used to seeing celebrities flash their

too many events. (Just because you can doesn’t mean

RESPECT: eat your leaves Fan leaves, still considered a waste product by industrial and home growers because they deliver very minimal THC, are coming into their own as a nutritional and medicinal powerhouse, largely thanks to the work of Dr. William Courtney. The physician credits cannabis leaf juice with putting his domestic partner into remission from lupus, interstitial cystitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. As food and medicine, the non-psychoactive leaves are finally getting the respect they deserve.

If you don’t or can’t grow your own cannabis, fresh fan leaves can be a hard-to-come-by delicacy. Here’s to seeing that change.

If you do grow your own, stop composting fan leaves when you remove them. Wash them in water and vinegar, then blend them into juices and smoothies, toss them into salads, sprinkle them into soups and over fish, and add them to pesto and tabbouleh. They add an earthy, slightly bitter taste and deliver vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

you should.) We’re classing up this industry, and as a friend recently pointed out, you don’t see people walking around wine festivals wearing leggings covered in grapes or earrings shaped like grapevines.

Our ennui is a problem of privilege—albeit one that should be a right for all—and I do know how lucky we are that we can display cannabis leaves as a universal symbol of pride, solidarity, and advocacy without fear of persecution. Because in the end, though there are more subtle ways of letting the world know we’re pro-cannabis—jewelry shaped like THC and CBD molecules make great gifts for friends in the Midwest— nothing says “I love weed” like the leaf.

It’s our icon, and we’re stuck with it. Let’s try to be tasteful.

Enemies of Society, Waiting for Our Emoji The cannabis leaf has history. The oldest depiction found so far dates to the Neolithic era (10,000–5,000 BC) and was painted on a cave wall on the coast of Kyushu, Japan. Many believe the pointy leaf often shown above the head of the ancient Egyptian idol Seshat, goddess of architecture, astronomy, astrology, and mathematics, was a cannabis leaf.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, when cannabis was a common ingredient in over-the-counter elixirs, the leaf could be spotted on medicine bottle labels— though it wasn’t nearly as ubiquitous as it is on cannabis products today. It went underground with the advent of prohibition in 1937, largely forgotten until it re-emerged, along with tie-dye and peace signs, in the 1960s.

Jerry Rubin, the flamboyant radical who told hippies never to trust anyone over 30, anointed the leaf when he said: “Smoking pot makes you a criminal and a revolutionary. As soon as you take your first puff, you are an enemy of society.”

In 1966, the Saturday Evening Post described college students who used marijuana as fitting into “a

88 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 89

general pattern of rebellion against society’s values.”

with animals (54.6 percent) and basketball teams with

The very fact that marijuana was illegal, according to

basketballs (52.6 percent) scored higher—and it’s not

a 1967 Life magazine article, was part of its appeal for

just about pictures. Think about how many cannabis

PEACE OUT

A HANDFUL OF YEARS BEFORE THE CANNABIS LEAF EMERGED AND BECAME FOREVER INTERTWINED WITH IT AS SYMBOLS OF REBELLIOUS TIMES, THE PEACE SIGN WAS INVENTED AS A BADGE FOR THE CAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT. THE COLD WAR WAS ESCALATING WHEN BRITISH DESIGNER GERALD HORTON CREATED THE PEACE SYMBOL FOR A 1958 ANTI-NUCLEAR MARCH IN LONDON. HE BASED THE DESIGN ON HIS OWN PERSONAL DESPAIR, REPRESENTING AN INDIVIDUAL WITH HANDS STRETCHED DOWNWARD AND OUTWARD LIKE SPANISH PAINTER FRANCISCO GOYA’S DEPICTION OF TERRIFIED PEASANTS BEFORE THE FIRING SQUAD DURING THE SPANISH RESISTANCE TO NAPOLEON’S ARMIES IN 1808.

HORTON’S ORIGINAL DESIGN LOOKED MORE LIKE A PERSON, WITH THE LINES WIDENING TO MEET THE CIRCLE WHERE FEET, HANDS AND A HEAD WOULD BE, BUT THE LINES WERE STRAIGHTENED AND SLIMMED DOWN IN THE 1960S UNTIL HIS DESIGN BECAME THE BOLD, UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED ICON WE KNOW AND LOVE TODAY.

companies you know with the word “leaf” in the name.

the empty, materialistic striving of their parents, they

We could talk all day about the irony of baby boom-

turn the whole pot scene into a protest tool which they

ers exploiting the freedom leaf to make money as part

use to mock a middle-class culture they disdain,” the

of the very middle-class culture they once disdained—

article stated.

but let’s save that for a sesh.

We all know what happened next. Hippies became

The fan leaf is our icon, and

yuppies, Nancy Reagan told us to “just say no,” and can-

we’re stuck with it. Let’s try to

nabis leaves disappeared even from rolling paper la-

be respectful of its defiance.

bels and dorm room posters as the plant was forced

Those of us who get to experi-

deep underground. When Adidas attempted to unearth

ence the normalization of a

it by replacing its corporate logo with a cannabis leaf

symbol that once sparked con-

to market hemp sports shoes in 1998, US drug czar Lee

flict and controversy need to

P. Brown slammed the company for attempting to “cap-

keep working toward universal

italize on the drug culture” and implying that drugs are

acceptance, even as we fold it

associated with the “magic” of sporting achievement.

into our marketing materials.

Prohibition is ending. Despite Attorney General Jeff Sessions, attitudes are changing, and the leaf has nev-

We’ve come far, but we’re not there yet.

er been more popular. In 2016, a survey found that 44

We will have arrived when

percent of logos registered as trademarks for canna-

our phones come equipped

bis businesses included leaves—only veterinarians

with cannabis leaf emojis.

90 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook author Robyn Griggs Lawrence recently launched a company, Cannabis Kitchen Events, that includes a tiny turquoise cannabis leaf in the logo.

PHOTOGRAPHS © POVY KENDAL ATCHISON

young people. “Seeing themselves in rebellion against

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 91

92 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 93

E N E C S T DIY AR 94 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

CIRCLEof

FRIENDS

by JAKE BROWNE

In the SECOND PART of our ongoing focus on Denver’s DIY scene, MUSIC takes CENTER STAGE. Right in our backyard, hidden in plain sight , is a nationally renowned space that invites ARTISTS FROM ALL GENRES to throw down five night s a week.

"IT FELT LIKE WE WERE ON OUR OWN PLANET JUST BEING OUT IN T HAT BACKYARD WITH A FIRE IN THE CHIMINEA,” AARON SAYE SAYS WITH A CONTENT SMILE. “YOU CAN HEAR THE WHOLE CITY AROUND YOU,

but it felt like no one knew you were here.”

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 95

He’s on a worn stool behind the sticker-covered

running the show. “You almost had to know some-

counter as you walk into Seventh Circle Music Col-

body to know when and where the shows were hap-

lective, DIY music space/record store/art gallery off

pening,” he says, comparing it to a secret society. “It

Federal and 7th Avenue in Denver. Saye is coolly re-

wasn’t just an internet page where the venue had all

clining in a way that makes it look like he’s sat there

the shows listed. And Myspace ruled everything at

a million times. You wouldn’t be surprised to find his

that point.”

name scrawled somewhere on the wood—everything

Moving into a volunteer position in 2010 meant new

here is tagged with a Sharpie. And you get the sense

challenges. From running doors to running sound to

the space has left a mark on him, too.

booking a band on occasion, Saye was soon doing much more than filming, but he stayed passionate

I WANNA BE ME

about the Denver scene. The night the venue’s found-

Saye was in eighth grade when metal and punk

ers announced they were ending their run as the pro-

rock started calling to him. “I discovered there were

prietors, he wasn’t at the meeting. “I couldn’t be there

actually bands that weren’t on MTV and the radio

because I was at another show that night,” he says. If

that were small and I could go see,” he says. Instead

it wasn’t for a close friend tossing his name out at that

of trying to start a band like so many teens, he want-

meeting, Saye might never have wound up on this

ed to record them. “I kind of realized, ‘Whoa, if I just

stool today.

take my camera to the show and set up in the back

“It was luck that the place fell into my lap,” he says.

where the whole mix is coming at me, then I can just

“It was luck that I was in a point in my life when they

make a recording of the show, make an CD out of the

were going to shut it down that I was able to take the

audio, and have a demo of this band to listen to.’”

time and go, ‘Okay, I’ll start booking all these shows.

It started with The Allergies—“2006 was their hey-

I’ll start running a business.’”

day,” according to Saye—but soon it was anyone coming through town that would let him set up. Going the

COMPLETE CONTROL

route of the historian and not the bootlegger, he nev-

The transition, as he tells it, was seamless. Sure,

er sold his copies, only offering the recordings to the

the name changed, but the countless hours invested

same bands on their next tour through. He still has

at that point had prepared him to wrangle the scores

boxes of tapes at home, a collection of otherwise lost

of people who wanted to step up and keep the ship

moments from Denver’s underground scene.

afloat. Booking a more robust calendar and keeping a donation model intact, with most shows having a suggested cost of $7 to $10 per person. “But, at the same time if there are kids that have no money they don’t have to feel like they can’t come,” Saye notes.

Acts vary based on the night of the week with no restrictions on who can play the space, so long as they can bring a crowd. “Genre-wise, we’ll book anything,” he says. When asked if there’s anything that’s too far out, Saye says he’s seen it all. “It’s all performance art, whether it could be traditionally considered music or not to the outside ear.”

Case in point: a performance duo that plays Seventh Circle every few months. “Once, they went to Goodwill and bought a whole bunch of sets of china dishes, and then part of their act was that they smashed all the dishes all over the room and then

He quickly found a home at Blast-O-Mat, the orig-

swept it all up and put it in our dumpster,” he recalls.

inal name of his current space, and Saye talks with

“Sometimes they’ll pass out blank pieces of card-

reverence about those days, back when it was the

board and markers and tell every person in the audi-

three or four people that lived there at any given time

ence to draw or write something and then pass em all

96 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

WHAT TO BRING

Seventh Circle is BYO:

{BRING YOUR OWN} With no liquor license, {ALL BEVERAGES ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY}. No glass! {NOT YOUR BONG}. “Be discreet, sometimes people’s parents are here at shows.” {AN OPEN MIND}. You never know what you might discover.

back and he’ll read what was written.”

While he notes that the next night you could be just as likely to hear a band that would be at home on a local rock station, it’s clear that there’s value placed on both existing in the world they’ve created.

“That’s kind of why places like this exist, to be able to foster that type of pure creativity.”

I DON’T WANNA GROW UP Talking with Saye, you get a feeling that the punk/metal/fill-in-theblank-core have been inaccurately maligned by the general public, who can tend to look at them as angry or violent. Instead, all roads lead back to a sense of community and belonging extended to anyone who enters the space. “I never really expected there to be a wedding here, but there has been one,” he says with a laugh.

Helping volunteers develop skills that will last far beyond their time there is a matter of personal pride you can hear. “One of my best sound guys ended up going and getting a job at the Summit and the Marquis, and I taught him how to do sound here for the first time,” he says, beaming. “It’s super cool to be that jumping off point and that stepping stone for a lot of these bands that we’ve gotten to see do this.” sensimag.com APR I L 2018 97

Beyond that, however, is being able to provide a safe space for the “wayward youth in Denver” that he mentors. “Half the time, they’re not even here for the music. Maybe they’re here because they don’t want to be at home, or they don’t have somewhere to go.” Saye leans in, remembering the time a quasi-regular guy, age 18, showed up at a show he wasn’t interested in, and Saye knew something was wrong.

“His dad was abusive, and it was not a good situation. His parents were about to get divorced, and he was basically like, ‘This place is the only place I feel happy right now.’” Soon, the boy was volunteering at the collective, and one night, Saye tossed him a set of keys. “I told him, ‘If you ever need to just come here, even if nobody is here, doesn’t matter what time of day or night it is, here’s keys to the kingdom.’ And he started crying.”

You can tell in the moment the night changed Saye.

“I never expected it to be something like that. I just want to book cool bands in this really rad venue/garage thing, but it has become something so much more for so many people.”

quiet professionalism

FOREVER BLOWING BUBBLES If this all seems a little blemish-free for a concert space that you suspect always smells like days-old beer, there are certain things that literally keep Saye up at night. “Some nights it’s 2 a.m., and I just want

unmatched service exceptional results

mention "sensi" for a special promotional rate

to sleep, but I don’t have volunteers for the next night,” he says, which

THAT'S KIND OF WHY PLACES LIKE THIS EXIST, TO BE ABLE TO FOSTER THAT TYPE OF PURE

CREATIVITY. is a more common problem than it seems it should be with a list of hundreds of potential helpers. “Magic Wand? I would wish for more people who have the availability to where shows could be staffed at least a week in advance instead of hours prior.”

While they have a great relationship with the neighbors in their industrial zone just off of Federal Boulevard, that’s because they don’t allow bands to practice before 4:30 p.m. after receiving a noise complaint once. Over five-plus years, they’ve only had to ban a handful of troublemakers, mostly fringe white nationalists that don’t match the accepting ethos of the space and the occasional “creepers” that are at-

719.358.7049 bulldogprotection.co

98 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

tracted to an all-ages venue. And sure, he’d love to own the building one day, but he’s happy as long as he’s there.

In fact, when you ask him how long he can see himself there, he says “forever” without hesitation. “I don’t want this venue to go away,” he says, his voice trailing off, on his own planet.

75% off all glass bongs, rigs, pipes, and bubblers Tony Dabtana TKO

Timer Carb Caps

(incl Mod, Atomizer, Battery & Dab tool)

(Glows in the Dark!)

$85 Honeystraw 1.0/2.0

G-9 Vape

Ceramic Twisty Blunt

$10

$20

Honeystraw Micro

Digital Enail with purchase of any Bong or Rig!

WO

Any Character Bowl

$75

$7

W!

Silicone Bong Silicone Banger Hanger Barrel Rig

Bamboo Rolling Tray (MUST HAVE!)

(with 2mm banger)

2 for $30

$25/35 digital enail setup (includes nail, tool, drop down, dab mat, digital enail)

Y CRAZL! DEA

Predator Gas Mask

$150

Lativa Dry Herb Vaporizer

$55

$80 Phat Sacks Hemp Case

(any size with purchase of any pipe)

WAX Globe Pen

$25 Tony Dabtana Torches

Comes with a free can of butane

$45 Quick Fix

$15

3431 S Federal Blvd, E • Englewood • (720) 787-9938 4815 E Colfax Ave • Denver • (720) 328-8006 5042 Federal Blvd. • Denver • (720) 379-6393 2644 E Platte Ave • CO Springs • (719) 473-1203 424 W Fillmore St • CO Springs • (719) 473-5747 4343 S Buckley Rd, #C • Aurora • (303) 284-2518

*Sales items excluded from additional sales

$25

$5 Heady Supply Pelican Case

$25-70

off % 50 IRE ENT E! R STO

2 for $20

Joint Bubbler

$15

$20-30 Smok Tanks:

Baby Beast $25, TVF8 $35, TVF12 $45

$25-45

@bombheadshop /thebombheadshop

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 99

100 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 101

102 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 103

IPUFF

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

Know What You’re Getting IPUFF’S CBD OIL IS A TRUE HOMEGROWN WONDER. Once you start looking for it, cannabidiol (CBD)

juice, and ingestibles. The CBD-rich oil is pressed

seems to be everywhere. CBD products can be found

from non-GMO, organically grown Colorado hemp

at gift shops and convenience stores as well as dis-

using a chemical-free, CO2 extraction process.

pensaries. The problem is that not all CBD is creat-

In addition to CBD, ipuff’s full-spectrum hemp oil

ed alike, and consumers, who have heard about

includes other cannabinoids naturally found in

the extract’s ability to heal and soothe symptoms,

hemp. Research indicates that the entourage effect

have a lot of questions.

of these cannabinoids in concert is more effective

“With all the confusion in the marketplace about

than CBD alone. “Our nano-encapsulation process

CBD, we decided it was important to develop a line

helps maximize absorption and increase bio-availability,” Staley says The product line includes ipuff Botanics CBD Drip, a CBD vape juice available in three flavors: citrus-accented Tangie, earthy and piney OG Kush, and dessert-like Thin Mint. ipuff also produces Botanics Mint CBD Tincture as well as CBD Capsules that are made with omega and fatty acids.

The ipuff Botanics CBD box set includes an easyto-use cartridge (either 250 milligrams or 500 milligrams), a pen-style battery, and a charger. Because no THC is involved, ipuff products are sold nationwide at vape shops and health-food stores as well as at dispensaries in Colorado. The products can also be ordered online at the company website.

“We have traceability. We know exactly where our

of high-quality CBD products,” says Julia Staley,

hemp comes from and how it is grown and harvest-

who started Denver-based ipuff in 2012 to produce

ed on licensed and registered organic farms in Col-

a portable, functional way to use extracts.

orado,” she says. This allows ipuff to be transparent

“Right now there are very few regulations around CBD, including labeling the origins of the hemp oil.

with its customers. “This way they know exactly what they are putting in their bodies,” Staley says.

Companies don’t have to reveal the source of the

As public knowledge and access to CBD gradually

hemp or how it was produced. There’s a lot of un-

increases, ipuff is developing other products using Col-

certainty about imported hemp,” Staley says.

orado hemp oil CBD, including topicals and patches.

ipuff Botanics produces a line of full-spectrum CBD products, including pre-filled cartridges, vape 104 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

More Information at IPUFFVAPE.COM .

ZERO TO TRACE PPM, YOU CAN TELL THE DIFFERENCE

Veteran owned and operated

www.westedison.com

(720) 328-8280

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 105

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

THE CLEAR

Premium Distillates THE CLEAR CONCENTRATES ON DELIVERING DABBING CONSISTENCY. Take any premium brand, say Ben & Jerry’s ice cream or Grey Goose vodka. As a consumer, you fully expect any product by the brand to taste the same no matter where its purchased.

urally derived, steam-distilled terpenes from foodgrade plants.

The company has corporate offices in Denver and Long Beach, but The Clear is made and distributed

This is rare in today’s emerging cannabis market.

in Oregon, Michigan, Nevada, Washington, and Ari-

Since the legalization of cannabis, concentrates such

zona. “We have a unique licensee program to pro-

as ultra-refined distillate have often varied significantly in appearance, purity, and potency from batch to batch and dispensary to dispensary. Consumers and patients had to try concentrates to gauge the potency.

The Clear, the “original” distillate product, offers a line of premium branded concentrates that was created to clear up that inconsistency.

“We have invested heavily in bringing pharmaceutical-grade products to this industry,” says Justin Pentelute, Master Licensor of The Clear brands. “We forego what would be easy profits by putting subpar material into the marketplace. We have an amazing flavorist team that hand-makes all of our terpenes and flavors using GRAS-certified, naturally derived materials. These offer the most superior product.”

The Clear is a naturally extracted translucent oil that undergoes proprietary, multi-method purifica-

duce our distillate in other states. Each licensed

tion processes that produce unparalleled clarity,

manufacturer is provided with the same natural ter-

taste, and potency. “Early on, we struggled with all of

penes to make a consistent product and ensure

the contaminated and nonconforming plant materi-

that business and consumer experience is the same

al and oil in the marketplace. Rather than eating

from state to state,” he says.

their losses from poor cultivation and processing re-

The Clear is available at more than 100 recre-

sults, many undercapitalized businesses altered their

ational and medical dispensaries across Colorado,

product to make it pass surface-level testing and

including Lightshade, Livwell, and many others.

sold it to unsuspecting manufacturers and customers. Our internal testing and quality controls have

For more information:

since eliminated those materials from our products,”

CLEARCONCENTRATE.COM

Pentelute says.

The Clear offers Honey Buckets, syringes, and cartridges all available in 17 flavors created with nat106 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

On Facebook:

FB.ME/THECLEARCOLORADO

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 107

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

DIPSTICK

Making Dabbing Simple THE DIPPER EASES THE FEAR FACTOR FOR FIRST-TIME VAPERS. Let’s face it: If you’ve never vaped before, the pro-

per to the concentrate and drawing on the mouth-

cess can seem incredibly intimidating. The elaborate

piece,” Bologna explains. Alternately, the Dipper

science-experiment equipment, tools, and techniques

comes with a dual-coil quartz crystal atomizer that

are unfamiliar to a newcomer. You need a vape dic-

allows users to preload a small chamber with con-

tionary to understand dabbing jargon, and startup

centrate and take it to go. The sleek, pen-shaped

costs can be prohibitive. If you’re lucky, you may have

Dipper also has an accessory that allows the device

a friend in your social circle who can introduce you

to be used with water pipes. The DipWhip attach-

to the nuances of vaping.

ment connects the Dipper to glass rigs with three

The folks at Dipstick Vapes thought there should just be a more user-friendly process. “We wanted to

standard size male and female fittings.

“Our goal is to decrease the learning curve around vaping,” says Bologna. “We’ve gotten a lot of really positive responses, including from older cannabis smokers who are new to vaping.”

The touch-and-vape Dipper has three temperature settings, which allow the user to adjust the potency of each use. “For less experienced users, vaping can be a bit overwhelming at first. It’s very easy to get too big a hit. The Dipper allows them to regulate the dose a lot easier than with a glob of concentrate on a hot nail,” Bologna says.

Cleaning is a much easier process with the Dipper than with a standard vaping rig. “There are a couple of parts that you clean in isopropyl alcohol and rinse with water,” Bologna says. The vapor tip atomizers are replaceable.

develop a way to use cannabis concentrates with-

The Dipper is available in many Colorado dispen-

out the blowtorch and still maintain the taste and

saries, including Native Roots, and online at the com-

potency,” says Mike Bologna, CEO of Dipstick Vapes

pany website. “Since it is just a device, we’ve had

in Denver. n early 2017, Dipstick introduced the Dip-

sales of the product in all 50 states and five coun-

per, a multi-function concentrate vaporizer with a fast-

tries,” he says.

heating tip and micro-USB rechargeable battery.

“You can use the Dipper two ways. You can dab

For more information:

directly from your container by touching the Dip-

DIPSTICKVAPES.COM

108 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 109

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

DA B B I NG T O N

Small-Batch Consistency ARTISAN LIVE RESIN WITH “DIAMONDS” IS DABBINGTON’S CALLING CARD. When dispensaries and cultivators do business

choice. “You can dab more of the sauce for the fla-

with Dabbington, they aren’t dealing with a giant

vor and leave the diamonds for later. It’s more con-

operation that treats cannabis as a commodity. Cli-

venient.”

ents don’t have to click their way through a telephone tree to talk to a live person.

To create the best product, Dabbington works closely with growers. “We have a different custom-

“We really are a small team. We just focus on

er-service ethic. We’re proactive. We touch base

small-batch consistency,” says Bart Hall, director of

with the grower throughout the process. We know

sales and brand development for Dabbington. The

when a crop is supposed to be harvested,” Hall says.

maker and wholesaler of cannabis concentrates for

Ideally, Dabbington receives well-handled trim

Colorado dispensaries is located in Log Lane Village

at its peak, after it has been curing for two to three

near Fort Morgan.

weeks. “We want the customers to preserve their

Hall came from a corporate and military back-

investment and turn the trim into gold.”

ground, having worked for both Warren Buffet and the Pentagon. Dabbington’s crew includes Matt Kirsling, the majority owner who will focus on a new grow facility; James Nelson, in charge of the extraction process; and COO Dan D’Elena.

“All of us end up doing everything as needed, including packaging and answering the phone,” Hall says.

Dabbington supplies about 40 Colorado dispensaries with its live resin, wax, and shatter, made using a propane-butane extraction process.

Dabbington co-brands concentrates with recreational and medical dispensaries, including Light-

Creating exceptional concentrates will get a

shade, Sticky Buds, Life Flower, and Solace Meds.

boost this year when Dabbington builds a grow fa-

“We do things a little differently,” Hall says. “We do a

cility in Log Lane Village. “The grow will give us

complete terpene profile and label it on every unit.”

complete control over the product and should pro-

The company’s calling card is its live resin. “We

duce a more consistent product,” Hall says.

are really proud of our live resin. When you get a

Dabbington is also set to purchase an existing

gram of our Sour Diesel Live Resin, it looks different.

Colorado dispensary to provide a branded outlet to

We extract a thin amber fluid with all the terpenes

retail its concentrates.

and flavor. Then we add the THCA ‘diamonds’—the crystals—back into that sauce,” he says.

That approach allows the user more freedom of

110 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

For more information:

DABBINGTON.COM

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 111

1.1.1_oneeleven

112 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 113

114 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 115

The name for clean in the cannabis industry Since 2014

Cleaning SOPs, supplies and equipment packages Employee training | Complete Site Analysis Call today to schedule your free site evaluation!

844-879-3737

116 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

cannabisclean.com

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 117

S P E C I A L A DV I S ORY BOA R D S E C T ION

AS THE CA NNA B I S I ND U S TR Y G R OW S, SO DO T H E N UM BE R OF N I CH E E X P E R T S W I T H I N IT. FROM TOP-TIER DISPENSARIES AND EXTRACTION BRANDS TO EDIBLE MAKERS AND MARKETING SPECIALISTS, THESE COMPANIES ARE INCREDIBLE SOURCES OF INSIDER INFO ABOUT THE TRENDS AND ISSUES DRIVING THIS THRIVING MARKETPLACE FORWARD. THE SENSI ADVISORY BOARD IS COMPRISED OF LE ADERS FROM A VARIETY OF FIELDS WITHIN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY. EACH ISSUE, ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS SHARE SOME OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE WITH OUR READERS IN THIS DEDICATED SECTION. THIS MONTH, WE H E A R F R O M E X P E RTS AT V E R R A W E L L N E S S AND L ’ E AG L E .

For a full list of Advisory Board Members, turn to the masthead on page 12.

Sugarless, Scrumptious and Smoke-Free

by Beth Dresser, Senior Director, Sales and Marketing, Next Frontier Biosciences LOOKING FOR A NEW WAY TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF CANNABIS? SUBLINGUAL DELIVERY MAY BE THE IDEAL ROUTE FOR YOU. PERHAPS YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF SMOKING ON YOUR LONG-TERM LUNG HEALTH, OR MAYBE YOU WANT A MORE CONSISTENT ALTERNATIVE TO POORLY CHARACTERIZED EDIBLE PRODUCTS YOU’VE TRIED IN THE PAST. WHATEVER THE REASON MAY BE, CONSIDER OPENING YOURSELF UP TO THE EVOLVING CATEGORY OF SUBLINGUAL PRODUCTS.

From old-school tinctures to new-school sprays,

to provide a positive–and delicious–experience, with-

cannabis sublinguals are conveniently applied and ab-

out carrying the less-than-appetizing flavor of ter-

sorbed in the region under the tongue, working their

penes or the unpleasant thickness sometimes associ-

way through your digestive system to provide fast-act-

ated with tinctures. With the option to choose between

ing relief from chronic pain, insomnia, and everything in

mouthwatering flavors like peppermint and strawber-

between.

ry ginger, your taste buds will thank you for this one.

Forget waiting long periods of time for your edible

Finally, unlike brownies, candies and other rich and

to kick in. Sublinguals leverage biphasic uptake, allow-

sugary goodies commonly infused with marijuana, it’s

ing the products to take effect rapidly as they directly

much easier to find sublingual products that are vegan,

enter the bloodstream through the vessel-rich tissues

sugar-free, gluten-free, and virtually guilt-free, saving

under the tongue, delivering relief faster and more ef-

you calories and coming at no cost to your waistline or

ficiently than a traditional edible.

dietary needs.

Rest assured knowing that consumer safety is at

Together, these unique advantages set sublingual

the heart of these products. Sublinguals not only allow

delivery apart from the pack, presenting an enticing

you to avoid the harmful effects of smoking, but they

option for those suffering respiratory issues or dietary

also provide more control over dosing than many edi-

concerns, as well as anyone simply looking to expand

bles do–precision that leads to greater predictability

their current product lineup. Discreet and simple to

and replicability every time.

use, the cannabinoid-infused sublingual might just be

Not to mention, they’re tasty! Product offerings leverage the healing qualities of purified cannabinoids 118 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

the healthier option in oral cannabis consumption that you’ve been waiting for.

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 119

S P E C I A L A DV I S ORY BOA R D S E C T ION

Taking Topicals to The Next Level with Essential Oils

by Amy Andrle, Co-owner, L’Eagle Services A NEW WELLNESS TREND HAS CAPTURED PEOPLE’S ATTENTION AND LED TO INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS LINES LAUNCHING ACROSS LEGAL CANNABIS STATES; MARIJUANA-INFUSED TOPICALS THAT INCORPORATE ESSENTIAL OILS. HUMANS HAVE BEEN UTILIZING THE HEALING BENEFITS OF BOTH FOR MILLENNIA. WHILE CANNABIS ALONE PROVIDES ITS OWN SET OF ADVANTAGES, COMBINING THE PLANT WITH ESSENTIAL OILS PROVIDES ADDITIONAL PERKS AND ADDS A UNIQUE AROMA. What’s in a blend?

The primary benefit of mandarin is in its anti-anxi-

Each topical blend features several components. First

ety properties, acting as a relaxant. Similarly, lavender

is the oil base which includes THC, CBD, a combination

and peppermint are famous for their ability to reduce

of both, or other cannabinoids. A thicker oil base, for

tension and relieve stress.

salves or lotions, may contain shea butter or beeswax,

Lemon acts as a health tonic, working to cleanse the

whereas a light base for an oil roller may use sunflow-

body. Rosemary is known for boosting mental activity

er oil. Once the oil base has been determined, a selec-

and stimulating hair growth. Ginger essential oil has

tion of essential oils are added. The specific blend of

warming and soothing properties and is often taken to

components is largely up to the manufacturer and de-

ease nausea.

pendent on the desired effects. However, salves are typically CBD rich in order to ensure fast-acting relief.

All of these ingredients are known to provide positive effects; however, not all topicals are created equal.

Each blend is unique and designed for a specific pur-

What are the benefits of essential oils?

pose. Ask questions about which blend is right for you

Undoubtedly, there are an array of therapeutic ben-

and be sure to purchase high-quality topicals with

efits to topicals that incorporate both cannabis and

concentrated levels of both cannabinoids and essen-

essential oils. THC and CBD can do wonders for your

tial oils. When possible, buy Clean Green Certified top-

mind and wellbeing. Both have been shown to reduce

icals from a dispensary you trust.

pain and headaches, relieve anxiety and promote better sleep. Different essential oils may promote or heighten specific properties.

Birch and turmeric act as natural pain relievers.

Black pepper is one of the most widely used spices on the planet, and the essential oil is proving extremely popular to enhance the digestive system and act as an anti-inflammatory.

120 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 121

122 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 123

124 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 125

{soCO}

by RANDY R OB INSON

As the seasons turn and the year cycles, trees and flowers bloom to signal the arrival of the new. The sun stays out longer, people reemerge from their homes, and old, packed snow gives way to verdant landscapes and streets that will soon be showered in flower petals.

In Cañon City, this cycle is celebrated annually. It’s called the Music & Blossom Festival, and it draws its roots from the springtime ceremonies of old.

The Flourish of Cañon City’s Music and Blossom Festival

The Music and Blossom Festival goes back to the 1860s, to a local event known as Fruit Day. Fruit Day, organized

by Cañon City’s farmers, once attracted tens of thousands of visitors from places as far away as Denver and La Junta. By 1900, Fruit Day became May Day. Then, in 1910, a wealthy estate owner began decorating his home with flowers and fruit blossoms; three years later, the private gathering grew so popular that Cañon City officials dubbed it a new holiday—Blossom Day—a jubilee to span the entire town.

Today, the Music and Blossom festival combines the traditions of harvest with the congregation of some of our state’s most talented teenage musicians, a massive gathering to commemorate the turning of spring. Join thousands of Coloradans on May 4–6 for parades, rodeos, and the Wright’s Amusements Carnival as we say goodbye to the past to greet a vibrant, promising future.

126 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 127

128 Denver //Boulder A P R I L 2018

Formulated for her, by her

Now Available!

P U R E C A N N A B I S C O N C E N T R AT E S Available in disposable vape pens and cartridges.

ELEVATED Let your energy flow freely.

BALANCED Focus on what matters most.

MELLOW Relax your mind and body.

For more info or to request samples contact sales@medpharmholdings.com 720.468.1851

UNCUT. SMALL BATCH CRAFTED. Each batch of CO2 extracted oil is carefully distilled to preserve the full terpene profile and potency of its unique strain by leveraging BATCH's Thin Film Evaporative Distillation (TFED) process.

Cartridges available in sativa, hybrid and indica.

For more info or to request samples contact sales@medpharmholdings.com

720.468.1851sensimag.com

APR I L 2018 3