SOUTHERN COLORADO
‘Gram, Gram DO IT FOR THE
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THE NEW NORMAL
3.2019
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The Strain Game What’s in a Name?
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ISSUE 3 // VOLUME 3 // 3.2019
FEATURES 28
SP EC IAL R EP OR T
The Strain Game
When it gets down to it, strains aren’t the best way to let customers know what they’re getting.
36 Insta-Grams
Elders (and relative elders) who want to stay relevant had better get Insta-worthy.
GOTTA GETAWAY? Leave the THC at home.
S’MORE SEASON Book your campsites now.
20
16
every issue 9 Editor’s Note 10 The Buzz 16 AskAngie
VAPES AND A PLANE
20 TravelWell
GOT TO GET AWAY
50 HereWeGo
ARCHIPELAGO Sensi magazine is published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2019 SENSI MEDIA GROUP LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
sensimag.com MARCH 2019 7
sensi magazine ISSUE 3 VOLUME 3 3.2019
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
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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
Dr. Angie McCartney askangie@sensimag.com COLUMNIST
A RT & D E S I G N Jamie Ezra Mark jamie@emagency.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Rheya Tanner, Wendy Mak, Josh Clark em@sensimag.com
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TOTALLY NORMAL
editor’s
NOTE
From the very start, Sensi has been on a mission
of spreading what we like to call “the new normal” in the
post-prohibition age, as cannabis continues its march into the mainstream. The Better Homes & Gardens version of a cannabis mag, if you will. In the almost three years since we published our first issue, we’ve watched the old stigmas be broken, the walls come down, and people’s condemnation turned to curiosity turned in some cases to connoisseur. No more was this more apparent to me than when I was visiting my dad in northern Florida for the holidays. In Wakulla County, which is south of Tallahassee on the Gulf, he runs a pickleball league—and if you don’t know what that is, you should head to issuu.com/sensimediagroup and read the Denver/Boulder edition from June 2018, or you can just picture a sport that I like to call “tennis for the AARP crowd.” Most of the participants in the league are in their 60s or 70s. It’s great exercise, socialization, community building—wonderful, really. And what was even more wonderful is that my dad apparently brags to anyone who will listen that he has a daughter working in “weed”. During the three-hour league session, I was approached by a dozen of his contemporaries, one by one, each shyly and quietly whispering their questions about cannabis—especially CBD, which they’ve heard is good for all things that will ail them. The message is getting through. The stigma is dropping, even in the most conservative parts of the country. And Sensi is very proud of whatever small part its helped play in that roll. Sensi took home “Publication of the Year” in the 2018 Cannabis Business Awards in Colorado, and this month, the magazine is up for accolades in both the New England Cannabis Awards (Best News/Information Source and Top Cannabis Event categories) and the Las Vegas Cannabis Awards. We’re incredibly honored by the nominations, and we appreciate the support we get from our readers and our communities. Together, we will continue our march until the New Normal is just as normal as can be. Thank you for joining us on this journey.
Stephanie Wilson E D I TO R I N C H I E F SENSI MAGAZINE
sensimag.com MARCH 2019 9
Higher Etiquette READING ROOM
Whether you’ve been on the giving or receiving end
The topics covered include everything from basic lin-
of the phrase, “According to Emily Post [insert standard
go to rotation etiquette to pairing parties and “weed-
practice followed by polite society here],” you’ve been
cations.” [Full disclosure: Sensi president Tae Darnell is
subject to her advice—or the advice of her decedents
among the industry experts consulted for the project.]
given through subsequent books, syndicated advice col-
At the heart of the book’s message is the communal
umns, and other teachings of the Emily Post Institute.
spirit of the plant, which is meant to be shared.
The original manners mastermind literally wrote the
The preface answers with the question undoubtedly
book on etiquette, dictating the rules for social conduct
on everyone’s mind when they learn of the book’s exis-
in her 1922 bestseller Etiquette: In Society, In Business, In
tence: What would Emily Post think of it all?
Politics and At Home. While times have changed, many of the principals of good manners she outlined almost a
According to Lizzie Post, the OG of etiquette would support it.
–Stephanie Wilson
century ago are still widely followed today. Getting excited about etiquette is elevated to high book by Lizzie Post, great-great-granddaughter to gran-
Quick Hits: Upcoming Releases We Can’t Wait to Read
dame of all-things gracious and co-president of her fam-
Stoned Beyond Belief by Action Bronson and Rachel Wharton, Available March 19
ily’s Vermont-based institute. Higher Etiquette: A Guide
The Path Made Clear by Oprah Winfrey, Available March 26
fashion this month with the anticipated release of a new
to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties (Penguin Random House, available March 26) is the most concrete example to date of just how far we’ve come in removing the stigma surrounding cannabis. When the world’s most respected etiquette brand deems the formerly controversial plant a topic for polite society, it’s a milestone moment. 10 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
A Wonderful Stroke of Luck by Ann Beattie, Available April 2 50 Things That Aren’t My Fault by Cathy Guisewite, Available April 2 Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan, Available April 23 The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates, Available April 23 City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert, Available June 4 The Testaments (The Handmaid’s Tale sequel) by Margaret Atwood, Expected September 10
WISE WORDS
"If we had no winter, spring would not be so pleasant." —Anne Bradstreet
I N G O O D H E A LT H
Spring Cleaning
Women who work as cleaners or regularly use cleaning sprays or other cleaning products at home appear to experience a greater decline in lung function over time than women who do not clean, according to new research published online in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The study followed 6,235 participants for more than 20 years, so this is one of those legit studies that you can cite with certainty when declining to scrub the tub. –SW
sensimag.com MARCH 2019 11
SPRING Wine Walk CHEERS TO THIS
Where: Mainitou Springs
When: Thursday, March 14, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. What: The city’s third Wine Walk is being held at three of Manitou Springs’ upscale wine bars and wineries, which will be serving a variety of small pours from Colorado and both Old and New Worlds, including varietals from Europe and Australia. The tour includes stops at D’Vine Wines, The Mona Lisa, and Swirl Wine Bar for three small pours of premium wines, both red and white, along with light bites. Attendees get a chance to learn from the wine makers, sommeliers, and wine purveyors about the wines they are tasting, as well as a bit of history of the various regions and grapes the walkers will be sampling from. Tickets are $50, and can be found with more details on MANITOUSPRINGS.ORG
12 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
–SW
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LEE STONEHOUSE
MARCH MUST: SELF-PROMOTION
SENSI NIGHT Southern Colorado Where: Briarhurst Manor Estate, Manitou Springs When: March 27, 7 p.m. What: Sensi Night is a free community event intended to foster conversation and showcase a variety of products and services offered by some of the finest brands in Southern Colorado. Every company has a story to tell and we are very excited to invite YOU to be our guest. Rev up for nonstop fun, great music, live art, and education alongside your favorite local businesses. Last time we threw down in Manitou Springs—last June—the community began lining up to hang out more than an hour before the doors open. It’s a great group of which to be a part. Come hang. Head to our Facebook page for more details and to RSVP for free.
–SW sensimag.com MARCH 2019 13
CRAWFISH Cravings E AT U P
Where: Momma Pearls, Colorado Springs
When: Every Saturday, 11 a.m. through 4 p.m. What: This Colorado Springs staple gathers the hungry seafood lovers every weekend for a feast of epic proportions. Live crawfish are flown in from Louisiana and boiled fresh upon arrival. With a 3 lb platter going for $30 and a 5 lb portion going for $50, you’ll surely leave filled to the brim on the seasonal delicacy. The cajun critters come with corn on the cob, new potatoes, sausage, and “all the paper towels you can use,” according to the venue. “So get to pinchin’ them tails and suckin’ them heads.” The feast kicks off every Saturday at 11 a.m. and continues until the deliciousness runs out. You can also order crawfish by the pound to take home and prepare for your own shindig. 14 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
–SW
sensimag.com MARCH 2019 15
{askangie } by D R . A N G I E Mc C A R T N E Y
VAPES AND A PLANE Cannabis Q&A powered by Butterfly CBD.
CBD is everywhere these days. But trustworthy, reliable information about CBD? That’s harder to come by. Scroll your News Feed and you’ll likely be bombarded with posts touting the compound as a miracle fix for whatever ails you. Take CBD and live a better life! You get the message. We all get the message: Take CBD. Hard stop. That raises all sorts of questions. Such as: how? How much? From where? Is it safe? Is it snake oil? Are you sure? Smart questions. Finding answers isn’t always easy, but we want to help. Our “ask me anything” columnist Dr. Angie McCartney teamed up with the experts at Butterfly CBD to answer questions submitted by readers looking for trustworthy information about the “it” cannabinoid. Butterfly CBD is a new information resource and product marketplace on an educational mission. [Full disclosure: Sensi Mag and Butterfly CBD are related companies.] This month, we dive into the basics. And we try to take it with us when we go.
“What’s the difference between oil and tincture, and products labeled vape oil? Which ones are safe to vape?”
around almost as much as the term “full-spectrum,” in-
—Magic Rising
diluents/carriers such as propylene glycol and MCT oil.
That distinction usually has to do with its form of extraction or post-extraction reformulation. A tincture is usually cannabinoids dissolved into an alcohol or lipid-based solvent. Alcohol tinctures are usually more potent, but this is not always the case. “CBD oil” perhaps most often refers to a distillate and sometimes CO2 extract, but the term “oil” gets thrown
16 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
evitably misconstruing the precise meaning of the term. Information regarding the nature of the extract should be available on the packaging for more precise discernment. “Vape oil” is a term that almost always refers to a formulation, which includes CBD distillate or isolate, and can include other products like terpenoids (terpenes) and/or The jury is still out on vape cartridges, but they aren’t strongly recommended. Many formulations are untrustworthy, with heavy molecular constituents that are likely to behave like carcinogenics when vaporized. Also, some cartridges themselves have recently been shown to contain metals that can produce toxin-mediated conditions when heated.
“My brain tumor has returned for the third time, and I cannot control seizures with prescription medication alone. But taking CBD with THC oil at night works amazingly. Will it be legal to bring it on my flight back to the UK?” —Up in the Air
combo can’t legally cross state lines, never mind international borders. If you pack it in your checked luggage, will you get caught, arrested, prosecuted? It’s possible. Is it likely? No, especially if the packaging is innocuous. But there is a risk. Our lawyers said we can’t advise it. So, there’s that. The safest option is to procure the medicine you need once you reach the UK. On another note, if you are going to Liverpool during your trip to Europe and you are a Beatles fan, be sure to check out The Cavern Club on Mathew Street. Introduce yourself to Jon Keats, co-owner and manager, and tell him I sent you. There is also a very interesting publication called The Guide (you can find it on Facebook), which gives great coverage of what’s on in Liverpool. It’s cer-
Thrilled to hear the cannabinoid combo is working! The
tainly a city of very friendly people with lots of interesting
federal government, however, isn’t on the same page.
and fun places to visit. I hope you have a terrific trip.
While hemp-derived CBD is now legal in the US thanks to the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, THC is derived from the Cannabis sativa plant that remains federally illegal. Which unfortunately means your cannabinoid
DR. ANGIE hosts Teaflix Tuesdays on Facebook (FB.COM/DRANGIEMCCARTNEY ), and has a live radio broadcast on the Pete Price Show out of Liverpool on Saturday nights (RADIOCITY.CO.UK ) and on Richard Oliff’s HFM Drive Show on Wednesday afternoons (HARBOROUGHFM.CO.UK ).
sensimag.com MARCH 2019 17
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{travelwell } by S T E P H A N I E W I L S O N
GOT TO GET AWAY It’s time to start planning your spring and summer camping adventures.
20 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
You’re not slowly going mad while you’re going nowhere in
sea of tailights clogging I-25 and all around on I-70 are
rush hour—whether that’s rush hour on your way back from
emblematic reminders why so many people want to be
the slopes on a Sunday evening, which is straight torture, or
here. This coming spring and summer, get away from the
the typical stuck-in-traffic-while-trying-to-do-the-nine-to-
grind and immerse yourself in Colorado’s splendor.
five grind. Colorado is indeed more crowded than it used to
Getting away from the city is good for you on a ton of
be. In the decade since the last census, the population of the
different levels. Research has shown that people who live
state is estimated to have grown exponentially, with some
in cities may suffer more psychological stress than people
researchers putting that growth above 8 percent.
who live in rural areas, with a higher risk for anxiety and
Colorado’s car culture can be a drag, especially when
mood disorders. But don’t let that news stress you out—
you’re trying to get anywhere during the oxymoronic
you don’t need to move to the middle of nowhere Iowa
“rush hour,” but the mountain views to the west of the
for the sake of your health. There’s an all-natural antidote
sensimag.com MARCH 2019 21
22 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
NATURE PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN HUMAN HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, AND CONNECTING WITH IT INCREASES LIFE SATISFACTION, VITALITY AND HAPPINESS.
cally, if you spend some time in a forest, you may emerge a tree hugger. (Just ask so many of the transplants who move to Colorado from coastal cities and become hikers just like that.) And that’s the best kind of hugger there is.
and it’s within easy reach—especially in Colorado. Connect with nature.
Around here, you’ve got all sorts of trees to hug. I prefer the deciduous ones, but you do you. Just make sure you do
Study after study has indicated that nature plays a vital
it as often as you can. Use your vacation days. Fewer Amer-
role in human health and well-being, and connecting with
icans left unused vacation days on the table in 2018 than in
it increases life satisfaction, vitality, and happiness—and
previous ears, but more than half of workers still did.
it reduces stress. Technology, however, increasingly dis-
Much like connecting with nature, taking a vacation has
connects us from it, and that’s not just bad for us; it’s bad
been scientifically shown to have a ton of health bene-
for the environment.
fits, from stress reduction and heart disease prevention to
An analysis of scientific research reviewed by San Diego
better sleep schedules. And that’s just any vacation. Imag-
State University’s Dr. Sara Unsworth found that contact with
ine how good a vacation in the great outdoors is for your
nature fosters not only individual happiness and well-being,
mind, body, and soul.
it leads to environmentally responsible behavior. (Which can
So basically you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you
help combat our car culture.) When you’re surrounded by
didn’t go camping this spring and/or summer. And now is
nature, you see the importance of it, of protecting it. Basi-
the time to plan a getaway—before it’s too late. sensimag.com MARCH 2019 23
24 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
There are more than 3,900 campsites and 50 cabins and yurts located in Colorado State Parks alone. Campground amenities at many parks include restrooms, full electrical hookups, and shower facilities, and many parks offer campsites or cabins for large groups. Almost 300 campsites are ADA accessible, and the cabins and yurts offer comfortable alternatives to traditional camping all year round. Not to mention, the national parks, state forests, private campgrounds, and other properties where you’re welcome to sleep in a tent, RV, or under the stars. Start your search at
HIPCAMP.COM
(sorta like the
Airbnb of campsites), which empowers people to share their land with campers. The site unlocks access to ranches, nature preserves, farms, vineyards, tipis, and public campgrounds across the US. You can book tent camping, treehouses, cabins, more yurts, Airstreams, tiny houses, RV-friendly spots, glamping tents, and more. The options are nearly as endless as the wilderness is wild. Just wherever you go, go green. When it comes to travel, camping has one of the lightest ecological impacts, especially if you keep your consumerism in check and don’t go purchase a new everything before you head out into the woods. Consider renting gear from the likes of REI if you don’t already have all the tents, flashlights, and sleeping bags you need to stay comfortable. (I mean, do you really need to buy the solar-powered coffee grinder to ensure your ethically sourced beans are as fresh as possible when they go into your french press? Tree hugger.) Whatever you do, just be sure to follow those “leave no trace” principles and take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints. Now the only question to ask yourself is what kind of setting do you want to be in those pictures? Car camp by Grand
BASICALLY, YOU’RE DOING YOURSELF A DISSERVICE IF YOU DON’T GO CAMPING THIS SEASON. NOW IS THE TIME TO GET AWAY— BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE.
Lake or in Rocky Mountain National Park. Rent a tipi in Colorado’s wine country on the Western Slope. Head out into the state forest to find a dispersed camping site near Crested Butte during wild flower season. Or drive along the mountain roads near Telluride until you find the perfect perch to park your teardrop trailer. (Check out GOLITTLEGUY.COM for the perfect little guy to go.) While some of the best spots in Colorado book up fast, this is a big state, and the wilderness is vast. And it’s calling. So start planning and get out there. sensimag.com MARCH 2019 25
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When it gets down to it, strains aren’t the best way to let customers know what they’re getting. by L E L A N D R U C K E R
28 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
A CURIOUS CONSUMER ENTERS A DISPENSARY LOOKING FOR
just the right strain
TO EASE BACK PAIN AND GET SOME SLEEP AT NIGHT. “WELL,” SAYS THE BUDTENDER, “WE’VE GOT CAT PISS, PURPLE MONKEY BALLS, AND GREEN CRACK.” WELL, THAT HELPS.
Strains are all the currency in legal cannabis today. Before legalization, you mostly just bought pot, in a plastic bag, with no name attached. (Well, maybe, “This is some good shit, man.”) Legendary strains like Acapulco Gold, Panama Red, and Colombian were sometimes around, but those names resided mostly in popular songs and conspiracy theories about cigarette companies taking over the cannabis business. Today it’s a whole different ballgame. A popular website for information is Wikileaf, whose Strain Library includes thousands of names—Arcata Trainwreck, Orange Creamsickle, 707 Headband, Afghan Cow, Afghan Diesel, Afghan Haze, Afghan Kush, Afghan Skunk, Afghani, Afgooey, Willie Nelson, and Willie Wonka among them— catalogued according to their popularity, common uses and effects, time of use, and percentages of THC and CBD. But does Green Crack, for instance, affect you like, well, environmentally sound cocaine that you smoke from a glass pipe? What does Cat Piss smell like when you burn it? And the Purple Monkey Balls… Do we even want to go there? “There’s a strain called Grandma’s Breath,” says Dave Malone, breeder and co-owner of Green Dot Labs, a top Colorado-based extract brand. “The culture finds this fascinating and will embrace that,” he says. “But to the mainstream, they see something like Green Crack and say, ‘I don’t want this.’” Strain summaries are pretty general and anecdotal in nature. Arcata Trainwreck “is particularly effective against pain, migraine, and nausea.” Green Crack gets its name from cannabis aficionado Snoop Dogg. “Although some still prefer the name Cush to sidestep any unwanted cannabis stigma, the love for this fruity and earthy strain is unanimous.” Cat Piss has a “pungent stench” and consumers either “love it or they’re not fond of it at all.” (There’s even an indica called “Sensi Star” that is 20 percent THC that “smells of a coniferous forest and a citrus lemon” and has been called a ‘one-hit quitter’ and recommended for those with a high tolerance that caught my interest.) Though it doesn’t track particular strains, consumer trends and marketing firm BDS Analytics collects and studies data around cannabis legalization. As sales of flower cannabis have lost market share to concentrates, edibles, and vape products, cultivators, brands, and dissensimag.com MARCH 2019 29
30 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
pensaries are increasingly naming new strains to try and
va or indica. (Ruderalis, or hemp, is the same plant bred
differentiate and brand themselves. The company has
for minuscule amounts of THC.) Sativa plants are gen-
seen an explosion in the number of named strains avail-
erally considered tall and skinny and known for their
able. Its database contains more than 41,000 strain names.
seed, fiber, and flowers. Sativas are generally associated
Those numbers, say Greg Shoenfeld, VP of Operations
with activity and creativity, while indicas are thought to
and BDS’s lead analyst, tend to imply that custom names
be bushier, smaller plants and related to relaxing, couch-
could be assigned to strains regardless of genetics, and
lock, sedating effects. And most plants these days are
that, in fact, many of the strain names are of the same or
hybrids, or mixtures of various cannabinoids, especially
similar genetics. “Whether those strains are unique or
THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, and CBD, or cannabidiol.
not is a valid question,” he says.
Wait, isn’t cannabis just cannabis?
Researchers have identified more than 100 different chemical compounds known as cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, but the only ones that have been studied ex-
Though nobody knows for sure, most historians date
tensively are THC and CBD—the first identified and most
cannabis and its cultivation back to central Asia at least
prevalent substances in cannabis plants. But cannabis also
6,000 years, and the plant has migrated around the world
produces about 100 terpenoids, or terpenes, which are bred
along with humans over the centuries. It is mentioned
for the fragrances they produce, and we’re just starting to
in every culture, and used as an industrial agricultural
learn how cannabinoids and terpenes work together. But
product for fiber, medicines, and food as well as in reli-
the emphasis today remains mostly on how THC and CBD
gious ceremonies.
perform in combinations together and separately—high
Humans have been cultivating and breeding plants for certain characteristics, and with cannabis, different strains
THC/low CBD, low THC/high CBD and equal mixtures—but nothing for all those other compounds in the plant.
were developed in different geographic areas, climates,
Complicating this is the fact that cannabis, for the
and altitudes. Cannabis spread to western and southern
most part, has been illegal, and grown illicitly, without
Asia and the Balkan and Caucasus mountains, and these
much regard for keeping track of ancestry or lineage,
strains, the result of escaped, or feral, cultivars (plants
and you’re left with a lot of confusion.
grown by selective breeding) were domesticated and bred to survive in local conditions, some for their psychoactive qualities and others for their hemp fiber and seed. Dispensaries generally define cannabis as either sati-
What’s in a name? Back in the early days of Napa Valley’s wine industry, legendary vintner Robert Mondavi was producing an sensimag.com MARCH 2019 31
32 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
incredible sauvignon blanc at his Napa estate. A world-
rietal difference that would objectively suggest how a
class wine, he was sure, but at the time, sauvignon blanc
strain might react. “A high abundance compound in a
was about as popular as merlot is now. Meaning, it was
plant, such as THC or CBD, isn’t necessarily responsible
totally unpopular. No one would buy a sauv blanc. So he
for the unique medicinal effects of certain strains,” says
called it a Fumé Blanc, and voila! Everyone would drink it.
Elizabeth Mudge, one of the authors. “Understanding the
There’s some of that going on in the marketing of canna-
presence of the low-abundance cannabinoids could pro-
bis today. Every grower, business, and dispensary is trying
vide valuable information to the medical cannabis com-
to distinguish their products from everyone else’s. There’s
munity. It’s a high-profile, complex plant.”
plenty of competition out there. “It’s a completely arbitrary
Botto says that consumers are already figuring this out as
marketing ploy to give consumers brand equity into that
we wait on more research and information. “Nailing down
strain,” says Malone about how strains are marketed. “Peo-
all those differences is what is happening,” says Botto. “It’s
ple find additional value because they can associate it with
hugely important to be able to map terpenes to systems.”
the memory of music or an image that will trigger that product. It’s a lifestyle, and people gravitate towards that.”
Since there are no real testing standards in place yet, many facilities are only looking for certain compounds,
But research indicates that these terminologies might not
like THC or CBD, which means the results can be unreli-
be as accurate or helpful as we might think. “A lot of people
able. “What they say about a strain is not necessarily true,”
talk about indica and sativa,” says Paul Botto, CEO of Lucid
says Vergara. This is really problematic for medical pa-
Green, an app that lets
tients, she adds, since
consumers
ex-
they rely upon accurate
actly what compounds
know
information to get the
are in their cannabis.
results they need.
“But they are too broadly characterized: sativa as uppity, indica as couch lock. But some indicas with certain terpenes behave like a sativa.” Dr. Daniela Vergara is an evolutionary biologist
“If you’re in a bad
“Our end ocannab inoid sys different tems are . It’s incu mbent o find wha n you to t makes you feel better.” —Dave M alone, c
researching cannabis ge-
o-owner of Green Dot Labs
mood,
cannabis
can
make it worse. If you just won the lottery, it will make you feel so much goddam better,” says Malone. “It’s the subjective
nature
of
everything. Our endo-
nomics at the University
cannabinoid
of Colorado and founder/
are different. It’s incum-
director of the nonprofit
bent on you to find what
Agricultural
makes you feel better.”
Genomics
systems
Foundation. She says that the current method of determining
Vergara suggests that consumers need to demand
how people might react to a strain is the best we have right
better information. “Don’t be guided by what people tell
now. But her research suggests that just because a cannabis
you,” Vergara says. “Tell them, ‘Show me the terpenoids.
strain in different dispensaries has the same name—Blue
Show me the cannabinoids.’”
Dream, for instance, is a popular strain in Colorado—it doesn’t
As consumers become more informed and begin to de-
necessarily mean they are related. And she has found that
mand better information about terpenes and the way they
the characteristics we generally distinguish as indica or sati-
react with cannabinoids, says Schoenfeld, “It is likely that
va don’t necessarily apply to all plants.
they will be less discerning about the strain name and
She points to “The Genetic Structure of Marijuana and Hemp,” a 2015 Canadian study that found “a moderate
more interested in the cannabinoid and terpene profile of a particular batch and how it might benefit them.”
correlation between the genetic structure of marijuana
That might make that trip to the dispensary a lot differ-
strains and their reported sativa and indica ancestry
ent when you stop in looking for something to relax after a
and show that marijuana strain names often do not re-
long day of work. “We have a special today on a flower bud
flect a meaningful genetic identity.”
with limonene-plus and touches of myrcene and caryo-
A 2017 study at the University of British Columbia also suggests that there really isn’t that much of a va-
phyllene.” Not as exciting as those Monkey Balls, perhaps, but all in all, probably a more satisfying experience. sensimag.com MARCH 2019 33
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sensimag.com MARCH 2019 35
INSTA-G
36 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
GRAMS Elders (and relative elders) wanting to stay relevant had better get Insta-worthy. by R O BY N G R I G G S L AW R E N C E
This year Facebook, THE SOCIAL MEDIA ELDER, TURNS 15—A RIPE OLD AGE IN DIGITAL
YEARS—AND HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN TAKEN OVER BY BABY BOOMERS, WHO HAVE QUICKLY STEPPED IN TO FILL THE VOID AS GEN YS AND GEN ZS (ALONG WITH MILLENNIALS, TO AN EXTENT) DITCH THEIR PARENTS’ PLATFORM FOR FRESHER, BRIGHTER REALMS LIKE INSTAGRAM AND SNAPCHAT. THE OVER-55 USERS POSTING GRANDKID PICS AND RANTING ABOUT TRUMP ARE FACEBOOK’S SECOND-LARGEST, FASTEST-GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC. Facebook stopped being cool as soon as Mom and Grand-
10 times higher than Facebook, according to Forrester.
ma could—and did—comment on your posts and friend re-
More than 25 million companies are already building (or
quest your friends. Worse, they turned it political, which
attempting to build) loyal followings on the platform.
means sour, and those negative vibes aren’t what millennials
“When you talk about millennials, you are talking about
like 29-year-old Caitlin Moakley want to see on their phones.
Instagram by default. If you want to reach a young audi-
“I don’t find hope on Facebook,” Moakley says. “I find
ence, you have to be on Instagram,” says 54-year-old Zoe
that’s where thoughts go to die. Facebook is kind of like
Helene, founder of educational advocacy group Cosmic
the retirement home for social media.”
Sister (COSMICSISTER.COM ). Helene contracted Moak-
Instagram, on the other hand—the no-longer-upstart
ley’s company Soil and Spirit (SOILANDSPIRIT.NET ), which
platform which Facebook bought when it was a year old
helps small businesses in the natural products, canna-
in 2012, let’s not forget—grew from 500 million to 1 billion
bis, and psychedelic communities create digital content,
active monthly users last year (one user for every dol-
to help build an Instagram presence for Cosmic Sister
lar Mark Zuckerberg spent to acquire it). That’s still less
and one of its major campaigns, #psychedelicfeminism.
than half the number of Facebook users, but here’s the
Helene is at the bottom of the wide boomer arc that
big difference: 90 percent of Instagram users are young-
tops out at 67- and 68-year-olds, and she’s among a first
er than 35, according to Brandwatch. Half of these young
wave to see Instagram’s potential for connection, pro-
consumers follow brands on Instagram, where engage-
motion, and community building. The last couple years
ment, as measured by likes, shares, and comments, is
have seen the debut of what the New York Times calls sensimag.com MARCH 2019 37
38 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
New Rules
It’s hard to win if you don’t know how to play. Here are a few things no one tells you about Instagram.
strategy and vision for her feed, but needed someone with innate Instagram sensibility and experienced thumbs. “My millennial thumbs haven’t downloaded yet,” she says. Helene often gets into conversations with fellow boom-
You better be present. One in three Instagram users will go to a competitor if they’re ignored, Sprout Social found.
ers about their fear of this youth-oriented platform. “You
Quality matters. Save text images, jokes, and random screenshots for Facebook. Your followers expect thoughtful posts. It’s easy to stop following if you waste their time.
can’t ignore it,” she tells them. “That’s a surefire way of being perceived as irrelevant.” If they’re feeling intimidated,
Pace yourself. Experts recommend not posting more than every six hours, and most agree the sweet spot is about one or two posts per day.
spect them, and respect their knowledge.”
Tone down the hard sell. Sprout Social found that 57 percent of users unfollow overly promotional brands. Refresh your bio. It’s the only place you can post a live link; don’t let it get stale. Change it to reflect your current status. Engage your followers. Offer clickable incentives like discounts and prizes. Get good at video. Social video generates 1,200 percent more shares than text and images combines, according to Wordstream. Video is more effective and encourage more interaction and engagement than any other content. There are apps for that. There’s no shortage of apps to help you navigate Instagram efficiently. Hootsuite and Buffer let you schedule and distribute content, Pic Stitch edits photos, and Captiona makes great captions. And of course, there are plenty of programs that promis to grow your following.
she advises, “hire a wicked smart millennial, pay them, reMoakley, who has been using social media since she was in high school and Instagram since college, knows the platform like her thumbs know the phone in her hand. She finds it intuitive and user-friendly, but she empathizes with older people who haven’t grown up as digital natives. “I mean, cutting and pasting, spacing out your lines,” she says. “Who would have known this stuff? It’s not just laid out for you.” Aside from the technicalities of posting, hashtagging, building audience, knowing who to follow, and creating stories and videos, there’s etiquette to Instagram that boomers who cut their teeth in the militant, factional Facebook trenches might not get. Following someone but never liking or commenting on their posts makes you a “ghost follower.” After you post, you’re expected to reply to people’s comments within the hour—and Instagram will show it to more followers if you do (creepy). Apparently, Big Sista Insta (the no-less-powerful younger sibling of Big Brother Facebook) is always watching. You can make her happy by making use of all she has to offer, creating content for IGTV (an app for watching long-form, vertical video), carefully curating your favorite stories, and engaging your followers via story polls. She doesn’t like it when you edit your post’s caption or location tag in the first 24 hours (no one can say why).
the “glamorous grandmas of Instagram,” stylish elders who are asserting their presence in part to subvert “shopworn notions of what ‘old’ looks and feels like.” These women are hip, irreverent, and not afraid to say what’s on their minds. They’re strutting it, winning big, and projecting confidence in aging well. Their attitude could per-
“I don’t find hope on Facebook. I find that’s where thoughts go to die. Facebook is kind of like the retirement home for social media.” —Caitlin Moakley
haps be best summed up by 71-year-old Australian knitwear designer Jenny Kee, @JennyKeeoz, who told the Times, “If
In return, she’ll give you data like you’ve never had it be-
we are going to be in a nursing home, we’ll be there with our
fore. For Helene, who sold digital insight tools like the ones
marijuana, our health foods, and our great sense of style.”
available for free with an Instagram business account to
Big Sista Insta’s Always Watching You
Fortune 100 companies for hundreds of thousands of dollars back in the early 1990s, this is nothing short of mi-
Helene hired Soil and Spirit because she believes that
raculous. “Instantaneously, I know I have by far the most
“for older women to work properly on Instagram, they need
followers in New York and LA and that 46 percent of them
to work with younger women.” She continues to set overall
are aged 25 to 34,” she says. “I have a pie chart here that’s sensimag.com MARCH 2019 39
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40 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
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changing in real time. When I post a ton of goddess-y stuff,
This isn’t narcissism, says the author of the book on
my male percentage goes down—and I’m fine with that.
narcissism, but a basic need to find validation to feel good
Our #MaleAllies are welcome, but I suspect some of those
about ourselves. “We’re all existing in a culture that has
followers were probably there to pick up chicks anyway.”
turned self-worth into a competitive, measurable unit that
Embrace and Heal Your Inner Dork
gets displayed to the world,” Campbell said. “To be successful today, you often have to have your own brand and
Instagram is about images and image, curated and filtered,
a network of connections and followers, so of course you’re
elegantly presented. It’s one reason we take more pictures
going to be invested in yourself; of course, you’re going to
every two minutes than we took during the entire nineteenth
do what you can for the likes and comments and followers,
century (according to fStoppers) and why we’re willing to
even if that means having a persona.”
fork over four figures for a superior camera in our phones.
And yet. Campbell and fellow academic Jean Twenge
Creating an Insta avatar who stays on brand, only wins, and
found that narcissistic personality traits have risen as fast as
spreads love to her band of followers is tempting #goals.
obesity since the 1980s, with a particularly marked spike in
Image through collaboration and community—very pre-
women and a rapid uptick since the turn of the century, ac-
cisely chosen and developed community—is everything
cording to the Guardian. In 2017, a LendEDU study crunched
here. It’s not about mutual “friendships” like Facebook. You
the data and declared Instagram users narcissistic atten-
can follow and unfollow anyone you like (as long as they
tion-seekers in need of constant validation and ego boosts.
have a public account), and no one has to follow anyone
Just as you can’t blame the substance for substance abuse,
back. You will be judged by how many followers you have
Instagram is not the culprit in our increasingly self-absorbed
and how many you follow—and who they are. They’re as
culture. It is simply a reflection. We’ve been given this mirror
much a part of the image you’re building as the content
to tweak our images and put our best faces forward, but we’ll
you post. If it sounds a lot like a junior high popularity con-
inevitably fail if we try to be something we’re not.
test, well…you might have to embrace and heal your inner dork if you want to play big on Instagram. You build community with hashtags, which were intro-
“If you’re going to be on Instagram, the most important thing is that you be authentic,” Moakley says. “So much out there is not very authentic right now.”
duced by Twitter but came into their own on Instagram. You
Authentic, but preferably with sunsets, surfboards, and
can figure out what matters to your audience by checking
silhouettes of lithe bodies in bikinis, if you follow the stats
out what hashtags they use and follow, and you can start in-
on what gets the most likes. If that doesn’t make a lot of
teracting with the top hashtags in your niche to get noticed.
sense to you, you’re probably over 50.
Instagram lets you have 30 hashtags on a post and 10 on a
ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE is a “relative elder” on Instagram @cannabis_kitchen.
story, and you can experiment with using a lot or a few, broad or narrow. As Helene is quick to point out, “It’s all a game.” “You’re putting forth the highlight reel of your life, and when you tap through your Instagram story or scroll through your Facebook profile at the end of the day, you’re reliving the best moments of it,” Keith Campbell, PhD, author of The Narcissism Epidemic, told Marie Claire. “The stress is stripped down, you’re looking at yourself in the way you want other people to see you, and your brain says, ‘Hey, I had a good day, and I’m a decent person.’”
In a study titled “Elastic Generation,” J. Walter Thompson found that 73 PERCENT OF SENIORS hate the way their generation is patronized when it comes to technology, and six out of 10 find high-tech fascinating. Many are more competent than their grandkids at using it.
sensimag.com MARCH 2019 41
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44 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
THIRD DAY APOTHECARY
9-11 Survivor Now Rolls Out Quality Cannabis VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS STAYING TRUE TO THE “MOM-AND-POP” EXPERIENCE.
When master grower Demetrios Karagiannis took
is the cool thing about being a little guy and having
over Third Day Apothecary in mid-2018, he decided
everything co-located,” Karagiannis says. “I have the
that he wanted to make it more like the dispensaries
freedom to make homemade stuff, using my mom’s
he remembered growing up.
old Greek recipes to make baklava, for example. That
“When I was in my 20s and went out to California for
seems like what a dispensary should be—more going
the first time, I was overwhelmed by the market,” Kara-
back to the style of a caregiver and getting people to
giannis says. “I remember people making fresh edibles
eat and have a good time.”
and fresh candies. just things for the patients to make it a little special using organic products,” he says.
Third Day makes all of its own concentrates and edibles in-house, including chocolate truffles, lollipops,
The veteran-owned and -operated dispensary has
and cookies. And the products are starting to catch
five employees, including a manager, an assistant
on with the local community—Third Day got its first
grower (a disabled retired vet), and an extractor who
wholesale order for truffles recently, a big deal for this
is also a chemistry major, and professional chef. “This
small, but growing business.
place is near and dear to my heart because I get to be
Karagiannis says he doesn’t want to be the “Star-
around veterans in this city, and help them out with
bucks of weed,” but he is ready to expand. “I really
whatever issues they have,” Karagiannis says.
want to take our extractions and edibles to the next
He worked for the missile defense agency for 20-
level through Irie, and I think that will help Third Day
plus years as an engineer “locked up in a lab” at the
grow,” he says. “I just want it to be a good place to get
Pentagon before deciding to get involved in the can-
a bite to eat and some really good kush, and treat it
nabis business. “I found cannabis medicine after 9-11
like a good mom-and-pop store.”
because I was a survivor of the Pentagon attack,” the disabled veteran says. “Doctors put me on all of these different pills. But in the end, all I needed was marijuana to go to bed at night.”
Find us on Instagram and Facebook:
@THIRDDAYAPOTH
The cannabis business in Colorado Springs has been a bit unforgiving, but he says that when he got into the market, the worst had already transpired. “I never had to survive at $400 an ounce and then drop it down to $99 an ounce. I started off skinny.” Growing space is around 2,000 square feet, with three flower rooms and one large veg/propagation room. Irie Extracts, the Third Day extraction lab, is right next door, making all three licenses—for the grow, the extraction, and the store—near each other. “That
sensimag.com MARCH 2019 45
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46 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
EXCITING EXHIBITS
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MAGGIE’S FARM
A Purist Uses Family Roots to Create Better Cannabis MAGGIE’S FARM’S CLEAN CROPS LET THE TRUE, UNFILTERED TASTE OF CANNABIS SHINE.
Bill Conkling, a third-generation farmer and owner of
Maggie’s Farm is actually a craft brand now, he says,
Maggie’s Farm, remembers the smells of the soil when
and in addition to top-quality, naturally grown flower,
his mom was cultivating an organic vegetable garden
the company is looking to do its own concentrates.
back before organic vegetables were cool. “There were
“From what I have seen in the test results, we have the
jars of soil concoctions, with things like egg shells and
best cannabis profile flower out there as a result of be-
water and funny smelling jars around the house, be-
ing cultivated in unfiltered sunlight,” he says. “So it does
cause my mom didn’t like the soil in Colorado. She was
make it the best possibility for quality concentrates.”
from Minnesota,” Conkling says. “I think that ingrained
The farms recycle their spring water and use predator
in me the necessity of having good soils for growing
insects that they either breed or buy for pest mitiga-
crops.”
tion. “I believe that being in a non-temperate climate
In 2009, Conkling started attending seminars about
also helps mitigate pests as well as growing in open air,”
cannabis after friends told him they thought he was
Conkling says. “Even greenhouses have pests because
missing a great opportunity with the arrival of the legal-
they have stagnant temperate climate corners where
ization of medical cannabis. The next year he went to a
pests breed.”
farm that he already owned from the mid-90s—which
Being a purist is key. “As a purist cultivator, we try to
he determined had good soil for growing—and cultivat-
deliver a very pure marijuana effect that doesn’t have
ed his first legal cannabis crop.
other effects that mask what the effects of marijuana
With the money from the sale of that crop, he opened
should be,” he says.
his first store in Colorado Springs in January 2011. There
Conkling says that he doesn’t necessarily want to ex-
are now two cultivation farms and eight Maggie’s Farm
pand right now and possibly lose control to others, but
retail stores in southern Colorado with medical and
instead concentrate on growing organically both in cul-
recreational sales. Conkling employs almost 200 peo-
tivation efforts and business. “Those opportunities will
ple throughout the farm and retail locations—half are at
come with our brand instead of forcing something and
two farms and the balance at the corporate offices and
going out and looking,” he says. “If we stay on track and
stores, he says. “I manage the farms,” he says. “I have a
develop the brand we started, those people will come
director of cultivation who follows my lead plus a cou-
to us.”
ple of consultants that I have taken on over the years.” Maggie’s Farm stores offer a wide variety of products, flower, pre-rolls, tinctures, and topicals. “A large percentage of our sales is flower, and we have always been
For more information, visit:
MAGGIESFARMMARIJUANA.COM
at the top of that,” Conkling says. “We sell a larger percentage of flower than any of our competitors, based on the data we gathered from the state sites.”
sensimag.com MARCH 2019 47
48 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
CANYON
Old-School Candy-Making Creates Artisan Cannabis Confections ATTENTION TO SMALL BATCHES, AND HAND PROCESSING ARE KEY TO CANYON’S CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. Canyon Cultivation (now just Canyon) began in 2009
hard candies, gummies, beverages, and capsules sent
by a husband-wife team led by CEO and owner Mor-
to Colorado dispensaries from Canyon’s 6,000-square-
gan Iwersen (her husband Andrew joined her in 2014)
foot facility that features 23 employees. The extraction
creating edibles and tinctures in her kitchen for a fam-
process is done in a 1,000-square-foot lab, run by two
ily friend going through stage-four cancer treatments.
“extraction wizards,” McMurray says. All products are
Iwersen saw the benefits of what the tincture did for
sent to Agricor Labs for third-party testing.
end-of-life care, so she decided to get into the canna-
“We consider ourselves an artisan confection kitch-
bis industry. “Like most medical marijuana ventures
en,” he says. “We do everything in small batches, like
early on, the business sort of chugged along over the
old-school candy making.” Everything is hand-poured,
years, trying out new things,” Tim McMurray, Canyon
hand-spread, and hand-counted before being put in a
COO, says. “When the state went recreational, the med-
package. “That kind of oversight and quality to us is re-
ical and recreational business exploded, and we grew
ally important,” McMurray says. “Just having a machine
from there. We experienced big growth the first few
package stuff doesn’t work because we think the qual-
years of recreational.”
ity is not there. We want to make sure each piece looks
Iwersen expected the company to be a cultivator as well, but she changed direction in order to control the
good and weighs properly, because that is how you get that accurate dose.”
extraction and infusion process, he says. Canyon sourc-
McMurray says that the industry has been moving at
es trim from old-school, long-term connections, and
light speed, which is good and bad. As a result, he says,
does its own CO2 extractions to manufacture edibles.
“every day is a new day,” even as the Colorado market
There are 20 different products, including tinctures,
begins to stabilize in terms of testing and other critical business details. But the company had to weather some challenges along the way in distribution and packaging. “We spent $60,000 on retooling to meet packaging regulations,” he says. Canyon is looking to get into new markets. There have been recent conversations with a group in New Jersey and talks with another interested party on the West Coast for about a year and half. “I think our growth will be slow and steady,” McMurray says. “We are picking people to go into business with that we are basically marrying, so the vetting process to get there we don’t take lightly.” For more information, visit:
CANYONTHC.COM
sensimag.com MARCH 2019 49
{HereWeGo } by S E N S I S TA F F
ARCHIPELAGO Leave Boston for paradise because polar vortexes (and other reasons). Given the recent polar vortex stealing your will to live, we thought it best to fill this final page with some snapshots of paradise. One of the 40 low-lying coral islands that make up the godly string of Aquaman archipelagos in the Turks and Caicos, our focus is on Providenciales (or “Provo”)–the heavenly island with one of the best beaches in the world (Grace Bay) and the softest sand you’re likely to find this side of Willy Wonka’s overlooked “powdered sugar beach.” Behold: A quick once-over for why to go, where to go when you get there, and exactly how much fresh conch caught and carved out of the sea one can consume before turning into a shell-based ocean life form themselves. (The answer doesn’t exist, by the way; the stuff has a litashrimp can be prepared.) Let’s begin: 1. Get There: You’d be surprised the deals on Kayak and other flash flight sites. Caveat: once you’re there, everything is expensive. Think $40 for a 12 pack of Dos Equis. 2. Find lodging: We stayed at the luxurious Villa Camilla (VILLA-CAMILLA.COM), a private rental that looks like it was designed at the height of the Miami Vice color palate craze (with a splendid dash of local Haitian art and rooms leading to the pool) with architectural touches of the Fibonacci Sequence kind, sleeps up to 13 people across two different houses sitting on 6 acres of lush, protected ecological reserve fauna. Bonus: 300 feet of private dune paths lead right to the number one-rated Grace Bay Beach and all the sunsets that suggests. See: Powdered sugar, sand. 3. Get out on the island: Maybe it’s a jaunt to Turks Kebab for one of the best gyro sandwiches ever or Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl (BUGALOOSTCI.COM) surrounded by stunning views of the aquamarine shimmering south coast, right on one of 50 MARCH 2019 Southern Colorado
the island’s original three settlements. Or maybe just scoot over to the local fisheries and pick up some fresh spiny-tail lobster for the grill before nude night swimming and Bluetooth beats (#casualhedonism). 4. Find a boat: We found JT, a local captain of the Southern Cross charter yacht (and AirBNB on the water), who gave us a blazing sunset cruise just before we left. Don’t sleep on the snorkeling, though. 5. Embrace the breezy luxe sheen of the island: You’ll often find yourself rum punch in hand beachside, upending glass after glass while shoulder to shoulder with a guy who looks like Tom Hanks just before being rescued in Castaway, only to find he’s a billionaire who’s been living the good island life for the last 20 years. And Keith Richards. He’s around too, if you can spot him amongst the other weathered, wildly content faces. 6. Remember to go home: There’s a good chance you won’t want to.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KERRI LYN WALSH AND EDWIN DIAZ
ny of uses befitting a Bubbaesque rattling off all the ways