Sensi Magazine - Denver/Boulder (May 2017) by Sensi Magazine

DE N V E R // B OULDER

summer

CHILL

THE BEST OF

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

into the MYSTIC

{ W I T H K AY VA N K HA L ATBA RI }

Josh Blue Dreams + Make Your [Trade] Mark

THE NEW NORMAL

05.2017

BLUEPRINT for GROWTH TAKING IT

NATIONWIDE

contents. 34 Kayvan Khalatbari: Into the Mystic

Denver’s own renaissance man keeps stepping up where we need him most.

S P ECI A L R E P O R T

I’m Bad, Nationwide

Colorado-based cannabis companies seek national expansion.

48 [Josh] Blue Dreams Come True

This Denver-based stand-up comic is poised to become the first local celebrity with his own branded edible.

KAYVAN IS THE MAN

FEATURES

ISSUE 5 // VOLUME 2 // 05.2017

A CO NE IS A SN AC K.

a sa ndwich is a meal.

NATIONAL EXPANSION Colorado is the county seat of all-things cannabis.

EVERY ISSUE 9 Editor’s Note 1 0 SensiBuzz 18 NewsFeed

THE BUSINESS OF OWNING IDEAS

26 EdibleCritic

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

78 SensiScene

SENSI NIGHT APRIL

82 ElevatedTastes

AVOCADO MOUSSE

MAY 2017

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mast sensi magazine

EXECUTIVE

Ron Kolb, CEO,

SENSI MEDIA GROUP

RON.KOLB @ SENSIMAG.COM

Tae Darnell, PRESIDENT,

SENSI MEDIA GROUP

TAE.DARNELL @ SENSIMAG.COM

Alex Martinez, GENERAL MANAGER

ALEX.MARTINEZ @ SENSIMAG.COM

sensimediagroup

EDITORIAL Stephanie Wilson, EDITOR IN CHIEF

STEPHANIE.WILSON @ SENSIMAG.COM

Leland Rucker, SENIOR

EDITOR

LELAND.RUCKER @ SENSIMAG.COM

John Lehndorff, FOOD

EDITOR

EDIBLE.CRITIC @ SENSIMAG.COM

Randy Robinson sensimagazine

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR /PHOTOGRAPHER RANDY.ROBINSON @ SENSIMAG.COM

ART & DESIGN Jennifer Tyson, DESIGN

DIRECTOR

JENNIFER.TYSON @ SENSIMAG.COM

Stacey Jacobs, DESIGNER

STACEY.JACOBS @ SENSIMAG.COM

sensimag

John “Ljfresh” Gray, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER JOHN.GRAY @ SENSIMAG.COM

Danielle Webster, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

BU S I N E S S & A DM I N I S T R AT I V E Tyler Tarr, PUBLISHER

TYLER @ SENSIMAG.COM

Mark Basser, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER MARK @ SENSIMAG.COM

Amber Orvik, CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR AMBER.ORVIK @ SENSIMAG.COM

Hector Irizarry, DISTRIBUTION HECTOR @ SENSIMAG.COM

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M AY 2017

#JACOBSSTRONG

head.

editor’s

ISSUE 5 VOLUME 2 05.2017

NOTE

HAPPY

A DV I SORY B OA R D 1906 New Highs // CHOCOL ATE

ANNIVERSARY

5700 Consulting // CONSULTING Canna Security America // SECURITY

Time flies, and all of those other clichés about how when you love what you

Cannabis Clean // CLEANING

do, you never work a day in your life. This issue marks the one-year anniversary

Cannabis Insurance Services // INSURANCE

of Sensi Magazine, and in the past year, I feel like I’ve barely worked at all. Making magazines is my passion, and getting to do just that while immersed

Concentrate Supply Co. //

in this thriving, growing, enthusiastic cannabis community is just pure bliss most

RECREATIONAL CONCENTRATES

days. Other days, when I come across a typo that I inadvertently let slip into print,

Contact High Communications //

not so much. But hey, we all make mistakes. And we learn from them. And we grow.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Growth is the theme this month, and it’s the focus of Sensi senior editor Leland

Cohen Medical Centers // MEDICAL CENTERS

Rucker’s special report on local Colorado cannabis companies taking their busi-

Denver Custom Packaging // PACKAGING

nesses nationwide — not an easy feat in any industry but a particularly difficult

EndoCanna // MEDICAL CONCENTRATES

challenge given the federally illegal status of that favorite plant of ours. Growth is also something everyone on Team Sensi is focused on right now.

Folsom Family Dental // DENTIST

Our Sensi Nights keep growing, bringing more Colorado companies together

GreenHouse Payment Solutions //

with a growing legion of loyalists who come out to celebrate at the bimonthly

PAYMENT PROCESSING

events. The next one is tentatively slated for Friday, June 23, so mark your cal-

Grofax 5 // HEMP

endar and save the date. This edition of the magazine is expanding each month,

Jett Cannabis // CO2 EXTRACTION

and I’m happy to say we have some exciting additions to the editorial team in

Lab Society // L AB EQUIPMENT

the works, so look for more columnists and features starting in June. I’m super

Loopr // LUXURY MOBILE CONSUMPTION

excited to bring more voices into the magazine, so if you’re a writer who’s

LucidMood // TERPENES

interested in contributing to Sensi, I’d love to hear from you. This month, we are launching a Southern Colorado edition of Sensi—a new

marQaha // SUBLINGUALS/SPRAYS

pro-cannabis lifestyle publication focused on happenings in Colorado Springs,

Mountain High Suckers // CBD EDIBLES

Trinidad, Pueblo, and the surrounding areas. We also just launched Sensi Pro-

Neos // BHO VAPE PENS

ductions, a new video division headed up by John “Ljfresh” Gray, who I am be-

Purple Monkey // TEAS

yond thrilled to welcome to the full-time crew. He spent a good part of April

Rx CBD // CBD PET TREATS

out in California with our executive team, hustling on the ground and meeting with publishers working to get a few Sensi California editions up and running

Source Colorado // WHOLESALE CONSULTING

in the coming months. #GROWTEAMGROW

Steepfuze // CBD COFFEE

This year has been quite a journey, and it wouldn’t be possible without

Terrapin Care Station //

you, our readers. Thank you for taking the time to pick up the magazine

RECREATIONAL DISPENSARY

and flip through the pages, to read the words we write. Publishing this

The Clinic: The Bank Genetics // GENETICS

magazine is a privilege we don’t take lightly— even if it doesn’t really feel

TinctureBelle // TOPICALS

like work at all. Happy Reading.

Wana Brands // EDIBLES Witlon // PAYROLL PROCESSING

National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy Women Grow

M E DI A PA RT N E RS Stephanie Wilson EDITOR IN CHIEF @ STEPHWILLL

MAY 2017

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buzz

chicken fight FESTIVAL

HELP CROWN THE TASTIEST FOWL IN TOWN ON MAY 25. The brains behind Top Taco (crowned Denver’s Best New Festival by Westword readers in 2015) are back at it with a new finger-lickin’-good food gathering. The fresh Chicken Fight! brings together 40-plus of the area’s top restaurants—Biju’s, Southern Hospitality, Yardbird, Highland Tap and Burger, and more—for a friendly competition in which your taste buds are the clear winner. Enjoy unlimited bites and beverages as you cast a vote for the best wings, fried chicken, barbecue, and craftiest cocktails in town. There’s also live music, cooking demos, and plenty of other surprises in store. So don’t be shocked when this one sells out. –STEPHANIE WILSON

CHICKENFIGHTFEST.COM

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M AY 2017

sensi

KING

BACKWARDS & FORWARDS

The world according to our curious cannabis expert, LELAND RUCKER

WORKING FOR A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DOESN’T OFFER MUCH TIME FOR REFLECTION. WE’RE WORKING ON STORIES FOR JULY AS THIS ISSUE DROPS. BUT SINCE WE’RE CELEBRATING A FULL YEAR OF SENSI ’S EXISTENCE, I THOUGHT I’D GET OFF THE TRAIN FOR A MOMENT. A good part of our mission here is to illustrate that, for most people who use it, cannabis itself isn’t a lifestyle, it’s part of a lifestyle. The people we profile and talk with all use cannabis in various ways, medically or recreationally, but cannabis doesn’t rule their lives. They use it for pain or anxiety relief or just to feel good. It’s really not much more difficult than that. Talking with people over the last 12 months, I’ve felt a warm, palpable sense of community. People are reaching out to others to establish common ground. Even an old cynic like me was knocked out by the incredible enthusiasm and support I witnessed at the Women Grow Leadership Conference earlier this year. As someone tired of male dominance everywhere, it was soooo refreshing to see women finding allies and taking charge of their destiny. At the same time, I’m hardly the only one to notice an emerging professionalism eclipsing the initial burst of entrepreneurship that happened after legalization. Today’s dispensaries and retail locations are modern and sleek, and the trend toward marketing moods over highs continues. If there’s anything that I picked up on from a year talking with industry officials and business owners (including those in this month’s story about local brands going national), it’s that if you’re going to succeed today, you had better be willing to be more than just a true believer. The counterculture has given way to business culture, and you’d better have your ducks in a row if you’re going to keep up with the market. It begs the question I have been asking people lately. As larger groups move in, making bigger investments and buying out smaller ones, how long will that glow of camaraderie last? Everybody I’ve talked with acknowledges this shift, but no one offered answers. It could easily become a bigger challenge, and it’s a question we’ll be asking even more in the next 12 months. Glad you’re along for the ride. –LEL AND RUCKER

THE NE W N O R M A L

sensi

buzz

grab some

GRANOLA

a new

It’s May— and that

means summer is right around the corner. Some of you are already enjoying Colorado’s unusually warm spring (and some, like me, are waiting for the inevitable freak snow scare to pass), so you already know granola is every backpacker’s go-to snack-n-run treat. Granola offers tons of carbs to keep the body and mind going, and we need sugars to maintain our muscle mass after cardio-intense outings. Fresh Granola, available from JULIE’S NATURAL EDIBLES, is gluten-, dairy-, and GMO-free, and every package is infused with organic cannabis to help relieve sore muscles and strained joints. Fresh Granola comes in recreational (10 mg THC ) and medical (200 mg THC) versions, and packs are strain-specific with complete cannabinoid info provided on the label. You can find Julie’s Fresh Granola at various dispensaries around town.

ER A

–R ANDY ROBINSON

This is one of the latest vapor platforms for concentrates from the tech geniuses at PAX Labs. This sleek little device looks like a USB thumb drive, you could keep it on your desk at work and your boss would be none the wiser. Not that we advocate for things like that unless you work in a consumption-friendly work place. (Full disclosure: mine is sitting right next to my trackpad as I type.) The PA X ER A, released last summer and quickly amassing a loyal legion of fans, is the first high-quality, easyto-use, temperature-controlled portable oil vaporizer—but don’t think of it like your basic vape pen. It only uses cartridges (known as Era Pods) made locally in Colorado by The Lab using live resin, which lends itself to an amazing taste and customizable experience. It’s slender, lightweight, and comes complete with an app that allows you to control the temperature, change the colors in the LED interface, play games, and even lock the device to keep others from pulling some puffs when you’re not around. The Pods can seem pricey but if you look around for some deals, you can find them. I suggest Denver Kush Club, which offers 30 percent off cartridges on Wednesdays. 12

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–SW

what we’re

READING

Colson Whitehead The Underground Railroad (DOUBLEDAY) You won’t easily forget the harrowing images in Colson Whitehead’s unflinching account of slavery in the early 19th century that was just awarded the Pulitzer Prize for literature. Whitehead, in prose as economical as it is descriptive, imagines the underground railroad not as a network of safe houses but as a real locomotive, a perfect metaphor for the story of Cora, a young woman destined for life as chattel seeking a way out. Look for a limited series adaptation soon from Moonlight director Barry Jenkins. –L R

THE NE W N O R M A L

check out

sensi

buzz

STATE PARKS

PERFECT

PAIRING the music of with the

Star Wars

Colorado Symphony

This month, join the Colorado Symphony for a performance of epic music celebrating a galaxy far, far away. Conductor Christopher Dragon leads the symphony during an evening filled with music from Star Wars and classical favorites “spanning the parsecs between Denver and Dagobah.” (That’s a series reference for those not in the nerd know.) There’s two shows to choose from—evening of Saturday, May 27 or the afternoon of Sunday, May 28—at the Boettcher Concert Hall. Star Wars not your thing? That’s ok. The Colorado Symphony is also returning to Red

At Denver Public Library, you can check out more than just books. Thanks to a partnership with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, you can check out some of the natural wonders our state has to offer by checking out State Park passes and family adventure backpacks filled with park information and educational activities—plus a pair of binoculars, maps, and guides for identifying plants, birds, and animals you may encounter. The free program—yes, free —encourages Colorado residents to visit State Parks to enjoy and explore the great outdoors with a seven-day pass to any of Colorado’s 42 beautiful state parks. Visit DENVERLIBRARY.ORG for more info and to reserve your pass.

–SW

Rocks this summer for a number of shows, including a concert with Amos Lee and another with Diana Krall. Tickets were still available as of press time. Get on it.

–SW

MILE HIGH

movement

DENVER FITNESS WEEK is this month, from May 15 to 21. It’s a celebration of the city’s fitness community, inspired by our thriving workout scene. Take advantage of $7 classes at some top area studios, including my go-to ass-kicking favorite CycleBar, where a typical drop-in class runs for $22. Other participating hot spots: The Barre Code, Hot Mamas Exercise, The River Power Vinyasa Yoga, and others. To participate, pick up a punch card at one of the studios, or you can head to the kickoff party at Colorado Athletic Club Union Station on Thursday, May 11, and check out a NuFit class. The event is sponsored by Hydrate IV Bar, which will be onsite starting at 5pm offering IV services and B12 shots at a discounted rate. MORE DETAILS : DENVERFITNESSWEEK.COM.

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M AY 2017

–SW

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M AY 2017

{newsfeed} by R ANDY R O B IN S ON

THE BUSINESS OF OWNING IDEAS In the newly legal cannabis industry, intellectual property may be a minefield for the uninitiated— or a goldmine for those with foresight.

Right now, the US cannabis industry is worth $7 billion. In less than a decade, it’s estimated to be worth $50 billion. According to ArcView and BDS Analytics, two data firms tracking the sales of cannabis products, the pot industry will grow another 27 percent over the next year alone, even if the Trump Administration decides to crack down on rec-

EDUCATION FOR ELEVATED ENTRÉES

reational cannabis.

W HAT’S IN A NAME

The cannabis industry is no longer the Wild West it once

Intellectual property (IP) is, for lack of a better term, a

was. Twenty-nine states have laws on the books legalizing

government-granted monopoly of sorts. The World Intel-

recreational or medical use, but the federal government still

lectual Property Organization defines it as “creations of the

has the one that says cannabis is illegal, period. Because it

mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs;

remains federally illegal, the companies driving this multi-

and symbols, names, and images used in commerce.” Intel-

billion-dollar industry’s growth face a unique set of business

lectual property is ultimately protected by trademark, copy-

challenges in terms of banking, advertising, taxes, distribu-

right, and patent laws.

tion, insurance, and a whole lot more. The US government

There’s a lot of confusion regarding intellectual property

won’t issue a federal trademark to cannabis companies or

and cannabis. Yes, cannabis is federally outlawed. But de-

for products containing cannabis. But that same government

pending on what kind of IP protection a company is apply-

does hold a patent on the use of the cannabinoids—chem-

ing for, there are ways around this.

ical compounds found in the Cannabis sativa plant species—

According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, a trade-

for certain medical conditions. Intellectual property law is

mark is “a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination

complicated.

of words, phrases, symbols or designs, that identifies and

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M AY 2017

marks for marijuana products in states that allow marks to be registered,” Robison explains in an e-mail. States can craft their own rules for statewide trademarks, and Washington and Colorado have given the green light for pot shops and cannabis companies to receive state trademarks. However, those trademarks may not be enforceable in other states. To guarantee protection in another state, the trademark owner may have to do business there and register for a trademark there as well. There are ways for businesses to register trademarks while sidestepping the cannabis issue. Let’s say I’m a licensed cannabis seller, and my company is called Leafy Leaf. I could register the Leafy Leaf trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office under some product besides cannabis. I could register for branded Leafy Leaf “tobacco” pipes, clothing lines, even coffee mugs—just not for Leafy Leaf cannabis products. This means I may have a hard time taking someone to federal court for using the Leafy Leaf tradedistinguishes the source of the goods of one party from

mark for cannabis products, but at least I’ve registered the

those of others.” Trademark laws exist to help prevent con-

trademark and have some legal foundation for a suit.

sumer confusion. Trademarks allow businesses to establish

The Lanham Act only applies to trademarks, not to other

and protect their brand from copycats and imitators, and

types of intellectual property. Cannabis companies may

the protections extend from brand names and logos to tag

find copyrights offer better protection of their intellectual

lines and catch phrases. But the US federal government

property than trademarks. A copyright is “a form of protec-

doesn’t recognize trademarks for cannabis.

tion provided by the laws of the United States for ‘original

That’s due to the Lanham Act of 1946, which is also known

works of authorship,’ including literary, dramatic, musical,

as the Trademark Act. It states that federal trademarks may

architectural, cartographic, choreographic, pantomimic, pic-

only be issued for products that have already been sold, but

torial, graphic, sculptural, and audiovisual creations,” as de-

because the federal government considers all sales of can-

fined by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

nabis to be illegitimate, any trademarks specifically for can-

nabis products or licensed cannabis businesses are auto-

design, packaging, website and app design and wording, and

matically denied.

more, which can give cannabis companies without trademarks

Long story short, there are no federal trademarks for licensed cannabis companies, per se.

some legal recourse against copycats. “An often-overlooked form of protection are copyrights,”

Frank Robison, an intellectual property attorney with the

Robison explains. “Cannabis businesses generally have copy-

Denver-based marijuana law firm Vicente Sederberg, says

rights. These rights give rise to creative ways to protect in-

that some cannabis companies can find workarounds, as

tellectual property and may provide a cannabis business with

individual states can craft their own rules for statewide

additional remedies against infringers.”

trademarks. “Cannabis companies may only register their

The copyright laws work both ways, too, and cannabis MAY 2017

www.sensimag.com

companies can find themselves in violation. One recent example involves a popular strain found at many dispensaries known as Girl Scout Cookies. That strain name has been around since before the dawn of legalization, but it’s not like Girl Scouts of America could sue black-market pot dealers for violating copyright laws. Today’s legal dispensaries, however, are fair game. Recently, the organization threatened legal action against dispensaries selling the strain, most of which rebranded it as simply “Cookies.”

PAT E NTS : THE BREWING, BILLION - DOLL AR STORM

Get this: despite marijuana being federally illegal, patented cannabis strains exist, issued and approved by the federal US Patent and Copyright Office. Patents also have been filed and approved for inventions that extract or infuse cannabis oils. Patents protect product inventors, and patents are issued “to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout the United States or importing the invention into the United States,” as defined by the US government. Theoretically, anyone can file a patent for practically any invention, even if it’s for contraband or to manufacture an “illegal” substance such as cannabis extracts. Andrew Jones, founder of Oregon’s Connoisseur Concentrates, is living proof that Americans can receive patents for cannabis products. Late last year, he re-

“THE CONFUSION CAME FROM THE L ANHAM ACT. EVERYONE FIGURED IF YOU CAN’T GET A TRADEMARK FOR CANNABIS , THEN YOU COULDN’T GET A PATENT FOR IT, EITHER. BUT THAT’S NOT TRUE .” — ANDREW JONES —

ceived patent approval for his Mr. Extractor product, an all-in-one, closed-loop system for making hydrocarbon-extracted hash. In the patent filing, Jones’s invention specifically outlines its use for cannabis extraction and cannabis extraction only. He says, despite his invention’s transparency, he’s never been contacted by federal law enforcement like the DEA or FBI. 20

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MAY 2017

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“There’s no problem patenting illegal items,” he says. “I could patent a nuclear reactor. I couldn’t build one or own one, but I could own the patent on one.” For Jones, patenting cannabis products isn’t just a sound business move. It’s necessary to protect the spirit of the cannabis legalization movement. He thinks that legalization was only possible because underground growers shared strain genetics and growing techniques freely with one another. Their goal was to proliferate cannabis growing and manufacturing to such a wide extent that there was no feasible way any government could shut it all down. The problem with that free exchange of products and methods is those budding entrepreneurs have no financial protections once their products enter a regulated and taxed mar-

Terrapin vs. Terrapin { A C OR DI A L RESOLUTION } In 2016, two biotech scientists founded a new extracts company and named it Terrapin Separations after the Grateful Dead song “Terrapin Station.” It wasn’t long before they received a cease-and-desist order from Terrapin Care Station, a long-established dispensary company with multiple Colorado locations. Although both enterprises drew their name from the

“CANNABIS LEGALIZATION HAS MOVED FROM A PH YS IC A L WA R ON DRUGS TO A F INA NC IAL WA R FOR PROFIT CONTROL.” — ANDREW JONES —

same song, Terrapin Care Station had registered its trademark with the state first. Craig Mays, one of the owners of the second Terrapin, wasn’t sure what to do and sought advice from his lawyer about how to proceed. “My attorney said you can fight it, and you could beat it. But worst case, it’ll end up in federal court if you make it through the state court, and a federal court will simply throw it out,” Mays says. “And he said it’ll probably cost about $100,000 to do that.” Rather than spend tons of cash and valuable time tied up in the courts over a single word, Mays decided to meet with Terrapin Care Station’s founder, Chris Woods, at Terrapin’s home office in Boulder. Mays was surprised to discover that Woods was willing to work out a settle-

ket. Jones believes cannabis legalization has moved from a “physical” War on Drugs to a “financial” war for profit control, and most people are unaware that the financial war is currently well under way. “One of the tools necessary to fight a financial war is to retain the intellectual property that everybody fought for,” Jones

ment where everyone would win. Rather than forcing Mays to stop using the Terrapin Separations name immediately and to throw out the packaging that had already been printed, Woods agreed to let them use what they already had printed to recoup some of the costs before they rebranded as Lucky Turtle Extracts.

explains. “That way, the people in the cannabis movement can

Today, Terrapin Care Station even carries Lucky Tur-

continue to use that and stop these other entities that didn’t

tle Extracts products. Of Woods, Mays says, “He was

put in the years of hard work from gaining financial access.”

really amicable. He didn’t want any kind of contention.”

According to Jones, patent protections aren’t just needed

As intellectual property conflicts arise as the cannabis

to keep domestic businesses from muscling in. He’s con-

industry grows, we can only hope for more companies

cerned about foreign powers trying to corner the market on

to follow the rare and different tune Woods is singing.

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MAY 2017

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cannabis—and that fear has some eerily solid grounding. Patents can be internationally protected according to transnational treaties. And the nation with the most cannabis patents isn’t the United States. It isn’t the medical marijuana haven of Israel, nor is it any country in the European Union. It’s China. Over half of all cannabis patents registered internationally belong to Chinese firms, even though China enforces some of the harshest anti-cannabis laws on the planet. Many of these patents, filed in China and from China, may conflict with patents held elsewhere, such as in the

“WE’RE ENTERING THE L I T I G AT I O N PHASE OF THESE PATENT S . IT’S JUST GET TING STARTED.” — ANDREW JONES —

United States. These include patents for carbon dioxide extraction, dairy infusions, and a whole slew of inventions for manufacturing and packaging CBD products. However, these patent battles have just started. Only a handful are quietly being fought over in US courts. As cannabis legalization gains traction not just in America, but around the world, these patent issues will be put to the test in international and federal courts. “It’s pretty much done with patents in cannabis,” says Jones. “Most patents for everything you can think of were already filed years ago. The ramifications are huge: a patent holder can reclaim profits and damages all the way back to the time they filed the patent. There are tons of companies making millions of dollars a year off technology someone already owns the patent on.” His prediction: “We’re entering the litigation phase of these patents. It’s just getting started.”

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MAY 2017

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{ ediblecritic } by JOHN LEHNDORFF

BEYOND THE COMMON CONE Find chill summer bliss in a sweet, creamy artisan ice cream sandwich.

www.sensimag.com

M AY 2017

JOHN LEHNDORFF is the former Dining Critic of the Rocky Mountain News. He hosts Radio Nibbles on KGNU ( NEWS.KGNU.ORG/ C ATEGORY/RADIO-NIBBLES ).

Your classic American frozen sandwich—the kind with soft chocolate wafers and soft vanilla ice cream—is just a slider compared to the epic sandwiches being created this season at Denver-area ice cream parlors. A cone is a snack. A sandwich is a meal. Anybody can slap a slab of gelato between two Thin Mint cookies. A legendary ice cream sandwich requires attention

FROZEN MAT TER :

The Strooper Dooper, made with stroopwafels

to ingredients and a Goldilocks serving temperature: not too frozen and hard to bite, not too warm and melting in your hands. Some area parlors are getting it just right. Frozen Matter’s Strooper Dooper offers two house-baked stroopwafels with secret syrup centers holding a thick slab of deeply creamy butterscotch ice cream. At Sweet Cooie’s, Ice Cream brioche doughnuts are halved, overfilled with a scoop, and then sizzled in a panini press and served warm with a sweet drizzle. Frankly, it’s a great time to be a frozen dessert aficionado in the Denver area. A slew of next-generation ice creameries has joined much-loved local spots such as Bonnie Brae

Ice Cream Sandwich Stars

Ice Cream and Liks. Many more vegan and coconut- and

STROOPER DOOPER ICE CRE AM SANDWICH

soy-based lactose-free variations are being scooped along

Frozen Matter in the Uptown neighborhood is full of surpris-

with sorbets and Italian ices.

es. It is one of the only shops in the area that pasteurizes its

To help you find the best frozen moments available in the

own cream-and-egg-yolk ice cream base. The in-house bak-

summer swelter, we have compiled a trail guide that in-

ery creates hard-to-find stroopwafel, the buttery Dutch waf-

cludes some great ice cream sandwiches and places to ex-

fle-like cookie with a caramel syrup filling. They make per-

perience international-style chill treats. Finally, because

fect bookends for a slab of artisan ice cream in flavors ranging

Sensi ’s Edible Critic LOVES coffee ice cream, we share fa-

from butterscotch to surprising saffron almond. Frozen Mat-

vorites discovered during the strenuous research required

ter has a liquor license, which means adult delights include

for this column.

beer ice cream floats, orange Campari ice pops, and ice cream

do tell.

Do you have a favorite local ice cream shop and flavor?

{IF YOU DON’T, YOU REALLY SHOULD.}

and spirits pairing—think Valrhona chocolate ice cream and a shot of local Leopold Bros. Rocky Mountain Blackberry Liqueur. The final surprise? Retrograde, a minuscule night time speakeasy serving craft cocktails, is cleverly hidden behind a standard walk-in freezer door. FROZEN MAT TER 530 E. 19TH AVE., DENVER // FROZENMATTER.COM

Email comments to:

EDIBLE.CRITIC @ SENSIMAG.COM MAY 2017

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SWEET COOIE’S :

The Gooey Cooie, an icecream-filled doughnut

GOOEY COOIE ICE CRE AM SANDWICH Like its LoHi older sibling Little Man Ice Cream—the one with the 28-foot cream can and endless lines—Sweet Cooie’s Ice Cream is a calm oasis. The shop’s eye-candy interior design includes eggshell blue walls, a perfect soda fountain recreation, and a picture window into the kitchen where you can see folks making ice cream and the mini shortbread cookies, chocolate eclairs, and brioche doughnuts that are the “bread” for the hearty sandwiches. The Congress Park shop flavor roster always includes the crave-able and highly popular Chocolate Salted Oreo ice cream. Nice touch: Tastes of Vegan Horchata, Lemon Meringue Pie, Blackberry Pineapple Sorbet, and other flavors are offered in small metal teaspoons, not plastic. SWEET COOIE’S ICE CREAM 3506 E. 12TH AVE., DENVER // SWEETCOOIES.COM

POP TARTS CRUNCHBERRIES ICE CRE AM SANDWICH Nobody can deny the long-term, intimate relationship between cannabis and ice cream consumption. While some ice cream emporia ignore or wink at the munchies, the owner of Ice Cream Riot on Colfax Avenue embraces it. New Jerseyand Philadelphia-raised Jim McNutt has a “Potheads Always Welcome” sign on the wall behind the counter. “We are a cannabis-friendly shop and proud of it,” he says. Some of the former ice cream truck driver’s most famous fun flavors are made with thoroughly pulverized Cheddar Goldfish, Dirty 28

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frozen!

{ THE INTERNATIONAL TOUR } The menu of global frozen delights available at cool spots throughout the region includes everything from Thai-style rolled ice cream to Japanese mochi and Indian kulfi. THAI - ST YLE ROLLED ICE CRE AM

This is a made-to-order textural delight. Watch as ice cream custard base is poured on a supercooled stainless steel surface with additions like strawberries and brownies that are scraped into neat rolls of sweet creaminess. CHAOS & CREAM // 3350 BRIGHTON BLVD., DENVER // CHAOSANDCREAM.COM

TAIWANESE SNOW

The dairy-free and vegan favorite is a bright green matcha tea-infused shaved snow, which has a finer texture than Hawaiian or Italian ices. The snow reaches another level of chill bliss with the addition of sweetened condensed milk and bits of mochi. SNOWL AB // 4360 E. EVANS AVE. DENVER // SNOWL ABCO.COM

JAPANESE MOCHI

Mochi — individual ice cream gems enrobed in a chewy sweet rice wrapper — are available in supermarket freezers. Downtown Boulder’s Smooch crafts the exquisite artisan version of mochi in 21 flavors including azuki bean, chocolate coconut, guava, and Li Hing mango. SMOOCH FROZEN YOGURT & MOCHI 1926 14TH ST., BOULDER // SMOOCHCO.COM

INDIAN KULFI

India’s Restaurant has the region’s most extensive Indian dessert menu, including house-made kulfi. The slightly crunchy Indian ice cream in mango, chocolate, and must-taste pistachio spells relief after a fiery vindaloo curry. INDIA’S RESTAURANT // 8921 E. HAMPDEN AVE., DENVER // INDIASRESTAURANT.COM

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{ SOLID BUZZ } NOTE : It all started when I tasted Haagen Dazs Coffee. It was the gold standard for coffee ice cream for many years. Recently, I had the opportunity to sample multiple varieties of ice cream and gelato laced liberally with coffee, which produced the following list and a truly impressive sweet-caffeine buzz. CAPPUCCINO CRUNCH CREAM

One of the hits at this iconic shop is traditional mild coffee ice cream swirled with chocolate-covered toffee pieces. BONNIE BRAE ICE CREAM // 799 S. UNIVERSITY BLVD., DENVER BONNIEBRAEICECREAM.COM

SILVER CANYON COFFEE GEL ATO

A super-creamy treat flavored with Sumatra cold brew from Boulder’s Silver Canyon Coffee Roasters. FIOR DI L AT TE GEL ATO // 1433 PEARL ST., BOULDER FIORDIL AT TEGEL ATO.COM

OZO COFFEE HEATH ICE CREAM

Dark-roasted but mellow coffee ice cream from Boulder’s Ozo Coffee blended with toffee/chocolate bits. SWEET COW ICE CREAM // FIVE METRO LOCATIONS SWEETCOWICECREAM.COM

VIETNAMESE COFFEE ICE CREAM

Extra-dark-roasted coffee flavor with a super-creamy texture. SWEET ACTION ICE CREAM // 52 BROADWAY, DENVER SWEETACTIONICECREAM.COM

COFFEE TAIWANESE SHAVED SNOW

Finely textured coffee-flavored ice with coffee jelly, chocolate chips, and caramel drizzle. SNOWL AB // 4360 E. EVANS AVE., DENVER SNOWL ABCO.COM © ICE CREAM RIOT

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ICE CREAM RIOT:

Pop Tart ice cream sandwich

Cookies & Cream, or Fruity Pebbles. “I don’t like big chunks in my ice cream,” McNutt says matter-of-factly. The shelf behind the counter is stacked with a dozen flavors of Pop Tarts, which are used to make two-fisted ice cream sandwiches holding two scoops. Top combo: Strawberry Pop Tarts with Crunch Berries ice cream. McNutt also serves brain freeze-worthy Philly Ice in flavors from root beer to pineapple. ICE CREAM RIOT // 1238 E. COLFAX AVE., DENVER

THE FLUFFERNUT TER ICE CRE AM SANDWICH HEIFER AND THE HEN :

A stack of creations, including the Choco-taco

Here, Fluffernutter is a variation on a much-loved regional sandwich that was really dessert in disguise: a pair of tender peanut butter cookies spread with marshmallow crème plus a thick slice of hazelnut ice cream. Heifer and the Hen’s other signature sandwiches include a split brownie with peanut butter fudge ice cream. This great, quirky East Boulder shop is known for its imaginative flavors—think Raspberry Shortcake, Goat Milk Cajeta, Avocado Chocolate Chunk, and Blackberry-Star Anise sorbet. The creamery is the brainchild of chef Ian Clark, who owns the celebrated BRU handbuilt ales & eats next door. HEIFER AND THE HEN ORGANIC CREAMERY 5290 ARAPAHOE, BOULDER // HEIFERANDTHEHEN.COM

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Consultant. Advocate. Volunteer. Philanthropist. Entrepreneur. Green Team captain. Cannabis kingpin. Wearer of sweaters. Leader. Mayoral candidate. Good guy. K AYVAN KHAL ATBARI.

KAYVAN seeks the answer to a timeless question— how can I help?—at Mutiny Information Cafe on Broadway.

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TALKING WITH

Kay van Khalatbari

RECENTLY AT

A DENVER COFFEE SHOP, I HAD TO ASK : ARE YOU AN AC TIVIS T OR A POLITICIAN? “I THINK THEY’RE ONE AND THE SAME,” HE SAID WITH AN EASY SMILE. THAT MAKES SENSE, COMING FROM A GUY WHO’ S INVOLVED IN UPWARDS OF A DOZEN ROLES AT VARIOUS BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS IN A WIDE RANGE OF INDUSTRIES. THE OWNER OF SEXY PIZZA IS AS MUCH AN ENTREPRENEUR AS HE IS A PHILANTHROPIST AND AN ADVOCATE. HELL, EVEN HIS ADVOCACY COVERS A SWATH OF ISSUES, FROM CANNABIS TO HOMELESSNESS TO THE ARTS. HE’S A GUY WHO’ S AC TIVELY LEADING EFFORTS TO MAKE DENVER A BET TER PLACE TO CALL HOME. A F O R AY I N T O P O L I T I C S S E E M S L IK E A NAT UR AL E X TENSION OF HIS OVERALL BODY OF WORK. In March, Khalatbari announced his candidacy for the mayoral election in 2019. In last year’s election, he came in fifth alongside several other independents in a race that wasn’t even close. “I hear so many people complain about Michael Hancock, but when he ran for a second term last year, he ran essentially unopposed,” he says. “We had fringe candidates that all garnered three or four percent. You shouldn’t run unopposed for that position in a city changing like this one.” An outspoken advocate for the homeless and the artistic community, Khalatbari says he’s tired of political speak from politicians replacing actual dialogue. “It makes more sense to tell the truth, even though it’s less than desirable and will piss people off and might make me look bad, just to get it out of the way so we can actually make progress.”

INTO THE MYSTIC WITH

KAYVAN

KHALATBARI by LEL AND RUCKER photography by DANIELLE WEBS TER

MAY 2017

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Khalatbari has lived in Colorado for a dozen years,

moved after the Iranian revolution. Khalatbari learned

and he’s been heavily involved in the state’s canna-

to be self-sufficient at an early age, after his father,

bis legalization movement. He has started success-

a gambling addict, twice put the family in bankruptcy.

ful businesses, including, with Nick Hice and Ean

He and his brother Hassan wound up being raised by

Seeb, Denver Relief, and Crestone Labs, a medical

his mother.

marijuana facility in Illinois. He backs birdy., a local

He found high school easy but mostly uninterest-

arts magazine that has expanded to other cities. He

ing, and learned that cannabis calmed his anxiety,

started the Sexpot Comedy collective and is involved

helped him sleep, increased his appetite, and allowed

in many organizations, Students for Sensible Drug

him “to be bored but to show up and pass those tests,”

Policy, the Minority Cannabis Business Association

he admits. “I was depressed from things about my

and the National Cannabis Industry Association among

childhood, and it helped me not to think about those

them. They built the Green Team around the concept

things. It was a recreational product that I was using

of cannabis businesses giving back to the community,

medicinally but didn’t know it.”

I can’t get behind “ Ifsomething, if I see something that might be harmful to people, there is no way I could support it, no matter how much money is behind it.

”

and the volunteer organization does everything from

After high school, he sold fake Rolexes and can-

cleaning up after events to raising money for worth-

nabis to get by while earning an architectural engi-

while charities. He’s also the guy who filmed that vid-

neering degree. After college, he took a job at an elec-

eo of Denver police taking the blankets from home-

trical lighting design firm in Lincoln. Then, 12 years

less people last year that went viral. He even finds

ago, the week after he turned 21, he moved to Denver

time to be a big brother mentor for Denver Kids Inc.

for another engineering position. It didn’t last long.

The Wikipedia page of his ongoing ventures tops 11

“I was dying inside,” he explains. “I walked in one

printed sheets already, and Khalatbari isn’t even yet

morning, and as I was going up the elevator, and it’s

35. Thank god for youthful energy and a disdain for

the third day in a row that ‘Into the Mystic’ is playing

the routine.

in my earbuds. I had turned into a robot, with the same

“I think I can find compromise without compromising my values and beliefs, if that makes sense,” he

knowing I was going to do it a half hour earlier.”

says. “I think that’s something that gets lost in poli-

Khalatbari exhausted his savings and maxed out

tics. Compromising is seen as compromising what I

his credit cards to buy an existing pizzeria, which he

think is right to get this done. I would never do that. If

renamed Sexy Pizza. He rented out his house, moved

I can’t get behind something, if I see something that

into a tent in his backyard for awhile while he built

might be harmful to people, there is no way I could

Sexy Pizza into a sustainable business.

support it, no matter how much money is behind it.” He grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, where his family 36

routine every day. I turned in my two-week notice, not

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That pretty much set the tone for everything he’s done since then, and it’s just one reason he thinks he

would make a good mayor. “I’m a minimalist. That’s how I run my businesses. I criticize wasting money. What’s needed is not just about spending more, but about spending

Shelters don’t work for everybody. Families get split up in the shelter system. We need outside-the-box thoughts on the table to deal with what this city and a lot of cities are

more wisely.” Part of Sexy Pizza’s business plan

dealing with now.”

was to get involved in the commu-

So what does he do for fun? “My

nity and donate some profits to char

life isn’t divided into play and work,

ities, his initial attempt at joining

they’re hodgepodged and merged

entrepreneurism and volunteerism.

together,” he explains. “It’s so much

“It was the first instance of me say-

more gratifying. My businesses are

ing that I don’t need to market my business by putting an ad in West-

word . I can do that by supporting community initiatives, art, and advocacy projects, and you’ll get much

In March, Khalatbari announced his candidacy for the mayoral election in

my work and my fun, and my hobbies, philanthropy, and volunteerism are all under one umbrella. That makes everything so much easier, because then I don’t have to bounce

more loyal patrons because you’re in

back and forth between these mind

line with their values and interests.”

sets and attitudes. I’m the same all

He and Hassan got involved in

the time, working simultaneously

Safer Alternatives For Enjoyable

on fun, different eclectic projects.”

Recreation (SAFER), where he met Mason Tvert, and

His activism first stepped up a notch when, in 2006,

Sensible Colorado, which was started by attorney Bri-

he famously dressed as Chickenlooper and badgered

an Vicente. Those connections led him into the med-

the then-mayor-now-governor to debate, a stunt they

ical marijuana community, where he learned canna-

pulled again during Hick’s gubernatorial campaign.

bis users included doctors, lawyers, and politicians.

“Yeah, we were chasing him around in a chicken suit,”

“It opened my eyes and built the fervor to do what I

he says. “That got me excited about the activism, and

could about policy reform.”

we found another way to get attention.”

He thinks that while development in the city is

He and his partners last year sold Denver Relief dis-

booming, the current administration seems to forget

pensary last year to concentrate on helping business-

the many underserved communities—DIY artists and

es in newly legalized states learn to navigate tricky

the homeless among them. “People are getting pushed

regulations and incorporate standardized operating

to the fringes and losing their opportunity in the city.”

practices. Khalatbari has been busy writing and sub-

He is especially critical of Hancock’s approach to the

mitting applications for businesses in dozens of states.

homeless issue, which he says wastes money crimi-

It’s not exactly exciting work, but it’s no less import-

nalizing behavior rather than trying to help people

ant. He said that one application for a Pennsylvania

find ways out of the vagrant cycle. Nobody wants to be

company will end up at more than 100,000 words.

homeless, he says. “The travelers are ten percent, and

Meanwhile, there’s the mayoral race, still more than

bad apples make it difficult for the rest. You don’t see

two years away. He’s taking the time to learn more

90 percent of homeless people who are sleeping in

about issues he isn’t as familiar with, like education.

cars or on a friend’s couch. We don’t see the nice

“I have ideas, but I don’t understand things well

homeless—we see the fringe. The majority want to do

enough to make meaningful change,” he says. “So I’m

good. We set our standards by what the worst need

engaging people in education in conversation, people

and lose sight of the majority of the people.”

pro and con from the way I think it should be done. I

To that end, through a crowdfunding project with

can’t know what someone with six years in office knows

the Alternative Solutions Advocacy Project, he has

about the workings of government, but I can educate

been heavily involved in a pilot project offering Tiny

myself as much as possible in the meantime.”

Homes to the homeless in the RiNo District. “I think

we can affect a lot along the way.

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ANYONE W H O ’ S V I S I T E D A C A N N A B I S D I S P E N S A RY O R R E TA I L O U T L E T I N C O L O R A D O K NOWS THAT THERE ARE PRODUCTS NO ONE COULD EVER HAVE IMAGINED JUST A FEW YEARS AGO : ALONGSIDE OL D -FASHIONED FLOWER MARIJUANA ARE THC-INFUSED GUMMIES, CHOCOL ATES, AND DRINKS, A WHOLE MENU OF CREAMS, SALVES, BATH SALTS, CONCENTRATES, A ND TINCTURES, WITH MORE PRODUCTS, IT SEEMS, ALWAYS ON THE WAY—AND FLYING OFF THE SHELVES. IN 2016, LEGAL CANNABIS SALES IN COLORADO REACHED $1.3 BILLION —E ACH ONE OF THOSE DOLL ARS SPENT ON PRODUC TS MADE IN COLORADO USING CANNABIS GROWN IN THE STATE.

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COLORADO - BASED cannabis companies seek NATIONAL EXPANSION.

Business is booming, and a growing number of Colorado companies are establishing themselves as local market

by LEL AND RUCKER

leaders. As the first state to legalize adult use, Colorado is the epicenter of a modern cannabis industry dominated by small businesses. As the legal landscape grows across the country—cannabis is now approved for medical or recreational use in 29 states and the District of Columbia—some of those Colorado businesses are seeking to grow as well. But, like most things in this industry, it’s pretty complicated. Taking even a well-known local brand national is tricky enough for any business, and it can be even thornier for cannabis companies. Still classified as a Schedule I controlled substance by

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the federal government, cannabis can’t be moved out-

el or a contract-manufacturing model,” Whiteman ex-

side state borders. Rules, requirements, and regula-

plains. “And what that essentially says is that we are

tions differ as widely state by state as the THC potency

partnering with people who are license holders in that

levels in legal strains today.

state, and we’re licensing our intellectual property to

So what do Colorado cannabis companies have to

Wana started in 2010, back in the days before reg-

do to take their brands into new markets? “The first thing to do is to protect your trade and

ulation, and it settled on gummies and hard candies

brand name at every level possible.” Robert Hoban is

after determining that bakery products don’t have

a Denver attorney whose firm specializes in cannabis

the kind of shelf stability they were seeking. “They’re

law and talks with clients every day about expansion

not gonna break. They’re not gonna get stale,” she ex-

possibilities. “Every state you want to be in, get the

plains. “With gummies in particular, it was part skill,

trademark and registration right, and also do that at

but there was some luck because we did not know

the federal level,” he says. “When they’re in place, we

that gummies would wind up in the number-one cat-

can look at how to distribute product in other states,

egory for edibles. Gummies are actually pretty hard

what state to start with, to end with and how many

to make. We spent a lot of time on the recipe.” Wana works hard at maintaining consistency. Be-

states you want to enter.” That seems basic enough. Besides getting brands

cause even humidity can influence gummy texture,

trademarked and registered, every company doing

Wana first sends its own cooks to prospective states

interstate business has to work out how to distribute

to see how the recipes would work in different cli-

its products, another area where cannabis presents

mates and what adjustments would have to be made

unique hurdles. “If you have a brand, do you want to

for each location. And the company put audits and

sell it, or do you want to license it?,” Hoban asks pro-

controls in place and built checks and balances into

spective clients. He says it’s easy for people to over-

all its procedures. Whiteman personally makes sure

10 5 vs.

MILLIGRAMS PER S E R V I N G I N CO LO R A D O

MILLIGRAMS PER SERVING IN OREGON

estimate their ability to produce on a large scale or

Wana is partnering with like-minded companies to

misunderstand what a licensing deal means. “They

produce exactly the same gummy products in other

don’t control it, and people fall into a trap. They think

states as you get here.

they’re going to be hands-on. But once you sell that

“If you just think you’re going to hand your recipes

license, are you going to be hands-on or just licens-

over to somebody and pray they do it the way you

ing your product?”

want them to do it, that’s not how any brand does it,”

Nancy Whiteman owns Wana Brands, a popular,

she says. “When I talk to potential partners, I tell them

Boulder-based company that makes infused edibles,

right away, ‘This is how we work with our partners,

extracts, and tinctures in Colorado. Wana has ex-

and would that be comfortable for you and something

panded into other states as well, including Oregon

you would want to do?’ ” And like Colorado, each state has its own maze of

and Nevada.

them.”

Wana, which makes its Colorado candy on premis-

regulations that must be strictly followed. “In Oregon,

es, considered its options carefully before going into

packaging has to be submitted to the state to approve

other markets. “We’ve chosen either a licensing mod-

it before you can move forward,” she says. “And it

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requires different dosing, so they have different rules.

as you do, so you put a great amount at risk—quality

Their adult-use products have a maximum of 5 mg

control and trade secrets—working with a third par-

per serving and maximum of 50 mg for the package.

ty. It’s complicated. It’s not making cupcakes.” This

We have 10 mg per serving and 100 mg packaging. In

way, though, he says, “Instead of having to get it right

every state, you’re building on the knowledge you al-

every time in California, Nevada, and across the coun-

ready have, but you have to tweak it in subtle ways.”

try, you only have to get it right once.”

Tripp Keber owns Dixie Brands, another well-known

But, like Whiteman, Keber sees the future in collab-

maker of edibles, drinks, and other THC and CBD prod-

oration. Dixie has a history of selling private-label prod-

ucts for humans and pets. Like Wana, Dixie has spent

ucts to other companies. “We cut our teeth on that,” he

years developing products that are dependable, safe,

says. “Now we will have the ability to take those brands

and of the highest quality. Keber says that after much

and produce them in other states.”

trial and error during expansion to new states, Dixie

It’s not just the bigger cannabis companies looking to capitalize on the ex-

paused, reset, and moved away from traditional licensing agreements. “No one cares as much about your brand as much

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In 2016, legal cannabis sales in Colorado reached $1.3 billion—each one of those dollars spent on products made in Colorado using cannabis grown in the state.

panding cannabis-friendly marketplace. Alex Corren heads Hempower Nutrition, which makes CBD

products, including a new powder drink supplement, for the natural-foods market. Hempower is now on the shelves of Alfalfa’s and other natural-food co-ops along the Front Range. CBD is a cannabinoid compound from the hemp plant. While hemp resembles cannabis, it

Another obstacle is getting CBD products into naturalfood distribution networks.

has no discernable THC, which means it can’t get anyone elevated, or high. But Corren says that he still finds

network is hard because no one is taking on hemp

that lack of education about the differences between

products like that yet,” he says. “There’s still enough

hemp and cannabis to be one of the biggest hindrances

of a gray area that they’re just kind of waiting it out.

to getting his products into more stores.

That’s why it’s Alfalfa’s and natural-food co-ops that

“For people who already know about it, there’s not much convincing. They know it’s good for them,” Cor-

take it on first because they’re not part of a corporate chain of command.”

ren says. “For people who don’t know what CBD is, to

Given that the industry is growing abnormally fast

get them to realize they can take this as part of a

at this time, consolidation is already happening, and

smoothie in the morning like any other supplement

the process of building a significant brand and tak-

and know that nothing crazy is going to happen,

ing it national can only get more difficult. Everyone I

that’s the initial hump that’s the hardest to get over.”

talked with stressed that cannabis companies have to

Since CBD products are new to the market, anoth-

be more professional than anyone else in order to suc-

er obstacle is getting them into natural-food distri-

ceed. “For new entries into the market, with consoli-

bution networks. And in places where cannabis is

dation, it’s going to be even harder to get on the shelves,”

illegal, there isn’t a market like there is in legal states.

says Whiteman. “Everybody has to up their game in

“Tapping into a distributor that has 400 stores in its

professionalism.”

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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA 48

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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Denver-based stand-up comic JOSH BLUE is poised to become not only the first local celebrity with his own BRANDED CANNABIS PRODUC T, he’ll likely become the world’s first comic to hold the distinction, too.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[ JOSH ]

BLUE DREAMS

COME

TRUE by RANDY ROBINSON

Josh Blue SPENDS MUCH OF HIS FREE TIME IN HIS TWO -STORY MAN CAVE, A MINI HOUSEHOLD LOC ATED IN THE BACK YARD OF HIS MUCH L ARGER HOME ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF DOWNTOWN DENVER. ON THE UPPER FLOOR OF THIS BACK YARD RE TRE AT, HE THROWS KNIVES AND A XES INTO A WOODEN BOARD SPORTING A HUMAN SILHOUE T TE. WHEN HE’S FEEL ING A BI T MORE CREATIVE, HE’S USUALLY DOWNSTAIRS, WIELDING BL OW TORCHE S, CHAINSAWS, AND BUZZ SAWS TO SHAPE WOOD INTO INTRICATE MA SKS AND SCULPTURES. These are unexpected pursuits from someone born with cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that affects his motor coordination. But this is Blue, and this is his circle of creative energy: making art, writing stand up, and throwing blades into boards. And he gets a kick out of pretending he doesn’t know what he’s doing with all those sharp, pointy objects, wobbling and exasperating to build tension, then quickly regaining his composure to a room full of laughs. “This is therapeutic,” he says after driving a double-edged throwing knife between the wooden silhouette’s legs one day this spring while I watched. “A lot more therapeutic than painting, that’s for sure.” Blue, who’s not shy about poking fun at himself—or anyone else for that matter—got his big break in 2006, when he won the NBC reality show Last Comic Standing. From then on, comedy became his thing:

The Ellen Degeneres Show made him their first featured stand-up comic; he’s appeared on every major network from MSNBC to Fox; and he’s opened shows for legends like Dave Chappelle and Bill Burr. “I was doing over 200 shows a year after Last Comic Standing ,” Blue recalls. Most of those shows were sold out.

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Today, Blue does a lot more than just tell insanely funny jokes. He’s also a self-taught artist, a creator

who fashions paintings from buckets of paint he finds at old houses. That, and he carves wood sculptures with power tools.

His home showcases much of his artwork, with

paintings adorning the walls of each room, and masks

skulking in corners or dangling from near the ceiling. He is aware of the contrast between the morose moods of his paintings and the vibrancy of his standup routines. “I don’t want to draw sad things, it just comes out that way,” he says. “I don’t think I’ve ever sat down and thought, ‘I’m going to draw a horse.’ Like, I might know that I’m going to draw a face, but I don’t know what it’s going to look like.” Blue was born in Cameroon in West Africa—a nation slightly larger than the state of California— which, technically, makes him an African-American, albeit one of incredibly fair skin. He is fluent in Wolof, one of the native languages of Senegal, an

“ M Y CHARACTER ON STAGE IS A HUGE STONER, TOO,” HE SAYS, DRAWING A THIN RED L INE BE T WEEN HIS PRIVATE PERSONA AND THE ONE HE PRESENTS PUBLICLY.

“T HE LULLS WORK AS PART OF THE SHOW. E V EN IN COMEDY, A 10 - SECOND LULL IS A LONG EFFIN’ TIME. BUT IN THAT 10 SECONDS... I’LL JUST THINK OF THE African country to the northwest of Cameroon.

NEXT TH ING TO SAY.”

“I’ve been told I’m the best non-native speaker

and other physical cues, a skillset that translates to

they’ve ever heard,” he says of the Senegalese. “Over

his ability to read large crowds, too. It’s part of his

here, it’s just a novelty, but in Senegal, it’s like, ‘Who’s

method for going onstage with a seemingly endless

this white dude who can speak our language?’”

arsenal of verbal gags.

According to Blue, who also speaks French, his ap-

His time in Africa shows through in his art, too.

titude with language is inborn. He’s never been for-

Most of his wood works resemble African tribal masks.

mally trained, and his self-taught nature extends far

“Initially they were ceremonial,” he explains. “Differ-

beyond the painting and stand-up monologues—

ent masks had different meaning or purpose. Some

and it does appear to be genetic. His father, who he

would welcome spirits, others would scare off spirits.”

describes as “a genius,” can speak 13 languages.

Masks may ward off bad juju, but smoke may in-

“I feel some people’s brains just handle language

vite good spirits. And when it comes to good smoke,

well,” he says. “I can just be immersed in a language

Blue’s no stranger there, either. “I smoke weed ini-

I don’t know, and I just pick it up.” When learning to

tially to make me feel good. It definitely plays into

communicate this way, he relies on environmental

the creative side of things.” Cannabis is part of his

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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

creative process. “When I paint, I’ve always got a bowl

plains. “You leave the show not even knowing you’ve

next to me. Red wine helps a lot, too,” he says.

been educated. You don’t even realize you just got a

But getting too tore up never stopped Blue. Canna-

bunch of knowledge dropped on you. You just know

bis is also part of his comedic process these days,

your stomach and face hurt from laughing. But then a

although he wasn’t always open to the idea. After all,

few weeks later, when you hear a story about someone

“brain farts” and other cognitive incongruences are

with cerebral palsy, you have a different perspective

just part and parcel of getting elevated prior to a per-

on it now.”

formance for even the most accomplished comedi-

Blue is currently hitting up comedy clubs around

ans. Just this year, Dave Chappelle notably flubbed a

the country, but stay tuned for details about his an-

show in Detroit after a backstage smoke session with

nual July 4 show held in Denver. And to get the chuck-

rapper Danny Brown that proved to be a bit too strong.

les rolling, he teamed up with Colorado’s Mountain

Blue says, “I’d tell myself I would never smoke weed

High Suckers to create his very own branded edible,

before a show. But one day I got real high, and they

Josh Blue’s Dream. This lollipop marks two firsts:

called me to do an emergency show. And it was great.

Blue is the first Colorado-based celebrity, as well as

“My character on stage is a huge stoner, too,” he

the first stand-up comedian anywhere, to endorse a

says, drawing a thin red line between his private per-

pot product. The sucker itself blends blueberry, wa-

sona and the one he presents publicly. “The lulls work

termelon, and cherry flavors with Blue Dream extract

as part of the show. Even in comedy, a 10-second lull

cultivated by the folks at Groundswell.

is a long effin’ time. But in that 10 seconds … I’ll just think of the next thing to say.”

It’s fitting, too, that a Renaissance man like Blue picked this plant. Blue Dream is one of the most pop-

Laughs aside, Blue’s stand up—like all great stand

ular sativa strains in the US—if not the most popu-

up—is designed to change the way the audience sees

lar strain at the moment—and for good reason: it’s

their world. “That’s what’s beautiful about it,” he ex-

like chasing a quad-shot espresso with a Red Bull.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Couch-locked? Unglued. Blue’s got things to do.

SELF PORTRAIT

2006, Acrylic on Canvas

HAHAHA

THE LONG DAY

2017, Oil Pastel on Canvas

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA 52

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5700 Consulting

P R O MOT ION A L F E AT URE

Expert Advice IN AN INDUSTRY UNDER THE MICROSCOPE, 5700 CONSULTING KNOWS IT’S THE MASTERY OF DETAILS THAT COUNTS. It is important for the right hand to know what the left hand is doing.

of business operations. While being well versed in a specific aspect of the industry is a good start for

That sounds easy enough, but as Kathryn Awada

any business, Awada says it’s important to under-

has found in her eight years in the cannabis industry,

stand every facet—as well as how each component

it’s more difficult than you might think. Her cannabis

interacts with or affects other areas of the organiza-

career began at a dispensary in southeast Denver in

tion. So that’s what 5700 Consulting strives to pro-

2009. She’s since been a trimmer, budtender, finan-

vide. “This eliminates errors and oversights that re-

cial planner, media relations contact, special events

sult from not understanding the big picture,” she says.

coordinator, and store manager. Now she’s the CEO

“Our goal is to offer convenient, accessible tools

of her own firm, 5700 Consulting.

and information to business owners without the brain damage of having to ferret out additional in-

“My experience enables me to anticipate client needs and provide the support they need.” K AT HRY N AWA DA // 5700 CONSULTING CEO

formation elsewhere,” she says. “We’re about empowering owners, managers, and associates by providing comprehensive services coupled with proficient professionals.” She’s even added compliance and operational consulting to her repertoire. As the first METRC consultant, she helps businesses navigate the state’s Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting Compliance system, which tracks plants from seed to sale. Her work on the medical marijuana side with patients battling ailments, including herself and other family members, has made her an advocate for the

“During my first years in the industry, when I was

possibilities of the plant. “Hearing patients’ stories,

wide-eyed and eager to learn, I had a lot of ques-

seeing progress, and assisting in the healing pro-

tions. A number of situations arose that required

cess has been one of the most humbling and inval

more investigation,” Awada says. “I found that many

uable times of my life. It has granted me the ability

of the ‘experts’ knew their own job but were limited

to assist more people.

by a lack of knowledge and/or understanding of the other aspects of the industry.” She created 5700 Consulting as a central resource for companies seeking competence in every aspect

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“My experience enables me to anticipate client needs and provide the support they need,” she says. “I believe in keeping an open mind and providing encouragement and support in the ways that I can.”

PURPLE MONKEY

P R O MOT ION A L F E AT URE

Joint Venture Flavors GE T E L E VAT E D Q U IC K LY, E AS I LY, AND QU IET LY W I T H P U R P L E M O N K E Y T E AS, COF F E E S, AND HOT C HOCOL ATE S. Teas and coffees have provided relief, relaxation, comfort, and focus to people for thousands of years. Cannabis, too, has done these same things for us, so why not combine the three for a rich, flavorful delight? “We are a coffee and tea company,” says Wy Livingston, Joint Venture’s founder. With over ten years in the business of teas and coffees, she knows a thing or two regarding what goes into a quality leaf or bean. “It’s what we do.” Purple Monkey is Joint Venture’s newest foray into Colorado’s cannabis scene. Purple Monkey products come in boxes (collections) of world-class teas and coffees with infused honey and nonfat creamer for a truly customized cup. Every cup tastes and smells only of the coffee or tea and their condiments, ensuring a completely discreet experience that can follow you anywhere you go, day or night.

EVERY CUP TASTES AND SMELLS ONLY OF THE COFFEE OR TEA AND THEIR CONDIMENTS, ENSURING A COMPLETELY DISCREET EXPERIENCE THAT CAN FOLLOW YOU ANYWHERE YOU GO, DAY OR NIGHT. There’s also the convenience of simplicity, as fixing a cup of Purple Monkey teas or coffees is as simple as steeping a freshly opened bag of oolong. “To take it,” explains Livingston, “you just do the same thing you do all day, every day.” Take one cup, add hot water, and voila. Purple Monkey currently has a variety of flavors available, too. For teas, there’s Monkey Mango with Rooibos, Strawberry Kiwi, and the classic Earl Grey. For coffees, savor the Monkey Mocha chocolate java. Or you can skip the coffee and go straight for the Canna Cocoa hot chocolate. Recreational collections include 100 mg THC in each box, split between 10 mg tea or coffee packs, 10 mg Honey Buzz, and 10 mg creamers. Medical collections include 250 mg THC in each box, with each pack containing 25 mg THC. Or, as Livingston puts it, “This is our version of the entourage effect.” Try them at any point of your day, whether as your morning ritual, reading a good book, going for a long walk, or hanging out with friends. Take them with you when you’re on the go. Purple Monkey: the discreet way to elevate.

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S P E C I A L A D V I S O R Y B OA R D S E C T I O N AS THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY GROWS, SO DO T H E N U M B E R OF NICHE EXPERTS WITHIN IT. FROM TOP-TIER

How Cannabis is Helping Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

DISPENSARIES AND EXTRACTION

by Londell D. Jackson, M.Ed., Simply Pure

THE TRENDS AND ISSUES DRIVING

BRANDS TO EDIBLE MAKERS AND MARKETING SPECIALISTS, T H E S E CO M PA N I E S A R E I N C R E D I B L E S O U R C E S O F I N S I D E R I N FO ABOUT THIS THRIVING M ARKE T PLACE

PA R K I N S O N ’ S D I S E A S E A F F E C T S N E A R LY 12 M I L L I O N P E O P L E AROUND THE WORLD WHO ARE OVER THE AGE OF 60 AND 48 MILL I O N P EO P L E W H O A R E OV E R T H E AG E O F 8 0. PA R K I N S O N’S I S CHARAC TERIZED BY FOUR SPECIFIC FEATURES : TREMORS, SLOW-

FO RWARD. T H E S E NS I ADVIS O RY BOARD IS COMPRISED OF LEADERS FRO M A VARIETY OF FIELDS

NESS OF MOVEMENT (BRADYKINESIA ), INABILITY TO STAY BALANCED

WITHIN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY.

(POSTURAL INSTABILIT Y ), AND INFLEXIBLE MUSCLES (RIGIDIT Y ).

EACH ISSUE, ADVISORY BOARD

THESE SYMPTOMS RESULT FROM A GRADUAL LOSS OF DOPAMINE

MEMBERS SHARE SOME OF THEIR

WITHIN THE BASAL GANGLIA —A SE T OF INTERCONNECTED STRUCTURES W I T H I N T H E B RA I N —W H I C H I S R E S P O N S I B L E FO R T H E

KNOWLEDGE WITH OUR READERS

AUTOMATION OF LEARNED MOTOR SKILLS. WHILE THERE IS CUR-

IN THIS DEDICATED S E C T I O N .

RENTLY NO CURE FOR THIS DISEASE, TREATMENTS OFTEN TARGET

THIS MONTH, WE HEAR FRO M

MUSCLE DYSFUNC TION, INCREASED RANGE OF MOVEMENT AND

AN EXPERT AT Simply Pure.

FLEXIBILITY, AND PERSISTENT PAIN.

While the research surrounding the pain-relieving effects of cannabinoids is ongoing, there is a growing body of knowledge that supports the use of various cannabinoids in the treatment of pain disorders. Qualitative and quantitative studies have demonstrated cannabinoids reduce and eliminate inflammation and pain through their interaction with the endocannabinoid system of the brain. Additionally, research has found cannabinoids to be neuroprotective and help reduce degeneration of nerve cells. Cannabinoids also help regulate dopamine regulation within the brain. These regulatory processes, which are facilitated by individual or entourage cannabinoids, have been shown to give relief of pain and may help reduce tremors in some individuals. As more information is made available about the endocannabinoid system and how it interacts with our body’s processes, patients and practitioners will have greater options in how to treat various ailments. While the pain-reducing effects of cannabis are widely known, further research will highlight how cannabinoids can help reduce, or even reverse, neurodegeneration.

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

MAY 2017

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HIGH HOLIDAY K IC KO F F

sensi

SCENE

The new inflatable Bud Booth by Cannabis Camera was a hit.

Julian Marley met and mingled with Sensi Night guests. 78

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Last month, the cannabis community came out in full force for the High Holiday edition of Sensi Night. This one was so big, we blew the roof off the joint. With close to 3,500 RSVPs and nearly 10 0 Colorado companies manning elaborate table setups across all three floors of City Hall, this Sensi Night was a night for the record books—complete with swag giveaways, hair stylists, barbecue ribs and other free bites, an inflat able photo booth, some cot ton candy, a CBD chocolate fountain, Julian Marley and Dre Tosh appearances, a Hosanna performance, a ton of entertainment, and more. Head to Sensi Mag’s Facebook page to check out the video recap of the night.

The VIP lounge was sponsored by Julian Marley’s premium cannabis brand, JuJu Royale.

What: Sensi Night April Where: City Hall When: April 14, 2017

MAY 2017

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E L E VAT E D TA S T E S Lucienne Bercow Lazarus // The Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook

Cannabis Avocado Mousse WITH CASHEWS AND L AVENDER

S E RVE S 4

Sweetened with maple syrup and a quarter cup of cannabis-infused honey, Lucie Lazarus’s mousse, made from ripe avocados, coconut milk, and Greek yogurt, is a dessert you can feel good about eating. (It’s great for breakfast as well.) With more protein (about 4 grams per avocado) and less sugar than most fruits, creamy avocados are high in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins B and K, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, and potassium. Lactose-free coconut milk, the cream that rises to the top when coconut flesh is soaked in water, delivers vitamins and minerals including iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous. Lucie whips up the ingredients in a blender, pours them into ramekins, and lets the mousse set in the refrigerator for two hours. With their high fat content, avocados and coconut milk absorb plenty of fat-soluble THC in this dish, so it’s more potent than the 2 mg of THC per serving implies. If it’s not strong enough for your taste, you can up the THC content by infusing the coconut milk with cannabis. Peel and pit avocados.

>> 2 RIPE AVOCADOS

{ STEP 1 }

>> 2 TSP. VANILLA

{ STEP 2 } In a blender or food processor, combine avocado, vanilla, maple syrup, infused honey, coconut milk, and yogurt.

>> ¼ CUP PURE MAPLE SYRUP >> ¼ CUP CANNABIS HONEY ( RECIPE BELOW) >> 1 CUP COCONUT MILK >> PINCH SALT >> ½ CUP PL AIN GREEK YOGURT >> CHOPPED C ASHEWS & L AVENDER (GARNISH ) >> BLENDER OR FOOD PROCESSOR

{ STEP 3 }

Blend until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Spoon into 4-ounce ramekins or serving glasses and refrigerate for 2 hours. { STEP 4 }

{ STEP 5 } Top with cashews and lavender. Serve.

>> RAMEKINS

>> 1 OZ. CURED CANNABIS FLOWERS OR TRIM >> 80 OZ. LOCAL RAW HONE Y >> CROCKPOT OR DUTCH OVEN >> CHEESECLOTH >> STRING >> AIRTIGHT GLASS JAR

{ STEP 1 }

If using a Dutch oven, preheat oven to 180°F.

{ STEP 2 }

Bundle cannabis in cheesecloth and tie with string.

{ STEP 3 } Place bundle in crockpot or Dutch oven. Pour honey to cover. Cook on low for 5 hours, stirring with a wooden spoon a few times every hour. { STEP 4 } After 5 hours, turn off crockpot or remove Dutch oven from oven and let cool for up to a day.

Remove cannabis bundle and squeeze out as much honey as you can. Compost cannabis solids. { STEP 5 }

{ STEP 6 } Ladle into labeled jars. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 1 month.

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PHOTOGRAPH PROVIDED BY POVY KENDAL ATCHISON /THE CANNABIS KITCHEN COOKBOOK

Cannabis Honey