Sensi Magazine - Southern Colorado (May 2018)

S OU THER N COLOR ADO

THE NEW NORMAL

5.2018

it’s

may !

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2 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

contents.

ISSUE 5 // VOLUME 2 // 05.2018

FEATURES 20

SPECIAL REPORT

Cannabis Consumption

Social consumption clubs are one of The New Normal's final frontiers. Where are they, and how can you get to them?

26

O’ Beautiful for Spacious Skies

34

Jamaica

The Great American Road Trip is back, and it's here to stay.

Kief in the Caribbean? We'll take two, please.

EVERY ISSUE 5 Editor’s Note 6 Buzz 1 0 CrossRoads

34

JAMAICA: home of Rasta, reggae, and a whole lotta beaches.

CANNABIS & TOURISM

1 4 LifeStyle

NUDE RESORT

4 8 {SoCO}

CINCO DE MAYO

14 48

AT ORVIS HOT SPRINGS, clothes are optional. Chillaxing is mandatory.

Sensi Southern Colorado is published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2018 SENSI MEDIA GROUP LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

sensimag.com MAY 2018 3

mast sensi magazine

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4 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

head. happy anniversary, ISSUE 5 VOLUME 2 5.2018

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editor’s

It’s been exactly one year since Sensi burst onto the Southern Colorado scene.

While our flagship edition in Denver—now going on its third year—featured chic-yet-shocking fashion designers and boutique ice cream parlors powered by liquid nitrogen, its southern cousin covered professional bull riders, a local celebrity chef who went from Street Eats to Beat Bobby Flay, and a homegrown burlesque company that just so happens to be the world’s largest performance troupe.

Fitting, then, that this issue is all about travel, as Team Sensi has done quite a bit of traveling over the past year. In that time, we’ve launched five new editions: Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Boston. Sensi has officially planted its flags coast to coast. And just as

Lux Leaf // EDUCATION

Southern Colorado’s Sensi looks markedly different from Denver’s, our

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not done yet, either. As more communities embrace the New Normal,

marQaha // SUBLINGUALS & BEVERAGES Merkabah Labs // CBD EXTRACTS

newest additions reflect the lifestyles of their respective cities, too. We’re Sensi will be there, chronicling this liberating paradigm shift one story at a time.

Since the beginning, our mission at Sensi has been to take a snapshot

Monte Fiore Farms //

of our local culture by highlighting local people, news, venues, business-

RECREATIONAL CULTIVATION

es, and events. But as the cliché goes, absence makes the heart grow

Nacher Apothecary //

fonder. To cultivate a genuine appreciation for our communities, some-

CONSUMER EMPOWERMENT

Pat Pen // CO2 VAPE PENS Pyramid // DISTILLATES

times we must leave them, even if it’s only for a day. This month heralds the season when we hang up our sweaters and switch to Birkenstocks.

With April’s surprise snowfalls behind us, we can finally start planning road trips and camping getaways.

Given this, we challenge you, dear reader, to consider stepping out of

Rocky Mountain Extracts // LIVE RESIN

your local sphere, to journey beyond the comfort of your neighborhood

Sharp Solutions Courier & Consulting //

to sample what other locales have to offer.

TRANSPORTATION

Show Me Kindness // CAREGIVER Studio A64 // CANNABIS CLUB Taste Budz // CONFECTIONS The Daily Dose Radio Show // RADIO SHOW

Randy Robinson

MANAGING EDITOR

M EDIA PA RT N E R S

SENSI SOUTHERN COLORADO

Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy sensimag.com MAY 2018 5

THE NE W N O R M A L

the

buzz

Chalk it out Usually when someone tags public property, it’s considered vandalism. However, any self-styled street artist can liven up a sidewalk with chalk because chalk easily washes away. From May 26–27, Trinidad will host its first annual Chalk Art Festival along Elm Street, where curbside Caravaggios will render the town’s pavement with powdery masterpieces alongside LA’s 3D-graffiti guru, Ever Galvez.

Kids under 12 can participate for $10. Anyone over 12 can do the same for $20.

Witnessing the creation of this outdoor gallery is free.

Find it on Facebook @TRINIDADCHALKART

getaway with no

excuses

As summer begins, you have all sorts of plans to head out and enjoy the wonders of Colorado’s natural landscape, to go camping and fishing and hiking and biking to your heart’s content.

To make s’mores under the stars. To summit 14ers as the sun rises. To slip and slide down the sandy slopes at Great Sand Dunes. But then reality sets in and—as reality tends to do—gets in the way. Because “even the best laid plans,” right? Wrong. If you’ve got excuses keeping you from getting out there, the web has the answers. Need somewhere to camp?

Try Hipcamp, a website described as “the Airbnb of camping.” Need to rent gear? Try Outdoors Geek and borrow tents and all the other backpacking equipment you’ll need for a few days off the grid. Need a pet sitter? Try Rover,

TERRITORY Before Colorado graduated into statehood, it was known as Kansas Terri-

tory. And before Old Colorado City was called, well, Old Colorado City, locals dubbed it El Dorado. Like the mythical city of gold, our own El Dorado, established in 1859, served as a base for mining precious metals.

Over Memorial Day weekend, travel back in time to the good ol’ Gold Rush during the 43rd annual Territory Days. The stretch between 23rd and 27th Streets will feature local craft vendors, mechanical bulls, Native American dancers and drummers, pony and toy train rides, live bands, period cosplayers, and, of course, gold panning. Where else are you gonna catch a cowboy church service the same day as a (staged) gunslingin’ showdown?

{May 26 and 27} 10 a.m.–7 p.m. {May 28} 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

SHOPOLDCOLORADOCITY.COM

6 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

the new incarnation of the Dog Vacay app and website that connects you with insured, trusted people to watch your furry family members.

Need someone to watch your kids, too? Then you can look to sitter.me, a site that’s a modern incarnation of the ever-popular Baby-Sitters Club concept. Seen it all and need a new challenge? Try Geocaching, an app that sends users on GPS-marked scavenger hunts for cleverly concealed loot. The summer is here, and Colorado can be your oyster. Get out there.

– SW

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sensimag.com MAY 2018 7

Tune in to The Daily Dose Talk Radio Show A Trusted Voice of the Cannabis Industry Every Saturday morning 8-10am, J and Paul bring you the latest news and info on the cannabis industry locally and globally.

Tune in to hear from industry leaders and take advantage of The Daily Dose deals on our webpage.

Broadcast live on 1040AM, 95.7FM, Blazin' 98.5FM and Cruisin' Oldies 101.3FM. So‌tune in to the only cannabis talk show on the radio in Southern Colorado to get the 411 on the 420!

For more info or to listen live, visit our website‌ www.TheDailyDoseTalkShow.com 8 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

sensimag.com MAY 2018 9

{crossroads}

by RICARDO BACA

10 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

WHERE IN THE WORLD Exploring the grittier, more rewarding side of cannabis tourism.

Want to know how spoiled we are in Free America?

as the local handle for hash and nod yeah, and a few

Here’s how spoiled: When we think of cannabis tour-

minutes later you’re passed a hand-rolled cigarette

ism, we think of bud-and-breakfasts in century-old

with the waxy charas spread generously throughout.

Victorian homes, guided garden tours via swank limo

The familiar sting immediately hits the back of your

buses, and Friday nights spent learning the intricacies

throat upon your first inhale, but the aftertaste is as

of rolling both sushi and joints—before consuming

unique as the subcontinent itself. Your new friends tell

said sushi and joints.

you about the Himalayan tradition of charas, and you

Not a bad vacation. But as many of us know, mari-

rub your hands together as they make a similar hand

juana tourism throughout most of the world is less

gesture, mimicking the ancient hash-making technique.

glam and more glum.

The modified cigarette makes one more round before

Sometimes we need to check our state-legal privilege at the door and remind ourselves how lucky we are to be

you and your new friends head back inside for more tea, maybe a few beers and a more elevated conversation.

alive right now in these sky-high times (Hamilton refer-

Not a bad vacation, right?

ence intended, weed pun definitely not). Most of the

Or maybe you’re reading a book inside a canal-side

world still lacks access to safe cannabis products, a regu-

coffeeshop in Amsterdam when a young couple asks if

lated retail environment, and sensible drug laws, and so

they can share your table. They’re sharing their stash

the concept of cannabis tourism takes on an entirely dif-

from home, a far superior product to the dried-out gar-

ferent meaning in Morocco, India, and even the Nether-

bage you just bought from the counter, and an hour

lands—all legitimate cannabis heritage communities.

later you’re following them back to their flat, which is

Though let me tell you: This grittier, more dangerous

home to a surprisingly sophisticated 10-plant grow.

side of cannabis tourism is infinitely more rewarding

They pour you a glass of wine before the tour, and

than its counterparts in Free America, hot-boxed limo

when they open the door you squint your eyes to let

bus be damned.

them adjust. When you ask them why their flower is so

Imagine with me: You’re in a trendy Mumbai bar chat-

much better than the coffeeshop’s, they tell you that,

ting up some locals over chais when one of them asks,

while the Dutch government tolerates limited retail

“Would you like some charas?” You recognize the word

sales and permitted use, it is still illegal to cultivate sensimag.com MAY 2018 11

cannabis in the Netherlands, a policy regulators are con-

came in Chefchaouen, when I approached the hotel desk

templating changing. An intense chicken-and-egg con-

after a big rush of check-ins and carefully introduced

versation follows before they bid you a lovely evening

myself to the clerk:

by pointing out the nearest tram line and sending you

“I’m a journalist. I am not looking to buy drugs. I am

on your way with a week’s worth of homegrown herb.

looking to see these fields of cannabis and talk to a lo-

Totally not a bad vacation.

cal villager about the hash-making process and the im-

As someone who loves to travel I must add: I am not

portance of the cannabis trade for he and his family.”

recommending you break local laws while traveling.

The desk clerk, who appeared to be no older than 14,

Many of us have seen Brokedown Palace and read Mid-

looked at me assuredly and said, “Yes, sir. So you want

night Express, and we all know how this scenario some-

to hike to the waterfall. I would be happy to arrange a

times tragically ends.

guide for you and your wife, sir.”

But I am telling you to live a little—and if your part-

I was mystified. Did he understand what I said?

ner were to ever forward you an article about hiking

Surely he did. I said the word cannabis like three times,

among massive valleys of cannabis plants in the Rif

and I pointed up the mountainside while making hand

Mountains above Chefchaouen, Morocco, a month be-

motions that somehow were meant to convey entire

fore you’re actually traveling to Chefchaouen, Morocco,

vistas of African-grown cannabis.

then you pack your boots and start doing your research, immediately.

“You do understand what I’m hoping to see?” I asked the kind boy.

And this is where the story gets personal. While friends of mine had these experiences in Mumbai and Amsterdam, my real-world cannabis tourism experience

“I do, sir,” he said sweetly. “And I think you will like this hike to the waterfall very much.”

I will never forget what happened that next day. Be-

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BUT I AM TELLING YOU TO LIVE A LITTLE— AND IF YOUR PARTNER WERE TO EVER FORWARD YOU AN ARTICLE ABOUT HIKING AMONG MASSIVE VALLEYS OF CANNABIS PLANTS IN THE RIF MOUNTAINS ABOVE CHEFCHAOUEN, MOROCCO, A MONTH BEFORE YOU’RE ACTUALLY TRAVELING TO CHEFCHAOUEN, MOROCCO, THEN YOU PACK YOUR BOOTS AND START DOING YOUR RESEARCH, IMMEDIATELY.

tween the tiresome, 8.5-mile hike and our indefatiga-

with my life. Writing about cannabis, writing about drug

ble guide, the unsinkable people we met along the way,

policy. Traveling to foreign lands, and incorporating my

and the humble family we drank tea and made hash

passion for this substance into my trip’s itinerary, cher-

with at our destination, the unparalleled views and the

ishing that off-the-beaten-path experience over the

compelling cultural and political discussions, that spe-

out-of-the-box commodities of the 420-legal world

cial day lives on in technicolor in my memory.

and recognizing that we still have a long way to go be-

As for the rest of that magical Moroccan day? I’m

fore this plant is fully understood the world over.

saving it for my memoir. Though I will add that that remarkable waterfall-less hike told me I was on the right life path.

This was exactly what I was supposed to be doing

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

sensimag.com MAY 2018 13

{lifestyle}

by PATRICIA CAMERON

LAID BARE The hot springs at Orvis welcomes everyone of every body type, confident or otherwise.

Public nudity is illegal in Colorado, as it is pretty

Orvis’s hotel rooms can be found on the top floor of

much everywhere else in America. Unlike some other

its lodge, but they book fast. While standing in line at

countries, we obsessively conceal the naked body, re-

check-in, the woman in front of me explained how she

stricting it primarily to the privacy of our homes. Even

books her rooms for the season at the beginning of the

in locker rooms, we shy our eyes away from one an-

year. If you aren’t as prepared as her, you can still call

other while making the smallest small talk we can.

ahead and reserve a room or camping site, but only if

Which is why I decided to get naked with a bunch of strangers deep in the Rocky Mountains.

space is available. In the event you forget to reserve something, Orvis doles out first-come, first-served

In Ridgeway, about a five-hour drive southwest of

camping sites to guests on the day of their stay. In my

Colorado Springs, I found Orvis Hot Springs. Tucked

case, I called ahead and reserved a camp site. (Are you

away nine miles north of Colorado’s “Little Switzer-

surprised?)

land”—Ouray—Orvis’s waters are naturally hot and

I wouldn’t consider myself shy, but this was my first

treated by nothing but Mother Earth herself. Best

time at a clothing-optional hot spring. Over the winter,

of all, the springs at Orvis are clothing-optional at all

my body had morphed from a hard and lean form to a

hours, year-round.

conglomerate of pillowy half-moons set atop a stack

14 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

sensimag.com MAY 2018 15

of curves. I took a deep breath and disrobed. Yet as I unwrapped, I felt comfortable here. The other guests looked at me, but their gazes felt like acknowledgement, like familiar greetings rather than objectifications or judgements.

I slid into the mineral waters, and, naturally, peeked at my company. The stream streamed like thick clouds over everyone, but I could still identify their physiques: a cyclist, a climber, a runner, a hiker.

If you’ve lived in Colorado long enough, chances are if you don’t religiously follow an active lifestyle, you’ve probably flirted with it. It’s hard

not to. There’s a reason Colorado ranks as one of the healthiest places to live. Unlike the rest of the US, the land here commands engagement.

Spend enough time traipsing the trails, and Colorado will carve your body out of its rock.

You know what I’m talking about. Like the runner who blew past you at the park, carrying the distinct definition of each quadricep under taut skin. Or the cyclist you caught stopping alongside you at an intersection.

Have you ever seen their calves? Their soleous and gastrocnemius muscles shaped like stones after years of repeated tension and Epsom salt baths.

After soaking for a half hour, I crawled out of the water, practically thirsting for cooler temperatures. I found the outdoor cold-plunge and sat 16 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

darkness A N D relative weightlessness, IN THE

IT FELT LIKE I WAS FREE-FALLING.

sensimag.com MAY 2018 17

in it until I began to shiver. My muscles involuntarily contracted to warm my body, just as excess heat would cause them to elongate and relax.

Hot muscles are partially why many Orvis’s guests were just returning from a long day of riding or skiing in the mountains. Natural spring water, of course, also contains minerals with natural healing properties, something this area’s original inhabitants—the Utes—figured out long ago.

By the time I crawled into my tent, it was nearly two in the morning.

I tried to sleep, but, restless, I got up and returned to the springs. This time, I went to one of the two private tubs in the main lodge. At this hour, the staff had already lowered the lights to conserve electricity. I almost

THAT ORVIS STAYS OPEN

24 hours IS PROBABLY

ITS GREATEST GIFT.

got the space pitch-black by shutting the private tub’s wooden window.

Fumbling half-blind, I submerged myself and floated on my back. In the darkness and relative weightlessness, it felt like I was free-falling. If I allowed my head to sink beneath the water just enough to cover my ears, I could mute any sounds and truly enjoy the lack of stimuli. Psychologists might say I achieved sensory deprivation, a state that could induce visions under more controlled conditions.

That Orvis stays open 24 hours is probably its greatest gift. If you’re squeamish, you can always wait until the wee hours of the morning to dip into the hot waters in your birthday suit. If you’re totally comfortable in your skin, you can hit the springs during the usual business hours. Conversations were easy here, and everyone had a story to share.

Had I known the resort would be empty in the wee hours of the morning, I may not have revealed my naked body to a pool packed with people on my first outing. But I’m glad I did.

18 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

sensimag.com MAY 2018 19

CANNABIS is a social drug.

Why are there so FEW PLACES to use it in PUBLIC?

20 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

WANTED : S P E C I A L

R E P O R T

A PLACE TO

GATHER

by LELAND RUCKER

ALTHOUGH SOME STATES NOW LET ANY ADULT PURCHASE MARIJUANA FOR RECREATIONAL OR MEDICAL USE, ONLY ONE ALLOWS THAT PERSON TO CONSUME IT LEGALLY IN A PUBL I C SETTING SUCH AS A COFFEE SHOP OR BAR. FOR MANY, ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM OUT OF STATE, THAT CAN BE A DAUNTING PROSPECT. SAY YOU’VE JUST BOUGHT AN EIGHTH OUNCE OF DURBAN POISON, PERHAPS YOUR FIRST LEGAL CANNABIS PURCHASE EVER, AND YOU’RE DYING TO KNOW IF IT’S AS GOOD AS IT SMELLS. NOW, WHERE CAN YOU

In Denver, you could join a private tour bus that stops at dispensaries, glass-blowing demonstrations and grow

FIRE IT UP?

ington, you’re pretty much out of luck— all have laws against social clubs or lounges.

houses. Or you could join a private club, where you can

In states where cannabis is legal, you’ll need to do

bring and use your own product, or book a cannabis-in-

your own research if you expect to find the limited

fused dinner at a local farm. In California, where medi-

number of activities to enhance your experience in

cal marijuana has been legal for more than two de-

public. Tourist bureaus are not allowed to advertise

cades, there are already a few private clubs in select

cannabis businesses to states where it’s not legal, and

cities that allow cannabis use, as well as occasional

there aren’t a lot of websites with solid information.

cannabis-infused dinners, wine-and-cannabis pair-

(SEE SIDEBAR ON THE NEXT PAGE FOR SOME GOOD ONES.)

ings and Puff Pass and Paint classes.

The longtime prohibition on marijuana has taught

“It’s important for people to have a safe space to con-

millions of Americans who use it to be discrete in pub-

sume, says Heidi Keyes, who is based in Oakland but

lic. Today you have the option of pulling on a vaporiz-

owns and operates Puff Pass & Paint classes that mix

er, which reduces the odor of smoke, or consuming

cannabis and art in several states. “If they’re buying it

edibles or tinctures when you’re in public. Still, the

legally, they should be able to consume it legally in a

advantages to allowing places for people to consume

place where they don’t have to hide it.”

are considerable.

In some legal states, there are few options. Keyes

Public houses were essential elements in the transi-

operates a Puff Pass & Paint class in Portland, and a

tion after the US reversed alcohol prohibition in 1933,

group called Tokeativity holds events for women

and today everyone expects to be able to go to bars and

around Oregon. If you’re in Alaska, Nevada, or Wash-

taverns to consume. Designated cannabis lounges or sensimag.com MAY 2018 21

clubs would help alleviate a nuisance many cities would

Pass classes that mix cannabis with activities pottery

rather not face: giving people tickets for discretely using

and needlepoint (Puff Pass Pottery and Puff Pass Pin-

a legal substance in parks and outside hotels and other

cushion), and the Mason Jar Event Group offers sea-

public buildings, which just seems wrong. It would also

sonal dinners that pair cannabis with a fine dining

shift some of the responsibility for keeping people from

experience.

over consuming on the establishments where it is consumed, just as is done with alcohol.

In 2016 Denver residents voted to allow consumption lounges and businesses. The requirements for

“There are not many places for someone to go and

an establishment to get a license are extensive and

use these products and enjoy them in a setting that’s

restrictive— perhaps the toughest being that the

similar to your own life,” says Susannah Grossman,

club must have the support of some local community

spokeswoman for Utopia All Natural Wellness Space

organization. At this writing, only one business, the

and Lounge, a cannabis spa now in the application

Coffee Joint, located next to a dispensary in an in-

process for a Denver city license. “We’re trying to put

dustrial district, has been given a license to operate,

something that’s familiar in a new context.”

while the Utopia spa awaits approval.

Tourists aren’t the only ones who might need a place

There are a few private, members-only clubs in the

to enjoy cannabis outside their own home. Many peo-

cities of Denver and Colorado Springs. The owners of

ple live in federally subsidized public housing, which

Tetra-9 Private Lounge and Garden, instead of applying for a club permit, opened Feb. 22 in Den-

FO R M O RE

ver for special events and private parties that allow smoking, vaping, and dabbing. Pa-

INFORMATION

trons must be 21, and anyone can sign up for

BOOKMARK THESE SITES TO BEGIN YOUR RESEARCH

there is the International Church of Canna-

The best place to start is POTGUIDE.COM, which includes generally

members who use cannabis as a sacrament.

memberships beginning at $10 a month.And bis, based in an old Protestant church building in Denver, which today claims about 500

current information about cannabis-friendly lounges, lodging, tours, and

Bills to allow some kind of social con-

dispensaries around the country. Also helpful is CANNABISTOURS.COM .

sumption statewide have been introduced—

Find more about Puff Pass Paint classes at PUFFPASSANDPAINT.COM, and Mason Jar pairing events at MASONJAREVENTGROUP.COM. The International Church of Cannabis website is ELEVATIONISTS.ORG . In California, start with POTGUIDE.COM and CANNABISTOURS.COM .

Women’s cannabis events in Portland are listed at TOKEATIVITY.COM. H A PP Y H U NT I NG.

and ultimately rejected— in every Colorado state legislative session since 2014. A bipartisan bill in the current session would allow “tasting rooms,” with limited consumption and purchases, in already-operating dispensaries around the state.

In California, after medical marijuana was legalized in 1996, lounges attached to dispen-

prohibits all cannabis use, or rent a place that doesn’t

saries where people can consume thrived in a legal

allow smoking. Parents who don’t want their children

gray area before Proposition 64 was passed in 2016,

exposed could use a place to get away. And let’s face it,

legalizing adult use of marijuana in the state. Prop 64

cannabis is a social drug. Sometimes you might want

left it to individual cities to allow or disallow con-

to go out and enjoy a few tokes and some conversa-

sumption spaces. San Francisco is quickly moving

tion. This is a plant that practically begs to be shared.

ahead with plans to license all its existing lounges

Enterprising entrepreneurs in Denver found an ear-

and open more, and several other cities, including

ly loophole that allows buses, as long as the driver is

Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and West Hollywood, are

sealed off in the cab, to roam the city with consuming

hard at work getting rules in place.

customers. Today there is a thriving Denver tour-bus

“One of the things we did was look at that void

industry, including Loopr, Cannabis Tours, and My 420

where there wasn’t a consumption space to use prod-

Tours, that ferry people around city streets while they

uct if you’re a renter or a parent who doesn’t want to

sample dabs, new strains, vaporizers, and all the lat-

consume at home who needs a safe place, like bars,

est in smoking accessories. Keyes has added Puff

like we do with alcohol,” says Jackie Rocco, business

22 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

Funk!

We Have That

(719) 465-2407 • www.kingscanna.biz 2132 E Bijou St Suite # 114 • Colorado Springs, CO 80909 sensimag.com MAY 2018 23

development director of West Hollywood. She says the

year, legislators and the governor panicked and de-

city has been talking with lawmakers in other legal

cided on a wait-and-see approach. “They’re regrouping

states and getting feedback from as many points of

but have stated that they wouldn’t do anything until

view as possible, including law enforcement, and that

next year,” he says.

public safety is the main priority.

A similar thing happened in Massachusetts, which

West Hollywood is accepting applications for a to-

is set to open the first retail stores July 1. The state’s

tal of 16 licenses, and Rocco anticipates that the city

Cannabis Control Commission originally suggested a

could allow consumption clubs by the end of the year,

plan that would have allowed consumption lounges

although she says it’s more realistic that they will be-

under two licenses, one for cannabis businesses and

gin opening in spring 2019. “We stress that we want

a second for restaurants, theaters, and yoga studios.

operators to see this as part of our community and to

But after resistance from Gov. Charlie Baker, Attor-

dispel the myth that it’s something seedy,” she says.

ney General Maura Healey, and some key legislators,

Keyes, who is also a partner in the CannabisTours.

the commission backtracked. Though it began tak-

com cannabis tourism agency, has added a Wine and

ing applications last month and promises to revisit the issue after stores open, the state essentially punted on the topic until next year.

PUBLIC HOUSES were essential

“We shouldn’t be treating social consump-

elements in THE TRANSITION after

tion like it’s not happening,” says Jeremiah McKinnon, a board advisor for the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance. “The chair-

alcohol PROHIBITION was reversed.

man of the commission has said if we have

Today, EVERYONE EXPECTS to be

regulated alcohol, he doesn’t know why we

able to go to B A R S and TAV E RNS .

even though they did vote against it, have

can’t do it with cannabis. The commissioners, a commitment that when social consumption does become available, not to leave it

Weed tour in the Bay area and an Oaktown Essential

open-ended.”

Cannabis tour in Oakland. Sea of Green Events hosts

Though bars and taverns proliferate almost every-

tours and private events around the San Francisco

where in the country, many legislators are still anx-

area that include infused-­dining and a “deep dive”

ious about marijuana use and driving. “All these peo-

visit to a cannabis extraction facility. If you’re visit-

ple tell me that they’re scared about the driving,”

ing California wine country, which is also now can-

says Shanel Lindsay, a Boston-based lawyer and pa-

nabis country, you can find an occasional event that

tient advocate. “There’s the stigma and the fact that

allows you to nibble on gourmet food while hitting the

there isn’t a test to tell whether you are inebriated—

water pipe. Look for more of these kinds of infused,

which is a recipe for fear mongering.”

fine-dining pairings as legalization rolls out.

People are still being ticketed for public consump-

Why have legislators been so reluctant to move for-

tion in legal states, and minorities arrested and fined

ward? Nevada state Senator Tick Segerblom, who sup-

at a higher rate than whites. But police in most mu-

ported legalization and lounges, says it’s because pol-

nicipalities tend to treat public consumption on the

iticians are afraid. “It’s the strangest thing. Nobody is

streets as low-priority offenses. “It’s easier to just look

willing to step up and say, ‘Wait a minute, we have

the other way and realize it’s happening and ignore

bars,’” Segerblom explains. “People want them. It’s

it,” says Segerblom.

crazy to be selling this and getting tax revenue from it,

Will Luzier, a member of the Marijuana Policy Proj-

and we tell tourists that there’s no place you can use it,

ect who worked on the Massachusetts legalization

and you can’t take it home with you.”

effort, says that we’re still in the early stages of legal-

There seemed to be strong support last year for

ization, and after eight decades of anti-cannabis pro-

lounges after stores opened July 1 in Nevada, but Se-

paganda and fear, states will eventually work their

gerblom says that after Attorney General Jeff Sessions

way through this important issue. “I think once it be-

rescinded the Obama-era directive that suggested a

comes it become a little more normalized and part of

federal, hands-off approach to legal states early this

daily life, thrse ideas will fade into history.”

24 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

sensimag.com MAY 2018 25

America 1995

Interstate 25 South

Growing up in a military family, I lived a life of ex-

Back in the 70s and 80s, before the prices of a

ploration that many Americans never experience. My

plane ticket were cheaper than the gas to drive, four-

mother, like all service members, was stationed all

wheeled family treks across the US were at an all-

over the country: Fort Jackson in South Carolina, Fort

time high. Road-outings lost popularity between the

Hood in Texas, and Maryland, which was always our

90s and 2000s in favor of flight-destination vacations,

home base. Whenever we transferred from one base

but the “Great American Road Trip” has undergone a

to the next, my mother preferred the road trip as her

renaissance in the last decade. And even though sta-

method of travel. I became accustomed to long drives,

tistics show a half-century-long decrease in both traf-

open highways, and nothing to stare at but the coun-

fic fatality rates and violent crime, the open roads felt

try flying past my window at 80 miles per hour.

much safer during my childhood.

So when she told me, once again, that we were re-

Now embarking on a road trip of our own, the first

locating, I felt none of the dread that I felt during pre-

thing my son and I noticed upon leaving Colorado was

vious moves. Moving had become second nature. This

the sheer lack of Subarus. It’s just as fun to play “Can

time, we were headed far from the east coast to Colo-

You Spot the Subaru?” out-of-state as it is in-state,

rado, a place no one in our family had ever seen, let

though the sightings are rarer.

alone lived in. As a young girl, I never realized just how

Although I had navigation app on my phone, it

difficult the undertaking was for my mother, a young,

took a few days to get oriented with it. My mother, on

single woman with a small child in tow.

the other hand, relied on the same road atlas for years.

26 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

the Beautiful

by PATRICIA CAMERON

THE

GREAT AMERICAN

ROAD TRIP

MAY BE MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER BEFORE

I’m part of the generation that grew up straddling the

as, the views on either side of the car stretched as far

technological boom, not quite a millennial, not quite

as we could see. We were officially out of the world of

a Gen Xer. Prior to our trip, I sat down with my son and

cliffs and mountain passes. In Colorado Springs es-

traced our route, explaining to him what everything

pecially, the mountains serve as a directional prompt,

meant along the way. He belongs to the tech-savvy

but in Texas I could only mark my position using the

Generation Z, and the paper map confused him—at first.

compass in my dashboard.

Fast forward a few hours. When we entered New

My mother’s side of the family still calls Texas their

Mexico, my son and I screamed the state’s name at

home. Descendants of slaves from Tennessee, they

the top of our lungs. When we stopped, he rushed to

made their way to Texas once they were free. This ver-

get a picture of the welcome sign. It was the first state

sion of Texas wasn’t the gun-slinging, possibly-seced-

line we crossed, the first of seventeen (eighteen, if

ing version much of the nation imagined. This ver-

you count D.C.). I felt a sudden weight press on me as

sion was red dirt, fire ants, bare feet, and barbecue.

I realized I was taking my son on a long trip far away

Our destination in Texas was Dallas, where we would

from the familiarity of El Paso County, that this time

stay a night with my best friend. Like a mind reader,

I was the single mother with a small child in tow.

she met us at the door with hugs and chopped beef

Texas

brisket. Once our tummies got filled, we hopped into her SUV to cruise to downtown Dallas. Our first stop

We uneventfully passed through the Land of En-

in the heart of Texas’s third most populous city wasn’t

chantment on our way to the Lone Star State. In Tex-

Dealey Plaza or the World Aquarium. It was a drivesensimag.com MAY 2018 27

Providing quality

cannabis and

concentrates

here in Pueblo, CO

through daiquiri garage, and I was shocked to discover that, in Fort Worth, you can drive with unsealed alcohol in your car. (El Paso County would clutch their pearls if they ever found out.)

With my fifteen-dollar “Cactus Juice” packing five shots of tequila, I stared at the downtown Dallas skyline utterly wonderstruck. The combination of alcohol and my bladder led to pulling over at the most immediate gas station, and to my surprise, AT&T Stadium sat across the street. There I was, in my hiking sandals, tipsy, staring at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. So I did what any Broncos fan would do.

I let out a loud, drunken, “Boooo!”

Louisiana The following day, we continued east. Texas’s desiccated ground gradually gave way to green, with trees densely lining the highway’s medians and shoulders. The moment we crossed into Louisiana, the earth

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28 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

transformed into dank swamps and marshes full of swaying grass. As we approached Baton Rouge, we drove over the Horace Wilkinson Bridge, a nearly mile-long stretch suspended 175 feet above the Mississippi River.

My son tried to talk me through my nausea. “Don’t look over the sides, mom! You’ll be okay!”

Then, moments after we cleared the bridge, he added, “Phew, I almost puked, too.”

sensimag.com MAY 2018 29

Soon we found ourselves on the main stretch, Interstate 10, and New Orleans lit up in front of us. We had only one day and two nights to experience the real New Orleans, and the countdown was on.

GPS guided us right into Tremé. My son and I discussed our whirlwind plans while we walked up the wide steps to our guest room. Even though it was still 70 degrees outside, I turned on the air conditioner next to the balcony, opened the white French doors, and stepped outside. Music blared from a party across the street.

The next day, my son and I decided to take a tour of Southern history—at Dehestran Plantation. We strolled beneath towering oaks draped in Spanish moss that weighed the branches down. I could imagine the slaves that lived here over a century ago, staring up at the big house from the heat of the auxiliary kitchen, clanging heavy pots, the sound of workers chanting a melody together and laughter escaping from children who did not yet know their chores were forced servitude.

A cold draft wrapped around us when we stepped inside the slave quarters. It was certainly disconcerting, and I wasn’t sure if that chilly gust came from the trapped spirits listed on the wall’s slave manifest or from the creeping dusk.

At the plantation, it was easy to see the glorified South depicted in books like Gone with the Wind. I caught the setting sun bleeding through dangling moss and felt the serenity I imagined Scarlett O’Hara once felt.

But in that moment, I also imagined that same tree as my ancestors’ gallows. I felt guilty for experiencing the beauty in something so terribly marred by the past. Our historical dichotomy is much more nuanced than black and white, heritage versus hate. Speechless, we returned to our lodging at Tremé.

30 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

PHOTOGRAPHS © PATRICIA CAMERON

The next morning’s breakfast came courtesy of a 24-hour New Orleans staple: Morning Café in City Park.

my life as dotted landmarks on the Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow Lines.

The minimalist menu included coffee and beignets,

A 40-degree day in Washington D.C. is nothing like

otherwise known as French donuts. In Nawlins, ev-

40 degrees in Colorado. I had forgotten about the

eryone was “baby,” a heavily accented colloquialism I

bone-chilling winds of a humid winter. I lowered my

frequently overheard throughout the bustling bistro.

head to shield my face from the nipping breeze and al-

After breakfast, it was time to hit the road again.

most missed the stunning 555-foot obelisk looming

As I looked in my rearview to say goodbye to New

overhead. A tribute to the first president of the United

Orleans, I could see my son’s smile covered in the white

States, the Washington Monument stood tall despite

powdered sugar. Mardi Gras beads hung from the same

the 2011 Virginia earthquake. It’s the world’s tallest obe-

mirror. With Louisiana disappearing behind me, At-

lisk, the world’s tallest stone structure–and the tall-

lanta was on my mind. After getting some rest in the

est structure in D.C. by law.

Big Peach, we would set off toward the nation’s capital.

Washington, D.C.

As false dichotomies go, our country’s current political climate is the most damning, something I saw embodied in the Washington Monument. The differ-

The District of Columbia, Maryland’s Prince George

ences between the red states and blue states seem

and Montgomery Counties, and northern Virginia make

obvious on a map, but on the ground, they aren’t so eas-

up a region the locals call “The DMV.” Like every oth-

ily identifiable. I had driven along the nation’s south-

er metro area I visited, it harbored a self-contained cul-

ernmost route, and even though I expected to encoun-

ture. Distinct food, music, and speech patterns all com-

ter Southern stereotypes along the way, all I found

bined to form a rich, sensual history. I grew up on

were strangers willing to help, fellow travelers full of

Maryland blue crab buried in Old Bay seasoning, go-

excitement for their journeys and comradeship. Now

go bands, cicadas, and the rush of the wind that pre-

here I was in D.C., where most of our political turmoil

ceded approaching underground transit trains. Many

puts theory to practice, and I was reminded of those

of my memories centered around those various Met-

invisible divisions we built between each other. Re-

ro stations: Naylor Road, or junior year at George Wash-

publicans and Democrats were as phantasmal as the

ington University, or Gallery Place. Brief excerpts of

state lines we can cross but could never literally see. sensimag.com MAY 2018 31

Returning Home There are 1600 miles between D.C. and Colorado. We drove to the

PHOTOGRAPHS © PATRICIA CAMERON

mountains of West Virginia and western Maryland. A snowstorm hov-

ered above us the entire stretch of the Pittsburgh turnpike into Ohio.

Long days of driving are tough on the body, with 10- to 14-hour days of steering, braking, and accelerating between each destination. My shoulders and arms ached from gripping the wheel along switchbacks on the turnpike.

To distract ourselves, my son and I turned the car into a theater.

LEGO Ninjago or Wonder Woman played through the speakers while my son watched on his 12” iPad. He peeled mandarin oranges when I got hungry at the wheel, and he checked the map and GPS to give updates. With my eyes glued to the road, he could catch things I couldn’t see, and more often than not, he pointed out some of the most bizarre and hilarious objects zipping past us. And laughing is some of the best medicine for any road-weary body.

1995, Redux It was night when my mother and I arrived at her final duty station.

I pressed my face as hard as I could against the window, looking toward the west, where I expected to see ginormous mountains. I anticipated snow-capped peaks even though we were deep into the summer months, but I would have to wait to see until the Front Range greeted us in the morning. It would be 23 years later when my son and I rolled in from our own cross-country journey. Shrouded in a similar darkness, we still knew we had made it home.

32 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

sensimag.com MAY 2018 33

EVERYTHING you need for your party.

34 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

island

retreat

by ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

BEFORE I VISITED

Jamaica THE FIRST TIME, ON A PRESS TRIP WITH THE TOURISM

BOARD IN 2011, MY FRIENDS TOLD ME HOW IT WOULD GO. AT SOME POINT BETWEEN LANDING AT

THE AIRPORT IN MONTEGO BAY AND CHECKING INTO MY ROOM AT THE RITZ-CARLTON, THEY ASSURED ME, A DRIVER OR BELLMAN WOULD ASK IF I HAD EVERYTHING I NEEDED FOR MY PARTY, AND THAT’S HOW I COULD PROCURE SOME GANJA. (IT’S NOT LIKE CANNABIS WAS A HUGE NOVELTY FOR ME, COMING FROM COLORADO, BUT THERE’S SOMETHING SUPER ENTICING ABOUT GETTING A TASTE OF THE PLANT THE ISLAND IS FAMOUS FOR ON THE ISLAND IT’S FAMOUS FOR.) The thing we all forgot to account for (maybe be-

cannabis farms. No one, ever, asked about my party.

cause we were from Colorado and used to its thriving

That’s for the best, of course. It’s a bad idea, and cer-

medical marijuana marketplace) was the undeniable

tainly not professional, to break the law of the country

fact that cannabis was still illegal in Jamaica— and

that’s hosting you on a trip you could never in a mil-

definitely not something the tourism board was high-

lion years afford—even if ganja is an essential part of

lighting on this particular spa tour. My press group,

many (most?) Jamaican tourists’ experiences. I didn’t

made up of writers for health and wellness magazines

need it, anyway. Getting hot rock massages while lis-

and websites, never met any Rastas or toured any

tening to ocean waves crash on the cliffs and eating

sensimag.com MAY 2018 35

fresh papaya every morning while looking out at turquoise Caribbean water provided plenty of elevation for mind, body, and soul. I went home refreshed and cleansed, and joked with my friends about my tolerance break in Jamaica.

In 2015, the Jamaican government decriminalized cannabis, legalized medical marijuana, and made it legal for Jamaicans to grow five plants per household.

Qualified medical marijuana patients from anywhere in the world can buy and use cannabis in Jamaica, and possession of less than two ounces will get tourists and locals a ticket instead of a jail sentence and a criminal record.

Jamaica is creating a global hub for medical cannabis and research, and cannabis-centered health and wellness tourism is a key spoke, one that Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett called “a very important part of the economic future of Jamaica.” The government is eager to grab its rightful share of the $494 billion cannabis tourism market, and tourism officials think they can capitalize on a “vibe and culture” that places like Colorado can’t offer.

That sounds like a party. I went back to Jamaica late last year, on my own, pretty sure I’d find everything I needed.

A COUN T Y FAIR, WITH RASTAS AND ITAL FOOD In Negril, there’s a giddiness. Everyone from cab drivers to business owners to growers talks about what a difference decriminalization has made for them. It’s a huge deal, especially for locals who can no longer lose the right to ever leave the island again over a possession charge. No more roadside extortion. No more crop eradication. For expats, no more threat of deportation because of a spliff.

36 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

sensimag.com MAY 2018 37

Ganja isn’t technically legal, but plenty of enterprising people are getting away with treating it that way.

It’s been a mere two years since the law changed, and a few gray areas in the legal and regulatory structure remain. The nascent Jamaican cannabis industry feels like the wild Wild West, a lot like Colorado and California in the early days. People are building businesses first and asking permission second—largely because licensing fees are out of reach for small farmers and businesses—and no one seems too terribly concerned.

“They want $2,500 American,” the Wake and Bake Café owner told me, and laughed, when I asked if she was planning to go through the regulatory process.

“Do you know how many brownies I would have to sell to make that?”

I found the same attitude among the cheerful people selling cannabis-infused brownies, gummies, cakes, muffins, and pies alongside booths offering huge bouquets of cannabis branches and massive balls of hash at Rastafari Rootzfest, an annual reggae festival and ganja market held in December on Long Beach in Negril. A government-sanctioned event where everyone has a pass to freely consume cannabis in public (which is, believe it or not, still illegal), Rootzfest had a reassuringly homespun feel to it, like a county fair with Rastas and Ital food.

Ital food is another cultural gem that falls squarely into the health and wellness zeitgeist Jamaica’s looking to represent—one I never learned about during my press tour in 2011. Based on their spiritual belief that the body is a temple and must be kept clean and pure, Rastafarians have been eating seasonally and locally as a matter of principle and wisdom for decades, long before Michael Pollan told his disciples to eat real food.

The Ital (based on the word vital) diet excludes salt, meat, dairy, eggs, preservatives, colorings, flavorings, and anything artificial, opting instead for fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs—including ganja, a holy herb considered key to understanding the self, the universe, and God. At Rootzfest, I went full joy on the Ital food, washing downing a plate of curried vegetable chunks with carrot, lime, and ginger juice as I soaked up the afternoon sun and listened to a speaker talk about all the cash grabs, from sugar to coffee to tourism, that have gone down in Jamaica’s history. “That’s not going to happen this time,” the speaker said of cannabis. “We’re smart enough now to prevent that exploitation.”

This party just got started. Jamaica, I’ll be back.

38 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

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Stellar Sensimilla REACH FOR THE STARS AT ONE OF PUEBLO’S FIRST RETAILERS. For the initiated, walking into a cannabis store

from our top shelf or our sales buds, we’ve tested it,

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we’ve vetted it, and we one-hundred percent stand

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Starbuds first opened in 2013 and has since ex-

shelves stocked with beautifully trimmed flower.

panded to twelve locations throughout Colorado,

Long gone are the days of taking whatever we can

spanning from Pueblo to Denver to Niwot. Recent-

get. Today we have options, with more selections than ever before.

But for some of us, the wide array of new cannabis products can be a little overwhelming. Every year we’re introduced to new methods to get cannabis into our bodies, whether it’s a gourmet truffle with specific cannabinoid ratios or a state-of-the-art vaporizer geared toward zapping certain terpenes.

Sometimes the industry’s technological advancements can outpace our understanding, but thankfully, Starbuds has our back.

“I’ve heard from a lot of our customers that when they went somewhere else, they felt lost because they didn’t already know everything about a certain product,” says Kali Mutty, manager and marketing director for Starbuds. “We’re going to treat you like a long-lost relative, and we’re going to answer every single question you have and provide as much information as we can.”

Curious customers should especially feel free to ask Starbuds’ staff about the flower. The store’s bestknown strain is Pootie Tang, winner of a Denver

ly, a storefront opened in Maryland, and Mutty says

Cannabis Cup award for Best Sativa in 2015. But

the company plans to launch in Canada sometime

they carefully curate both in-house genetics and

this year.

other plants from the state’s top growers to en-

To give back to loyal customers, Starbuds also

sure there’s something for everyone, recreational

offers a rewards program that works at any of their

tokers and medical patients alike.

locations, including the one in Maryland. With the

“We truly try to find the very, very best buds to

summer fast-approaching, it’s good to know the

put on our line,” Mutty continues. “Any time a cus-

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do but to the east coast as well.

40 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

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PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

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For tokers on the go, consider Three Rivers your

melting into our rivers and lakes, it’s time to hit the

one-stop shop. As one of Pueblo’s first licensed

road. It also means stretching a dollar as far as it

cannabis shops, Three Rivers knows what today’s

can go takes priority when factoring in cannabis as

connoisseurs are looking for before setting out on

part of the monthly travel budget. Fortunately for

adventures: the newest vape cartridges, the tastiest

road trippers, campers, and anyone else recovering

edibles, and some of the state’s best hand-trimmed

from cabin fever, Three Rivers Dispensary in Pueblo

flower can all be found at the dispensary’s Santa Fe

is Southern Colorado’s leader for quality at unbeat-

Drive location, just a five-minute jaunt east of I-25.

able prices.

“We take good care of our employees, and in

“Three Rivers genuinely cares about our custom-

turn, they take good care of our customers. We do

ers, our employees, and our community,” says Da-

not take shortcuts,” continues Greenman. “Custom-

vid Greenman, the director of operations at Three

ers know that when they shop at Three Rivers, they

Rivers, who may also have the coolest name in the

will receive fantastic value for their money.”

industry. “We have a strong focus on customer service and provide a high-quality product at an affordable price.”

42 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

sensimag.com MAY 2018 43

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

DC PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS AND SECURITY CONSULTANTS

The A-Team THE NATION’S FASTEST GROWING INDUSTRY DEMANDS ONLY THE MOST SEASONED SECURITY PROFESSIONALS. Cannabis is undoubtedly America’s top cash crop.

Because the cannabis industry is highly regulat-

In 2017, legal sales hit $10 billion. Toss black mar-

ed, security for events, dispensaries, cultivations, and

ket sales into the mix, and the total cannabis pro-

manufacturing facilities is essential not only for pub-

duction value jumps to nearly $60 billion. That’s al-

lic safety but for compliance as well. The company

most the same amount of dinero generated by corn

provides complete comprehensive analysis for any

and wheat—combined ($48 billion and $9 billion,

business site or venue to “ensure they’re in compli-

respectively).

ance with the MED board and any safety or security

A $60-billion price tag means any licensed can-

recommendations they may need,” he says.

nabis business is a prime target for thieves, whether it’s unscrupulous employees pocketing loose buds or smash-and-grab burglars plowing cars through dispensary lobbies. Protecting your property, your staff, and your investments requires someone with experience catching criminals. It requires someone who can think two-, three-, four-steps ahead.

Dan Corsentino, the CEO and founder of DC Private Investigations and Security Consultants, understands the criminal mind. He’s made a lifelong career out of it. A graduate of the National FBI Academy, he was chief of the Fountain Police Department, served four terms as the publicly elected sheriff of Pueblo County, and sat on the Senior Advisory Board at the US Department of Homeland Security.

In addition, DC operates a school where other security companies may send guards for certifica-

“We have a stringent hiring process,” Corsentino

tions. Certified courses include weapons training,

says, highlighting that DC’s team is thoroughly

weapons defense, first aid and CPR, ID checking,

screened before they’re allowed to step out onto

state statutes and ordinances, and, most impor-

the field. “It’s pretty much run like the law enforce-

tantly, techniques for de-escalating situations be-

ment agency I ran when I was sheriff.”

fore they ever come to a head. De-escalation may

DC’s core administrative team includes a former

be one of the most important skills in the cannabis

member of Pueblo’s district attorney’s office, a re-

security, since defusing conflicts remains most effi-

tired combat Army warrant officer with a 22-year

cient way to keep everyone—whether employees,

military career, and a retired combat Marine veter-

security staff, or patrons—safe.

an. “All of our investigators have at least 25 years of

“Our curriculum is very detailed,” says Corsentino.

law enforcement experience,” Corsentino explains,

“Our ‘verbal judo’ or verbal deescalation is taught by

“and all of our security operators are military veter-

one of the top instructors there is in the state of

ans, with a focus on combat veterans.”

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$49 Oz or Store Credit with New Membership (minimum 3-month commitment required) sensimag.com MAY 2018 45

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

GREENHOUSE PAYMENT SOLUTIONS

Go Green WITH CANNABIS BEING A CASH-ONLY INDUSTRY, MOVING THE MONEY AROUND CAN GET TRICKY, SO LET GREENHOUSE PAYMENT SOLUTIONS WORK ITS MAGIC. Over the past half-decade, Colorado’s name be-

in five-dollar increments.” Additionally, since the cash-

came synonymous with cannabis. In 2000, we went

less ATM works directly with banks, all transactions

medical. Twelve years later, we made history by be-

are transparent, and regulators like transparency.

coming the first state to create a recreational indus-

Solutions don’t end there, either. The company

try. Although cannabis is mainstreaming here, it re-

continues to experiment with new payment solu-

mains outlawed at the federal level. This legal-status

tions, a process Mills says is “customer-driven.” “Even

limbo leaves financial institutions and cannabis com-

if we like it, or the merchant likes it,” he notes, “it

panies in a gray area, since they’re beholden to feder-

doesn’t really matter. What matters is if the custom-

al regulations when it comes to handling the money.

er likes it, and if they’re going to actually use it.”

Greenhouse Payment Solutions also assists with

ENTER GREENHOUSE PAYMENT SOLUTIONS.

business-to-business dealings. For states that re-

Despite news reports of panicked dispensary own-

cently went legal, the company can help connect

ers sitting on piles of cash, the federal government currently permits banking services for the cannabis industry. In 2014, the US Treasury issued guidelines greenlighting creditors to work with cannabis businesses. Last year, nearly 400 banks and credit unions opened their doors to cannabis, with more coming online every day.

Since 2009, Chris Mills, the CEO and founder of Greenhouse Payment Solutions, has helped ganjapreneurs navigate the intricate maze of financial compliance. “We decided to figure out solutions for

business with cannabis-friendly banks to open ac-

them when no one else could figure it out,” he says.

counts or apply for loans. For stores in a bind, the

One of those solutions is a cashless ATM system.

company can also help set up lines of credit through

The ATMs work like credit card machines, where

their financial networks. With operations in over twen-

transactions deposit money directly into a merchant’s

ty states and plans to break into the Canadian and

bank account electronically.

Puerto Rican markets, Mills understands every ju-

“The cashless ATM is just as simple as swiping

risdiction’s rules are a little different.

your card at the grocery store and inputting your

“We guarantee our methods are compliant,” he

PIN,” says Mills. “The banks like it because there’s no

says, “and, most importantly, are good for the cus-

cash. Customers like it because it can allocate funds

tomer first and foremost.”

46 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8

sensimag.com MAY 2018 47

{soCO}

by RANDY R OBINSON

Cinco Mayo de

The official spot for Colorado's May 5 celebration is SoCo. On May 5, 1862, French soldiers stormed the Mexican town of Puebla, the only fortification standing between them and Mexico City.

Bent on conquering the Mexican capital at the behest of Napoleon III, General Charles de Lorencez assumed his army would steamroll the ragtag band of Mexican troops that retreated to Puebla. He crushed this same band a week earlier at Acultzingo. He figured this time would be no different.

Unfortunately for the French, Lorencez miscalculated. Although the Mexican Army was outnumbered 3-to1, their leader, General Ignacio Zaragoza, hatched a plan.

By defending Puebla’s two forts, the Mexicans could exploit the area’s geography for a home-field advantage.

Zaragoza’s plan worked: for every Mexican life lost, the French lost five. Lorencez retreated, and the Battle of Puebla instantly became a legend.

Over 150 years have passed since Zaragoza beat seemingly insurmountable odds against a European invader. To commemorate the victory, Puebla celebrates every May 5, or Cinco de Mayo, as a holiday. Ironically, today Cinco de Mayo is a bigger deal in the US than it is south of the border, where it’s pretty much only observed in Puebla. Whether in America or Mexico, Cinco de Mayo festivities bring vibrant parades, homemade traditional foods, mariachi music, games, and folk dancing.

In Colorado, Pueblo throws the most massive Cinco de Mayo bash in the state. What else would you expect from the town that named a country club after Zaragoza? Mark your calendars, as this year’s Cinco de Mayo kicks off on Sunday, May 6 at 10 a.m. The parade starts at the Monument/LaCross area then floats along 8th Street until it veers left on Fountain. The parade’s final destination will be the Cinco de Mayo Festival at El Centro Skate Park.

48 Southern Colorado MAY 20 1 8