Sensi Magazine - Las Vegas (January 2020)

I L A S V EG A S J A N 2020

CAN’T KEEP A VAN DAM DOWN Pro wrestler ROB VAN DAM rises again as an activist and entrepreneur

OK, BOOMER The viral phrase that’s dividing generations

TONIC TRIO Three excuses to celebrate with classic cocktails

For Use Only by Adults 21 Years of Age and Older. Keep Out of Reach of Children.

VISIT CURALEAF’S NEW LAS VEGAS DISPENSARY!

On the strip right behind The Strat

1 7 36 S. L A S V EGA S B LVD. L A S V EGA S, N V Open 7 days a week, 9AM-3AM

curaleaf.com I @curaleafusa KE E P O U T O F R E AC H O F C H I LDREN. FO R U S E O N LY BY A D U LT S AG E 2 1 A N D O LDER.

17th annual wine experience WINNERS!

NEW YEAR NEW GEAR

A new generation of CCELLÂŽ pod platforms are now available from Jupiter Research.

Featuring specialized mouthpieces, rechargeable power supplies, and inhale activation. Trusted industrywide to deliver pure avor and premium vapor performance.

Discover your new favorite vaporizer at JupiterResearch.com

See what Jupiter Research has in store for 2020.

Find us at CannaCon Northwest Booth #201 Tacoma Convention Center Jauary 10-11, 2020

J U PI T E R R E S E A R C H . C O M

info@jupiterresearch.com

1 (480) 867-6100

LAS VEGAS SENSI MAGAZINE JANUARY 2020

sensimediagroup @sensimagazine @sensimag

F E AT U R E S

14

Rebel, Renegade, Revolutionary Rob Van Dam emerges as an activist and a visionary.

20

32

26

The B-Word

Is “OK, boomer” a slur, a sign of generational conflict, or just a meme-able mic drop?

SPECIAL REPORT

Arrested Development

These six ridiculous cannabis restrictions are still in effect around the country.

D E PA R T M E N T S

9 EDITOR’S NOTE 10 THE BUZZ News, tips, and tidbits

to keep you in the loop GOING UNDER The Underground’s prohibition bar OP-ED Busting unfair cannabis policies YOUNG AT HEART Boudoir for All captures the beauty of every age.

32 THE LIFE Contributing to your

health and happiness ICONIC TONICS Keep the New Year celebration going.

FIGHT FOR RIGHTS Las Vegas NORML advocates for reform.

REMINISCE Skye Art Gallery showcases Dr. Seuss and Peanuts art.

HOROSCOPE What the numbers mean for 2020

40 THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip hangouts around town

BLUE DIAMOND DINING

Cottonwood Station Eatery pays homage to its roots.

ON THE R.U.N Cirque du Soleil’s latest live thriller CALENDAR Kick off the new year with parades, parties, and poetry.

ON THE COVER Pro wrestler Rob Van Dam grapples with adversity and emerges victorious.

PHOTO BY DANIELLE EUGENIA

50 THE END

Lee Canyon gives back during the Chris Ruby Cup.

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

7

A DV I S O R Y B OA R D

The AC Guys Air Conditioning

Matrix NV Premium Live Resin

Baileyʼs CBD Pet CBD Tincture & Treats

NGW, LLC. Infused Prerolls

Digipath Labs Cannabis Testing

Pharaohs Leaf CBD Holistic Lifestyle CBD

Electrum Partners Strategic Venture Development

Red Rock Fertility Fertility Doctor

Evergreen Organix Premium Baked Goods

Rokin Vapes Vape Technology

Flower One Las Vegas Luxury Cannabis

RVD CBD Athletic Lifestyle CBD

Fresh Bros White Label Manufacturing & Brand Development

Terpen Terpene Specialists

Genius Products T, Inc. Recreational Cannabis Products Green Leaf Money, Llc. Canna Business Financing Greenhouse Payment Solutions Payment Processing The Healing Panda Custom CBD Oil Ideal Business Partners Corporate Law & Finance

This Stuff Is Good For You CBD Bath and Body Undoo Overconsumption Relief

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FACE BOOK Like Sensi Media Group for the parties, topics, and happenings we’re obsessed with right now.

Wellness Premium Products Hemp Salon Products

T W I T TER Follow @sensimag to stay up-to-date on the latest news from Sensi cities.

Jupiter Research Inhalation Hardware Leeʼs Discount Liquor Liquor Store LIFE Realty District Residential Realty

8 LAS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

I NSTAG RAM @sensimagazine is home to exclusive photos and content.

W

EDITOR’S NOTE

Magazine published monthly

by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2020 Sensi Media Group. All rights reserved.

EXECUTIVE Ron Kolb CEO ron@sensimag.com

Tae Darnell Co-Founder, VP of Business Development tae@sensimag.com Alex Martinez Co-Chief Operations Officer alex@sensimag.com

Mike Mansbridge Co-Chief Operations Officer mike@sensimag.com EDITORIAL

Stephanie Wilson Editor in Chief stephanie@sensimag.com

Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com Debbie Hall Managing Editor debbie.hall@sensimag.com

Leland Rucker Senior Editor leland.rucker@sensimag.com

Robyn Griggs Lawrence Editor at Large robyn.lawrence@sensimag.com Helen Olsson Copy Chief

Lisa Mayo DeRiso, Mona Van Joseph, Josh Kasoff Contributing Writers DESIGN Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director Wendy Mak Designer Kiara Lopez Designer Josh Clark Designer Jason Jones Designer em@sensimag.com PUBLISHING Abi Wright Associate Publisher abi.wright@sensimag.com B U S I N E S S /A D M I N

While intrigued, I feel no pressure to

predict the next big thing for 2020. Yes, there are reports doing just that with trends, tweets, IGs, posts, and videos going viral.

The landscape of Las Vegas continually changes with new resorts opening, the Raiders coming to town, and the debut of a consumption lounge on tribal land downtown. Top 10 lists detailing the best and worst of the year were broadcast with a forecast on what to expect for the upcoming year. Still, things can either happen or not happen due to a change in circumstances.

How is “the next big thing” defined for 2020? It could be as simple as a new dish (think avocado toast) or as life-changing as the legalization of cannabis in more states, or even federally. The next big thing could be a new romance, career change, becoming single, having a baby, or moving to a new home.

CES coming to Vegas in January showcases the latest in technology and gadgets. I love the newest innovations on my smartphone and tablet. I relish the change. I anticipate the most unique products and services life has to offer, whether on a large scale or in my own personal world.

Maybe it’s more of a mindset. After the chaos of the past year with politics, legal reversals, the economy, and culture division, the next big thing can be changing your attitude.

Change can be scary but exhilarating. We thank you, the reader, for taking us on your journey as we discover the next big thing and share the evolution. As Sensi magazine makes you think, laugh, explore, and share, we embrace the newness of the year for creation, originality, and accomplishment.

Change can be scary but exhilirating.

We thank you, the reader, for taking us on your journey as we discuss the next big thing and share the evolution.

Kristan Toth Head of People kristan.toth@sensimag.com Amber Orvik Administrative Director amber.orvik@sensimag.com Andre Velez Marketing Director andre.velez@sensimag.com Neil Willis Production Manager neil.willis@sensimag.com Hector Irizarry Distribution distribution@sensimag.com M E D I A PA R T N E R S

Debbie Hall debbie.hall@sensimag.com

Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

9

CONTRIBUTORS

Debbie Hall, Op-Ed by Lisa Mayo-DeRiso

Under the Radar The prohibition of alcohol changed the fabric of the country.

The Underground at The Mob Museum, located in the basement of the building, brings that era to life. Featuring a fully operational distillery and speakeasy with an authentic vibe, the Prohibition history exhibition transports guests back to the roaring 1920s.

The Underground brews and serves craft beer on-site as well as distills jars of moonshine in its “Virginia Still” (named after Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel’s girlfriend, Virginia Hill). Jars of moonshine are available for purchase. Artifacts from the 1920s and 1930s tell the intriguing story of the Prohibition era, a time of bootleg booze and organized crime. Enter The Underground at the secret side entrance with the password published daily on Instagram Stories @MobMuseum_Underground.

The Underground at The Mob Museum, 300 Stewart Ave., themobmuseum.org

Frozen Bliss

Icebar at The Linq Promenade transforms the watering hole.

Icebar at The Linq Promenade, the new immersive ice attraction, chills cocktails and other drinks on the world’s largest, permanent bar made only of ice.

A project of Minus5 Ice Experience, the distinctively cool vibe for people of all ages embraces an ice-cold environment all year-round. Signature frosty cocktails are served in glasses made entirely of ice for guests age 21 and older.

Icebar at The Linq Promenade, 3545 Las Vegas Blvd. S., minus5experience.com/icebar

10 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRIS WESSLING FOR THE MOB MUSEUM

Experience alcohol Prohibition at The Underground.

A Cold One

Local brews fill the taps at CraftHaus Arts District.

BY THE NUMBERS

1

The White Houseʼs original phone number

This past fall, CraftHaus Brewery opened up an outpost called CraftHaus Arts District in downtown Las Vegas that’s quenching the thirst of beer fans.

The new taproom offers 24 taps with 16 devoted to CraftHaus brews, and the rest for guest beers, cider, white wine, and Vesta Cold Brew coffee on Nitrogen.

The menu features beer-bacon jam made with CraftHaus beer and soft pretzels with beer cheese to pair with the brews. Chef James Trees of Esther’s Kitchen across the street brings in bites to enhance the tasting-room experience.

The interior of the 1,800-square-foot space is elevated with a clean design palette of concrete, marble, and signature CraftHaus green. The outside patio beckons patrons to relax during great weather days.

Owners Wyndee and Dave Forrest built their flagship CraftHaus Brewery in Henderson around a love of quality beer and community. On the wall, a custom 24-foot mural by artist Donovan Fitzgerald featuring a Jubilee!-inspired showgirl pays homage to the heart of Las Vegas.

CraftHaus Arts District, 197 E. California St., crafthausbrewery.com

80 MPH

The legal speed limit on rural roads in seven states including Nevada

Herb is the healing of a nation.

—Bob Marley, singer

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

NEW ARRIVAL

Dosist launches in Nevada.

17%

Percentage of the population in New Hampshire that drinks, making it the booziest state per capita—higher than Las Vegas.

1

MILLION The number of visitors who have been recorded at The Neon Museum with Nazarey David as the 1 millionth visitor

Based in Los Angeles, Dosist has arrived in brick-and-mortar retail outlets in Las Vegas.

Currently, there are 12 locations in Southern Nevada to purchase natural alternatives using active ingredients in cannabis for physical relief, health, and wellness. Six targeted formulas focus on different areas of well-being. This includes sleep, bliss, calm, relief, passion, and arouse. The proprietary medical-grade dose pen and dose dial deliver a precise dose each time.

Dosist / Dose Pen in 2.25-mg dose, 50 and 200 doses, $40–$100 / Dose Dial in 3.7-mg dissolvable tablet, $30 / dosist.com

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

11

THE BUZZ

SENSIBILITIES WHAT MATTERS THIS MONTH BY STEPHANIE WILSON

1 GOALS ARE THE NEW RESOLUTIONS. And since we’re in a new decade, let’s set loftier targets, hit them, surpass them. Where do you want to be in 2025?

2030? Start manifesting the life you want. In the shorter term, however… ______ 2 MANIFEST THE OUTFITS YOU WANT by signing up for Nuuly clothing rental

from Free People’s parent co. For just $88/mo., you get six temporary additions to your wardrobe—perfect excuse to try out new trends.

______ 3 BE EXTRA EXTRA. I resolved to be just that at the start of last year. Met that

goal and have a photo of the statement jacket I borrowed from Nuuly as proof.

See @stephwilll if you’re curious just how extra “extra extra” is.

LOCAL COMPANY

______ 4 SEE ALSO: posts about my apartment/urban jungle. ______ 5 PUTTING IT OUT THERE NOW. I’m setting my first intention for 2020: I will get my place featured on Apartment Therapy as a home tour this year. Boom.

The longer youʼre alive, the older you get. While American culture worships the very young in socials and media, Boudoir For All (boudoirforall.com) photography captures in images that anyone over the age of 40, 50, 60, or beyond is still attractive, sexy, and desirable.

“We want to celebrate the essence of women over the age of 40 and older and have their beauty shine,” says Elle Abbott, owner and photographer. “We also encourage men, non-binary, transgender, and other members of our community to show their sexy side at any age.”

Abbott started in photography using film as a young girl, switched to digital, and always maintained her interests in photography as an avocation. In 2019, she decided to take the leap and make photography her career with a focus on boudoir shots for women over 40, people of color, LGTBQ community, and other underrepresented segments of society. An advocate for cannabis, Abbott showcases shoots with cannabis prominently featured.

The most crucial factor is that when the client comes to her studio, they are totally comfortable. This can include shoots where the client is dressed in a sweater and covered with a blanket for cozy shots to wearing sexy lingerie for a sizzling session. Abbott encourages clients to bring their own outfits, but she does offer sensual props to enhance the mood.

12 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

One with books and discussions involved. Community and knowledge will result.

We’ll call it…The Book Club. Let’s do this.

"You are never too old to reinvent yourself.”

—Steve Harvey, comedian and TV host

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELLE ABBOTT

TRANSCENDING BEAUTY

______ 6 WANNA BE MY GOAL BUDDY? DM or post a comment—we’ll start a club.

THE BUZZ

VOX POPULI

Question: How do you feel about the art scene in Las Vegas?

ANNIE EMPRIMA-MARTIN

MIKE B. DAVIES

WENDY GELBART

CHERYL MAGELLEN

TAMARA BRAXTON WATSON

___________________

___________________

___________________

___________________

___________________

Spiritual Empowerment Coach Henderson

The heart of Las Vegas is its arts district, and the pulse is the art scene where you feel the local emotions of our city.

Artist Las Vegas

My wife and I aren‘t happy with how difficult it is to find a venue and get people to attend. Art gets forgotten with so many other activities going on.

Jewelry Designer Las Vegas

When I was living in Tucson, I was jealous of the art scene there that we lacked in Las Vegas.

Today, the art scene in Vegas has organically grown and expanded.

Artist and Business Owner Las Vegas

The Vegas art scene has an enticing energy about it. I find the art scene to be quite contemporary with a bit of Bohemian thrown in for character.

Clark County Educator Henderson

Ask the artists who have proved themselves over and over again.

It takes drive, hunger, persistence, talent, and a strong business sense.

ly lucrative business lottery. Further, the judge said, transparency and procedural competence were lacking, jeopardizing Nevada’s long-standing licensing precedents and procedures.

An audit conducted November 7, 2019, substantiated the need to revise the application process with three key improvements: (1) OP-ED Enhance the Transparency of the Licensing transparency, efficiency, and education funding. Process; (2) Automate the Application Scoring What we got instead is anything but.

Process to improve efficiency and reduce the Legalization was meant to increase revenue for risk of data entry errors; and (3) Revise Statute the state and increase jobs in local economies.To to Reallocate Recreational Marijuana Licenses realize these benefits, policymakers must ensure from Non-Participating Jurisdictions. The third a competitive market that gives consumers a revision alone could benefit the state almost fair-market price and top-quality products. $2.3 million in tax revenues per month while A competitive cannabis market This is achieved as long as there are many promoting a more competitive industry. serves the public best. sellers for a competitive market. But over half Keeping the cannabis industry competitive of the state’s new dispensary licenses were will enable it to produce maximum revenues, The legalizing of cannabis in Nevada fulfilled awarded to just 3 percent of applicants. The thus adding to the tax revenue for education, two key goals of state government: bring other 97 percent of applications were denied. which was the promise that taxpaying voters diversity to the local economy and offer a The recent shoddy licensing process came are expecting. Politics can become the consistent revenue stream for education. In the under legal fire.Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez noted art of the possible, and the best of shared November 2016 election, when 602,463 voters that the privileged license approval process was possibilities happens when leaders listen to approved the Nevada Marijuana Legalization “arbitrary and capricious.”Its deficiencies enable their bosses—taxpaying citizens—and work Initiative, the people of Nevada were promised state officials to pick winners and losers in a high- in good faith for their constituents.

Green Politics

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

13

14 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

REBEL, RENEGADE, REVOLUTIONARY ROB VAN DAM emerges as a visionary in cannabis, wrestling, and life.

PHOTO BY DANIELLE EUGENIA

TEXT DEBBIE HALL

I

n 2006, professional wrestler Rob Van Dam had just achieved the pinnacle of success. He became the champion of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and

Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), experiencing one of the most significant peaks of his career. He was riding high in more ways than one.

Van Dam’s meteoric

rise soon came to a thundering crash.

Later that year, while touring on the WWE and ECW wrestling circuits, Van Dam and his wrestling partner Sabu were pulled

over by the police in Ohio for speeding. Van Dam never hid his love of cannabis and kept it out in the open. That night, like many nights in the past, the car reeked of cannabis.

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

15

© 2 0 1 9 F OX FA R M S O I L & F E RT I L I Z E R C O M PA N Y

®

®

Call Us: 800-4FOXFARM

Visit Us: FoxFarm.com

PHOTOS BY (TOP) DANIELLE EUGENIA, (BOTTOM) LANCE MAXWELL

“Back then, I was never careful, and I never thought about hiding my use of cannabis. I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong,” he says.

They were arrested for possession of cannabis, and Sabu urged Van Dam to inform the management of WWE about the arrest.

“I told him he was crazy,” Van Dam says. “I got busted so many times before.

Nobody ever found out, and I could still wrestle.”

This time was different, and it totally changed the course of Van Dam’s life.

By the time the two wrestlers arrived at the arena for the evening’s matches, having posted bail, the management and fans knew about the arrest. The media had reported the event, and Vince McMa-

hon, the owner of WWE, was so furious he walked by the two wrestlers without speaking to them. “I knew that was not good, but we were prepared to wrestle,” says Van Dam. Later that night, McMahon calmly informed Van Dam that he would be suspended for 30 days, urging him to get some rest. Van Dam would have to drop the WWE championship that evening in Philadelphia. He would still have to wrestle, knowing in advance that he’d have to concede the match.

“That was so heartbreaking. I let my fans

and my wife down. I just felt that responsibility even though the marriage was faltering at the time,” he explains. “When I got beat, everyone just started booing and throwing their drinks into the ring.

I was getting pelted, and I was devastated.”

The next night, Van Dam had to drop the ECW championship as well.

This life-altering episode, while distressing, actually brought Van Dam’s life to a better place.

He found himself with renewed passion while becoming healthier and exploring new avenues.

Eventually he got his wrestling career back on track.

Comic Books and Pumping Iron

Van Dam was born and raised in Battle Creek,

Michigan, where he discovered his first love: comic books. He was a fanatic; he had to acquire every comic book with his favorite characters.

“They really captivated my mind,” says Van Dam. When he discovered wrestling in high school, he followed it with the same zeal as one of his comic book characters.

Fate intervened when, at the age of 15, he attended his first wrestling show by the World Wrestling Federation in Battle Creek’s Kellogg Center. A friend of the family and a wrestling insider who Van Dam knew as “Miss T” got him backstage access to greet the wrestlers as they exited the dressing rooms. He was so enthusiastic that Miss T encouraged him to begin lifting weights and to consider a career in professional wrestling.

In high school, coaches had encouraged Van Dam to be lean and mean. But he wanted to bulk up like the professional wrestlers he followed, and he switched to martial arts to gain flexibility and mobility.

He researched wrestling schools, and in December 1989, at the age of 18, Van Dam began to attend training sessions given by The Sheik, a top wrestler and box office attraction in the ’50s and ’60s. Van

“I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT HIDING MY USE OF CANNABIS. I DIDN’T THINK I WAS DOING ANYTHING WRONG.”

JANUARY 2020

–Rob Van Dam

S E N S IM AG.CO M

17

18 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

PHOTOS BY (LEFT) LANCE MAXWELL, (RIGHT) DANIELLE EUGENIA

Dam was bagging groceries to make money for school and was thrilled he could train with The Sheik and still remain in Michigan.

While Van Dam was considered smaller than most wrestlers, he demonstrated his desire, endurance, and ability. His parents were supportive, and Van Dam promised them that if wrestling didn’t work out in two years, he would change careers and attend college.

Talent and determination won him matches with wins in smaller venues. Van Dam understood marketing and would work out in the ring to gain fans. His popularity grew as he toured on the road as a wrestler.

“There was never a guarantee I would be successful, but at the time, I was having a lot of fun,” he says. “Still, there were many times I doubted myself even though others in the field would tell me I was impressive and had some great moves with my martial arts training.”

Finding Focus

The first pivotal shift in his life occurred during an event in Jamaica when Van Dam was 21. The match hadn’t gone well, and after-

ward, a group of wrestlers blasted him, telling him that he would never make it.

It was brutal for him; Van Dam sat on top of a truck by himself and sobbed. He tried to find inner peace with meditation but ripped himself apart instead.

Ironically, to fit in with the same group of wrestlers, Van Dam took his first hit of cannabis at age 21. He had been raised in an era of the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) programs, which emphasized that cannabis was a hallucinogen and gateway drug of addiction and despair. He really didn’t like it at first but soon discovered it helped with his anxiety, eased his physical discomfort, and increased his mental clarity. He also discovered that other athletes smoked it. Van Dam soon became a devotee of cannabis and never hid it from anybody, including bosses, fans, and the media.

He would give interviews about the benefits of cannabis and refused to back down from expressing himself. A T-shirt was created with his famous catchphrase, “RVD 420 means I just smoked your ass.”

Others warned him that his openness with cannabis would get him into trouble and ruin his career. “People need to know the truth. It is not a dangerous drug, and it can help in so many ways,” says Van Dam. “There was so much misinformation.”

Along the way, Van Dam became more determined than ever to become the best wrestler he could. He continued to travel up to 300 days a year, including overseas. His world changed in 1998 when he became a wrestling superstar with the ECW and developed a devoted fan base.

Van Dam helped to change the face of wrestling when WWE bought the rights to ECW. He suggested that McMahon develop a pay-per-view called One Night Stand featuring a more interactive wrestling event in the style of ECW, complete with the throwing of chairs.

As Van Dam’s career accelerated, it became more of a business than a fun way to live life. His marriage suffered, he broke his ankle (his first injury), and he experienced scrutiny and suffered fines with his open use of cannabis.

In 2005, he needed knee surgery and was in rehab most of that year. Van Dam soon realized he was on a treadmill and didn’t know how to stop. He wanted to take more time off but instead went back into the ring, reaching an unbelievable peak of success before the arrest in 2006.

After the Fall

Once Van Dam moved past the devastation of the arrest, he discovered a life he could love living while advocating for cannabis and other issues. He continued to wrestle overseas, hosted a radio show, acted, entertained, and spoke on panels.

While he did get divorced after 20 years, he would find love again. Van Dam was invited back to wrestle for the WWE, which named him the greatest star in ECW history in 2014.

Today, he sets his own schedule and does what he wants to do without the pressure to perform.

Van Dam is happier than ever with his soul mate Katie Forbes in what he calls, “his best relationship ever.” He enjoys his life in Las Vegas, including helping others discover the benefits of CBD and cannabis. He has attempted to retire from wrestling, but he keeps getting pulled back into the ring. Van Dam admits he still loves it.

THE WRESTLER’S CBD With the excessive number of injuries, especially concussions, suffered by wrestlers, suicide and overdoses are the top two reasons wrestlers die young. Rob Van Dam has developed a line of CBD products called RVD CBD, designed to help people who suffer from pain, anxiety, and other medical issues. With his line of CBD, he hopes to reach out specifically to the wrestling community to offer needed relief—and maybe even change the very fabric of wrestling.

rvdcbd.com

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

19

20 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

Is “OK, BOOMER” a slur, a sign of increasing generational conflict, or just a meme-able mic drop?

TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

C

aitlin Fisher, an Ohio writer who describes herself as “queer as hell, autistic, prone to sudden outbursts of encouragement” and a lover of avocados, cats, plants, and soy chai lattes, released a new book this year, The Gaslighting of the Millennial Generation, based on a blog post by the same name that caught Twitter’s fancy and went viral in 2016. “The millennial generation has been tasked with fixing the broken system we inherited and chastised for not doing it right or daring to suggest improvements,” she wrote in the original post. “If you think we’re doing a bad job, ask yourself how it got this way in the first place.”

For Fisher, “OK, boomer”—the catch phrase that has surfaced as a way to dismiss stubborn, intolerant older folks—is nothing new. “We live in a meme culture, and this is a viral punchline,” she says. “It’s the new ‘whatever,’ a mic drop of, ‘I’m not dealing with this anymore.’”

Most boomers were blissfully unaware of the phrase “OK, boomer” until this fall, when a 25-year-old member of the New Zealand Parliament let it fly during a speech about climate change and the New York Times ran a “Style” section piece on it. Nearly every mainstream media outlet followed suit. Establishment boomers, publicly butt-hurt, declared intergenerational war, culminating in 60-year-old radio host Bob Lonsberry calling the phrase “the n-word of ageism” in a tweet he later deleted. Reaction was swift, fierce, JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

21

Order At

HEMPCOSMETICSUSA.COM Use CODE “SENSI ” At Checkout

@wellnesspremiumproducts

www.WellnessPremiumProducts.com 22 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

TALKING ’BOUT MY GENERATION Pundits break US generations into generally accepted categories, though thereʼs hardly universal agreement about when one ends and the next begins. Age can be a powerful predictor of attitudes and behaviors because it denotes where someone was in their lifecycle during specific time periods and historical events. “Boomers” born after 1960 were toddlers during Woodstock and Vietnam and are more likely to identify with The Breakfast Club, not The Big Chill. And the lines between millennials and Gen Z are as fluid as its members. They share a lot of characteristics and have quite a bit in common with their great-grandparentsʼ generation as well.

GREATEST GENERATION: 1901–1925 Conservative, security-oriented, grew up in Depression and came of age during WWII SILENT GENERATION: 1925–1945 Thrifty, moral, conformist, patriotic, came of age as America became a superpower BABY BOOMERS: 1946–1964 Indulged, self-centered, iconoclastic, goal-centric, competitive, came of age during post-WWII boom

GENERATION X: 1965–1980 Freedom-loving, family-oriented, multicultural, jaded, grew up as latch key kids after Watergate and Vietnam MILLENNIALS (A.K.A. GEN Y): 1981–1996 Technological, independent, image-driven, open-minded, ethnically diverse, grew up during peaceful times but lost innocence to 9/11, Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, and the Great Recession GENERATION Z: 1997–2012 Traditional, family- and security-oriented, image-driven, open-minded, collaborative, most diverse (52% non-Hispanic whites), grew up with global terrorism, school shootings, smartphones, and social media

and often hilarious. “You can’t say that, #boomer is our word,” @JazzHendrix tweeted. “But you can say booma.”

Though new to the mainstream media, #OKBoomer has been around awhile. Its first recorded use is in 2015 on 4chan, and it made its way to Reddit by 2017, according to Know Your Meme. In 2018, it erupted in a flurry of tweets responding to politicians criticizing millennials and their successors, Gen Zs, and it’s now a Twitter and Reddit standby.

On the subReddit r/BoomerTears, 17,400 members post “any sour or garbage logic from boomers explaining why they’re special or complaining.” #BoomerAdvice, blasting out-oftouch words of wisdom from you know who, trends pretty regularly on Twitter. And of course, there’s a viral TikTok of a white-haired boomer ranting while a teenager scribbles “OK, Boomer” (flanked with hearts) on his notebook as well as an “OK, booomer” song that has spawned 4,000 TikToks.

Hoodies, t-shirts, phone cases, and stickers emblazoned with the phrase are available on Redbubble and Spreadshirt.

This is not your father’s generation gap; memes

like “OK, boomer” spread exponentially faster in 4G. “We can talk to people across the world, and we have the power to create whole new movements and share information really fast,” Fisher says. “Teenagers are no longer rolling their eyes at the dinner table. Now, teenagers are joining the revolution.”

WHAT IS THIS REVOLUTION? Millennials—along with their predecessors, Gen X, and successors, BEFORE IT WAS OK Gen Z—are angry. And The term baby boomer was first used in a 1963 whether they deserve it Salt Lake City Tribune or not, boomers are takarticle about the spike ing the blame for social of births that occurred and historical factors that during the decade following World War II. haven’t been kind to the generations that followed them. Boomers got college degrees “for the price of a McChicken,” according to one Redditor, while millennials are strapped with record student loan debt. The climate crisis and the rising tide of nationalism, inequality, and economic uncertainty all happened under the boomers’ watch. They elected Donald Trump.

Even to boomers, it’s pretty clear this hippie-cum-capitalist generation kicked a lot of cans down the road while they were chasing profits and partying like it was 1999 (well into the 21st century). “How many world leaders for how many JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

23

c

w

is

h

en

all wom g n i all o love cannab

CONNECT WITH YOURSELF AND OTHERS IN CITIES AROUND THE GLOBE

TOKEATIVITY.COM/CONNECT

24 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

decades have seen and known what is coming but have decided that it is more politically expedient to keep it behind closed doors? My generation and the generations after me do not have that luxury,” Chlöe Swarbrick told the New Zealand Parliament in her climate speech just before she dropped the OK bomb.

Even more maddening, boomers won’t acknowledge that younger generations are being forced to operate in a completely different economy, without the equity and safeguards boomers had and with huge fear about the future. “The world is just different,” says 30-yearold Lindsey Turnbull, who owns an empowerment company for teen and tween girls, MissHeard Media. “We need the adults to acknowledge that and not brush kids’ very real worries off as hormones.”

These millennials are quick to point out that not every boomer is a “boomer” (thank God!).

And furthermore, anyone who is intolerant to new ideas and unwilling to unlearn their biases can be “OK, boomered.”

It’s more about attitude than ageism.

“I know how exhausting it can be to debate with people, especially online, who are really adamant

about not seeing another point of view,” says Turnbull. “‘OK, boomer’ just says you’re not wasting all that time and emotional energy trying to come up with a well-thought-out response when the person on the other side doesn’t listen.”

hoarded all the wealth and polluted the planet in the process; they haven’t had to witness—or deal with the ramifications of—old age and precarity for millions of working people in that generational cohort,” he writes in the Guardian. “Instead they get to revel without self-reflection in oedipal TRENDING ON angst about their elders— WHITE TWITTER many of whom were kind One of the biggest issues many people see with this enough to pass them their ill-gotten privileges.” meme-inspired revoluFisher doesn’t distion is that its guerrillas agree. “It’s important to tend to be of a type—upacknowledge that ‘OK, per-middle-class white youth—and they’re com- boomer’ is about priviplaining about issues like leged older people, baby boomers in Congress who lack of economic opporkeep voting to give themtunity and silencing that people of color have been selves pay raises but don’t dealing with for centuries. want poor older people to have affordable health Black Twitter sees #Okcare,” she says. “While Boomer as nothing more than disrespect for elders. we’re fighting against the “White Brogressives never ‘royal boomer’ we can’t cared about income ineq- ignore the needs of older uity when it was just black people in our communities. Ageism is really serior brown folks on the ous. There’s elder abuse, wrong end of it,” @Wonderbitch82 posted. and medical debt is bankBhaskar Sunkara, found- rupting older Americans. er of Jacobin magazine and We can’t point to all older author of The Socialist Mani- people and say they are the problem the way they festo: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme point to our generation and say we are the probInequality, believes white lem. We have to open up upper middle-class youth the conversation.” who find themselves shut The conversation opens out of the housing market up for Turnbull, who lives and exploited by the gig economy should aim their angst at investment bankers, not boomers. “These young people are surrounded by baby boomers who’ve

in Washington, DC, when she mingles with people of all ages during political marches and protests.

But in many places in the US, opportunities for cross-generational conversation are becoming rare as children are shunted into age-based sports and activities while the elderly are sent to care facilities, says Timiko Tanka, an associate professor of sociology at James Madison University. “As is said in an African proverb, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’” she says. “But today, many children are growing up without such a community.”

Tanka says intergenerational care centers, which are starting to crop up across the country, have been proven to be useful in reducing age-based prejudice and stereotyping. In her Social Gerontology course, students spend at least 20 hours interacting and becoming comfortable with elderly people—so comfortable that by the end of the semester, they’re playing cards together. Schools, care facilities, and municipal governments need to create more opportunities for people to share different perspectives, she says. “‘OK, boomer’ is a warning that we need to find a bridge, not a wall, and have meaningful conversation,” says Tanka.

JANUARY 2020

Generationalism: the systematic appeal to the concept of generation in narrating the social and political as a way of explaining political and social shifts.

SOURCE: Baby Boomers and Generational Conflict by Jenny Bristow (2015)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robyn Griggs Lawrence is the author of the bestselling Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook and the recently released Pot in Pans: A History of Eating Cannabis.

S E N S IM AG.CO M

25

SPECIAL REPORT

ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT While legalization is on a roll, these six ridiculous cannabis laws and regulations made it onto the books across the country.

TEXT LINDSEY BARTLETT

26 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

C

annabis prohibition is falling like an old empire across the United States. Yet not all new laws and regulations surrounding cannabis are winners. There are many laws in legal marijuana markets, both medical and adult-use, that are not based on data but are in fact quite arbitrary. At best, these regulations are off-base. At worst, they are curtailing access for medical patients who desperately need to access their medication. Laws have forced patients, adult consumers, and cannabis companies alike to jump through unnecessary hoops in order to get weed. But why?

Lawmakers have predisposed notions of what would happen if weed became legal. Unfortunately, many of the laws you see today were written by people coming from the perspective of a deeply ingrained “Reefer Madness” culture. Those in charge fear repercussions that are simply not backed by the data. When laws are developed through that lens, they are not likely to make a lot of sense.

It will take time to iron out these regulations, but someday they will be history. Fingers crossed. Here are six ridiculous, arbitrary, and damaging cannabis laws across the country.

NO RESTROOMS ALLOWED In West Hollywood, a lot of attention has been given to the country’s first open cannabis consumption lounge licensee. The Original Cannabis Cafe (previously known as Lowell Farms) has one bizarre quirk in its regulations forced by zoning. The restroom, formerly a part of the building located within the walls of the restaurant, had to be built out with a separate entrance.

The café owners told Sensi they were asked to disconnect the bathroom from the main building space.

This forces customers to exit the front door and walk around the exterior of the building to use the restroom. Before opening its doors in October 2019, the restaurant scrambled to comply with this seemingly arbitrary building requirement.

As far as zoning is concerned, cannabis consumption needs to happen in a closed space. It is all very confusing. But the first cannabis consumption licenses to get off the ground will undoubtedly have some kinks.

LIMITED LINEUP Yes, there is a medical marijuana program in New York.

No, it is not making a dent in the demand in the unlicensed market. This can be attributed to the state’s strict regulations, which make it so the only available products are items that aren’t as popular with medical patients.

Products in New York are limited to edible cannabis concentrate oil, capsules, or topicals. You can’t smoke it. Keep in mind, the allowable cannabis concentrate oil is not the same as the popular oils you’d dab with or put in a vape pen. You also can’t buy edibles that are already made with cannabis. Just capsules. New York consumers and patients do not have the option of regular ol’ flower.

This tight restriction on the products available for sale has deterred many cannabis patients, store owners, and cultivators from participating. While its medical program was enacted in 2014 by the Compassionate Care Act, the state has fewer than 30 medical dispensaries five years later.

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

27

28 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

ENVIRONMENTALLY UNFRIENDLY All the largest markets have one unfortunate regulation in common: You cannot recycle or reuse any cannabis packaging. In Oregon, plastic childproof containers are required, but once the container is used to store cannabis, it is not allowed to be recycled, meaning all this plastic packaging ends up in landfills. The Bureau of Cannabis Control in California and Washington State laws make recycling products difficult.

Colorado does not have any language in place for the recycling of cannabis containers.

It will become a Goliath issue if these laws are not amended to make practical recycling a part of the cannabis industry. Companies want to recycle, and they want a safe and effective way to reuse the old vape cartridges that are brought back into the store. Bad news is, because of these strict state regulations, they can’t. One solution companies are finding is to begin with recycled and reclaimed plastic, like products made by Sana. An innovative company called TerraCycle offers another solution in melting down and cleaning cannabis packaging waste. But like all other industries grappling with the plastic problem, the most impactful changes will be made top-down, not at the consumer level.

NOT FIT TO PRINT Marketing regulations for the cannabis industry are a patchwork of chaos. There remain a limited number of ways that companies can advertise, and those laws vary state-by-state. Facebook and Instagram have gone out of their way to shadow ban cannabis companies, sometimes deleting the accounts of licensed, legal businesses. Google AdWords doesn’t play nicely with cannabis companies either, offering payment ad options to very few exceptions. In Colorado, you can’t advertise on billboards, on mobile, in banners, or in handout leaflets. California allows cannabis companies to advertise on billboards, but there is currently a lawsuit attempting to ban that method.

As a result of this mess, the industry has gotten creative with advertising. This very magazine is one avenue that exists without restriction, paving the way for marketing in the cannabis world.

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

29

Cannabis Cultivators Las Vegas #1 Trusted

Grow Houses & Cultivation Facilities Air Conditioning Company

• Confidentiality & Non-Disclosure • Background Checked Staff • Licensed - Bonded - Insured • Certified Technicians

(702) 331-3333

scheduling@myacguys.com | christy.garcia@myacguys.com

www.MyACGuys.com

30 L AS V EGAS

JA N UARY 2020

CASH OR… CASH States that legalize cannabis want cannabis tax money. But they don’t allow companies to have a safe way to pay their bills, pay their employees, and to store revenue. Until the SAFE Banking Act makes its way through the Senate and eventually to the desk of President Trump, there is a massive regulatory issue.

Dispensaries across the country are forced to operate as cash-only businesses—in a cash-only billion-dollar industry.

Stripe, Square, and other payment apps are cracking down not only on cannabis businesses, including CBD businesses, but on ancillary companies as well.

Hopefully a solution will be found in the SAFE Banking Act. Cannabis businesses need to be able to lean on legitimate financial institutions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lindsey Bartlett has been writing about cannabis since 2012. An advocate and 10-year medical cannabis patient, her work has been featured in Yahoo Finance, Benzinga, and The Cannabist.

MANDATORY MONOPOLY Some cannabis regulations go so far as to defy capitalism at its core. In Vermont’s medical cannabis program, for example, a registered patient must choose one—and only one—dispensary to buy from.

Patients can change their designated dispensary, but only once every 30 days, and only for a $50 fee. The cost is an access issue for many medical patients.

Another peculiar move for Vermont: while any 21plus adult can legally grow two mature and four immature plants for personal use outside in the sunshine (fenced yard, screened from public view), medical cannabis patients must grow indoors if they want to take advantage of the higher plant count available to them (seven immature).

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

31

Courtesy of Constellation Catering / constellationcatering.com

I N G R E DIE N TS

3 ounces vodka Splash of Worcestershire sauce Splash of lemon juice Splash of Tabasco sauce Splash of steak sauce Dash of pepper 8 ounces tomato juice Cherry tomatoes, halved Dried orange slice

32 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

IN STRUCTION S

• Pour vodka into a pint glass with ice.

• Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, steak sauce, and pepper.

• Add tomato juice and stir vigorously.

• Garnish with cherry tomatoes and a dried orange slice.

A Toast to Time Celebrate with cocktails full of flavor and history.

TEXT DEBBIE HALL

If you want to keep the party going, this month gives you great excuses to do just that. In January alone, we get to celebrate National Bloody Mary Day, National Hot Buttered Rum Day, and Irish Coffee Day. Explore these recipes and expand your drink palate into the new year.

PHOTOS (FROM LEFT): JOANN TRASCH / JULES STONE / DARIA OBYMAHA

Raise one to the Sun Bloody Mary

One Way to Wake Up

Bloody Mary Day: January 1 A Bloody Mary combines vodka, tomato juice, spices, and flavorings, including Worcestershire sauce, hot sauces, garlic, herbs, horseradish, celery, olives, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, lime juice, and celery salt. Legend has it that the Bloody Mary was invented in the 1920s in a bar in Paris or in the 1930s in a bar in New York City, depending on who is telling the tale.

The Perfect Hot Buttered Rum Courtesy of Collins Hot Buttered Rum

IN GREDIENTS

INST RUCT IONS

• Heat water in a 2 tablespoons Collins Hot Buttered pan, stir in Collins Rum cocktail mix Hot Buttered Rum 1½ ounces spiced rum cocktail mix and rum.

1 cup water • Pour into a coffee Cinnamon for garnish mug and garnish

with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

• For a variation, top with whipped cream and Collins Orange Twist in Syrup.

Uphold the Tradition

Original Irish Coffee I N G R E D I E N TS

IN STRUCTION S

• Heat the coffee, 3 ounces hot, brewed coffee whiskey, and sugar 1 ounce Irish whiskey in a pan without bringing it to a boil.

1 tablespoon brown sugar • Pour into glass and 1 ounce fresh cream top with cream.

Hot Buttered Rum Day: January 17 There is still a chill in the air, and hot buttered rum takes the sting out of colder temps. This mixed drink contains rum, butter, cider, and various spices. The original drink dates back to the colonial days. Today Collins Hot Buttered Rum cocktail mix (pictured at right) makes it easy to whip up and enjoy this warm treat.

A Kick in Your Coffee

Irish Coffee Day: January 25 Different variations of Irish coffee cocktails have been in existence for the past 100 years. Irish coffee is a drink blending hot coffee, Irish whiskey, and sugar, stirred and then topped with cream. When the evening temperatures dip, this is the perfect way to end the night.

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

33

34 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

JOIN THE CAUSE

THE LIFE

Las Vegas NORML lvnorml.org

AC T I V I S M

RISE UP! PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAS VEGAS NORML

Las Vegas NORML chapter continues the fight. TEXT JOSH KASOFF

The Las Vegas chapter lature Session, Las Vegas of the National OrganiNORML’s travels to and zation for the Reformaadvocacy in Carson City, tion of Marijuana Laws Nevada, were critical in (NORML) is gearing up the passing of several for 2020. The Las Vegas cannabis reform meaChapter, established in sures. Most notably is 2017, joins other pioneers Assembly Bill 132, which of cannabis advocacy. prohibits employers from NORML was founded in denying employment 1970 by activist and atdue to a positive cantorney Keith Stroup, and nabis result on a drug active local chapters con- screening. Throughout tinue the fight. the months leading to Multiple times during its national conference the 2019 Nevada Legisin Washington, DC, Las

Vegas NORML hosted pop-ups in several dispensaries across the city to collect constituent signatures in support of federal cannabis reform bills. The thousands of collected signatures were subsequently delivered to those representing Nevada in the nation’s capital.

Most recently, Las Vegas NORML organized the entire 40-subject catalog of panel discussions at the 2019 CBD.io con-

vention and trade show.

More than 120 knowledgeable panelists about subjects relevant to CBD and cannabis participated in discussions on marketing, advertising, sexual health, politics, and culinary arts.

At the national conference, the Nevada chapter’s director and a powerhouse of cannabis activism across the Battle Born State, Madisen Saglibene, was declared 2019 NORML Activist of the Year. Saglibene’s award combined with the actions of the local chapters are a testament to the true strength and scope of the NORML chapters.

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

35

36 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

THE LIFE P O P C U LT U R E

Childhood Revisited Skye Art Gallery brings back memories.

PHOTOS BY DANIELLE EUGENIA

TEXT DEBBIE HALL

What do Dr. Seuss, Peanuts, and comic books have in common in Las Vegas? Skye Art Gallery exhibits a compelling selection of beloved memories and action genre as art.

The gallery is the official Nevada dealer for “The Art of Dr. Seuss” collection, including “The Cat Behind the Hat!” artworks.

Theodor “Ted” Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was a prolific artist as well as an illustrator who created a series of art pieces that would be cherished throughout time.

The comic strip Peanuts was first published in 1950 and continues to be part of the culture with tele-

vision specials still being broadcast for new generations. Limited edition prints of the characters of Peanuts define nostalgia while bringing a new appreciation.

The gallery also features the work of Darryl McDaniels, a co-founding member of Run DMC, who moved on from making rap music to publishing comic books. The collection “The Art of Darryl Makes Comics” is on view at the gallery. His work encompasses a 1980s vibe incorporating street art and illustration with the action set in 1985.

Mixed-media artist Karl SoCal, also represented by Skye Gallery, uses repurposed shotgun shells to

craft his artwork. Using this method, he has created portraits of Stan Lee, Robert De Niro, and Jack Nicholson.

Vanessa and Elena Skye sought to develop a new dimension of creativity in the Las Vegas art scene when they opened Skye Art Gallery. Vanessa obtained her degree in art history and knew she always wanted to be part of the art world.

After living and working in museums in New York City, she discovered art galleries in Vegas and decided she would open a gallery on the Strip. “I love art that is colorful, fun, and lighthearted. I am thrilled when people walk in, and they smile,” Vanessa says.

JANUARY 2020

GO THERE

Skye Art Gallery The Forum Shops at Ceasars 3500 Las Vegas Blvd. S. skyeartgallery.com

S E N S IM AG.CO M

37

38 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

THE LIFE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mona Van Joseph has been predicting the potential of her clients since 2002. She is an author and columnist who hosts Psychic View Radio weekly. mona.vegas

HOROSCOPE

ANNUAL FOURCAST

The number 2020 vibes to the number four. How will that affect the coming year?

TEXT MONA VAN JOSEPH

The sum of the numbers of the last year of the decade is four. Four is the number of foundation and structure.

This is the year of establishing your legacy. Wills, trusts, inheritances, and the settling of old affairs will be a priority. The faster any pending legal issues are concluded, the better it will be for you moving forward.

This is where you leave your home each day with the vibration that things are squared away.

Do not worry about those people who haven’t taken care of their issues; just gently remind them that you are

taking care of yours.

This is not a time of preaching what you know to be right for you. Wait until you are asked for your advice. Each of us knows what’s right for us (if we are still enough to relax into our spirit).

Think of the things and people around you as treasures.

They are your foundation for the upcoming years.

This decade is ending on the vibration of setting things in order, so that means that you are establishing the energy for the next decade (beginning in 2021) with the structure of what you set in place in 2020.

Also, 2020 can be considered a “Master Year,” because of the number 22.

It resonates with the master builder, so think of large projects where the attention to detail is respected, honored, and celebrated. The number 22 is also the only master number where its digits can be multiplied or added together to reach the sum of four. Because the energy revolves around setting things in order, you will find that your awareness of what’s most important will be what attracts your attention.

Some cultures resist the number four

in the same way we avoid the number 13.

In languages such as Mandarin and Japanese, the word “four” sounds identical to the word for “death.” In this case, however, that death is not an actual ending of life; it is the end of irresponsibility. It is the freedom that comes from being disciplined enough to plan, from here, your future.

The year 2020 will be one for checking the details of everything before making any decision and not a year of shortcutting anything.

Purge away any old, unused items and sage your home on New Year’s Day

(or as close to the beginning of the month as possible).

It’s a lovely ritual to cleanse away any negativity from the previous year.

Have flat surfaces in your home become a cluttered menagerie where dust bunnies lurk?

Then it’s time to get rid of that clutter. Even those clothes that still have the tags on them could be returned or donated to an organization that helps people restart their lives.

THINK OF THE THINGS AND PEOPLE AROUND YOU AS TREASURES. THEY ARE YOUR FOUNDATION FOR THE UPCOMING DECADE.

See your individual astrology forecast for January 2020 at vegasastrology.com, and download the Dice Wisdom app to keep you focused on what’s most important to your spirit in 2020.

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

39

Dining Escape Cottonwood Station Eatery is Blue Diamond’s newest gathering spot.

TEXT DEBBIE HALL

The historic mining village of Blue Diamond, 18 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip, is now home to a community café.

Cottonwood Station Eatery offers fresh, healthy options for tour40 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

ists visiting the area or cyclists, runners, climbers, and hikers fueling up after an outdoor adventure. For those who want to escape the neon lights of the city, it’s the perfect location to enjoy some quiet time

with the gleaming strip in the distance.

Cottonwood Station Eatery is a dream come true for Steve Enger and Jody Lyman, 12-year residents of Blue Diamond.

The couple decided

to pay homage to the town’s roots by naming the eatery after the community’s original name, Cottonwood Springs.

Another nod to the past is the refurbished 1949 Ford truck, its bed

GO THERE

PHOTOS COURTESY OF COTTONWOOD STATION EATERY

Cottonwood Station Eatery 14 Cottonwood Dr., Blue Diamond cottonwoodstationeatery.com

now built with seating for eight on an outdoor patio. Walls made with reclaimed wood saved from the original garages exhibit the area’s history with black and white photos, including a tribute to Tippy, the dog that helped save two miners. Art by local artisans, including Lyman, is also showcased and available for purchase.

A clean menu inspired by the couple’s life and

travels includes organic and locally sourced ingredients when available.

Enjoy locally roasted coffee by Desert Wind Coffee Roasters, herbal teas, assorted housemade muffins, scones, cookies, and frittatas.

Lunch and dinner offer a variety of paninis, with fresh multigrain or white bread, such as The Woodworks (bacon, white cheddar, tomato, béchamel). Artisan

Another nod to the past is the refurbished 1949 Ford truck, its bed now built with seating for eight on an outdoor patio.

pizzas made in a traditional domed pizza oven include the margherita, pepperoni, pancetta fig, and vegetarian. Caesar, broccoli, beet, and garden salads add that green factor.

The scenic dining destination for breakfast, lunch, and dinner serves the Red Rock Conservation area with 48 seats indoor and 67 outside on a pet-friendly patio complete with a fire pit.

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

41

MAKES SENSE TO

ADVERTISERS INCOME

AG E

E D U C AT I O N

$100K

103,840

60%

PLUS THE ANNUAL INCOME OF

25% OF OUR READERS

OVERALL

MONTHLY READERSHIP

35-75 YEAR OLDS 56.8% OF OUR READERS

$200K+ 24-34 EARN PER HOUSEHOLD 11.8% OF OUR READERSHIP

THE AGES OF OUR 2ND STRONGEST

MARKET WITH 25.1%

COLLEGE GRADUATES

THE MAJORITY OF OUR READERS

HAVE AT LEAST ONE DEGREE

27% OF OUR READERSHIP HAVE A MASTER’S DEGREE OR HIGHER

ADVERTISE WITH US

(720) 504-6557 INFO@SENSIMAG.COM

Numbers are based on a 2019 independent audit of the Denver/Boulder Edition from MEDIA AUDIT

PREMIERE OF R.U.N WHERE: LUXOR HOTEL AND CASINO WHEN: NOV. 14, 2019 PHOTOS: ETHAN MILLER FOR GETTY IMAGES

O

THE SCENE HIGH SOCIETY

On the R.U.N R.U.N, a live-action thriller produced by Cirque du Soleil, takes audiences on a heart-pounding ride with nonstop car chases, flying fists, combat stunts, and lost love using cutting-edge technology and innovative multimedia. The gritty, graphic novel–inspired production showcases strong characters fighting dark forces.

The celebrity-studded red carpet event included Tyler Bates, creator of the showʼs soundtrack and former lead guitarist of Marilyn Manson and Dana White, Ultimate Fighting Championship president, along with other musicians and several members of the Vegas Golden Knights organization.

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

43

In Vegas, January celebrates everything from spaghetti to technology to people who made a difference like Martin Luther King Jr. TEXT DEBBIE HALL

What do you have planned for the New Year? Attend more plays, concerts, and art gallery openings? Las Vegas offers an abundance of activities to feed the mind, embrace the body, and expand the soul. One of the biggest conventions of the year, organized by the Consumer Technology Association and known locally as CES, comes to town, bringing the latest in technology to a whole new level. The temps might be chilly (for Vegas) but the beauty of the desert calls for new fitness goals. Sharing with others can become a new tradition in the spirit of serving others.

44 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

Jan. 2 Winchester Dondero Cultural Center, Las Vegas clarkcountynv.gov

Everyone is invited to celebrate with Clark County Poet Laureate Heather Lang-Cassera with a poetry reading at the new Little Free Library. Guests are encouraged to bring poetry books to donate, or plan to read a poem or two.

At the Little Free Library, anyone may take a book or leave a book.

First Friday Jan. 3 Arts District, Las Vegas ffflv.org

A Night at the Opera with Vegas City Opera Jan. 4 Amargosa Opera House, Death Valley vegascityopera.org

National Spaghetti Day Jan. 4 Sixth+Mill Ristorante, Las Vegas sixthandmill.com

Local Creatives Meetup Jan. 6 PublicUS, Las Vegas theworkshopdowntown.com

PHOTO BY NICK FEWINGS

On the Calendar

Little Free Library + Poetry Reading

THE SCENE CA L E N DA R

LEFT: LIBRARY + POETRY READING TOP RIGHT: CRY IT OUT TOP MIDDLE: PREVIEW LAS VEGAS BOTTOM: UNLV JAZZ SERIES

CES Jan. 7–10 Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas ces.tech

The Poets’ Corner Jan. 17 West Las Vegas Arts Center, Las Vegas artslasvegas.org

Escape to Margaritaville Jan. 7–12 The Smith Center, Las Vegas thesmithcenter.com

UNLV Jazz Concert Series: Honors Trio

PHOTOS (FOM TOP): MATTHEW HENRY / JENS THEKKEVEETTIL

Jan. 8 Clark County Library, Las Vegas lvccld.org

This concert series features performances by exceptional student groups from the UNLV School of Music, Division of Jazz and Commercial Music. The show is free and open to the public with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Preview Las Vegas Jan. 17 Wynn Las Vegas, Las Vegas lvchamber.com

Preview Las Vegas is presented by the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce and features national speakers, industry leaders, and economic experts in a conference and trade show event. In a fireside chat, National Football League (NFL) Commissioner Roger Goodell will share

his perspective, which is particularly relevant with Las Vegas joining the roster of cities with a home NFL team.

Moscow Nights and the Golden Gates: An Evening of Russian Folk Music, Dance & Stories Jan. 18 Windmill Library, Las Vegas lvccld.org

Shot Show

Cry It Out

Jan. 21–24 Sands Expo Center, Las Vegas shotshow.org

Jan. 31 Clark County Library, Las Vegas apublicfit.org

The largest trade show for target shooting, recreational outdoors activities, and law enforcement products.

Meet Michael Summers Jan. 24–25 Skye Art Gallery, Las Vegas skyeartgallery.com

Martin Luther King Day Parade Repertory Dance Jan. 20 Theatre: Voyage…

Downtown Las Vegas A Multi-Cultural kingweeklasvegas.com Dance Journey Jan. 27 Clark County Library, Las Vegas lvccld.org

In this staged reading of Molly Smith Metzler’s play, new mothers and neighbors Lina and Jessie become fast friends during their daily coffee breaks and nap times despite their vastly different backgrounds.

However, when a man and his wife from a mansion up the way intrude into their conversations, intimate discussions change dramatically.

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

45

P R O M O T I O N A L F E AT U R E T H E A /C G U YS

Refining The Cultivation Climate The A/C Guys Cooling and Heating Systems company helps keep the environment perfect.

N

o matter where the grow facility is located, keeping a perfect environment for plants to thrive is a matter of balancing humidity, airflow, and heat management. The sometimes overlooked importance of the cultivation climate inside a grow operation is getting more attention today, in part because of the spread of grow operations in different parts of the country where heat and humidity vary widely. But also in response to a need for a better-controlled environment to grow what informed growers know to be a sensitive, demanding plant.

“The importance of climate control in a cultivation facility is one of the

both dehumidify and condition spaces, and have installed redundant systems in case of power outages and/or mechanical failures.

Their systems are equipped with remote monitoring software for various mobile and desktop operating systems that can give a real-time analysis of the condition of the space with text, email, and phone alerts if conditions fall out of predetermined parameters.

The A/C Guys also specialize in unique stand-alone dehumidification units and mini-split systems for smaller heating and cooling systems to more accurately control the temperature for each of the spaces in the cultivation facility.

Another vital area that the company helps its customers address is proper filtration and sterilization to reduce the chances of any unwanted particles or bacteria infiltrating the product or space.

“With all this, and considering the clients’ budget, we also engineer efficient systems that will save our customers on their power consumption to try and offset the high overhead of running such a facility,” says Marshall.

Christy Garcia, managing partner for The A/C Guys, added that for the Las Vegas summer climate, typically the air conditioning bill is one of the highest portions of a cultivation facility’s energy consumption. “So anything we can do to help is important,” she says.

“We can customize anything they need. We go in, and they tell us what they are looking for, and whatever the case, we can find solutions that suit their needs.”

most highly addressed ingredients in producing a quality product,” explains Chris Marshall, managing partner of The A/C Guys Cooling and Heating Systems, a heating, venting, and air-conditioning business. The A/C Guys is an 11-year-old family-owned and operated full-service HVAC company serving customers in southern Nevada.

“Ensuring that temperatures and humidity levels are stable and within the range has been a crucial aspect for our past clients, with power factors being a close second,” says Marshall.

The A/C Guys have developed a comprehensive and systematic The A/C Guys approach to obtaining and sustaining HVAC Maintenance goals in HVAC, engineering systems to myacguys.com

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

47

Serving All Your Las Vegas & Henderson Real Estate Needs IImakeeeachhoffmyyclientssfeelllikeetheyyaree myyonlyyclienttbyyprovidinggprofessional,, knowledgeable,,prompttanddpersonalizedd serviceeeIIhaveesystemssanddproceduress whichhallowwmeetoogiveethattlevelloff attentionntooeachhoffmyyclientsssIIammthee trusteddresourceeforrcurrenttmarkett conditionssanddhelppmyyclientssfullyy co understanddtheeentireeprocessssIInegotiatee vigorouslyyanddaggressivelyyonnmyyclient'ss behalfffIIprovideealllofftheseeservicesswhilee adheringgtootheehighesttlevelloffethics,, integrity,,anddprofessionalismm

Q: Which U.S. President Asked Congress To Decriminalize Cannabis?

A: Jimmy Carter

Located in The District at Green Valley Ranch 2225 Village Walk Dr. #260, Henderson, NV 89052

tom.soileau@gmail.com 702-340-1577 www.FineHomeLivingLasVegas.com NV RE Lic # S.0170476

48 L AS V EGAS

JA N UARY 2020

Within ďŹ rst six months of taking oďŹƒce, President Jimmy Carter was candid about cannabis. During a 1977 address to Congress, he asked they abolish federal penalties for possession. If we know this much about cannabis, imagine what we know to Lift Your Business.

P R O M O T I O N A L F E AT U R E I D E A L B U S I N E S S PA R T N E R S

IDEAL Business Partners How many cannabis businesses will go up in smoke?

T

he money made and lost could be staggering for cannabis. The cannabis industry is poised to make $16 billion this year, but most business owners and investors will still lose their shirts for one simple reason. Most are raising funds without following federal rules and regulations that apply to all businesses—even those that aren’t considered federally legal and seem to fall outside of those guidelines.

“There are certain state and federal requirements that all businesses that receive money from family members, friends, and investors are obligated to follow,” says attorney Glenn Truitt, managing partner for Las Vegas-based IDEAL Business Partners (IDEAL).

“These laws were installed to protect

cannabis client came to IDEAL two and half years ago. The owner of a cannabis business wanted to sell to a Canadian public company, and it needed Nevada counsel. IDEAL had to work closely with Nevada state regulators and helped to develop statewide standards.

“That transaction introduced us to the industry very early,” says Truitt.

“So while many legal and financial firms try to keep clear of cannabis, based on federal illegality and the inability to bank, we became problem solvers that Nevada really needed.”

The initial transaction led IDEAL to provide both buy-side and sell-side representation to various clients and has resulted in the cannabis vertical becoming a significant part of its firm.

According to Truitt, this is what makes his boutique firm unique. It is one of the few in Las Vegas that specializes in law, finance, and strategy.

Co-founders Glenn Truitt and David Housey head IDEAL. Truitt is an attorney with 15 years experience. Housey is a former Certified Public Accountant, commercial banker, equity research analyst, and serial CFO. “We’re doing what we can to help new and existing cannabis businesses audit their operations for SEC compliance issues and then work with them to ensure they are compliant,” says Truitt.

He says cannabis business owners should read the educational white paper produced by his firm on 420legalbreak.com. IDEAL is also open to providing consultation to determine the best course of action for any business.

unsophisticated investors from unscrupulous hawkers. They also apply to cannabis businesses.”

The challenge is the amount of misinformation out there. Many owners are collecting capital from family, friends, consultants, and other investors without considering their greatest risk—private security laws.

“The US Securities and Exchange Commission fully regulates how businesses can and cannot raise money for equity,” he says. “These rules have existed for nearly 100 years and still guide the purchase of securities. The challenge our firm has had is that 80 percent of cannabis businesses don’t realize that these regulations apply to them.”

IDEAL Business Partners Truitt’s firm has successfully navCannabis Business Management igated these waters. The firm’s first idealbusinesspartners.com

JANUARY 2020

S E N S IM AG.CO M

49

THE END

Lee Canyon Goes Big The best little ski area in Vegas opens its arms and gives back.

Vegas’s local ski area never gets the respect it deserves. Never mind the fact that people who don’t live here have a different image in their minds when you say Sin City serves up some great powder. Just a 45-minute drive from the Strip, Lee Canyon records a decent average of 161 inches of the white stuff every year. The resort’s three lifts put beginners and intermediates out on 385 skiable acres. While that may not sound like much, it’s the expert terrain here that makes the powder hounds drool.

Core skiers and riders can hike beyond the top lifts for 1,919 vertical feet of un50 L AS V EGAS

JA N UA RY 2020

tracked chutes and glades that have the feel of Jackson Hole or Alta. That’s a godsend to those from cold climates who have moved to the desert but miss the thrill of big lines.

Don’t ski? No worries. This year, Lee Canyon cut the ribbon on a brand-new 10,000-square-foot lodge that general manager Dan Hooper calls the resort’s biggest undertaking since the ski area opened in 1964. With a sunny deck facing the slopes and a bistro slinging gastronomic treats and cocktails, you can après all day long. Hillside Lodge will host weddings in an alpine setting and make Lee Canyon a

destination even in lean snow years.

This winter, be sure to mark January 11 on your calendar, when the resort will host the fifth-annual Chris Ruby Cup. The banked slalom competition will raise funds for the Nevada Donor Network, a nonprofit that ensures people in need can get lifesaving organs and tissues. The event is named for snowboarder and registered organ donor Chris Ruby, who died in 2014 and whose organs and tissues have benefited 90 patients.

In its past four seasons, the event has registered more than 500 organ donors. leecanyonlv.com

PHOTO BY LIAM DORAN

TEXT DOUG SCHNITZSPAHN

Eva Littman, MD, F.A.C.O.G.

Amity Hererra, PA-C

Voted “Top Doc” in Fertility Trained at Duke & Stanford Universities

15 Years in Reproductive Endocrinology Trained at UCSD & Western Universities

redrockfertility.com • 702.262.0079 • 9120 W Russell Rd, Ste 200, Las Vegas, NV 89148