Sensi Magazine - Southern Colorado (January 2019)

SOUTHERN COLORADO

THE NEW NORMAL

1.2019

SPEC IAL REPORT

RECORD EXPUNGEMENT Cannabis Is Now Legal. Can You Get Your Record Cleared?

HEAD FOR THE HILLS Top 3 Mountain Events

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6 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

ISSUE 1 // VOLUME 3 // 1.2019

FEATURES

S P EC I A L RE P O RT

30 Forgive and Forget?

38 LIFE ON THE GO Becoming a full-time RVer

More and more Americans can obtain cannabis legally. What happens to those incarcerated or with criminal records for possessing something that is lawful today?

38 Digital Gypsy

Setting yourself up for the freedom of life on the road is a journey in itself.

20 QUITE A PAIR The delicate Rocky Mountain delicacy

every issue 11 Editor’s Note 14 The Buzz 20 TasteBuds

HAVING SOME BALLS

24 TravelWell

SLOPE-SIDE HAPPENINGS

48 The Scene

SENSI NIGHT SOUTHERN COLORADO

50 HereWeGo

JUST GO, MAN!

Sensi magazine is published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2019 SENSI MEDIA GROUP LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 7

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sensi magazine ISSUE 1 VOLUME 3 1.2019

EXECUTIVE FOLLOW US

Ron Kolb ron@sensimag.com CEO, SENSI MEDIA GROUP

Tae Darnell tae@sensimag.com PRESIDENT, SENSI MEDIA GROUP

Alex Martinez alex@sensimag.com CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

sensimediagroup

EDITORIAL Stephanie Wilson stephanie@sensimag.com EDITOR IN CHIEF

Leland Rucker leland.rucker@sensimag.com SENIOR EDITOR

John Lehndorff ediblecritic@sensimag.com DINING EDITOR

Robyn Griggs Lawrence CONTRIBUTING EDITOR sensimagazine

Ricardo Baca COLUMNIST

A RT & D E S I G N Jamie Ezra Mark jamie@akersmediagroup.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Rheya Tanner, Wendy Mak Josh Clark, Deb Matlock akers@sensimag.com sensimag

DESIGN & LAYOUT

BUSINESS & A D M I N I S T R AT I V E Kevin Charapp kevin.charapp@sensimag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Amber Orvik amber.orvik@sensimag.com CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR

Andre Velez andre.velez@sensimag.com MARKETING DIRECTOR

Hector Irizarry distribution@sensimag.com DISTRIBUTION

M E D I A PA RT N E R S Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy

10 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

WHAT’S OLD A D V I S O RY B O A R D 1906 New Highs // CHOCOLATE Agricor Laboratories // TESTING LAB Blazy Susan, LLC // SMOKING ACCESSORIES Canyon Cultivation // MICRO DOSING Dabble Extracts // MEDICAL CONCENTRATES The Daily Dose Radio Show // RADIO SHOW Faragosi Farms //

RECREATIONAL DISPENSARY

Greenhouse Payment Solutions // PAYMENT PROCESSING

Herbal Healing // COMPLIANCE

IS NEW AGAIN

editor’s

NOTE

As a January birthday baby, I’ve got a special

affinity for this time of year. As a magazine junkie, that feeling is made all the stronger every year as my favorite national glossies all bust out shiny new versions of the age-old messages that January is a time of renewal, with tips and expert-backed tactics to help us all live our best lives, as Oprah has taught us all to do.

So the issue you hold in your hands is Sensi’s take on that topic. We’ve fashioned this edition around a “What’s New, What’s Next” theme—but because “what’s old is new again” is a trend on the rise in our Buffalo Exchange, Posh Mark era, we’ve got a se-

Incredibles // WELLNESS

ries of articles about how to make the most of the past as well,

Industrial Hemp Recycling //

including thrifting tips from our senior editor Leland Rucker and

MMJ & HEMP WASTE MANAGEMENT

a look at the history of this month’s National Western Stock

Lux Leaf // EDUCATION

Show. Related, we’ve got a hilarious column about how Rocky

Maceau Law // LEGAL marQaha // SUBLINGUALS AND BEVERAGES

Mountain “oysters” came to be the delicate delicacy for which Colorado is best known.

At the center of the edition is the Special Report on Record

Monte Fiore Farms //

Expungement in the light of this new age of cannabis legaliza-

RECREATIONAL CULTIVATION

tion. How can people who have been charged or are still in jail for

Nacher Apothecary //

a cannabis conviction get that wiped from their history or sealed?

Next Frontier Biosciences // BIOSCIENCES

with news about how various states are handling the process

CONSUMER EMPOWERMENT

The PAT Pen // CO2 VAPE PEN

It’s a compelling, complicated question and a timely topic, coming out daily.

Elsewhere, you’ll find tips for making the transition to full-

Pyramid // DISTILLATES

time nomadic living, a lengthy look at the importance of maga-

Rocky Mountain Extracts // LIVE RESIN

zines as self-help tools, and more.

Sharp Solutions // TRANSPORTATION Third Day Apothecary // MEDICAL CULTIVATION

Happy New Year. If you’ve yet to make any resolutions for the coming year, may I suggest this one: To love yourself unconditionally.

Cheers,

Stephanie Wilson E D I TO R I N C H I E F SENSI MAGAZINE

sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 11

12 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 13

RESOLUTION:

Money Management 5 Tips for Financial Health

Making ends meet in today’s economy isn’t always easy, and getting your financial house in order can sometimes seem like an insurmountable task. But by incorporating some small changes and simple habits into your life, you can learn to save money more effectively, manage debt, and hold yourself fiscally accountable. Here are five tips to get you started.

1. Track Your Spending For one month, only use one credit card. When you get your statement, go over it line by line, categorizing your purchases to see where your money is going. So often, people are shocked to learn how much they spend eating out or ordering in via almost-too-easy apps like Uber Eats. Spending $5 on a coffee might not seem like much, but doing so five days a week adds up to $100 a month, $1,200 a year.

For a more complete picture, sign up for free personal finance app Mint. It takes a few minutes to set up, and once you connect all your accounts, you can easily analyze your spending habits, set goals, get bill reminders, and monthly credit score updates, and even receive alerts when you’ve blown your monthly budget on lattes again.

14 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

2. Pay Your Balance When Your Statement Closes If you have balances on your credit cards, you’re accruing interest every month. So you are essentially paying interest on the interest you already owe. If you can’t pay off your balance every month, make at least the minimum payment the day after your statement closes. Don’t wait for your due date. You can’t avoid interest on previous purchases, but you can avoid additional interest on newer purchases by implementing this strategy.

3. Use Autopay We all know if we are late paying our bills, there’s almost always a fee. Plus, if you’re late more than once, your interest rate is likely to skyrocket. So avoid all of the penalties by putting all your bills on autopay. This will ensure you never miss a payment and will force you to budget your money to maintain the necessary balance in your checking account.

Banks already make money on your money; don’t give them more of it for nothing.

Words of Wisdom

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, ‘It will be happier.’”

—Alfred Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland

4. Link Your Checking and Savings Accounts Connecting the accounts allows you to set up overdraft protection, saving you costly fees if an automatic payment accidentally empties your account.

Those overdraft charges add up quickly.

Most banks allow you to set up an auto-transfer to savings. If yours does, set it up—it’s a great way to start an emergency fund or to begin saving for a special purchase. Every time I swipe my Wells Fargo debit card, $1 is transferred into my savings. Just like the morning lattes, the small amounts add up quickly. If you don’t trust yourself to not spend cash that’s just sitting there in your account doing nothing, get it out of there. Find a bank that will auto-transfer into an IRA instead. Keep your money working for you.

5. Use a Digital Calendar and Reminders Your phone has a calendar. Spend a half hour adding all your bills to it as recurring monthly events and set reminders so you’ll always know what bills are coming up and when the funds will be deducted from your account.

Eliminate surprises and stay outta the red in 2019.

–Amber Meyer sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 15

Fizzy Fun

Cannabis-infused skincare and bath products are prevalent these days, with good reason: They work. This is the first in a new monthly series reviewing some of the must-try products on a dispensary shelf near you.

The Symphony Collection by the award-winning Coda Signature includes three body-melting bath bombs featuring 45 milligrams of THC and 45 milligrams of CBD each.

The collection includes three varieties: Uplift, with an energizing blend of vibrant grapefruit, bergamot, black pepper, and sweet marjoram—plus a dash of rosemary to help with focus; Balance, with patchouli, lavender, and rose geranium; and Calm, with the earthy aroma of cedar wood blended with lavender.

Drop a single bath bomb into a tub filled with warm water, submerge yourself, breathe deeply, and let the effervescent experience wash over you. Those are pretty basic instructions for any bath bomb. But the experience I had with these bombs was unlike any soak I’ve enjoyed before.

You see, I carry all my tension in my back, a condition that’s exacerbated by long, motionless stints at the desk in my home office where I like to spend the overnight hours writing undisturbed by the constant barrage of notifications that define the daylight hours. At the end of a recent binge-writing session, my upper back had completely locked up. When I stood up to call it a night, you could hear the muscles grinding against each other when I rolled my shoulders. Given the twitching muscles and massive amounts of caffeine I had running through my system, I knew it would take a lot to calm my body and mind.

I filled my tub, dropped in the calming lavender bomb, and settled in. Soon enough, the muscles in my back melted into the water. I felt my heart rate slow, I began to breathe deeper. While I typically can only spend about 10 minutes in a hot bath before emerging, this night, I got lost in the book I was reading, topping off the bath with warm water multiple times before emerging and stumbling to my bed where I crashed in a relaxed state.

Two nights later, I repeated the experience. I started sharing the story with friends, and discovered I wasn’t alone in my bath bliss: the recommendations for the Coda Bath Bombs that came from anyone who’s had the joy of trying them were universal.

A set of three runs for about $30, and you can find them at dispensaries around Colorado. So if you’ve resolved to make self-care a priority this year, start here.

–Stephanie Wilson 16 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

National Plan for a Vacation Day 2019

It’s a kinda-sorta holiday to remind you to plan a holiday, and that’s

something we can all get behind. This year, January 29 is #TravelTuesday, thanks to Project: Time Off—an organization powered by the US Travel Association—which has declared the last Tuesday of January a day for planning the year’s getaways to ensure no vacation day goes unused. It’s time to stop making excuses and start making plans. Pick out a destination, determine a realistic budget, and put in for your days out of the office.

Then start dreaming of the details.

And as it turns out, the act of planning a vacation is proven to deliver as much happiness as the act of taking the vacation itself. So use this month to determine how many vacation days you’ll have at your disposal this year and then figure out how you are going to make the most of them. You’ll be more likely than ever to actually use all of your paid time off.

–Caitlin Davies

sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 17

SALVE SOOTHE YOU CAN THANK US LATER. Find more information and a list of locations at VerraWellness.com

18 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

© 2019 VERRA WELLNESS ™

AND

Colorado Springs best kept secret. Organically and locally grown, on-site cultivation, edibles, and extractions. Veteran owned and operated.

sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 19

{tastebuds }

by J O H N L E H N D O R F F

HAVING SOME BALLS The offal truth about Colorado’s affection for Rocky Mountain “oysters.”

Until I started handling balls on a regular basis, I really didn’t feel very comfortable about the task. Frankly, no-

What Is a Rocky Mountain “Oyster?”

Rocky Mountain “oysters”—also called prairie oysters,

body expects to be standing there holding large slippery

mountain tenders, calf fries, and huevos de toros—come

testicles in their hands. You don’t think you’ll end up peel-

from buffalo, beef, lambs, turkeys, and even goats, and

ing the skin off of balls like a condom. They need to be

preferably young animals because the gonads of old-

sliced, an action that can make even stout men shrink.

er ones taste much gamier. “Oysters” are almost always

I was working in a long-ago Boulder restaurant, Tom

served fried in a coating or batter with spicy dips, including

Horn’s, named after a hired killer hanged in Cheyenne

cocktail sauce, duk (apricot and horseradish) sauce, and

in 1903 and buried in Boulder. The “oysters” arrived in a

spicy aioli.

10-pound frozen block that was quite a sight as the tes-

You needn’t hunt around for evidence of Colorado’s

ticles gradually thawed. I was initially squeamish but after

preoccupation with Rocky Mountain “oysters,” as they

you prepare Rocky Mountain “oysters” for a while they

are served across the state, including at Denver Interna-

seem like just any other cut of meat.

tional Airport. At Coors Field, the Rocky Mountain Po’Boy

20 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

Where to Sample Rocky Mountain “Oysters” Buckhorn Exchange Denver // BUCKHORN.COM

Bruce’s Bar

Severance // BRUCESBAR123.COM

The Fort

Morrison // THEFORT.COM

Creekside Cuisine and Craft Beer Manitou Springs // CREEKSIDECUISINE.COM

Timberline Steaks & Grille,

Denver International Airport, Concourse C // FLYDENVER.COM

Golden Flame Hot Wings,

Co. Springs, Aurora, Parker, Castle Pines // GFHWINGS.COM

The Gashouse

Edwards // GASHOUSE-RESTAURANT.COM

Lulu’s Inn

Watkins // LULUSINN.COM

comes filled with “oysters,” garlic slaw, guacamole, and pico de gallo. Denver’s Wynkoop Brewing Company crafts

Pearl-Diving Colorado’s “Oyster” History When you see lists of Colorado’s iconic foods, Rocky

a seasonal Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout brewed with 25

Ford cantaloupe, Olathe corn, and Palisade peaches are

pounds of roasted bull testicles.

often mentioned, along with Colorado lamb. The one dish

In Colorado Springs, the new minor league baseball

always included is Rocky Mountain “oysters.” The question

team asked fans to pick its name from among five final-

is: Other states are associated with things like cheese.

ists including Punchy Pikas and Happy Campers. The top

How did Colorado end up with testicles?

vote-getter was: the Colorado Springs Rocky Mountain

Rocky Mountain “oysters” are part of Colorado’s ranch-

Oysters. The team instead chose the Rocky Mountain

ing history celebrated each January at Denver’s Nation-

Vibes with a s’more-shaped mascot. Squeamishness won

al Western Stock Show. In the spring at ranches across

the day. That happens a lot with balls. After all, the kick in

the region, young bulls are castrated in an effort to grow

the groin is one of the mainstays of physical comedy and

more meat and less bull-in-a-china-shop aggression. Af-

adolescent humor.

ter harvesting, the fresh testicles are often cooked over sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 21

the branding coals at so-called “nut frys.” They were done cooking when they, uh, explode.

Making sure every part of the animal is put to use and never wasted was an essential part of ranching life and the Native American belief that you honor the animals you slaughter. Besides, if you’re going to eat an animal’s butt or belly, you might as well eat his balls, too.

Organ meats—sometimes called offal—have largely disappeared from the menu, except at a few 4-star bistros and ethnic eateries where they are celebrated delicacies.

The ironic truth is that organ meats are among the most nutrient-dense foods and often the least expensive. Balls are low fat, high protein, and packed with vitamins and minerals, including a ton of zinc. Traditionally, consuming gonads was supposed to make the meal manlier, but that effect is more symbolic than actual.

Rocky Mountain “oysters” are on menus at bars and eateries across Colorado. One of the most famous is Bruce’s Bar in Severance, which dishes a sampler plate of beef, buffalo, and lamb testicles and has specialized in “oysters” since it opened in 1957. The success of the biker bar prompted a new town

Make Your Own Rocky Mountain Oysters INGREDIENTS • 6 calf, veal, or turkey testicles • 1 cup panko bread crumbs • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper • ½ tsp salt • Canola oil, for frying DIRECTIONS STEP 1: With a sharp paring knife, cut and peel the

skin away from the testicles. They will peel and slice much more easily if they are slightly frozen.

STEP 2: Cut the testicles into 1-inch slices. In a shallow baking pan, combine the panko, black pepper, cayenne, and salt. Completely coat each slice in the panko mixture.

STEP 3: Heat the oil to 375ºF and preheat oven to 200ºF. Fry the breaded “oyster” for about 3 minutes, or until a light crust forms. Do not overcook them!

slogan for Severance: “Where the geese fly and the bulls cry.”

STEP 4: Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the oven. Serve with cocktail sauce, sweet chile sauce, chutney, or spicy aioli.

Sam Arnold: He Gave Colorado Balls

— From Shinin’ Times at The Fort by Holly Arnold Kinney (Fur Trade Press, 2010)

All these “oyster” purveyors, including me, owe a debt of gratitude to Sam Arnold, the man who single-handedly mainstreamed testicles in Colorado. Arnold was a Western history buff, early TV cooking show host, and marketing wizard who opened the The Fort restaurant in Morrison.

It was built as a replica of a Colorado frontier fort, with a menu reflecting the region’s outlaw, frontier, and cowboy provenance. His invitation to a curated judging of five kinds of “oysters” opened my eyes to the dish’s finer aspects.

The Fort was also the family home where the current owner, Arnold’s daughter Holly Arnold Kinney, grew up.

“My father was curious about all kinds of meats, especially buffalo, and different types of fries—calf, lamb, and even turkey,” she says. “It goes back to Colorado’s Native American and ranching history. The ranchers would eat all parts of the animal, including the bone marrow, and make other parts into head cheese.”

Sam Arnold was famous for his annual Awful Offal dinners at The Fort, featuring buffalo tongue, “oysters,” lamb brains, sweetbreads, kidneys, calf liver, and blood sausage.

22 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

“My father was a pioneer. Through his sheer personality and charisma, he pushed buffalo and Rocky Mountain ‘oysters’ to the forefront by serving them in public spaces and to celebrities like Julia Child,” Kinney says.

She has seen all sorts of reactions over the years to “oysters” at The Fort.

“There was one funny story. There was a longtime customer, a woman going through a long, bitter divorce. When it was settled, she brought her girlfriends

YYYYYYYY YYYYYYYYYYYY YYK FYY YY

to The Fort and ordered platter after platter of ‘oysters,’” Kinney shares.

The Fort sells about 200 pounds of buffalo “oysters” a week, she tells me, adding that millennials and younger diners are the ones doing the ordering after watching the Food Network and travel shows like Anthony Bourdain’s.

Denver’s Buckhorn Exchange is infused with Old West culture and is the Mile High’s oldest operating restaurant. Opened in 1883, the Buckhorn is decorated with Western art and artifacts, including myriad taxidermic animals, and boasts a menagerie of meats from rattlesnake to yak on its menu.

For the first 85 years of the Buckhorn’s history, “the original sack lunch” was not on the menu, according to Bill Dutton, general manager of the restaurant for the last four decades. “We started offering them in 1978. We wanted to honor the ranch tradition, but we didn’t really know if diners would order them.

Right from the start ‘oysters’ were popular,” he says.

“A lot of people order them on a dare. It’s a real tee-hee kind of dish.”

Unlike in the old days, it’s not just men ordering them. “A lot more women are eating them, and they are not shy about it,” Dutton says. He estimates that the eatery processes about 500 pounds of calf fries weekly from 12- to 16-month-old animals.

Some of the fresh interest in calf fries and other organ meats comes from new consumer interest in whole-animal butchery and the rise of the high protein Paleo and Keto diets, according to Nate Singer, head butcher at Boulder’s Blackbelly Market. “People are rediscovering the nutritional value of organ meats and are reviving recipes used by their grandparents, but if you are going to eat organs you have to be aware of how the animals were raised and where they came from,” Singer says.

There is a large medical center located next to Blackbelly. “The doctors send some of their patients over for bone broth and organ meats to enhance their

OPEN DAILY YYYYYYYYYYYYY YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YYYYYYY YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY YY YYEYYY YYYY YYE YYYY YYYYY YYYY YYY YYY YYYY YYYYYYYYY YYYY ORDER ONLINE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

diets,” he says.

Calf fries are only rarely on the menu at the next door Blackbelly restaurant, operated by chef Hosea Rosenberg. Since Singer and his crew butcher whole animals, the in-house supply of testicles is limited. “We do love bison balls. The golden color in the older animals is amazing. It means they were grass fed all their lives. Grass fat is gold,” he says.

Whatever you choose to call them Singer agrees that while they taste great, “oysters” do not taste like chicken. Chicken liver, perhaps, but definitely not chicken.

JOHN LEHNDORFF cooks for a Boulder caterer and hosts Radio Nibbles on KGNU.

EEEEEEEEEE

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 23

{travelwell }

by S T E P H A N I E W I L S O N

SLOPE-SIDE HAPPENINGS Head for the hills and take in some of the signature annual events taking place all winter long throughout Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.

24 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

Whether you’re a skier or a snowboarder or one who prefers to not strap yourself to slippery devices and go hurdling down a mountain, there’s plenty to entertain you in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado all winter long.

There’s a host of signature events plus some one-off happenings to put on your wintery-mix radar, starting with the Norse tradition celebrating the bountiful snowfall.

55TH ANNUAL ULLR FEST

rade, which starts rolling down Main Street at 4:30 p.m.

Breckenridge // Jan. 9–12

on Thursday, January 10. In the past, floats have included

Pronounced like “ruler,” this long-running traditional

ski jumps, hot tubs, snow globes, and other seasonally

celebration originated in the 1960s, thanks to some Nor-

appropriate themes. Viking helmets are encouraged, as

wegian skiers named Trygve Berge and Siguard Rockne—

are general costumes. And since many of those costumes

thank those two for founding Breckenridge Ski Resort, too.

tend to incorporate layers and layers of fuzzy, furry ac-

The origin story goes that the duo wanted to pay hom-

cents, the costumes can be the difference between being

age to the Norse god Ullr, which the site Mythology for

a freezing spectator or a toasty participant.

Smart People describes as an “obscure and enigmatic

Another big Ullr Fest tradition is Breck’s battle with Park

Norse god” and an “excellent archer, hunter, skater, and

City, Utah, over which town holds the title for the World’s Lon-

skier, handsome, warlike, and an especially apt deity to in-

gest Shot Ski. Breckenridge Distillery is throwing its weight

voke before a duel.” The annual festival was deemed to be

behind the efforts to keep the title in Colorado, promising to

about thanking him for the area’s bountiful snowfall, but

deliver more skis, more people, and more shots this year than

as the town’s official Ullr page points out, there were also

ever before. You’ll want to sign up for this event in advance; it

a lot of snowed-in locals looking for an excuse to party.

sells out quickly, and takes place right before the parade.

Fast forward a few decades to the modern Ullr Fest,

Other Ullr happenings: Maggie Pond Ice Plunge (described

which brings out more than 12,000 enthusiasts to line

as an “activity for the brave and crazy ones”). A town-wide

the streets of the mountain village for the annual Ullr Pa-

talent show. Crowning of the Ullr King and Queen. The post-parade town bonfire—a great opportunity to retire your Christmas tree. And so much more. Visit GOBRECK.COM for

IMAGES COURTESY OF BRECKENRIDGE TOURISM OFFICE/LOUIE TRAUB

all the deets.

sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 25

2019 with

All Natural | Award Winning | Amazing Flavors Come see us at your local retailer for great holiday specials.

26 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

WINTER CULINARY WEEKEND Beaver Creek // Jan. 24–27 Fancy yourself a little too…grown-up for the target demographic of the X Games? There’s a tasty mountain alternative for you to enjoy that same weekend—and it’s a bit closer to the Front Range than Aspen.

Beaver Creek’s annual luxe dining fest brings out some celebrity guest chefs for a series of intimate, luxurious culinary explorations combined with high-alpine outdoor adventures. This year’s guest chefs include Geoffrey Zakarin, Emma Bengtsson, Jamie Bissonnette, and other renowned toques from around the country. (Brother Luck of Four by Brother Luck in Colorado Springs and Alex Seidel

WINTER X GAMES Aspen // Jan. 24–27

from Fruition and Mercantile in Denver among them.)

It all kicks off with the aptly named Culinary Kickoff fea-

With all competitions open to the public, there’s no

turing Colorado Flavors, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Jan-

reason not to head to Aspen for the high-flying fun and

uary 24. The tasting of the best the Centennial State has to

revelry surrounding the annual competition, which fea-

offer is showing off the small plates by Seidel, Brother Luck,

tures some 200-plus world-class action sports athletes

and Beaver Creek’s own executive chef Riley Romanin.

competing for medals and prize money. Some of the high-

Wines from Denver’s Infinite Monkey Theorem urban win-

est-profile skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers are

ery complement the offerings, as do concoctions poured by

performing their tightest tricks for the cheering crowds.

top mixologists. Tickets to the tasting run for $60.

Some of the competitions include: Big Air, Super Pope, and Slopestyle disciplines.

Friday, the Guided Snowshoe Excursion and Gourmet Luncheon is a half-day affair, kicking off at 9:30 a.m. with

As always, the Winter X Games brings out some big-

a tour of the secluded Beaver Creek Nordic Sports Center

name musicians and acts to support the energetic atmo-

and McCoy Park, which features some 18 miles of trails.

sphere. This year, the mountain stage hosts performances

After working up an appetite, let top chefs satiate you

by Lil Wayne (Friday), Louis The Child (Saturday afternoon),

with some fine dining at Grouse Mountain Grill. Tickets for

The Chainsmokers (Saturday night), and Kygo (Sunday).

this event are $150, and include all snowshoe equipment

An all-music GA pass is available for $120, with individual

and foot passenger lift access.

tickets starting at just $20, although prices go up as the

WINTER X GAMES IMAGE COURTESY OF VISIT COLORADO

event approaches.

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Other Friday happenings include the “Art of Dessert”

vate lessons and luncheon cost $150, and that price doesn’t

cooking demo, a craft burgers and beers gathering during

include a lift ticket or equipment rental, so you know it’s go-

Village Apres, and the Shaken & Stirred cocktail-and-app

ing to be good. Additional cooking demonstrations, gourmet

party in the Colorado Tasting Room. For the full experience,

meals, apres gatherings, and more round out the day.

opt for tickets to the super-special Willamette Valley Wine

New this year is Synesthsia: Culinary Showcase and Con-

Dinner at Trapper’s Cabin. Nestled among the aspens and

cert with Lord Huron, hosted by Geoffrey Zakarin. Taking

pine trees at 9,500 feet, the venue welcomes guests to

place Saturday evening, this event is named for the phe-

trade their boots for fuzzy slippers as they are greeted by

nomenon involving the overlap of two senses—in this case,

the staff proffering warm drinks to get the evening started

taste and sound. It starts out with a two-hour tasting from

before the culinary showcase starring Oregon’s Pinot Noir

6 p.m. to 8 p.m., followed by the intimate concert at the Vilar

country begins. ($200 per person.)

Performing Arts Center. ($175 per person.)

Or if you prefer an Epicurean Escape, there’s one taking

For the full weekend lineup, head to BEAVERCREEK.COM.

place at Allie’s Cabin that evening as well. It’s featuring the delights of chef Emma Bengtsson from New York’s Aquavit—where she just earned her second Michelin Star. Capping off the gustatory delight is a sleigh ride back to Beaver Creek Village at the end of the night. ($175 per person.)

The delights continue throughout the weekend, with Ski. Eat. Ski. mountain explorations with expert instructors followed by culinary pairings on Saturday morning—for intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders only. The prisensimag.com JANUARY 2019 29

More and more Americans can obtain cannabis legally.

What about those incarcerated or with criminal records for possessing something that is lawful today?

by L E L A N D R U C K E R

30 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

Michael Diego-Rivera was 19 years old and out with friends WHEN HE WAS STOPPED BY POLICE IN COLORADO SPRINGS. “THEY PULLED US OVER WITH GUNS DRAWN AND ASKED US WHAT WE WERE DOING,” HE SAYS. AFTER HE REFUSED TO ALLOW A SEARCH OF THE CAR, A WARRANT WAS OBTAINED, AND OFFICERS FOUND THREE BAGS, EACH WITH LESS THAN AN OUNCE OF CANNABIS. Those three bags led to a felony distribution charge, and

through public-interest groups like Cage-Free Cannabis,

Diego-Rivera, a citizen of Puerto Rican descent, wound up

California Cannabis Advocates, and Smart Pharm Research

taking a plea bargain that reduced the charge from distri-

Group to raise awareness and provide support by offering

bution to possession. Because he had a job, he wound up

employment opportunities, online resources, and health

serving seven months on a work-release program with three

screenings. The goal is to shine a light on the problems peo-

years probation and restitution. When he tried to get his con-

ple face after they think they have paid their debt to soci-

viction expunged from his record, he found that can’t hap-

ety. “Once you’re arrested, it’s difficult to get a job, get a loan,

pen until 2023, because he had a reckless driving charge in

get housing,” says Dan Gilmore of the Massachusetts Rec-

2013, and you have to go 10 years without any kind of offense.

reational Consumer Council, another Expungement Week

“I can’t work in the cannabis industry, which was auto-

sponsor. “They just want to continue with their lives.”

matically interesting to me, because of the marijuana felony,”

As more states decriminalize, it would seem that the

Diego-Rivera says. “It’s an opportunity I would like to pursue.

number of people arrested for cannabis infractions, espe-

But they wouldn’t let me do something I was doing anyway.”

cially for possession, would go down. That was the trend

Erving Jean Jacques was arrested in Boston more than

until 2017, when the number of arrests actually rose from

10 years ago on a firearms possession charge and served

the year before. FBI data indicate 660,000 people were

a mandatory prison sentence of a year and a half. Though

arrested in 2017 for cannabis violations, and 600,000 of

he wants to work in the cannabis industry, especially the

those, or 90 percent, were for possession.

medical side, the felony charge follows him around and prevents him from doing that in Massachusetts.

Though African-Americans and Latinos make up 31.5 percent of the population, they account for a dispropor-

He found employers hesitant to hire him once they saw his

tionate 46 percent of those arrests. While some of the ar-

record, and he had no idea how to break the cycle. “Whatever

rests reflect the continuing black market, it also means

mistake I made in my 20s, society just won’t let that go. It’s a

police are still arresting citizens for doing what people

scarlet letter, basically,” he says. “I get it that I did something

can do legally on the other side of a state line.

bad. But what about after? No one cares about that.”

Expungement is a way to acknowledge and address the

Those are just two of the many untold stories of people who,

government’s past, says Shaleen Title of the Massachu-

because of mistakes made when they were young—much of

setts Cannabis Control Division. “The ability to expunge a

the time simple possession of marijuana—can’t seem to shake

record allows people to live their lives and pursue oppor-

once they’re back out on the street. Arrest records are for life.

tunities without the failed War on Drugs following them

Marijuana convictions rarely involve long prison terms,

around and obstructing them in a way that perpetuates

but any blemish can make life more difficult once you’re out.

the discrimination built into the criminal justice system.”

There are 77 million Americans with convictions on their records, many of them for cannabis and other nonviolent,

A Patchwork of Approaches

drug-related offenses. What do you do with those who are im-

Let’s face it, the best time to tackle expungement is

prisoned or have paid their debt for possessing a substance

right now, as legalization takes hold. Canada once fined

like cannabis that today they wouldn’t be arrested for?

people up to $1,000 and gave them six months in jail for

The best way, of course, would be to allow individuals in

possession. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who cam-

those situations to have their records expunged or at least

paigned on cannabis reform, has announced the country

sealed from public viewing. (To expunge is to complete-

will initiate a program that would allow people convict-

ly eliminate a criminal record. Records can also be sealed,

ed of pot possession before it was legal to fill out a form,

meaning they can only be opened under certain conditions.)

much as it has for people convicted of same-sex partner-

Getting the word out is most important. Jacques told

ships, to get their records removed or sealed.

his story during National Expungement Week in Boston,

Oh, that it could be that easy here in the United States. “It

a weeklong event in cities around the country organized

just can’t move forward until federal law catches up,” says sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 31

Julie Saltman of Buddle, whose practice in Boulder, Colorado, is devoted to helping people understand and navigate complex cannabis laws. “There’s just this sort of roadblock in terms of what’s been created by the federal law.”

There are bills pending in the US Congress that address various aspects of legalization. Sen. Cory Booker’s bill for legalization includes expungement of records for cannabis crimes, but it might be the least likely to get any movement forward. “You know, we sit here and we say, ‘Oh, it’s so crazy that you wouldn’t want to clear the record of people for this thing that we’re all now agreeing is legal,’ ” Saltman says. “But so many people in the government writing the laws don’t think that way. They think, ‘Well, it was illegal when you did this. So…’ ” Events like National Expungement Week are a good start for raising awareness, but there’s plenty of work to be done to get this issue on the radar of the majority of people who can’t comprehend the problems those who have served time face in getting their lives back together.

In November 2018, legislators in New Jersey, who are now considering legalizing cannabis, proposed a plan that includes fast-tracking the procedure. “By streamlining the expungement process, the state can help ensure that people with criminal records for marijuana-related offenses get a clean slate,” Kate Bell, counsel for the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a statement. “Nobody should be branded a criminal simply for using a substance that is less harmful than alcohol.”

In September 2018, all seven judges of the Seattle Munici-

If you have a cannabis conviction on your record or know somebody who does, online resources can help you through the process of getting rid of it. “Part of the battle is using software to automate the process of filling out a petition,” says Julie Saltman of Buddle. “We’re trying to make it so that the user can generate that from our software and just make it as simple as possible.” Find out more at BUDDLELAW.COM .

The National Expungement Week site (OFFTHERECORD.US ) also includes a wealth of information about getting rid of criminal records. Its expungement toolkit is at NATIONALEXPUNGEMENTWEEK.SQUARESPACE.COM/TOOLKIT

“How to Seal or Expunge Decriminalized Cannabis Cases,” a booklet from Greater Boston Legal Services, is another great resource: MASSLEGALHELP.ORG/CORI/SEALING-EXPUNGINGDECRIMINALIZED-MARIJUANA-CHARGES-BOOKLET7.PDF

pal Court signed an order to create a process to vacate cannabis offenses that were illegal then but legal now. More than 500 people could be affected, dating from 1996, when municipal courts began handling these cases, to 2010, when the city completely stopped prosecuting low-level cannabis offenses.

days later, the city of Denver said it would begin proac-

In Michigan, where voters just passed an initiative to le-

tively helping citizens get their records expunged. “This

galize adult-use cannabis, new Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says

is really a program based on fundamental fairness,” As-

her administration will take action to free anyone in prison

sistant District Attorney Ken Kupfner told newspapers. “It

and expunge criminal records for cannabis crimes that will

just seems like the right thing to do in these circumstanc-

become legal under the state’s recreational cannabis law.

es is to vacate and seal those convictions.”

Colorado allows juvenile records to be expunged, but

When Colorado passed Amendment 64 to legalize canna-

adults can seal their criminal convictions. It’s a process

bis for adult use in 2012, expungement of criminal records

that involves obtaining your criminal record and history,

wasn’t part of the conversation. “Back then when Colorado

filling out forms and filing a petition, which is then re-

legalized, nobody was thinking about this,” says Buddle’s

viewed by the court for approval.

Sarah Gerston. “And I think what states like Massachusetts

That could change. On December 1, the Boulder Coun-

and California are trying to do is make sure that the indus-

ty District Attorney’s Office announced that as part of a

try is accessible, particularly for those people who were

“Moving on from Marijuana” program, it would vacate

harmed by criminalizing cannabis.”

and seal the records of people arrested for possession of

Massachusetts, which opened recreational stores in

less than 2 ounces and all paraphernalia charges—which

November 2018, passed a criminal justice reform bill

could affect 4,000 people arrested since 2008. Just a few

last year that would allow people to get their records ex-

32 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

Ingrid Archie, after being imprisoned twice in California, is now the Prop 47 specialist for New Way of Life, helping others get their records expunged or sealed.

punged or sealed. The Massachusetts Rec Council’s Gilmore says it took intense lobbying to get it into the current plan. “It’s restrictive, with no teeth, and it’s not helping the people it should help,” he says. But, he adds, it’s a start.

In 2014, California passed Prop 47, which allows many nonviolent offenses, such as drug and property offenses and shoplifting, to be changed from felonies to misdemeanors. Gov. Jerry Brown last fall signed Assembly Bill 1793, which requires the Department of Justice, before July 2019, to review hundreds of thousands of cannabis cases in the state’s database and identify convictions that should be dismissed, vacated, or reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor. And the city of San Francisco is working with a nonprofit organization that would allow cannabis convictions to be vacated within its jurisdiction.

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.

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Simplifying the Process The key to making this work is to simplify the expungement process. Kathleen Bryson, a lawyer in Humboldt Coun-

ed again after a gang friend stashed his cannabis at her place and did a three-year sentence in state prison.

ty, California, says people should seek out clinics at cannabis

After she was released, things didn’t get any easier.

events and public defender offices that offer aid to people.

In 2009, she was laid off by a telecommunications com-

She helps clients and former clients with expungement pro-

pany that had just hired her after it found her record. In

cedures and problems, which vary from county to county.

2013, she was arrested again and served three more years.

“Each county has a different character with different local

While there, she found out about Prop 47. She educated

rules and policies,” she says. “Humboldt County is generally

herself, used the statute to get her sentence reduced, took

known as a more progressive county than any of its neigh-

back custody of her two children, and today works as the

boring counties. In particular, Mendocino and Trinity, the oth-

Prop 47 specialist for New Way of Life, an organization

er two counties in the Emerald Triangle, have vastly different

devoted to helping others break the cycle.

courtroom cultures from Humboldt and from each other.”

Archie uses her story to give others the courage to do

That leads us to Ingrid Archie. She had a troubled child-

what she did. “It kind of helps give people hope because

hood, grew up in foster care in California and fell in with a

the laws were passed to make our community better, but

bad crowd while staying in group homes. At age 18, about

they don’t understand how to do it,” Archie says. “When

the time her first daughter was born, she was arrested

they see the impact that it has on my life, and to know it

for selling drugs and put on probation. She was arrest-

has worked, they want to take advantage of it.”

34 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 35

36 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 37

Gypsy Digital

Setting yourself up for the freedom of life on the road is a journey in itself.

by R O BY N G R I G G S L AW R E N C E

38 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

I’m about to hit the road and live in my Airstream. I HAVE A PLAN (THOUGH NOT AS MUCH OF ONE AS I’D LIKE) TO SPEND THE WINTER IN BAJA, THEN I DON’T KNOW WHERE I’LL END UP. I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR MOST OF MY LIFE. I’M PETRIFIED. I’m joining the nearly half-million people in the United

Then Dennis will travel with me through Baja—just in

States who live full-time in their rigs, and I’ll be one of a re-

time to celebrate legal cannabis in Mexico, maybe?—before

cord-breaking 10 million RVers hitting the road as #vanlife

he goes back to Colorado and leaves me on my own. That’s

explodes, driven largely by experience-hungry millennials

where my plan ends, but the whole idea is to be OK with that.

and Instagrammers. The $19.7 billion RV industry has seen

It’s amazing how much planning and organization it’s

sales grow 200 percent over the past eight years, according to the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, and RV shipments are at their highest level ever. Sales at Thor In-

taken to get here.

Freedom Isn’t Free

dustries (which owns Airstream) grew 57 percent to $2.02

The first thing I never considered was what I couldn’t do

billion in 2017, and Winnebago sales skyrocketed 75.1 per-

without a permanent address. I can’t vote, get health insur-

cent in the last quarter of that year to $476.4 billion.

ance, have a bank account, pay taxes, get a driver’s license, or

The industry is changing, responding to the needs and

register my vehicles, to start. And, of course, I can’t get mail.

desires of the new RVer, whose average age is 48—not the

Or I thought I wouldn’t be able to. Then I found professional

stereotypical snowbird traditionally associated with RV-

services that receive, sort, scan, forward, and shred mail like

ers (though plenty of boomers are still on the road). Ac-

Escapees Mail Forwarding from a big clearinghouse in Tex-

cording to CARHUB.COM , about one-third of new RVers are

as that helps people set up mailing addresses in that state.

under 35, and that makes RV resort hot tubs a lot more fun.

There are a lot of these services in Texas and South Dakota,

Before we head to Baja, Dennis and I have a spot reserved

the friendliest states for nomadic travelers to establish resi-

for a month at the Chula Vista RV Resort, a beautiful too-

dency, but I’m not ready for that yet. I’ve lived in Colorado as it

good-to-be-true park on San Diego Bay that shares space

has turned from red to blue, and I like having my vote count.

with a marina (and sailors are also pretty great for hot tub

I’ve already digitized most transactions that used to rely

fun) where I spent last winter. On February 1, everyone has

on snail mail, so my best option is to keep my Colorado

to clear out so the resort and marina can be bulldozed for

address and have any important mail that might trickle

a billion-dollar convention center and waterfront develop-

in forwarded to me wherever I’m staying. Who knew you

ment. A lot of folks have wintered in Chula Vista for de-

could get mail sent to you care of General Delivery to any

cades. It should be a hell of a month.

town and pick it up at the main post office?

sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 39

a large dog bowl and dog chain. No one ever messed with her.

Be wary of helpful people. “Generally speaking, people in RV places are fun, friendly, interesting, and very helpful,” Vogel says. But sometimes they can be a little too helpful, and it’s no fun getting frazzled when their directions make no sense to you. Vogel also found that people who tried to help her hook up threw monkey wrenches into her routine because they did things differently. It’s usually best to politely refuse their assistance.

I spent many long nights researching the RV lifestyle online, but nothing beats a real conversation with a real pro, and Jane Vogel is that. Vogel grew up traveling in her parents’ Airstreams; she and her sister took away their trailer when they turned 85 and were accused for 15 more years of stealing their lifestyle. When she retired in 2009, she bought a 26-foot Winnebago Aspect that she named Frieda Rome and spent the next two years wandering. A former president of the Winnie Singles Club, Vogel wrote a cookbook for RVers, Grill It or Skillet. She gave me the advice I couldn’t find online.

Stop driving before you get tired. “When you’re tired, you make mistakes and break stuff,” Vogel says.

Know where you’re ending up each day.

When she stopped for lunch, Vogel would call campgrounds to find her destination for the end of that day. She always asked if the website’s directions were accurate and if there was construction in the area.

Never rely on GPS. Vogel learned that the hard way when she ended up on a flooded gravel road while towing a Jeep. “GPS can really mess you up,” she says.

Wasp spray is a weapon. Vogel chose not to carry a gun. Instead, she kept wasp spray by

the front door to disable potential intruders.

Join a club. Moose and Elk Clubs and American Legions allow members to camp on their grounds, often with water and electric hookups, for as little as $15 a night, and annual memberships are cheap.

Women traveling alone: take precautions.

Vogel bought a Winnebago instead of an Airstream because she didn’t want to have to go outside from her vehicle to the trailer in the dark or when she didn’t feel safe.

She bought the largest pair of men’s boots she could find at a thrift store and put them next to the door along with two chairs, one with a beer can and a Tom Clancy novel, and

Go minimalist in the kitchen. Vogel carried basic spices—the most exotic was lemon pepper—in jars with their names written on the lid in a shoe box. The only electrical appliance she had was the skillet. She used an ice cream scoop as a masher and had a collapsible colander, flexible cutting board, and a chef’s knife with a sharpening sheathe. RVers don’t need place settings for six, she says. “You’re not going to be inviting two other couples over,” she says, “and if you do, it’ll be paper plate night. You’re not really running a house like you’re used to.”

Go minimalist in the closet. “You don’t need six pairs of blue jeans,” Vogel says.

“You only need one hoodie. You’re not seeing the same people every day, so you don’t need different clothes every day.”

Go minimalist in the shower. Thick, fluffy towels take forever to dry and are too heavy for the clotheslines in most RV showers.

Cheap, lightweight towels are more practical when paying for laundromat drying time.

Then there’s health insurance, a hellish mess even

and slow. (Internet connectivity consistently ranks as

when you’re staying in one place. The marketplace options

one of the worst things about full-time RV living.) I had

barely cover me when I’m out of network, which is where

to invest in a Jetpack and an unlimited data plan, and

I plan to spend the year. I made an appointment with Por-

I’ll still be data-starved because “unlimited” data slows

tia at RVERINSURANCE.COM to help me sort out my options.

down after I’ve used 15 gigs. I also had to buy a weBoost

I also learned about an app I wish I’d known about years

cell booster, which adds a bar or two in weak areas and

ago called GoodRx (GOODRX.COM ) that lets me download

could make the difference between a work day and a

coupons for super cheap prescriptions at pharmacies near

non-work day. I have nothing against non-work days,

me—wherever that may be.

but I’d rather plan them than have them forced on me.

And finally, there’s connectivity—that crucial element

It costs a lot, it seems, to be free. I’ve also spent a small

for working on the road that’s notoriously scarce in RV

fortune on gadgets for better Airstream living, every-

resorts, where the “Free Wi-Fi” is always painfully weak

thing from a sewer hose support to refrigerator organiz-

40 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

PHOTO COURTESY OF AIRSTREAM INC.

Jane’s World

A good grill is an RVers best friend. Grill It or Skillet is about “putting good, honest food on the table without using pots and pans,” because she didn’t want to wash mixing bowls and pans in her tiny sink. She made every meal on a portable Weber grill or, in terrible weather, an electric skillet.

She even made eggs on the grill using grill mats and silicon egg rings.

er bins, a laundry backpack, and bag with door hooks

three-outlet desktop charging station is for our sanity as

to a collapsible laundry basket for trash and recycling.

we both try to use all our devices while sharing one outlet.

I bought silicon molds for oversized ice cubes because

The two of us sharing an 8-by-27-foot space for four

they melt more slowly, and they’re great for freezing

months might be the craziest part of my non-plan. We get

stocks and juices—and cocktail hour’s a pretty big thing

along fabulously in his 3,500-square-foot house where I have

at RV resorts.

my own room and an Airstream, and we’ve done well on two-

Dennis was a little alarmed when the big Amazon box

and three-week excursions. We’re not married, and we have

full of these on-the-road necessities arrived, especially be-

our own cell phone plans, so we don’t have much to fight

cause he’s been watching me get rid of the trappings of my

about except closet space and clutter. My Amazon binge was

house life for a good two years. I explained that the non-

a lame attempt to wrest control through retail therapy.

slip glow-in-the-dark tape for the front steps and the mo-

I’ve never been here before, about to embark on a journey to

tion-sensor LED emergency flashlight that will be mount-

an unknown end, and I’ve worked my whole life to get here.

ed by the front door are for our safety and the three-USB,

I can be military-level meticulous and download every app

I’ve worked my whole life to embark on this

journey to an unknown end.

It’s amazing how much planning and organization it’s taken to get this far.

Fight the coffee table clutter with Blazy Susan www.blazysusan.com

Show off your expensive glass or accessories with the customizable lineup of Blazy Susans and rolling trays. Organize your smoking tools and easily improve your smoking environment.

sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 41

Apps for RVers

available to help me navigate roads, campgrounds, and relationships, but I can’t control what’s about to happen. The funny part is that I ever thought I could.

Here’s to partying in Chula Vista like it’s 1999.

ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE, author of the bestselling Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook, went to San Diego last winter to write Pot in Pans: A History of Eating Weed, which will be released by Rowman & Littlefield in May. The book would have been out for 4/20 if she’d had a little less fun in the hot tub.

Download these before you hit the road.

AllStays

(iOS only) has extensive filters that help you find campgrounds, RV parks, and related services and check GPS-based weather reports, road conditions, and state laws.

Coverage? lets you quickly find where the best cell coverage is along a route and compare carrier coverage maps.

GasBuddy finds the best gas prices on your route.

Hurdlr helps freelancers keep track of mileage, expenses, income, and tax deductions in real time. (And I didn’t have this one years ago because…?)

inRoute

(iOS only) lets you plan optimal routes based on weather, elevation, road curviness, and other factors. It navigates with voice-guided turn-by-turn directions with automatic severe weather alerts.

the Next EXIT gives a thorough, exit-by-exit service listing, including gas, food, lodging, camping, shopping, and more.

Rand McNally RVND, a standalone RV GPS device, offers navigation and routing, RV tools, points of interest, real-time traffic updates, and predictive traffic videos and photos.

State Lines tracks more than 55 pieces of travel-relevant

information for all 50 states, including cell phone and texting bans, gas and diesel taxes, towing and RV-specific laws, rest area overnight parking limits, and alcohol sales laws and taxes.

WeatherTAB provides forecasts as far as 18 months out.

Windy is for anyone who drives through blustery places like

New Mexico, offering precise hourly forecasts and a wind map.

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@fliproducts

NUVUE PHARMA

Applying Deep Research to Product Development THE NATURAL HEALING HELP OF CANNABIS INSPIRED NUVUE PHARMA’S DIRECTION.

The stigma of cannabis is often counterbalanced—

in a direction toward medical research and biotech-

and indeed, ultimately defeated—by the simple truths

nology drugs that are useful for neurological condi-

about the benefits of this amazing plant that helps

tions,” Hasan says.

heal people.

NuVue Pharma has a 10,000-square-foot grow fa-

While there will always be those who deny its ben-

cility across the corridor from its 800-square-foot

efits, certified physicians have discovered it represents

extraction facility. The company employs about 60,

another therapy, another tool in their kits, to treat pa-

including a small sales staff of three chemists in its

tients. They get involved with the industry.

extraction facility, and budtenders at its medical and

Such is the story of one physician in Colorado, Dr.

recreational facilities in Pueblo.

Malik Hasan, a Pakistani immigrant who opened Nu-

NuVue sells flower and live resin concentrates like

Vue Pharma in 2015 to make and sell its Rocky Moun-

sugar, jelly, sauce, and crystals, along with a “complete

tain extracts brand. “Marijuana has about 545 biologi-

portfolio” of other concentrates. “If anyone else makes

cally active molecules,” he says. “I am a board-certified

it, we also make it,” Hasan says.

neurologist by training, and I saw that cannabis has a

Like nearly every cannabis business based in Colora-

beneficial effect on a number of neurological condi-

do, NuVue has considered expanding to other states.

tions, like epilepsy and chronic pain and PTSD. The list

But not just yet. “Right now, we are concentrating on

goes on and on and on.”

Colorado,” Hasan says. “We are at that point now where

Hasan founded QualMed, a Pueblo-based HMO, in

we could potentially go to other states. But there was

1985 and was the director of both the Colorado Med-

no point in doing that when the facility was not fully

ical Society and Parkview Episcopal Medical Center

built out.”

from 1980 to 1984. A cannabis doubter who came around to understanding the plant’s medicinal benefits about 10 years ago, he is all in today.

Hasan does research in conjunction with the Uni-

For more information, visit:

NUVUEPHARMA.COM

versity of Colorado in Pueblo, where he founded the Institute of Cannabis Research (ICR) in June 2016 through an innovative partnership between Colorado State University at Pueblo (CSU-Pueblo), the state of Colorado, and Pueblo County.

In its first year, the ICR funded research projects in a variety of areas and hosted an international, multidisciplinary research conference. Work was recently completed on a Pueblo County Cannabis Impact Study, and a new minor in cannabis studies is now offered at CSU-Pueblo. “Our goal at the ICR is very much working sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 45

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1906 NEW HIGHS

Creating Edibles to Optimize Your Life 1906 CRACKS THE CODE ON WHAT CONSUMERS REALLY WANT.

Most cannabis consumers will tell you the edibles

Barsoom started 1906 as a cannabis product re-

being sold out there need a little tweaking—or even a

search and development company in 2015, eventually

major overhaul.

rolling out its first edibles brand in 2017. The compa-

A few brands provide reliable edible experiences, but the general consensus is that many miss the mark

ny’s infused oils come from specific strains grown at certified green farms in Colorado.

when it comes to consumer expectations. Peter Bar-

The company currently offers a full line of artisanal

soom, CEO of Denver-based 1906 New Highs and a

chocolates and is working on launching a line of pills,

former Wall Street financier, saw the writing on the

infused beverages, and Pax pod vapes.

wall. “We immediately found that there was lot to be desired when it comes to edibles,” he says.

Most edibles suffer from three major problems, he says. First, they taste bad. Second, they leave consum-

1906 edibles are made using a lipid encapsulation process to help the body process THC faster. They are low-dose and fast-acting—with onset at 20 minutes or less—so consumers know what to expect.

ers wondering how they’ll feel, which is problematic

The company has a research and development team

because most people use cannabis for therapeutic

of six, including experts in botany, technology, biosci-

reasons. And third, edibles have a very slow and un-

ence, confections, and more, and 20 employees work-

certain onset time, which is a problem that has been

ing inside a 6,500-square-foot state-of-the-art food

dogging edibles manufacturers for years.

manufacturing facility and lab doing industrial-scale

“We set out to solve these problems and come up with solutions that truly work for people,” Barsoom

manufacturing, where 20,000 pieces of chocolate are produced a day.

says. “Consumers want products that are predictable

Barsoom says 1906 wants to expand in Colorado

and consistent, work quickly, and deliver the experi-

and is getting ready to open operations in Massachu-

ences they want—from energy to relaxation to arousal

setts and Illinois. He has also applied for a license in

to sleep to bliss.”

New Jersey.

He says if cannabis is going to be a replacement

1906 has its sights on international markets as

for alcohol or pharmaceuticals, it needs to perform

well, but the burgeoning Canadian market is not edi-

the way those substances perform. “What we wanted

bles-friendly right now. “We are excited about the Ca-

to do was to create an edibles company focused on

nadian market, but we still don’t know what the rules

high-functioning adults who need to know what they

are around edibles,” Barsoom says.

are getting and how it will affect them,” Barsoom says.

Whatever the future holds, 1906 is confident that

1906 combines cannabis with other plant medi-

giving consumers what they truly want and need is the

cines to work synergistically and target specific effects

first step in revolutionizing not just the edibles market,

with their various products: Midnight for sleep; High

but destigmatizing cannabis for a global future.

Love for sex; Chill for relaxation, Go for energy, and Bliss for bliss. 1906 products are sold at more than 200 dispensaries in Colorado.

For more information, visit:

1906NEWHIGHS.COM

sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 47

SENSI NIGHT SOUTHERN COLORADO

The landmark railroad station in Pueblo’s Union Avenue Historic District served as a stunning backdrop for the final Sensi Night gathering of 2018, and the local community came out in droves to be a part of the fun. Representatives from some of Colorado’s top brands were on site answering questions, introducing new products, and handing out swag and (unmedicated) samples to the crowd. Sensi Nights are free events held throughout the year as part of the company’s “Community Minded” mission to bring people together to celebrate the New Normal.

48 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado

Where: Pueblo Union Depot When: November 29, 2018 Info: FB.COM/SENSIMEDIAGROUP

sensimag.com JANUARY 2019 49

{HereWeGo }

by S T E P H A N I E W I L S O N

JUST GO, MAN!

Feeling flush? Take yourself on a Colorado staycation.

If your 2019 goals are to live the highest life, then this fresh

Two ruffled tuxedos with top hats—in that signature or-

travel package from the Curtis Hotel should be the top of your

ange and powder blue—which you must don as you ride

Valentine’s Day wish list to redeem yourself for whatever

your rental moped around Denver for three hours. It’s up to

dumb things you spent your discretionary income on in 2018.

you whether you want to wear the infamous look while you

The Curtis in downtown Denver—dedicated to celebrat-

board your private jet, waiting to whisk you to Aspen to hit

ing all things pop culture, with colorful hyper-themed rooms,

the slopes in your new Colorado-made Icelantic skis. Luxury

including the new Marvel Suite on the Superhero floor—has

transportation to the jet and to the mountain on either side

put together the Dumb and Dumber: Lloyd & Harry Meet the

of the short airborne jaunt. Your limo driver may or may not

Curtis Package, which puts the “aspire” in aspirational travel.

ask you why you’re going to the airport. “Flyin’ somewhere?”

Perfect for a close-to-home-but-out-of-this-world getaway.

On the flight home, libations from Aspen Beer Co. are yours

It’s pricey, to say the least: $10k, in fact. Dumb money. What

to enjoy. Once you’re back, head to the Corner Office to hang

does that get you? An over-the-top weekend getaway that in-

by the bar, put out a vibe.

cludes two nights at the Curtis in a Corner King Deluxe room.

If you’re interested in booking this getaway, good for you.

Which typically runs for less than $200 a night during a week-

Just know, they don’t take IOUs. Give 303-571-0300 a call,

end in January. So what’s the other $9,600 or so get you?

and promise us you’ll post photos of the tuxes.

50 JANUARY 2019 Southern Colorado