Sensi Magazine - Denver/Boulder (September 2017)

DE N V E R // B OULDER

THE NEW NORMAL

09.2017

money to Marketing Breaks Away from the Clichés PLUS

Leaf Peeping HOT SPOTS + DR. BRONNER Will See You Now

BA NISH the

MUNCHIES

Healthy Snack Alternatives

Fall CULTURE

contents.

ISSUE 9 // VOLUME 2 // 09.2017

FEATURES 52

Hack the Munchies

Dealing with cravings—plus healthy snack alternatives.

60

S P EC I A L R E P O R T

Going Mainstream

To reach the coveted new demographic of cannabis users, marketers are realizing they have to reach

beyond the tired old stoner stereotypes.

70 Moral Authority

THE change +

culture ISSUE

52

MUNCHIES NO MORE! Smarter ways to get your snack on

The Cosmic Engagement Officer of Dr. Bronner’s lauded brand of natural soaps is as much an activist

as he is an entrepreneur. And he’s on a mission to

help end America’s cannabis prohibition.

ISSUE

EVERY

60

9 Editor’s Note 1 2 SensiBuzz 20 NewsFeed

Just the Facts

26 CrossRoads The New Neighborly

32 EdibleCritic

best of soco

36 AroundTown

FREE COLORADO CULTURE

44 TravelWell

LE AF PEEPING

98 SoCO

PAGOSA SPRINGS COLORFEST

70

Sensi Magazine is published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2017 sensi media group llc.

All rights reserved.

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head.

a CULTURE of CHANGE

ISSUE 9 VOLUME 2 09.2017

A DV I SORY B OA R D

editor’s

NOTE

While in Crested Butte during the Wildflower Festival this summer, I spent

1906 New Highs // Chocol ate 5700 Consulting // Consulting Cannabis Clean // CLEANING CannaRabbit // COURIER Cohen Medical Centers // MEDICAL CENTERS Concentrate Supply Co. //

one afternoon running in and out of every charming shop along the mountain town’s eclectic main strip, a woman on a mission: I needed to find the perfect gift for the woman who’s responsible for taking the plain Word documents I send each month and transforming the content into creative, cohesive, tasteful magazines that are a reflection of “The New Normal” that’s taken cannabis use out of the counterculture and into the mainstream —

recreational concentrates

here in Colorado. It’s not the same story where Jennifer makes our maga-

Denver Custom Packaging // Packaging Durango Cannabis Co. // Genetic Integrity EndoCanna // MEDICAL Concentrates Firefly // LUXURY VAPORIZERS Folsom Family Dental // dentist Gator Group // packaging & distribution GreenHouse Payment Solutions //

zines each month at her home in Kansas. I was on the hunt for a piece that would pay tribute to Sensi’s favorite subject while not causing the moms in the pickup line at her son’s school to gasp should they see her wear it.

I was covered in dirt from a morning on the trails and still sweating as I marched from store to store, then the idea for the perfect gift hit me: a THC molecule necklace by Genifer M., the maker of beautiful, high-end cannabis jewelry designed to “spark the conversation.” I picked it up the next day at

PAYMENT PROCESSING

Simply Pure dispensary back in Denver, ecstatic to find a discrete pot neck-

Grofax 5 // HEMP I&I Boulder // wholesale cultivation Jett Cannabis // CO2 EXTRACTION Lab Society // Extraction Experts/L AB SUPPLIES Loopr // Luxury Mobile Consumption LucidMood // TERPENES marQaha // Sublinguals/Sprays Mary Jane’s Medicinals // topicals Mountain High Suckers // cbd EdibleS Mustache Dabs // Rosin Nature’s Root // HEMP COSMETICS Purple Monkey // TEAS Rx CBD // cbd & pet treats Sohum Living Soils & American Cannabis Company // SOIL Source Colorado // Wholesale Consulting Steepfuze // CBD COFFEE Terrapin Care Station // recreational DISPENSARY The Clinic: The Bank Genetics // genetics Wana Brands // EdibleS Witlon // Payroll processing

lace that’s as appropriate to wear on the golf course in Kansas as it is to Sensi Night in Colorado.

Genifer M.’s jewelry line inspired the earrings worn by the model on our cover—a leaf design that’s less of an insider nod to the plant than an all-out gold-plated token of appreciation. As Senior Editor Leland Rucker discusses in this month’s cover piece, cannabis users are coming out of the proverbial closets, emerging as a covetable demographic that mainstream marketers are starting to target—a trend that’s starting to pick up steam. Just before this issue went to print, Netflix announced it had joined forces with a California dispensary to release its own strains of weed to promote its new Chuck Lorre series starring Kathy Bates as the owner of a pot shop, Disjointed, and Lagunitas Brewing, owned by Heineken, released a cannabis-infused IPA—just two more signs of our changing culture.

Apropos, as Change + Culture is the theme of the issue. From the best spots in Colorado to see the Aspen leaves change to some of the region’s free cultural attractions, from a new kind of higher learning at CSU–Pueblo to the new kind of neighborly conversations cannabis can spark, change is in the air right now. Embrace it.

Cheers,

National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy Women Grow

© KIM SIDWELL

M E DI A PA RT N E R S

Stephanie Wilson editor in Chief @ stephwillL

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If you’ve ever found yourself downing cheap happy hour

30th Annual Downtown Boulder’s Fall Fest 2017 September 15-17, Pe arl Str ee t

drinks after work with colleagues who can't stop rehashing the latest office drama and thought to yourself, “Wow, we’d be better off bowling right now,” you were right: throwing spares and strikes is way better than listening to Carol throw shade. Better Off Bowling is more than a mindset; it’s also an organization that runs leagues for young

Firefly Handmade Market, which takes over Boulder’s central Pearl Street thoroughfare for one weekend this month, is the perfect place to get a jump on your holiday shopping.

Make a list now, because you won’t be the only one with that idea: some 80,000 visitors are expected to stop by to peruse the handcrafted artisan goods proffered by return-

professionals across the country. In Denver, where “cannabis professional” isn’t code for “drug dealer,” BOB launched a distinctive cannabis industry league. Teams from companies like Sweet Leaf dispensaries, Purple Monkey teas, and— yes—Sensi roll hard on Wednesday nights at Lucky Strike Belmar. Fall seasons start mid-October, and registration is open now. BETTEROFFBOWLING.COM

–SW

ing masters and emerging artistes who specialize in categories like home goods and decor, jewelry and accessories, ceramics, paper goods, skin care products, and more. When you need a break from all the browsing, take a seat in the beer garden and listen to some live music while you check your list—twice.

Oh,WOW

–STEPHANIE WILSON

It’s called the

Oh Wow chair because that’s what people

say when they sit on it. I didn’t know that when I sat down in one. But I said it, because: wow, this chair is deceptively comfortable. It’s made by the Denver-based Hidden Gnome Woodworks. The frame is crafted from partially reclaimed hickory, with reclaimed walnut slats. The fabric back is made in Denver by Stephanie Victa of victadesigns.com. It practically begs to go camping with you this fall. And for $85, it can be yours. Shipping is typically $40, but you can arrange for a local pickup free of charge. HIDDENGNOMECOLORADO.COM –SW

12

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SEPTEMBE R 2017

sensi

buzz

what we’re

the ne w n o r ma l

reading

As the dog days of summer give way to the shorter, cooler ones of fall, ditch the beach reads and pick up a tome that will feed your brain. Get lost in these books—perfect companions for a weekend mountain getaway.

Giant of the Senate // by Al Franken // Hatchette Book Group Comedian Al Franken’s rise from late-night television icon to a member of the United States Senate is one of the great political tales of our time. Giant of the Senate, which documents that story, is filled with—no joke—civics lessons you probably have forgotten, tips on how to work with and appreciate people you despise, and a primer on how to become a US senator in spite of making a rape joke at a late-night Saturday Night Live writer’s cabal. He explains foreign policy and healthcare easily and coherently, like he’s actually studied them, even if he did smoke a little kush back in the day. Oh, and it’s funny as hell, too, especially when he gets to the chapter about Ted Cruz.

Required reading for Kid Rock if he decides to run for the same august body.

–L ELAND RUCKER

The Locals // a novel by Jonathan Dee // R andom House If getting lost in a work of literary fiction is your favorite way to spend a lazy Sunday, consider The Locals, a novel by Jonathan Dee released in August

by Random House. The Pulitzer-nominated author of 2011’s The Privileges brings us a tale that at first almost feels ripped from the political headlines.

Set in a small New England town in the Berkshires, The Locals tells the story of billionaire self-exiled from New York City following 9/11. He moves his family to live full time in their summer home, a mansion from which he stages a run for local office, winning the seat with a promise to forgo his salary.

That’s where the similarities between fiction and recent facts end and where the drama that rises from tensions between rural and urban life, between the haves and the have-just-enoughs, begins to play out.

–SW

DID YOU KNOW ?

Colorado Creative Districts are of ficially designated areas deemed by Colorado Creative Industries (a division of the STATE’S Office of Economic Development ) AS hubs of “vigorous arts and cultural ac tivit y.” THESE COMMUNIT Y HOT SPOTS HOST ENRICHING EVENTS—such as art walks, festivals, concerts, and oTHER gatherings—that draw people together throughout the year. There are six such districts in and around Denver and Boulder, each one distinct, vibrant, and worthy of exploration.

Golden Triangle Creative District Fort Collins Creative District Breckenridge Arts District Downtown Longmont Creative District 14

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Art District on Santa Fe SEPTEMBE R 2017

River North Art District

sensi

buzz

the ne w n o r ma l

Leland’s

sensibilities

Sensi Senior Editor LEL AND RUCKER on the Elevation Blues.

The hoary antidrug warrior and conservative pundit William Bennet t was in Denver recently to speak to the American Legislative Exchange Council ( ALEC) convention. He said Colorado would soon regret legalizing cannabis. “Why in God’s name would you make a drug available to children that destroys or inhibits focus or at tention?” he asked his audience.

Bennett, of course, would like to see ALEC—a nonprofit organization that mixes lawmakers with lobbyists to advance conservative agendas—write legislation that would return us to the glory days, back when he was director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under George H. W. Bush and approving enormous amounts of tax money for preposterous policies like Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) and Just Say No in his unending quest to keep us from using cannabis.

Bennett still evokes the same tired tropes he used 30 years ago. Legalizing cannabis for medical and adult use hasn’t made cannabis more available to children—quite the contrary—but it does place more of the yoke of responsibility on parents, which is where it should be, especially since we are finding out that parents are a majority of cannabis users.

I’m not in favor of children using it, but to try and stop at least one-sixth of the adult populace, probably more since most © KIM SIDWELL

users can’t admit their illegality, from using a plant when a significant number of that populace is raising kids, well, preposterous.

Ever think of working with parents on education instead of this quixotic effort to stop cannabis use? Bring back DARE? Why would it be any less a failure today? People like Bennett won’t be happy until we’re buying plastic bags of weed from the cartels again.

And it begs another question we tend to ignore: why is cannabis’s altered state of consciousness so bad? We modify our brains with substances and stimuli every day, but for some reason the cannabis “high” is so much more dangerous than any others.

Alcohol gets you high, with often stupid and sometimes disastrous and violent results, yet many who oppose pot celebrate alcohol use while watching a sports event.

People drink coffee daily for its buzz and stimulation. Pharmaceutical drugs make people high, and addictively so, just one of the reasons we’re awash in opioids.

I think of the many congresspeople willing to accept medical marijuana but who balk at recreational— even though both elevate you, and as we’re finding out (see last month’s story on the endocannabinoid system on sensimag.com), the elevation is part of the healing, too. Just as it is with oxycodone.

It’s madness. It makes no sense. Sometimes, frustratingly, #thenewnormal isn’t much different from the old one.

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–LEL AND RUCKER

1.1.1_oneeleven

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{newsfeed}

by Randy robinson

JUST THE FACTS CSU-Pueblo’s Institute of Cannabis Research intends to answer some pressing questions for our state’s most famous industry. What are their researchers looking for, and how may their findings impact our way of life?

Over half a million Coloradans consume cannabis

MacColl recently took over the ICR after years of

at least once a month. The industry rakes in hundreds

working in management and education. She says she

of millions of dollars a year, but many questions remain

has no prior experience with cannabis or the cannabis

unanswered: How is this new industry shaping the jobs

industry, but these traits are precisely what CSU-Pueb-

market? What long-term effects will all this widespread

lo was looking for to preserve the program’s objectivi-

smoking and vaping have on the population? And how

ty. Besides, ICR’s projects at CSU-Pueblo work with the

do we keep kids away from it, even as we tote legaliza-

kind of cannabis that lacks the party factor.

tion’s wholesale successes?

The Institute of Cannabis Research (ICR) at Colora-

hemp,” MacColl adds. “We’re not studying marijuana

do State University-Pueblo was founded last year to

on campus.” Although hemp and marijuana are both

examine the effects generated by Colorado’s cannabis

Cannabis sativa, hemp is legally defined as cannabis

industry. To date, ICR is the only university research

with less than 0.3 percent THC, the molecule respon-

program looking at the overall societal impact of legal

sible for the plant’s elevating effects.

cannabis, though its laboratories have undertaken several medical and biological projects, too.

20

“We know it’s controversial, but we’re studying

Cultivators in Colorado primarily grow hemp not for industrial purposes such as textiles or ropes but for CBD

ICR’s goal, however, is understanding, not endorse-

extraction. CBD, another molecule found in cannabis,

ment. “We’re for cannabis research,” says Wendy Mac-

doesn’t have psychoactivity like THC but it possesses

Coll, the director of ICR. “We’re not a cannabis advocacy

many promising medicinal properties. Marijuana can

center institute. We’re just interested in the research

contain CBD, but hemp produces much more. CBD prod-

regarding what goes into this plant and the many dif-

ucts such as oils and edibles are often touted as com-

ferent aspects of it that this research can confirm—

pletely legal and safe for pets, but there isn’t much

or eliminate.”

peer-reviewed research on CBD’s long-term effects.

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No More Anecdotes : Real Science Jeff Smith, Ph.D., a molecular biologist at the university, leads a study into CBD and its consequences for memory formation. From a medical perspective, certain memories can contribute to health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition where traumatic memories can lead to insomnia, eating disorders, mood swings, and even suicide. Since PTSD recently became a qualifying condition for medical marijuana in Colorado, Smith’s data could prove invaluable as more veterans and trauma survivors turn to cannabis for relief.

“Any medicine can be used properly and can be misused, and we want to know the proper way to use cannabinoids as medicine,” says Smith. “If you want to know how to properly use a drug, or how it can harm people, you need to know how it works.”

According to Smith, a growing body of research shows CBD can reinforce certain types of memories, specifically those formed from “fear learning.” Fear learning occurs when individuals develop behaviors to avoid or adapt to a traumatizing or fear-inducing event.

Hypothetically, CBD’s ability to solidify the formation of memories could be detrimental—if it were given to a soldier in a war zone, for example. However, Smith believes CBD could alleviate PTSD by enhancing the practice of “exposure therapy,” a type of therapy where patients overcome their fears by being exposed to trauma triggers in a controlled manner.

Hands-Off Approaches Smith’s lab is one of 10 under the ICR. Dr. Barbara Brett in the school’s psychology department runs an investigation into cannabis therapies for seizures that do not respond to conventional medicines. Another study, led by Dr. Chad Kinney, seeks to find more efficient ways to extract CBD from hemp. Dr. Brian Vanden Heuvel’s lab wants to see how well hemp can remove sewage sludge from landfills.

But not every project at the ICR involves directly handling cannabis or its constituent cannabinoids.

Some studies do not even concern themselves with 22

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SEPTEMBE R 2017

the plant per se but rather are looking at how legaliza-

the brightest and most curious brains in cannabis

tion’s effects are rippling through society. One of these

can meet to share ideas.

studies, co-investigated by Drs. Sue Pettit and Margie

Earlier this year, CSU-Pueblo kicked off the program

Massey, explores data on cannabis use among minors,

with the first ICR conference. According to Jennifer

and intends to discover new methods to improve drug

Mullen, then the interim director of ICR, the confer-

education curricula to keep kids away from pot in a state

ence drew attendees from 21 US states and 10 coun-

where there are more dispensaries than there are Mc-

tries. Some of the most prominent visitors were re-

Donald’s, 7-Elevens, and Starbucks combined.

searchers from Israel—including the most influential

Brad Gilbreath, a professor of business, never needs

cannabis scientist in the world.

to touch cannabis for his research, either. He wants to

Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, who delivered the key-

know about the quality of jobs created by Colorado’s

note speech at ICR’s first conference, has been dubbed

legal cannabis. In 2015, estimates from the Marijuana

the “father of cannabis science.” In the 1960s, he was

Policy Group suggested Colorado’s cannabis industry

the first chemist to isolate and identify THC. His ground-

created over 18,000 full-time positions since legal-

breaking discovery was only possible because Israeli

ization, but whether these are good jobs, where em-

police allowed him to smuggle 11 pounds of Red Leb-

ployees feel fulfilled and secure, has yet to be an-

anese—considered the Middle East’s finest hash-

I n 2 0 1 5 , estim at es f rom the M a r i j ua na P ol i cy G r o up s u gg es ted o ur c an n ab i s i n d u st r y cre ated o v e r 1 8 , 0 0 0 f ull - time p o sitio n s si n ce l e g a li z a tio n , b ut whether these are good j ob s , where em p l o y ees f e el f ul f illed and secur e , h as yet t o b e ans were d . swered. Gilbreath plans to share his findings with

ish—from an evidence locker to his lab at the Uni-

business owners in the cannabis industry so man-

versity of Tel Aviv.

agers can apply the research toward better business

Mechoulam’s story illustrates the obstacles current-day researchers experience when trying to work

practices.

“Employees tend to be happiest at jobs where

with cannabis and its extracts. State agencies, in ac-

they’re doing something they really believe in,” says

cordance with federal and international laws, keep a

Gilbreath. “I’m still collecting the data, but I suspect

tight leash on cannabis research—so tight even the

we’ll see that a lot of people in the cannabis industry

most straight-laced scientists cannot get access to

are happy with their jobs because they see them-

it, which is one of the reasons CSU-Pueblo chose to

selves doing something that benefits society.”

work mainly with hemp over marijuana.

Mechoulam’s catalogue of research into CBD for

A Gathering of Insightful Minds

24

treating nausea in children on chemotherapy, osteo-

ICR conducts research, but understanding in ac-

porosis in women and the elderly, Alzheimer’s, and

ademia goes far beyond gathering information and

pain management went largely ignored for almost half

forming conclusions. Director MacColl says the ICR is

a century. Now, research initiatives such as those con-

currently putting together a peer-reviewed journal for

ducted by ICR can build on his findings and those of

cannabis research. In addition to an academic jour-

others to finally shift our culture toward a more en-

nal, the ICR also hosts an annual conference where

lightened future.

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SEPTEMBE R 2017

{crossroads}

by RICARDO BACA

coming out Opening up about your personal cannabis use to the people in your orbit can be a scary step—and it’s one worth taking.

At first I was slightly baffled when the overly fa-

home’s very entryway. An even greater sign of nor-

miliar Uber Eats driver standing on my front porch

malization: You actually forget about the larger-than-

gave me a confident fist-bump and a knowing wink.

life cannabis leaf in your front yard—an eye-magnet

The older gentleman, rocking greased-back hair

many passers-by see on a daily basis. And perhaps the

and a Led Zeppelin T-shirt, had left his car running and

greatest sign of this crazy-normalized world we live

double-parked on the street, the driver’s side door

in: I impulse-purchased that doormat last year at the

flung wide open and blaring a classic rock jam into the

Bed, Bath & Beyond down the street as I was refilling

dark and otherwise quiet night.

my SodaStream CO2 carbonators.

“The delivery dude just winked at me,” I told my

These are only some of the luxuries we’re afforded

wife a few moments later as we excitedly unpacked

by the legalization of cannabis. We can walk into shops

our favorite Chinese take-out onto the kitchen count-

and purchase edibles as if they were a six-pack. We

er. “It seemed friendly and all, but I still don’t know

can attend luxe marijuana-infused dinner parties with

what that was all about.”

open consumption. And we can be more open about

And that’s when my lady solved the mystery: “Do you think he noticed the doormat?”

26

our own relationships with cannabis—with our friends, our families, and our neighbors.

Of course the delivery driver saw the doormat—a

And this is a unique part of the normalization con-

durable coco mat emblazoned with the word WELCOME

versation, communicating with our neighbors about

underneath a large, green cannabis leaf. But the mat

our personal consumption patterns. In a way it can be

has been sitting outside our front door for more than a

more daunting than opening up to your own family.

year now, so it was I who had forgotten it was there.

Think about it: Your house represents the biggest

You know you live in a normalized state when you

financial investment you’ll ever make. So you’re spend-

flaunt your affinity for a Schedule I substance at your

ing hundreds of thousands of dollars (if not more) on

www.sensimag.com

SEPTEMBE R 2017

RICARDO baca is a veteran journalist and the founder and original editor in chief of The Cannabist.

His content agency Grasslands works primarily with cannabis and hemp businesses on messaging and branding via thoughtful and personalized content campaigns.

SEPTEMBE R 2017

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27

this property that shares boundaries with people you’ve never met before moving in. (Even if you’re renting instead of buying, it’s not like you were able to pick your neighbors in the process.)

Some of us are lucky enough to have quality neighbors—people with whom you can communicate on important and often complex issues. But others aren’t so lucky, and those strained relationships with the folks living in the closest proximity to your home can complicate matters quickly.

Me, I’m a lucky one. My longstanding neighbor to the north is a kind-hearted older woman who loves gardening, maintains a beautiful yard, and is the block’s de facto neighborhood watch. My neighbors to the south are a young Latino couple who have lived next door for more than a decade; I’ve watched their son grow up, and we have each other’s backs—even while our chihuahuas noisily raise hell each time they’re in our abutting backyards at the same time.

The first time my gardener neighbor and I talked cannabis was pretty straightforward.

“I don’t like it myself,” she quipped. “I prefer to get high on my walks. I feel so great after a good walk.”

Our conversations since then—usually spurred by her hearing me interviewed on NPR or seeing my writings in the Denver Post—usually follow the same path. I don’t preach to her, or anyone else for that matter. But I do step in to correct any of her outdated notions about cannabis as they occasionally surface.

Still, these over-the-fence back-and-forths are significant. Here we are, neighbors of 15 years, talking about something so complicated as cannabis use.

I took that conversation a couple steps further one night with my other neighbors, the young couple. It was a Friday evening, and I was sweaty and covered in dirt while (appropriately) weeding our front yard. I was about 15 milligrams into some energizing edibles and finishing my second ice-cold water bottle when the couple pulled up and started chatting me up.

After a few pleasantries about their night (margarita happy hour at a favorite Mexican resto) and my night (yard work while the wife was out with friends), they complimented my hard labor and apologized for 28

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SEPTEMBE R 2017

the way I was spending a beautiful Friday evening.

“Oh, I’m actually having a blast right now,” I told

veyed my handiwork, I couldn’t help but feel a sense

them, inspiring a confused stare back in my direction.

of accomplishment. Sure, my yard looked so much

“When I got home from work, I ate some edibles and

better than before, but I also felt better and more

put on some music, and three hours later here I am.”

transparent about my newfound openness with my

I must have looked like a crazy person—sweaty,

neighbors.

filthy, stinky and smiling. And while I was immediately

I found that night, and it’s something that remains

nervous about my admission as soon as the words “I

true to this day, that opening up about my own relation-

ate some edibles” escaped my mouth, when I told my

ship with marijuana to the people closest to my person-

dear neighbors who I adore and respect, I felt a weight

al orbit has been nothing but a good thing. It helps us

lift off my shoulders.

understand one another on a deeper level, and it helps

And I felt even better when my admission spurred

30

bags and cleaning up the mess I’d made. As I sur-

us build a better and more honest community.

an awesomely normal conversation with the neigh-

This newfound depth of openness is certainly a by-

bors about cannabis legalization, about its known

product of legalization, and something that isn’t as

effects on our city and populace, and about my own

commonplace in prohibition states. And like the mari-

personal consumption habits.

juana sales that have recently become so normal, this

They laughed when I told them I didn’t smoke mar-

newfound ability to be more forthcoming with our

ijuana, that I only eat it. And as they went inside their

opinions on cannabis—with our neighbors, with those

house for the evening, I lingered in my front yard for

delivering our favorite Chinese take-out, and with oth-

another hour, packing the disheveled weeds into trash

ers—isn’t something we should ever take for granted.

www.sensimag.com

SEPTEMBE R 2017

{ediblecritic}

by JOHN LEHNDORF F

LE T US KNOW about SoCo FOOD

Send tips on your favorite eateries, bakeries, chocolatiers, and other food crafters and attractions in Southern Colorado to ediblecritic @ sensiMAG.com .

32

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SEPTEMBE R 2017

JOHN L EHNDORFF writes the Nibbles column for the Boulder Weekly and hosts Radio Nibbles on KGNU: NEWSKGnu.org/ c ategory/radio-nibbles .

SOUTHERN COMFORT The lower Front Range is Colorado’s secret stash of great taste destinations.

After decades in the shade of states on the coasts,

Pizza, Poetry, Pastry & Whiskey

Colorado is finally getting its day in the culinary spot-

Some destinations have everything going for them.

light. Chefs and sommeliers here are winning national

Poor Richard’s packs a few of my favorites in a block-

honors. List after national list of the best foodie towns

long building with a toy store, bookstore, coffee shop, gift

or places to drink beer or eat farm-to-table cuisine now

shop, and an eatery that bakes great whole wheat-pizza

spotlight destinations in the state. This summer the in-

topped with a sauce made from fresh tomatoes. The

augural Slow Food Nations brought the world’s foodies

Colorado Springs menu boasts lots of vegetarian, vegan,

to Denver and the big food event will return next July.

and diet-sensitive options, which are balanced out by a

The recognition is well-deserved but the kudos are

notably dense, sweet, and yummy coconut cream pie.

almost exclusively focused on Denver, Boulder, and a

324 1/2 N. Tejon St. // Colorado Springs

few mountain resort towns like Aspen, Vail, and Tel-

poorrichardsdowntown.com

luride. The rest of the state including the southern Front Range seems to be regarded as foodless places

Across town The Ivywild School is the kind of learning

to fly over on the way to dinner.

institution we can all support. Set in a rehabbed school,

We know better.

the edifice encompasses the Bristol Brewery, The Prin-

SoCo’s attractions go way beyond the famous spots

cipal’s Office (coffee and wine), the Meat Locker (butch-

and experiences such as The Broadmoor’s splendid

er), Old School Bakery (bread and pastries), and Axe and

Sunday brunch, the summer Saturday night wine din-

the Oak (distillery and tasting room).

ners in the Vista Dome car on the Royal Gorge Route

1604 S. Cascade Ave. // Colorado Springs

Railroad, and the Boeing KC-97 tanker that serves

ivywildschool.com

as a dining room at The Airplane Restaurant.

As a longtime Colorado food journalist, I’ve been

Pie & Doughnuts & Pignoli Cookies

lucky enough to make many memorable road trips

I like Amy’s Donuts because you can choose the filling

through the region looking for tastes that I couldn’t

you want injected into your Glazed, Almond Banana

forget. I’m sharing some of my favorite spots, but

Caramel, or Zesty Lemon confection.

keep them to yourself. You don’t want hordes of hip-

2704 E. Fountain Blvd. // Colorado Springs

ster foodies descending on Black Forest or Pueblo.

amysdonuts.com SEPTEMBE R 2017

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33

The otherwise ordinary, weekday-only Corner C afe is worth a visit because the owners believe in the great American pie tradition. They slice generous wedges of everything from Apple Raisin and Buttermilk Pecan to towering Lemon Meringue pies.

7 E. Vermijo Ave. // Colorado Springs cornercafecs.com

Pueblo’s East Coast Pizza and Bakery

does a good

job of living up to its name with reputable pizza, pasta, and eggplant parm grinders. What really floats my boat is the counter full of biscotti, ricotta pie, tricolor cake, cannoli, and pignoli cookies.

1638 W. US Hwy. 50 // Pueblo EastCoastPizzaPueblo.com

The Slopper & The Chile Cheeseburger At

Bingo Burger

Pueblo’s finest crop—the Mosco

(or Pueblo) chile pepper—is celebrated in a big way.

Chopped roasted chilies are added to the beef before burgers are griddled and topped with chile cheddar and red (ripe) green chilies.

101 Central Pl aza // Pueblo 132 N. Tejon St. // Colorado Springs bingoburger.com

It was at the down-home Gray’s Coors Tavern that Pueblo’s most iconic dish was invented. The Slopper is two open-face cheeseburgers in an oval bowl inundated with pork green chile sauce, chopped onions, grated cheese, and/or saltines.

© bingo burger

515 W. Fourth St. // Pueblo // 719-544-0455

34

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SEPTEMBE R 2017

SoCO ’s

GLOBA L TASTES

{ Mofongo to Lumpia }

Southern Colorado has been a magnet for centuries for immigrants who brought along their cuisines from Italy, Eastern Europe, and Spain, and Mexico.

Now the region is drawing new residents from around the world, judging by the array of international dishes available at local ethnic eateries.

Jamaican Flavor Jamaican curry goat with dumplings and fish fritters

to a cauldron filled with 2,500 pounds of liquid milk chocolate … and more sweet samples.

1540 S. 21st St. // Colorado Springs 930 Manitou Ave. // Manitou Springs patsyscandies.com

As the grandson of an Italian-American grocer, I find G agliano’s Italian Marke t

with my hands. It’s natural when I come home to crisp pizzelle cookies and classic chile Italian pork sausage sandwiches with whole milk mozzarella. The historic store is jam-packed with Italian grocery items, Sicilian flags, and Torrone almond nougat.

1220 Elm St. // Pueblo // 719-544-6058

3016 S. Academy Blvd. // Colorado Springs // 719-391-0142

L and of the Pyramids Egyptian lamb stew, rice pudding, and koshari 905 W. Garden of the Gods Road // Colorado Springs 719-445- 0997

Mi Viejo San Juan Puerto Rican mofongo—a spicy plantain mash—with mojito or salsa verde 1861 S. Academy Blvd. // Colorado Springs // 719-632-6619

You -Ka Café Filipino longanisa burger, salted egg salad, and lumpia egg rolls 3743 Bloomington St. // Colorado Springs // 719-309-6934

Mr. Tandoori Urban Bar and Grill Indian shrimp vindaloo with Pueblo chile naan 310 S. Victoria Ave. // Pueblo // pueblomrtandoori.com

Puukaow Thai Restaurant Thai Red curry with pumpkin (5-star “Extremely hot! No refunds!”)

1021 Market Plaza North // Pueblo West puukaowthai.com

always makes me talk

Rellenos & Fideo Not far from the lighted bocce ball court in downtown Trinidad, Mission at the Bell inconspicuously dishes rellenos worthy of the spotlight and a break from the highway. Large whole-roasted peppers filled with cheddar are lightly battered and served with fideo — a vermicelli side dish—and a choice of five heat-seeking chile sauces.

134 W. Main St. // Trinidad // 719-845-1513

Hellish Pizza & Heavenly Spätzle Meanwhile, tiding of comfort and apple strudel mit schlag (whipped cream) bring me back time and again to the Edleweiss. Heavenly Wiener schnitzel, housebaked brötchen rolls, and spätzle dumpling-ettes with gravy call my name. Guests have been known to hum “Climb Every Mountain” while sipping lager from a glass boot.

34 E. Ramona Ave. // Colorado Springs edelweissrest.com

Pizzelles & Peanut Brit tle

Don’t let the bright red and slightly satanic decor scare

Endless free samples of caramels, brittles, salt water

you off from Ruffrano’s Hell’s Kitchen Pizza and its

taffy, fudge, and dozens of other candies are the lure

mountain variation on authentic New York pies. I crave

to visit Patsy’s Candies factory store, where the be-

both the thin-crust four cheese “white” pizza as well

hind-the-scenes tours of the candy-making process

as the long-baked, deep-dish, square-cut Sicilian pizza.

stays with you. Immersed in a sugary perfume, the

9 Ruxton Ave. // Manitou Springs

tour is a thrill for a machinery geek and concludes next

1670 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd. // Colorado Springs ruffranoshellskitchenpizza.com

36

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SEPTEMBE R 2017

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{aroundtown}

by R OBYN G RIGG S L AWRENC E

FREE COLORADO CULTURE There’s plenty to do in Colorado without spending a dime, and you’ll find the best characters.

I read recently that every year the average American

C ano’s Castle // Antonito, Colorado

household spends about $2,800 on entertainment

I want to meet Donald “Cano” Espinoza and admire

(fees and admissions, AV equipment and services, pets,

his hand-built castle. The Native American Vietnam

toys, and hobbies), and I thought, that’s all? That’s a

vet says he was inspired by Jesus and “Vitamin Mary

couple of good concerts—especially if, like me, you don’t

Jane” to build a castle and religious shrine out of pink

plan ahead and have to buy tickets on StubHub. Should

volcanic rock, beer cans, glass bottles, hammered alu-

I be ashamed to admit how much I’ve spent on myself and my family during a weekend at Telluride Bluegrass or Hanuman Festival? Does anyone else drop $2,800 a year on their pets alone? Then let’s not even talk about

The gleaming towers of Cano’s Castle are made out of beer cans, hub caps, and other shiny scrap metals.

hobbies, Colorado gearheads.

I’m out of alignment. This isn’t the only area of the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics’ pie chart of how Americans divvy up their money where I’m out of whack—I spend on books what most people spend on alcohol, it seems—but it’s one I can do something about. I can stop paying the high ticket prices, skip the fees, and start visiting places that don’t require my hard-earned dollar as the price of entry. Colorado has no shortage of free concerts and festivals, so music shouldn’t be a problem, and it turns out that I’ve been walking right by plenty of other attractions—from homegrown to highbrow—that meet my free criteria. Even better? These hidden gems are actually a lot cooler than things I’ve paid a lot of money to park and

minum siding, wire, hubcaps, grills, and screen doors

go see (hello, Downtown Aquarium).

in a small town a few miles north of the New Mexico

What my grandma told me years ago is true. The best things in life are free. I made a list of what I plan

www.sensimag.com

This adventure might cost me a little something— I read online that Cano will talk to visitors for a dona-

to do first.

38

border.

SEPTEMBE R 2017

Swetsville Zoo

tion—but technically, there’s no charge to see what he calls “Jesus Castle” (because Jesus has been living in it since 1987). The soaring towers of Cano’s Castle, which Cano calls the King and Queen, loom over the neighborhood where Cano lives in a trailer and waits for Jesus to come. He wants Jesus to go with him to Washington, DC. I want to talk with Cano before they set off.

Swetsville Zoo // Tinmath, Colorado During my travels, especially in the American South, I’ve gone well out of my way to visit outsider art gal-

his “fantasyland” in a 2011 YouTube video, which makes

leries and museums. All the while, I’ve been passing

me want to meet him, too. “I want people to enjoy

by a park full of animals and creatures made from old

themselves and walk away laughing. At least smiling,”

car parts and scrap metal—an outsider art paradise

he says. “You hope they can come away with the sense

created by folk sculptor Bill Swetz—every time I’ve

that there is a little happiness left in the world.”

driven to Fort Collins, just a few miles up the road.

Since 1985, Swetz—inspired by “the funny papers”—

Stranahan’s Whiskey

has populated his property on the banks of the Cache

Bot tling Crew // Denver

La Poudre River with a menagerie of more than 160

This one might never happen. What I like about it is

metal sculptures, including dinosaurs, dragons, a giant

that my chances—1 in 25,000—are as good as those

bird with a shovel beak and bicycle frame body, a golf-

for people who have been waiting years to help bottle

er with a dinosaur caddy, a hitchhiker with a prisoner’s

Stranahan’s craft whiskey. Even self-proclaimed Stra-

ball and chain, a vehicle Swetz calls the Good Ship Lol-

naFans, who line up for 24 hours in December to buy

lipop, trains, cycles, and spaceships (to name a few).

two bottles of the distillery’s limited-edition Snow-

It’s free to visit the zoo, and there are picnic tables

flake Series, have no more clout than I do when it

where you can linger. Donations are, of course, gladly

comes to the weekly random drawing of 32 volun-

accepted—and I suspect I’ll feel pretty good about

teers to spend a half day corking, labeling, capping,

making one. Swetz explained his mission for building

tagging, and boxing bottles of whiskey. Since it released SEPTEMBE R 2017

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39

Stranahan’s was the first modern micro-distillery in Colorado.

its first bottle in 2006, Stranahan’s—Colorado’s first micro-distillery and the state’s first legal distillery since alcohol prohibition—has gathered a cult following for its Rocky Mountain whiskey made from Colorado-sourced malted barley and Eldorado Springs water.

In addition to gleaning an insider’s look at whiskey making and the camaraderie of geeking out with spirit aficionados, bottling crew volunteers also get a tour of the distillery ($10 or more for tourists), tasting samples of “the smoothest, most flavorful whiskey in the world,” a bottle to take home—and instant respect from StranaFans.

The Dikeou Collec tion // Denver I’ve been walking by another gem—one of the world’s top private art collections—every time I’ve spent money on retail-tainment at the 16th Street Mall. The Dikeou Collection, with photography, draw-

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than 30 international artists, sprawls through vintage office space on the fifth floor of the Colorado Building at 16th Street and California, above a Jamba Juice and a T-Mobile store. The free museum is run by Devon Dikeou, who curates and publishes zingmagazine, a 400-page annual glossy publication offering

© VISIT DENVER

Lightning behind Denver International Airport

artists, musicians, and authors an unjuried place to

consists of a “reality” in which one never encounters

show their work. Reviewers describe her collection

anything authentically real, and Vik Muniz, who said

as the magazine come to life.

the artist’s role is “to shed light on the complexities

The Dikeou Collection journey begins with two

of relationships between mind and phenomena.” Di-

huge pink rabbits that crouch in the entrance and in-

rector Hayley Richardson describes the collection as

cludes a stop to play a chandelier of wine bottles filled

“like wandering through the rabbit hole, you never

with differing levels of water. It also includes work by

know what you’re going to see next.”

artists like Momoyo Torimitsu, who once said daily life

42

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SEPTEMBE R 2017

Admission is—ding, ding—free, as is a tour of the

collection I can download on my cell phone. I’m also

fossil forms, Native American symbols, and the names

planning a visit to the Dikeou pop-up extension in the

of Colorado landmarks on the floors of the B Gates ter-

former Jerry’s Record Exchange store on East Colfax,

minal. These are just a few of the gems I’ve missed:

which houses many of the collection’s music archives.

>> a $1 million commission from ParisDenver International Airport // Denver I know I’m not the only one who’s gone through hell in this place—missed and canceled flights, security lines snaking through baggage claim, weather turning travelers into prisoners. I’ve not always been my most appreciative self at DIA—which I’ve been known to call the world’s worst airport, ever—and at the very least, I’m always trying to gain some sort of traction in the long rush to the dreaded lineup by zones. During my tantrums and my Type A traveling, I’ve passed by—literally hundreds and hundreds of times—what USA Today calls “the best public art portfolio in the United States.” Aside from “Blucifer,” the controversial blue mustang statue with the weird red eyes that you can’t miss on your way into the airport, I’ve ignored most of it.

I haven’t paid a lot of attention to my portal out of Denver since the celebration and controversy over its opening in 1995. The sprawling airport was 16 months

based light artist Yann Kersale in the train hall, Level 5 canopies, and escalator to the Public Transit Center;

>> a balustrade made of 28 ceramic vases hand thrown by Betty Woodman on Level 6 of the Jeppesen Terminal;

>> a mile-long light and sculpture installation

by Leni Schwendinger in the west-side passenger train tunnel;

>> “Fenceline Artifact,” a 1,000-foot-long

Buster Simpson and Sherry Wiggins installation on Peña Boulevard made from fencing, fossils found when the site was excavated to build the airport, and agricultural implements collected from farmers who were relocated;

>> a wind-activated Ned Kahn sculpture made of thousands of brushed aluminum blades, inspired by the grasses on the plains;

late and $2 billion over budget, opening the door to

>> a 150-foot-long Mindy Bray mural made

speculation that it sits above a secret command bunMinnesota Governor Jesse Ventura resurrected in his

from photographs of the Platte River at Confluence Park in Denver digitally manipulated to look like a world map;

TV show Conspiracy Theory in 2012. “Blucifer” made

>> a Western American Indian Chamber

ker for the New World Order—an idea that former

headlines in 2006 when the mustang dropped a sec-

installed in 2009, the 9,000-pound steel statue prompt-

ed a poetry slam (“Anxiously I fly/apocalyptic hell beast/

in Jeppesen Terminal.

tion onto its creator, Luis Jimenez, in the studio and killed him. Finished by Jimenez’s sons and staff and

exhibit that tells the story of Native Americans in Colorado through paintings, photographs, and narratives, beginning in international arrivals and ending

fails to soothe my nerves”) and a campaign to have him removed.

And, hey, who knew? Even the folksy musical chimes

Under all that noise, the airport is home to a fine

and announcements by local celebrities like Adele Araka-

and continually evolving art collection, from Terry Allen’s

wa and Mayor Michael B. Hancock that greet passen-

“Notre Denver,” a pair of cast bronze gargoyles perched

gers on the underground trains are artist Jim Green’s

inside suitcases that watch over the baggage claim ar-

attempt to add a human element to the travel experi-

eas, to the colored terrazzo inlaid with stone patterns,

ence. I could at least look up from my phone.

SEPTEMBE R 2017

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43

{travelwell}

by DAV INA VAN BUREN

LEAF PEEPING Five places to witness fall foliage in all its golden glory this month.

We may not have the fiery array of color that Appa-

passing through elk-filled meadows and ancient forests

lachia and New England boast, but Colorado autumns

while climbing 4,000 feet to the alpine tundra. With 11

are stunning in their own right. Come fall, the Rockies

miles of the road above tree line, the scenic byway of-

are awash with brilliant shades of gold, thanks to the

fers a bunch of popular overlooks where you can snap

aspen groves that call the Centennial State home.

scores of Instagram-worthy panoramic shots of as-

Like our growing season, the window for leaf peep-

pen-dotted forests. For a vantage point that’s more mi-

ing is short—a week or two in most places. If you have

cro than macro, opt instead to take Old Fall River Road

some flexibility, block out travel dates, then follow the

to the Alpine Visitor Center at 12,000 feet. The narrow,

color. For busier areas like Estes Park, Grand Lake, and

one-way road climbs a series of switchbacks through

Aspen, however, you’ll want to secure lodging for over-

the wilderness up to the tundra, where it meets up with

night trips. Whether viewed from the car, the treetops,

Trail Ridge Road. You can head back to Estes Park or

or even your backyard, there’s nothing like this annual

continue to the charming town of Grand Lake on the

show from Mother Nature.

park’s western border. Insider tip: you won’t see moose on the eastern side of the park, but they are frequent

Rocky Mountain National Park

visitors to the lower elevations on the western side.

Looking for the quintessential Colorado mountain drive? Estes Park, with its galleries, cafes, and sweet

44

aspen

shops, makes an ideal base from which to explore the

As the name indicates, this region is prime leaf view-

beloved national park. (Plus, September is rutting sea-

ing territory. Just 12 miles southwest of Aspen, the Ma-

son when elk practically take over the village.) To get

roon Bells are striking all year round, with two 14,000-

a lay of the land, take the Estes Park Aerial Tramway,

foot peaks blanketed with aspens towering above the

which passes over shimmering aspen stands as the

placid Maroon Lake. But in the early fall, when the lake’s

car climbs Prospect Mountain just outside of town. At

mirror-like surface only amplifies the golden glory of

the summit, you’ll have panoramic views of Longs

the season, it’s easy to see why this landmark is called

Peak, the Continental Divide, Rocky Mountain Nation-

the most photographed spot in Colorado. There are many

al Park, and miles of aspen groves. Relish the views

hiking trails in the area, but in the fall they can get quite

from the observation platform or opt for a short hike

crowded with hikers and photographers in cue to cap-

before you head back down to venture into the park.

ture the iconic shot of these majestic twin fourteeners.

There are no commercial enterprises in the 415-­

Rise above that. Aspen has a number of aerial outfitters

square-mile park, so gas up before you go and bring

who can get you a bird’s-eye view of nature’s artistic

snacks and plenty of water. From Estes Park, Trail Ridge

display. Soar above the aspen stands in a hot air balloon

Road winds east to west across the park for 48 miles,

for a serene early morning viewing. Aspen Paragliding

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SEPTEMBE R 2017

SEPTEMBE R 2017

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45

offers adrenaline junkies an opportunity to view not only the brilliant fall colors but deer, coyotes, and other wildlife from 11,000 feet, sharing the sky with hawks and golden eagles.

For the ultimate in posh leaf-peeping (and to cover maximum ground while rising above it), sit back and relax while Aspen Heli Charter takes you on a private, narrated tour. A favorite aerial route provides soaring views of Mount Sopris, McClure Pass, Snowmass Peak, the Maroon Bells, Pyramid Peak, Snowmass Lake, and Independence Pass.

GRAND MESA One of Colorado’s most underappreciated drives is from Grand Junction to Grand Mesa. Adrenaline addicts with 4-wheel-drive vehicles can take Highway 50 to Lands End Road straight up the side of the mountain, via a gravel road full of switchbacks. For a more leisurely drive, head down US 50 to State Highway 65 to enter the mesa outside of Delta. Encompassing several hundred square miles, this is the world’s largest flat-topped mountain, rising 11,000 feet above sea level. Dress warm: temperatures never rise above 80 degrees on the mesa, even in summer.

Grand Mesa National Forest

More than 300 alpine lakes dot the 63-mile drive across the mesa, and the postcard-worthy views are particularly remarkable in fall. At some points, aspen groves stretch as far as the eye can see. While you’re marveling at the scenery, you might also spot elk, mule 46

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SEPTEMBE R 2017

deer, moose, and black bears in the meadows along

golden towers will be gone the next day.

the route.

Devil’s Head Kebler Pass

48

This adventure starts with a 10-mile drive down

Did you know that aspen stands are actually one

bumpy, gravel roads outside Sedalia—which weeds

living organism? What looks like individual trees are

out the masses. Once you’ve reached the parking

actually “root suckers” from a single seedling. Colorado

area, head for the steps and climb straight into a

is home to one of the largest aspen stands in the world,

shimmering stand of aspens. Take note of the mes-

on Kebler Pass. From the charming town of Crested

sages and symbols carved into the tree trunks by

Butte, County Road 12 starts off paved then turns to

young lovers and BFFs over the years.

smooth gravel before the pass.The 30-mile route takes

Follow the switchbacks past a massive outcrop-

about two hours to complete in normal conditions, and

ping of boulders, through serene groves that appear

peak leaf viewing time is the last week of September.

to glow from within. To the east, you’ll find expansive

The aspens here are massive: tall, mature and

views of Pike National Forest and downtown Denver

healthy. You’ll want to pull over, get out of your car,

in the distance. Once you reach the clearing, take a

and stand in the presence of these giants. Look for

breather—you’ll need it—before climbing the 143

two marked paths, Dyke Trail and Lost Lake Trail,

steps up to the fire tower. This leg is not for the faint

both about half an hour outside Crested Butte. But

of heart, especially when it’s windy. Those who make

remember: this is high country, and weather is un-

it to the top are rewarded with 360-degree views of

predictable. Be prepared, and know that once the

mountain scenery where millions of golden leaves

first winter storm hits, the delicate leaves of these

tremble in the afternoon sun.

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SEPTEMBE R 2017

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hack

by Robyn Griggs L awrence

If you’ve ever smoked a strong

indica , you know the munchies. They’ve

been a thing since humans first began using cannabis. In fact, people in ancient China and India drank cannabis te a a s an appe tite stimulant, and this remedy

shows up MANY TIMES in medical and pharmaceutical texts throughout the ages.

We’ve known for thousands of years that ingesting

The only thing we can control is how we react to

cannabis can inspire hunger. Only recently, though,

this phenomenon, a welcome effect for people who

have we begun to understand why—and it comes

have lost their appetite to wasting disease or chemo-

down to THC, the cannabinoid (chemical compound)

therapy but a scourge of varying degrees for those

found in cannabis plants responsible for the psycho-

watching our waists and our wellness (most of us).

active properties. THC stimulates dopamine pro-

First, be informed. THCV, a close cousin to THC, is

duction, making eating more pleasurable. Scientists

an up-and-coming cannabinoid because scientists

have also found that THC acts on receptors in the

have discovered it has appetite-suppression capa-

hypothalamus to produce the hunger-stimulating

bilities. Real Housewives star Bethenny Frankel is

hormone ghrelin. In a 2014 study published in Neuro-

using that information to develop Skinnygirl diet-

science Nature, researchers found that THC fit into

conscious cannabis (announced in 2015 but still not

the olfactory bulb of mice’s brains, enhancing the

launched), and GW Pharmaceuticals has filed a pat-

smell—and therefore taste—of food, causing the

ent to use THCV to control insulin levels.

rodents to eat more.

To prevent the munchies, find cannabis with the

So, we can take heart. It’s not our fault when we

highest THCV content you can (strain suggestions on

devour an entire bag of Paqui Spicy Queso chips with

page 54). Appetite-suppressing THCV is most abun-

queso dip, a package of Milano double-milk chocolate

dant in landrace African sativas, but cannabinoid

cookies, a carton of Häagen-Dazs chocolate peanut

content varies from grower to grower and harvest

butter ice cream, two Diet Cokes, and a box of gluten-

to harvest. To ensure THCV-rich cannabis, seek out

free cheddar cheese crackers (because they were the

strains that have been lab tested.

only things left). We can’t control the THC that’s controlling our brains.

Second, be prepared. When the munchies hit, there is nothing more heavenly than a visit to 7-Eleven, SEPTEMBE R 2017

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with its gleaming cases of high fructose corn syrup and pizza rolls, shelves stuffed with pork rinds and Hot Tamales. The snack-filled store would be paradise if it weren’t for the inconvenient truth that the food there makes you fat and sick. Keep yourself out of the aisles of temptation by cleansing and restocking your kitchen.

{ MUNCHIE - FREE } strains The Whole Plant Experience

BL ACK BE AU T Y This sativa-dominant hybrid with a pineapple-like aroma has a 2 : 1 ratio of THCA :THCV and produces a fast-acting, euphoric high.

DOU G’S VA R I N The first strain bred to contain massive amounts of THCV, this rare sativa with a piney-citrus aroma has a THCA : THCV ratio of 5 : 4, with a whopping 15 percent THCV and a significant amount of myrcene, the terpene that rushes concentrated THC and THCV to the brain.

DURBA N POI S ON The THCV content in this pure African sativa with a spicy-sweet aroma ranges between 0.2 and 1.8 percent, fueling productivity and focus.

MOBY D IC K THCV is present in this strong sativa with a sweet-citrus aroma that delivers a powerfully uplifting high.

JACK THE RI PPER THCV is present in this lemon-scented sativa that makes you feel talkative and invigorated.

P INE A PPL E PURPS The THCA : THCV content in this sativa-dominant strain with a sweet pineapple aroma can be as high as 3:1, giving it a THCV content of more than 4 percent. Grab this euphoric strain when you can; it isn’t easy to find.

P OWER PL AN T THCV is present in this African sativa with a spicy aroma that inspires and uplifts.

RED C O NGOL ES E THCV is present in this African sativa with a sweet floral aroma that energizes and uplifts. (It’s been called “the cocaine of cannabis.”)

Anton Chekhov said if there’s a pistol in the first act, it will be fired in

Shop At thefirefly.com

the second. It’s the same in your kitchen. If there are Hot Pockets in the freezer, you will eat them when you’re high. Stock up instead on healthy whole-food snacks that satisfy 7-Eleven-caliber cravings without the sweet-salty pistol whip of guilt (snack suggestions on page 56).

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beat the { MUNCHIES } G ET B U SY >> Practice yoga, climb a rock wall, knit, play a video game or the piano. With your head and hands busy, you’ll think less about food.

D RINK WAT E R >> You need to do this in Colorado, anyway. Keep your water bottle with you at all times. Flavor it with chunks of fruit or sip on seltzer.

Healthy Snacks YOU WON’T H ATE A IR - POPPED POPCORN

Eating popcorn keeps your hand moving and your mouth chewing with a lot fewer calories than a bag of chips. Skip the butter and spritz with a little olive or sesame oil instead, then keep it interesting with

D RINK C OFFE E OR GREEN TEA >> Caffeine dulls appetite, and you can keep yourself amused trying all the different varietals and varieties of coffee and tea now available. You can add a little honey to shore up your blood sugar—but a white chocolate mocha, even with skim milk and no whip, defeats the purpose.

creative seasonings: chili or curry powder, garam

C H E W G UM >> Sometimes your mouth just wants to be busy. Chew sugar-free gum sweetened with xylitol, a natural corn alcohol that won’t spike blood sugar.

CEL ERY

Y E A H , N O F R I E S >> Researchers have found that one taste of fatty food signals the brain and gut to want more. You really can’t have just one.

masala, dill weed and lemon zest, cinnamon, Sriracha and lime zest, truffle oil, malt vinegar, bullion powder, white vinegar and sea salt, Mexican hot chocolate mix, or matcha green tea powder.

The vegetable is fun to crunch, great for cotton mouth, high in fiber and vitamins C, A, and K—and has six calories per stalk. Celery’s a great vessel for all sorts of delicious dips and toppings. Peanut butter is the classic, as long as you don’t mind its 16 grams of fat per serving. Try these alternatives instead: toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds, olive oil and capers,

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Frozen Greek Yogurt with Nuts and Berries { Serves 4 – 6 } This is great when you really want a carton of Chubby Hubby. Greek yogurt is creamier, has a quarter of the carbs, and twice the protein of regular yogurt. You can use any variety and combination of yogurt, nut butter, fruits, and nuts. If you use plain yogurt, you might want to mix in a couple tablespoons of honey or maple syrup. You could even sprinkle in some mini dark chocolate chips, but that’s kind of cheating.

* 2 cups Greek yogurt, any flavor * 1/ 2 tablespoon sesame oil * 1/ 2 tablespoon nut butter ( almond, cashew, peanut ) * Pinch of sea salt Optional :

* 1/ 2 cup berries or fruit ( blueberries, strawberries, mango) * 1/4 cup toasted nuts ( HAZELNUTS, ALMONDS, PECANS ) · Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or waxed paper. Chop fruit and nuts into small pieces. · Spoon yogurt onto baking sheet. Spread evenly into a quarter-inch layer.

· In a small bowl, whisk together sesame oil and nut butter. Drizzle over yogurt. · Sprinkle remaining optional ingredients over yogurt and finish with sea salt. · Freeze 5 to 6 hours or until firm.

To eat, break into pieces.

horseradish and lemon zest, feta and mint, hummus, baba ghanouj, miso paste, tapenade, bean dip, or salsa.

F ROZ EN GR A PES

The ultimate natural popsicle, frozen grapes are simple to make and fun to pop in your mouth. Remove the stems, place grapes on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper or aluminum foil, and freeze for four to five hours. One cup has 100 calories.

VEGGIE CHI PS

Get your veggies and a salt fix, too. You can pay a fortune for low-calorie, low-carb potato chip alternatives at Whole Foods, or you can make them yourself in minutes. Toss two handfuls of chopped kale, spinach,

Dip It Good { MAKES 3 CUPS }

cabbage, ultra-thin radish slices, or another slivered

Let’s be honest. Even when we call them crudités, vegetables are pretty boring. That’s why we serve them with buttermilk ranch dip at parties. That secret sauce is a fat trap, though— you might as well be eating ice cream. Try dipping carrots, celery, peppers, snap peas, broccoli, and cauliflower in this low-fat vegan version instead. (You need to soak the almonds overnight and let the dip thicken for two hours or more in the refrigerator, so plan ahead.)

pepper. Place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum

* 1 1/ 2 cup unsweetened almond milk * 1 1/ 2 cup cashews * 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar * 2 cloves garlic * 2 tablespoons fresh parsley * 2 teaspoons onion powder * 2 teaspoons salt * Ground black pepper to taste

· Place cashews in a small bowl and cover with almond milk. Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.

· Combine cashews and almond milk with remaining ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

· Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.

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vegetable (go wild!) with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and foil and bake at 300˚ F for 20 minutes.

GREEK YO GURT

Low-calorie, high-protein Greek yogurt has a thick, creamy texture and is a great source of calcium, potassium, protein, zinc, B vitamins, and probiotics. You can also use it in place of sour cream and mayonnaise.

NUTS

Nuts are way better for you than chips, and they provide heart-healthy fat, protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants—but you won’t lose weight if you down a bag every night. Eat nuts judiciously. Almonds, cashews, and pistachios are lowest in calories. Macadamias and pecans are high in fat and low in protein. Nuts roasted in oil may contain hydrogenated fats and fewer nutrients.

Robyn Griggs L awrence is the author of The Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook.

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GOING

MAINS

by LEL AND RUCKER

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TREAM To reach the coveted NEW DEMOGRAPHIC of cannabis users, MARKETERS are realizing they have to reach beyond the tired OLD STONER stereotypes.

If you caught

the official theatrical trailer for The Hero

this spring, you’d think the film was a classic redemption tale about an aging Holly w ood s tar played by Sam E lliot t, t h e smoot h - voi c e d, t h i c k-mus tac h ed ac tor who made his silver screen debut in Butch C assidy and the Sundance Kid in 19 6 9. Nick Offerman, the burly guy best known for his portrayal of man’s

man R on S wanson in N B C ’ s Par k s a nd Re c re at ion , c os tars . B u t if you s aw a trailer for the same film at a dispensary in Southern California, you’d think

The Hero is a buddy comedy in which “Sam Elliot t and Nick Offerman Get Stoned.

Really, Really Stoned.”

And rightfully so: that’s the exact phrasing that

him in the spring about how to market The Hero to

appears amid clips of Elliott and Offerman rolling

cannabis consumers. “I suggested we re-cut the trail-

joints, talking strains, getting high, and laughing

er to play up the stoner buddy angle between Elliott

about how Elliot’s deep cowboy drawl could sell “a

and Offerman,” he says. “Add another level to the

shit-ton of pot” during a 60-second trailer targeting

story.” The directors agreed and collaborated with Wil-

cannabis consumers. The custom spot wasn’t some

fert to create the new version. Once that was complete,

bootleg ripoff cut together by pot-loving film aficio-

the challenge was getting it in front of its targeted

nados with time on their hands. It was an official trail-

audience of legal cannabis users—a group that runs

er, commissioned by The Orchard, which acquired the

the gamut from 21-year-old gamers to 76-year-old

film’s distribution rights at Sundance earlier this year,

grandmas. Traditional methods wouldn’t work be-

and created by the creative agency arm of The World’s

cause there is no typical cannabis user. What do a

Best Ever (TWBE), a Webby-nominated culture site.

majority of cannabis users have in common? When

David Wilfert, the advertising and marketing con-

they need to buy some pot, they go to a dispensary.

sultant behind TWBE, says The Orchard approached

So that’s where the trailer needed to go.

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Wilfert connected with an LA-based media company that operates an in-store network of televisions streaming ads and limited cannabis programming. The Hero ’s pot-centric trailer was soon part of the lineup.

“Customers in a pot shop see a TV playing a trailer with these two guys smoking pot, and it’s very relatable,” Wilfert says. The spot was shown in 182 dispensaries in California leading up to The Hero ’s theatrical release. ( Today, you can find both trailers on YouTube, but the film’s official website only has the original pot-free version.)

This type of targeted marketing designed to reach cannabis consumers is the latest step in marijuana’s march into the mainstream, another aspect of the New Normal. And it won’t be long before more major brands

36 percent of consumers in

Colorado identify as very social people who enjoy the outdoors at a higher rate than those who merely accept cannabis use or reject it entirely.

AS CI TED BY BDS ANALYTICS

follow The Orchard’s lead. Cannabis users are an untapped demographic of consumers with money to burn. With marijuana now legal for adult or medical use in 29 states and counting, people are coming out of the socalled cannabis closet, admitting they use the elevating plant themselves or support the rights of others to do so. A landmark cannabis consumer research study by BDS Analytics, a business intelligence firm, is underway, compiling demographic and psychographic data to help marketers better understand who is using marijuana, who isn’t, and why. The initial results of the ongoing study are in—and the profile of a cannabis user that’s emerged is so far removed from the tired old stoner clichés.

The average annual household income of California “Consumers”— people who use cannabis—is $93,800, while “Rejectors”—people who do not use cannabis and wouldn’t consider it—average $75,900. Twenty percent of California Consumers hold master’s degrees, compared to 12 percent of Rejectors. In Colorado, 64 percent of Consumers have full-time employment, 10 percent more than Rejectors. In California, 64 percent of Consumers are parents, and 38 percent say they volunteer their time to help others. In Colorado, data show Consumers identify as creative, social people who enjoy the fine arts and the outdoors.

Basically, the actual modern cannabis user doesn’t have much in common with the lazy pothead depicted in popular culture since Reefer Mad-

ness became a cult classic 80-some years ago.

But that doesn’t stop modern-day marketers from trotting out the same old stereotypes time and again—especially around the unofficial “high holiday” on April 20. This year, you may have seen a TV ad for Totino’s 62

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64

Pizza Rolls, owned by General Mills, depicting a 420

may have felt edgy and fresh at some point now come

angle and pushing a #betterwhenbaked hashtag. If

across as stale. Taco Bell’s been making not-so-sub-

you were near the Colorado/New Mexico border, you

tle references to getting high for over a decade. It’s

may have spotted a McDonald’s billboard likening

time to move on.

breakfast burritos to joints with the slogan “Usual-

Slowly, signs of progress emerge. In 2011, General

ly, when you roll something this good, it’s illegal.”

Mills used Cheech and Chong to reach Baby Boom-

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, never one to shy away from

ers with an ad for Fiber One brownies. The online-only

pot references as evidenced by flavors such as Half

campaign sought to reassure a middle-aged audi-

Baked and Dave Matthews Band Magic Brownies,

ence that regular is the new high. The narrator ex-

debuted the Chill-aco, a munchie-quashing waffle

plains it like this: “Because now that you’re getting

ice cream sandwich, on 4/20 itself.

older, you need a new kind of magic in your brownie.”

Whereas the legal cannabis marketplace is still

A few years later, in 2014, just days after Colorado

new, mainstream brands creating campaigns laden

became the first state with a legal recreational mar-

with old tropes is not—especially when it comes to

ket, Spirit Airlines released an ad with this state-

the movies and/or the munchies. The stoner comedy

ment: “The no-smoking sign is off in Colorado.” An-

genre debuted with the release of Cheech and Chong’s

other declared, “If you want to make a beeline for

Up in Smoke in 1978, and flicks like Half Baked, Dude,

Colorado right now, we don’t blame you—but we’re

Where’s My Car?, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle,

up to take you to plenty of chill destinations.” The

Pineapple Express, and the upcoming Super Troop-

absence of stereotypical references at first glance

ers 2 , set to be released on 4/20/18, keep resurrecting

seemed promising. But, alas, one step forward was

the same old jokes while depicting pot users as stupid,

followed by one step back. The ad concluded: “Book

hapless, and addicted to junk food. Late-night ads

today…and be sure to pack some munchies.” ( Be-

riddled with must-eat-all-the-food-now references

cause there aren’t any snacks in Colorado, obviously,

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65

the stoners ate them all.)

66

fine a new era of cannabis culture,” as the website

That part aside, these big-name brands were among

states. Redefining Cannabis grew out of Gabbay’s

the first to dip a toe into what is on track to become

U2R1 Media agency, which worked mainly with life-

a marketing mainstay as more states legalize can-

style and hospitality clients such as Hilton Los An-

nabis use. In the interim, companies have to be care-

geles and Égard luxury watches. Today, Redefin-

ful not to alienate customers who still believe what

ing Cannabis lists Cannabis Retreats, Erbanna high

they were taught in DARE—cannabis is a no good,

fashion, and a selection of gourmet edible compa-

awful, very bad drug—while also appealing to peo-

nies among its array of clients. Gabbay launched

ple who know better.

the new firm a few years ago to deal with cannabis

Wilfert explains that any company marketing to

branding and marketing for small businesses try-

cannabis consumers, young or old, needs to under-

ing to distinguish themselves from other similar

stand that users have a special connection that sets

companies—all of which are new to the newly legal

them apart from the status quo. “Pot smokers relate

consumer. It’s taken over most of her time. “I’m a

to each other,” he says. “Because of how marijuana

cannabis entrepreneur now,” she says.

has been criminalized over the past century, we’ve

She explains that cannabis brands aren’t that

been placed into a secret club where we have shared

much different from companies in any other indus-

the wonders of this plant. Now it is our duty to open

try looking to market themselves without playing

the club’s doors to everyone.”

into the stereotypes. “More companies are looking

Sari Gabbay, a marketing consultant and creative

to us for expertise in how to break into the market

director in Los Angeles, spends most of her ti me

without looking like stoners themselves,” she says

these days trying to fulfill that duty. Her creative

in our interview. “People come to me and say, ‘I know

agency is called Redefining Cannabis, and the firm’s

what I do, but I don’t know how to market myself.’”

goal is just that: create brand campaigns that “de-

So she focuses her efforts on research, working with

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the client to develop a plan to connect consumers

cannabis growers. Hawthorne Garden Company is

with the brand in a meaningful way. “We are their

the umbrella over a portfolio that includes acquired

voice,” she says of her cannabis accounts. “How they

companies such as General Hydroponics as well as

communicate will help change people’s perspective

craft brands like Black Magic Performance Hydro-

about the plant.”

ponics sold at Home Depots in select markets where

She tells her clients that consumer education is

cannabis is legal. The hydroponics subsidiary is pro-

the key to getting rid of the stigma that continues to

ducing upwards of $250 million a year, according to

surround cannabis use—especially when it comes

an October 2016 report by Bloomberg.

to the medical benefits. (She does note that in Cali-

This is big business, and it’s charting new terri-

fornia, where cannabis is already a fully established

tory. The first television ad for Black Magic could be

The average annual household income among California cannabis consumers is $ 93,000, with 20 percent of those consumers holding master’s degrees. 64 percent of California consumers are

PARENTS.

AS CI TED BY BDS ANALYTICS

68

part of the wellness community, the stigma isn’t as

used as an example of the right way to market to

strong as it is in other states.) “We’re developing prod-

cannabis users and growers. First step: just say no

ucts that are science-based, that have real science

to stereotypes. Black Magic’s ad didn’t portray pot

behind them. Cannabis is real medicine, and we’re

growers as tie-dye-wearing slackers. It showed clips

working with other brands to spread that message,

of clean-cut guys in their 20s and 30s, dressed like

to drive consumers to that space. Big companies are

guys that age do, tending to plants in a variety of

not going to sit back [while cannabis brands target

Instagram-worthy urban settings. The look was so-

their customers with new products].”

phisticated, the message modern and inspiring, the

Scotts Miracle-Gro is one of those big compa-

takeaway clear: Black Magic is leading the charge

nies—one of the biggest names in the lawn and

into a future where cannabis growers (and users)

garden realm in fact. Under chief executive Jim

can come out of hiding, emerging from literal base-

Hagedorn, Scotts has invested more than a half bil-

ment grows and proverbial closets empowered to

lion dollars into the pot industry in recent years,

garden with a “higher purpose.” To yield to no one.

launching a hydroponics subsidiary in 2014 that’s

This is the future. And under the grow lights, the

focused on cornering the ever-expanding market of

future looks bright.

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DAVID BRONNER >> COSMIC ENGAGEMENT OFFICER

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The cosmic engagement OFFICER

of dr. bronner’s lauded brand of

natural

soaps is as much an ACTIVIST as an ENTREPRENEUR. And he’s on a mission to help end America’s cannabis prohibition—an ongoing effort that will bring him

to denver for nex t month’s cannabis susta inability FORUM.

by LELAND RUCKER

AUTHORITY

MORAL Being a prominent CANNABIS AND HEMP

advocate

while running an iconic American soap business might sound like a delicate balancing act. But for DAVID BRON-

NER, a 44-year-old CEO based in California, it doesn’t seem

to be much of a problem. In his case, CEO stands for Cosmic Engagement Officer, a role he holds at Dr. Bronner’s, a well-known family-owned company that’s as lauded for i ts tingling natural soaps and organic body-c are

produc ts as it is for its commitment to making the

world a better place .

That commitment is outlined on the now-iconic labels of Dr. Bronner’s sig-

nature “Magic Soap”—a pure-castile liquid soap with 18 suggested uses. The

company estimates a bottle is sold every three seconds somewhere in the world—I even spotted it being sold at Costco last week—and the brand’s total annual revenue cracked the $100 million mark for the first time in 2016.

That’s roughly $96 million more per year than the family-owned company was earning when David took over the top leadership role in 1998 when he was just 25 years old.

A knack for business proved to be in his blood. David is a fifth-generation

soap maker and the grandson of Dr. Bronner’s founder Emanuel Bronner—

who, incidentally, wasn’t a doctor. Emanuel was born in Germany to a Jewish

family who produced an olive oil-based soap that originated in the Castile

region of Spain. The business brought Emanuel to the US in 1929 to consult with local soap makers, a move that ultimately spared him from the fate his parents suffered in Nazi Germany.

Emanuel was eccentric and controversial, a powerful motivational speaker who advocated for world peace and preached against communism, fluoridation, false religions, and poor health practices. He began printing his philosophy on the packages of soaps he sold at traveling sermons where he spoke about his All-One vision. Following one notable speech in 1945, he was arrested and sent to a mental institution where he was subjected to shock SEPTEMBE R 2017

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71

treatments before he managed to escape. He headed for the West Coast, settling down in California and launching the eponymous brand of natural soaps that proved to be a hit—especially in San Francisco during the height of Hippie Power in the 1960s.

His philosophy still adorns Dr. Bronner’s labels today. Line upon line of dense text details the company founder’s guiding ethos, a series of hardto-read independent wisdoms and religious messages. “In all that we do, let us be generous, fair and loving to Spaceship Earth and all Its inhabitants. We’re ALL - ONE OR NONE. ALL - ONE.” “Absolute cleanliness is Godliness!” “Think and act ten years ahead!” “Balanced food for bodymind-soul-spirit is our medicine! Full truth our God, half-truth our enemy, hard work our salvation, unity our goal. Free Speech our weapon.”

Despite his soap-making heritage, David didn’t always plan on taking over the family business. At an early age, he started working for his father, who developed the foam concentrate used by firefighters and later modified it to make artificial snow for movie and television sets. “My dad, who oversaw production, was actually head of operations,” David says at the start of our interview as he’s still catching his breath after a stand-up paddleboard experience. “Mostly I grew up doing firefighting foam and fake snow on trees and stuff. It was a lot of fun, but eventually I got into the soap side of the business.”

Still, it took awhile before he decided to follow in his family’s footsteps.

As he puts it, he had some growing up to do. After he graduated from Harvard in 1995, he headed overseas and got himself a Europass. He wound up in Amsterdam, where he found an international community with a lot of American refugees from the drug war. It was there he had what he calls some major psychedelic experiences. “I remember waking up with a vision

THE

D OC T O R

IS

IN

Next month, David Bronner is giving the keynote address during the Cannabis Sustainability Symposium, which takes place downtown Denver on October 17 & 18. It’s produced by the Cannabis Certification Council and Denver Environmental Health and sponsored by Denver Relief Consulting. Tickets start at $85. cannabissustainability.org

of my granddad and realized the drug war was really a religious war on a sacrament that got politicized. I really started to appreciate what my granddad was all about.”

He became fascinated with hemp and studied the history of its many uses and how it had been marginalized in America. His appreciation deepened for the potential of cannabis, and he decide to dedicate his life to responsibly integrating cannabis and psychedelics into modern culture. “I realized that granddad had created this engine, and I wanted to show my admiration and leverage the company for activist purposes, the first being cannabis reform. Fast forward to today, and now we are able to do that.”

After his father’s death in 1997, David took over Dr. Bronner’s operations 72

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“ I n all that w e do, let us be generous , fa i r and lov i ng to S pace s h i p Earth and all Its inhabitants. W e ’ re ALL ONE OR NONE. ALL - ONE. Absolute clea nliness is Godliness! Think and act ten y ears ahead!

Balanced fo od for body - mind - soul - spirit is our medicine! Full truth our God, h a l f truth our enem y, hard work our salvat ion, unit y our goal. ”

EXCERPTS FROM DR. BRONNER’S PRODUC T L ABEL

along with his brother Michael, the company president, and the two began putting the family ethos into action. “Dr. Bronner’s Cosmic Principles” became six guiding mantras that define the company vision: Work hard!

Grow! Do right by customers. Treat employees like family. Be fair to suppliers. Treat the earth like home. Fund & fight for what’s right.

The company is focused on promoting public health, environmental awareness, GMO product labeling, and fair trade and organic practices— and not just by paying lip service to philanthropic efforts. In 1999, David capped his pay at no more than five times that of the lowest-paid employee.

Last year, Dr. Bronner’s donated 8.4 percent of its revenue, or about 40.9 percent of its profits before taxes, to more than 180 different causes, including drug policy reform and cannabis legalization.

David took up the cause in his early days as CEO, when the company began testing whether organic hemp seed oil should be added to the organic soap line. After many trials, they found that hemp made the lather in their soaps smoother, only to have the Bush administration put the 74

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quash on the sale of most hemp products. David sued the DEA over the stance that hemp was the same as psychoactive cannabis, and Dr. Bronner’s became one of the first companies to incorporate hemp oil in its GRIND Load herbs into the top chamber and grind down manually.

body care products in 2000.

As chair of the Hemp Industries Association’s Food and Oil Committee, David helped defeat a DEA proposal that would have rewritten the definition of marijuana to include hemp seed with any traces of THC, which in effect would have taken all hemp products off shelves. He went to the

STORE Secure, water resistant storage protects your ground herbs.

DEA headquarters and served the agents free bagels topped with poppy seeds (which come from the same opium plant used to make heroin) and orange juice (which has trace amounts of alcohol). “We did some stunts that heightened the absurdity of what they were doing,” he says.

DISPENSE Efficiently dispense your herbs with the push of a button.

On February 6, 2004—Bob Marley’s birthday, he reminds me—the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously against the DEA. “That opened up the floodgates for hemp,” David says. “It had been difficult to market our product with the DEA threatening retailers. Once we busted it open, it’s been smooth sailing, for most part, and things started to finally open up.”

David’s activism has gotten him in trouble more than once. In 2009, he was arrested for planting hemp seeds at the DEA headquarters in Washington, DC, and three years later for milling hemp oil in a cage in front of the White House that forced police to saw through the bars to arrest him.

As well as being active in the battle to label GMO products, he is also working to make hemp an industrial crop in the United States again. Currently, some states, including Colorado, only allow hemp crops under certain conditions. “Ultimately, we need a political solution,” he says flatly, “before we can allow once hemp-friendly states like Kentucky to begin growing industrial hemp again.” In June, Dr. Bronner’s donated $100,000 to the Rodale Institute to support hemp farming and regenerative organic projects.

As for the kind of cannabis with psychoactive effects, David mentions that legalization passed in 2014 in the District of Columbia, but there are still no retail stores in the area. But he says he is still cautiously optimistic about the current administration. “We have a lot of problems with Trump, but hopefully cannabis isn’t one.” If it becomes one, we’d bet that David will follow one of those Cosmic Principles: Fund and fight for what’s right. And the world will benefit from it.

1973

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P R O MOT ION A L F E AT URE

cannapunch

Drink Up cheers to CannaPunch.

Back in the day, when you wanted to get lifted

ture (a medicine made by dissolving a drug in al-

on THC, you probably called, paged, or texted your

cohol) that his friend found to be potent, effective,

dealer to meet up to get “some trees.” There was

and awful to taste. While two out of three ain’t bad,

only one kind of product available: weed. It was

it also wasn’t good enough—not for his friend, and

green if you were lucky, full of brown stems if you

certainly not for his mother, who suffered from

weren’t, and it came in a white plastic baggie. The

multiple sclerosis. He believed his tincture could

only choice you had to make was how much to buy.

help her as well, if only he could get her to try it.

My, how times have changed. To get lifted today,

After all, even the best medicines only work if tak-

just walk into any dispensary—no need to page

en. So he set out to develop a tasty beverage that would serve as a vehicle for the delivery of the tincture while masking its flavor, and the CannaPunch elixir was born.

Today, CannaPunch comes in five flavors, including concoctions like pineapple mango, black cherry, and watermelon. Available both medically and recreationally, the non-carbonated beverages are natural, vegan, and free of gluten, soy, and corn syrup. They are made with whole cannabis flowers using a highly scientific approach that results in consistent effects.

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the budtenders first to tell them you’re coming.

Along with the original beverage line, Canna-

You’ll find shelves lined with cannabis products

Punch has expanded its offerings to include lines of

your prohibition-era self couldn’t even imagine:

products made using that same scientific approach.

everything from pre-rolled joints and vape pens

Highly Edibles is a brand of all-natural vegan gum-

to infused lotions, candies, chocolates, and drinks.

mies, with handmade fruity pucks in assorted fruit

It can be difficult to know where to start.

and sour flavors. The Dutch Girl line breaks the fruit-

Why not start with the first. CannaPunch holds

flavored mold with offerings like the Caramel Stroop-

Colorado’s first Marijuana Infused Product Manu-

Waffles—two layers of thin waffles held together

facturer license (404-00001), which has given the

by caramel-like syrup—and Ebony & Ivory choco-

company ample time to develop high-quality prod-

late cubes. Beyond the edibles, CannaPunch offers

ucts that deliver a consistent experience.

Dutch Girl seeds, the Nordic Goddess CBD Salve,

The company was started in 2009 by a biochem-

and Tumbleweed Vape Pens. The consistent thread

ical engineer who wanted to help a friend suffer-

running through these all is a commitment to the

ing from scoliosis and addicted to opioids. He be-

same high standards that CannaPunch has ad-

lieved cannabis could both ease her pain and get

hered to since it started, back in the days when

her off the pharmaceuticals. He developed a tinc-

weed was just weed. We’ve come a long way.

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www.goldenmedscolorado.com

P R O MOT ION A L F E AT URE

FOLS OM FA M ILY DENTA L

Reach Out trust y o u r sm i le to s o m e o n e w h o k n ow s what ’s up.

The waiting room of Folsom Family Dental is a

Coloradans use cannabis for health and wellness,

bright, welcoming space: open, modern, tasteful.

and her practice focusses on helping her patients

The collection of magazines patients can use to

achieve full-body health through better oral health.

pass time before their appointment isn’t much dif-

It’s all connected.

ferent than what you see in waiting rooms every-

A Philadelphia native, Sara is a self-described

where — copies of Better Homes and Gardens,

polyglot who dabbled in fashion, music, and dance

Family Circle, and other general-interest titles—

instruction and performance before her career in

with one notable exception. There’s a pro-cannabis

dentistry. She moved to Boulder with her husband

magazine at the front of the rack.

in 2013, bringing with her an open mind and a warm, creative spirit that translates into a chair-side manner that connects with people in a meaningful way.

On smilereminder.com, a site that collects feedback from patients, Folsom Family Dentistry has five stars out of five stars with 222 reviews—post after post of positive comments: “I’ve never had a bad experience visiting Dr. Sara and her team!” “I’ve never liked a dentist’s office so much!” “I love this dentist and would happily recommend them to anyone!” “If you need a dentist, Dr. Pourkay is a great bet … Highly recommend!!!!!!” There’s even more on

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A cannabis magazine, on display in a doctor’s of-

Yelp: “A trustworthy dentist is so hard to find, and

fice? This is the new normal. At least it is at Dr. Sara

I’ve finally found a place my mouth and wallet are

Pourkay’s practice on Folsom Street near downtown

safe!”

Boulder. The open-minded doctor has been sup-

That’s high praise, especially when you consider

porting Sensi since early this year, running full-page

up to 75 percent of adults have some anxiety about

ads each month and setting up booths at Sensi

seeing a dentist. Some estimates say one in five

Night events. Accepting of both traditional and non-

adults only see a dentist when necessary.

traditional medicines, she recognizes the valuable

Have no fear. You’ll be in good hands at Folsom

potential of connecting with the local cannabis com-

Family Dental. Sign up for the New Patient Special

munity—many of whom are new to Colorado and

for $399 and take advantage of a comprehensive

in need of a local dentist they can trust. Someone

exam, two prophylaxis visits (more than just your

who gets them.

basic cleaning), a periodic exam, digital x-rays, and

“We are proud to be trailblazers in the world of

15 percent off all additional services like fillings,

dentistry, reaching out to people in the Sensi com-

crowns, and laser teeth whitening. That’s some-

munity,” Dr. Sara explains. She recognizes that many

thing to smile about.

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S pe c i al A dv i s o r y Boa r d S e c t i o n

A s the cannabis i nd u st r y grow s, so do the n u mber of niche e x pe r t s within 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 leaders 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 sectio N. This mont h, we hear from experts at T he A merican

Cann abis C om pan y, D ur ango Can nabis C ompan y, and WA N A B R A N D S .

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

Humilit y : The Secret Ingredient to Growing Great Cannabis

by Ellis Smith, Chief Development Officer, and Randy Flemming, Cultivation Advisor, at The American Cannabis Company

As growers, there is A friendly competition —with ourselves as well as with others within the subculture—to continually grow a bet ter crop.

There seems to be a constant search for that one el ixir or special ingredient that will deliver the sweetest buds and highest yields. Is it biochar, bonemeal, bat guanos? How about L-amino acids? No. The most important ingredient is humilit y.

The cannabis plant originated in Central Asia, most

ship allow the grower to become a silent steward who

likely a few million years ago, growing in a well-draining,

simply watches the dynamic exchange between the

fertile river bed. More importantly, it coevolved with

cannabis plant and the life in the soil. Nature knows

thousands of species of microbial life in that soil. Through

best, as the saying goes. Both plant and soil life are

the millennia, cannabis perfected a symbiotic “dance”

in constant communication. The plant delivers foods

that science and art can only hope to mimic.

through the marvel of photosynthesis (e.g. sugars).

As growers, our role is to help create the best stage

In return, the soil life begins producing necessary fertility

for this dance to take place. We’ve learned through

or essential chemicals that will transition into things like

research and hands-on experience that living soil—

vitamins, antioxidants, antibiotics, or—more importantly

jam-packed with beneficial microbes—is the founda-

for cannabis growers—cannabinoids and terpenes.

tion for inevitable success. Proper light, temperature,

In this scenario, the humble grower does not have a

water, and humidity round out the other main factors.

diminished role, quite the contrary. Just like a choreog-

And now on with the show.

rapher directs the dance, the grower undertakes the task

A little faith and reverence in the plant/soil relation-

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SEPTEMBE R 2017

of mimicking nature—a feat not easily mastered.

S p e c i a l A dv i s or y Bo a r d S e c t ion

Composing with Cannabis

by Nancy Whiteman, Cofounder of Wana Brands

From Rihanna to L ady Gaga, some of today’s top pop stars and musicians are open abou t usin g c annabis to unlo c k t h eir c reat ive sid e. The ele vating pl ant c an be the key that opens the creative floodgates, allowing them to produce the beats and hooks that ge t us all grooving. And they aren’t just blowing smoke. Mounting scientific evidence supports the theory that c annabis increases creativity.

Research shows that using cannabis helps promote

nabis helps me remember the location I am writing

a state of relaxation and induce divergent thinking, or

about more vividly, assisting in the recapture of the

the ability to connect unrelated thoughts. That type of

area’s original feeling,” he says, citing his work “Lost

freestyle thought is linked with increased creativity,

Creek” as an example. “The song is about a backpack-

so it makes sense that some artists report that using cannabis helps open their mind.

Kevin Ritch, a composer and performer and a sales representative for Wana Brands, has a different take.

He sees cannabis as a tool he uses in his creative process that’s no different than a paint brush or guitar pick.

When he’s composing, cannabis is more of a utility than a creative lubricant. “Marijuana is a tool at my disposal that helps me to achieve my end goal: create a piece of music that satisfies me,” he explains. “This could be interpreted as enhancing my creativity.”

Kevin notes that there are three common benefits

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from composing with cannabis. “Consuming cannabis

ing trip that I took with a good friend into the Lost Creek

when I have writer’s block allows me to take a step

Wilderness here in Colorado last summer. I enjoyed the

back and see where I am stuck and where I am try-

place so much I wanted to write a song to capture the

ing to go from a slightly different perspective. It often

way it felt to me. When I got home, using cannabis

helps me find a new way to bridge that gap. The second

helped me put myself back into the place I was trying

use is when I am writing a song with several instru-

to write about.”

ments. I find cannabis helps me focus on individual

Both a marijuana enthusiast and a musical mind,

parts of a whole clearly, giving each part the full at-

Kevin exemplifies the tie between cannabis and cre-

tention it deserves.”

ativity: his work is elevated by the use of cannabis as

He draws a lot of his inspiration from the outdoors,

a creative tool. It seems that the brilliant musician and

and he finds cannabis to be particularly useful when

cannabis consumer Louis Armstrong had it right when

he’s writing about places he’s visited. “Consuming can-

he said: “It’s an assistant—a friend.”

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S pe c i al A dv i s o r y Boa r d S e c t i o n

Understanding the Dangers of PGRs by the experts at Durango Cannabis Company

Recently, Colorado cannabis consumers have begun to question the potential health-related dangers from cannabis grown with plant-growth regulators (PGRs). PGRs are hormone-like chemicals that occur naturally in plants and pl ay key roles in seed germination, root growth, stem elongation, leaf expansion, and fruit ripening/dropping.

There are two types of known PGRs: naturally de-

to chemical PGRs. However, many popular fertilizer

rived and chemically derived. Chemically derived hor-

companies utilize the chemically derived PGRs in the

mones aim to either interfere with synthesis and hor-

products, and growers are unaware of the dangers

mone breakdown or mimic pre-existing hormones.

they pose to the consumer population. So, how do

This interference often encourages denser growth and higher yields. Many growers claim that PGRs help produce cannabis that grows “healthier” and has a higher resistance to disease. However, these unnatural attributes come with a hefty cost.

Chemically derived PGRs are known to cause cancer and infertility, to poison the liver, and are classified as environmental pollutants. In the late 1980s, the Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of several PGRs after it was estimated that exposure to them could result in a cancer risk 240 times greater than the EPA considered acceptable. It is important to note that these PGRs were made illegal in the food industry, yet

you protect yourself in the Colorado cannabis mar-

the cannabis industry had flown under the radar when

ket? Here are a few tips on how to decipher your la-

it comes to illegal use of PGRs.

bel and what really goes into your smoke.

PGRs are available in a wide variety of additives

Check the package. All recreational marijuana prod-

such as Daminozide and Paclobutrazol. These have a

ucts in Colorado have an ingredients list on the back

similar chemical structure and suppress Gibberellin,

of the packaging. Check it for chemically derived PGRs

a natural PGR hormone that lengthens cells in the

such as Chlormequat chloride, Daminozide, Paclobutra-

stem. This interference can produce an extremely

zol, and Uniconazole.

dense flower with an abundance of hair yet a loss of full and natural terpene profiles.

A common misconception is that all PGRs are neg-

Ask your budtender if the product is grown with harmful PGRs. For more information about harmful PGRs, visit

fda.gov. Know what you smoke and take

ative, but that is not true. There are natural PGRs ev-

the time to educate yourself on the possible dangers

erywhere in the surrounding environment such as kelp,

of PGRs. It is worth your time, so you can enjoy your

chitosan, and triacontanol. There are natural solutions

mountain high to the fullest.

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{soCO} by s teph anie w ilson

Above It All

ColorFest Weekend in Pagosa Springs

This month, from September 15 to 17, the place to be in Colorado is Pagosa Springs, a town in the southwest part of the state that’s about a five-hour drive from Denver. The Pagosa Springs ColorFest is one-part hot air balloon rally, one part musicand-food festival, and all good family fun. Each morning, a few dozen hot air balloons accessorize the skies around the San Juan Mountains, floating wherever the winds take them, baskets full of passengers experiencing a high not sold at any store. Back on land, mimosas, wine, and microbrews flow and local musicians play during special events that celebrate the good life in true Colorado fashion.

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