Sensi Magazine—Southern Colorado (Summer 2020) by Sensi Magazine

I S O U T H E R N C O LO R A D O S U M M E R 2020

STAY STRONG

Don’t let 2020 keep you from being your best ›››

MADE FOR BLISS

The power of the endocannabinoid system

Trinidad's Friendliest Dispensary No Waiting Room Pet Friendly 33% Of Profits Go To Local Charities

www.FaragosiFarms.com 719-846-2310 118 Sante Fe Trail, Trinidad, CO 81082

Thank You! TO OUR INCREDIBLE FAMILY & COMMUNITY

FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO! TO OUR CUSTOMERS

I want to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU. I appreciate your support during these uncertain times while we work to keep our stores safe, clean, shelves stocked, and open. The Maggie’s Family has been humbled by the kindness you continue to show us, and more importantly, to each other.

TO OUR ASSOCIATES

I am astonished with your operational excellence and grateful for you, you are the real heroes in this story! Your commitment to Maggie’s Farm and our communities is absolutely inspiring. From our Support Staff to our Farmers and all of our Retail Associates working on the front lines, we couldn’t do what we do without you, THANK YOU. After 10 great years in business, we know we can get through any challenge together. Bill Conkling & Your Maggie’s Farm Family

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SOUTHERN COLORADO SENSI MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020

sensimediagroup @sensimagazine @sensimag

F E AT U R E S

28 18

Body Made for Bliss

Did you know you have an endocannabinoid system? You do. So why haven’t you heard about it?

D E PA R T M E N T S

9 EDITOR’S NOTE 18 THE LIFE Contributing to your health and happiness 10 THE BUZZ STAY STRONG How to News, tips, and tidbits to keep you in the loop

CENTENNIEL CELEBRATION

An ode to 100 years of women’s suffrage PURE APPINESS The app to lift your spirits BASKIN THE GOODNESS

CBD for athletes GROWING POPULARITY

Why houseplant sales have spiked in the US VETS’ RIGHTS The team fighting for veterans’ access to cannabis SWEET RELEAF Papa & Barkley’s new lotion

keep fit during the garbage fire that is 2020 HOROSCOPE What the stars hold for you LET’S NOT MEAT Confessions of a carnivore

36 THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip

hangouts around town TASTE BUDS Upcycled cuisine in the Centenniel State DIGITAL DETOX Unplug in the name of self-care ON THE COVER HOLD THE GLUTEN A new Yikes. 2020 has gone to shit. way to handle mixed Here’s how to keep your diets in mixed company body from following suit. PHOTO BY JACOB LUND, ADOBE STOCK

50 THE END A poet and climate change activist reflects on the power of making a difference.

S U M M E R 2020

S E N S I M AG .C O M

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S O U T H E R N C O LO R A D O

SUMMER 2020

EXECUTIVE

Ron Kolb Founder, CEO ron@sensimag.com Stephanie Wilson Co-Founder, Editor in Chief stephanie@sensimag.com Mike Mansbridge President mike@sensimag.com Fran Heitkamp Chief Operating Officer fran@sensimag.com Lou Ferris VP of Global Revenue lou@sensimag.com Chris Foltz Director of Global Reach chris@sensimag.com Jade Kolb Director of Project Management jade.kolb@sensimag.com Kristan Toth Head of People kristan.toth@sensimag.com EDITORIAL

Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com Leland Rucker Senior Editor leland.rucker@sensimag.com Robyn Griggs Lawrence Editor at Large robyn.lawrence@sensimag.com Helen Olsson Copy Chief Melissa Howsam Senior Copy Editor

Meryl Howsam, Bevin Wallace Copy Editors Dawn Garcia, John Lehndorff, Mona Van Joseph, Liz Wilson Contributing Writers DESIGN

Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director Wendy Mak, Kiara Lopez, Josh Clark, Jason Jones Designers PUBLISHING

Liana Cameris Publisher liana.cameris@sensimag.com Nicholas Sheppard Associate Publisher nicholas.sheppard@sensimag.com B U S I N E S S /A D M I N

Amber Orvik Administrative Director amber.orvik@sensimag.com Neil Willis Production Manager neil.willis@sensimag.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

“The new normal” is the tagline we at Sensi

have been using since our inception; it appeared on every cover prior to our redesign in December 2019—roughly 200 magazines emblazoned with the phrase. We used it to highlight cannabis’s transition into the mainstream, and during the early days of COVID-19, we watched it become the official catchphrase of the pandemic. “The New Normal.” How else could you describe it? With that, I welcome you to Sensi’s new new normal, which looks a great deal different than some five months and a lifetime ago. Way back then, we were printing local magazines in 14 markets across the country, with a 15th (Metro Maryland) slated to launch April. Our creative team was in the midst of sending those editions to print when COVID-19 started to pick up steam. After some hard conversations with our leadership team, we made the call to hit pause for a variety of reasons, namely that our points of distribution were not going to be distributing during a global pandemic. We were optimistic that we’d be back by June. Then we thought we’d return in July. I’m writing this on August 7 as those refreshed April editions work their way to being published in the next few days, if all goes as planned. Little these days is going as planned, for better and for worse. But if there’s a silver lining to this chaos, it may be that it’s forced us to slow down and examine our lives— to really consider the why and how behind it. It provided a chance to stop the constant doing and start thinking about whether those are the right goals to be aiming for at all. It allowed us to examine our business piece by piece, strip down to the basics and rebuild using the lessons we stumbled our way through. We’re guided by one mission: to serve our readers and communities by focusing on connection—to information, to each other, to businesses and brands that meet your needs. That’s why, for the first time in Sensi’s history, we won’t be printing magazines. Going all-digital this month helps us increase our reach without compromising the quality our readers expect. We hope to return to print in the not-too-distant future—perhaps no one more than me. I believe in the power of print. But I also believe in evolution, and the way people consume information is changing. By limiting ourselves to print, we were limiting our impact. But now, with a fresh digital strategy that entails both dynamic local content as well as fully designed digital magazines created by the award-winning team at Em Agency, we’ve got the best of both worlds, and I’m excited to introduce you to the first phase of Sensi’s new digital universe. We’re almost ready to take the scaffolding off Phase 2, so be sure to check back and see what we’ve got planned in order to continue to bring our new normal into the new-new normal of the world. Thank you for being here with us as we rebuild—better than we were before.

M E D I A PA R T N E R S

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

Stephanie Wilson @stephwilll S U M M E R 2020

S E N S I M AG .C O M

—Nineteenth Amendment of the US Constitution

S O U T H E R N C O LO R A D O

all yet had been omitted from the political process. Also obvious: the best way to celebrate this centennial, regardless of gender, is to exercise your right to influence politics by casting a ballot in November in what will be This month marks the 100th anniversary one of the most important elections of women gaining the right to vote. of our lifetimes. Check your voter registration status now—right now. On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amend- ultimately effective, and—imporGo on, we’ll wait, it takes a minute tantly—nonviolent Civil Rights and ment was ratified into law after a on usa.gov/confirm-voter-registration. anti-war movements. long, arduous battle led by some Then text that web address to your To this day, the only right women incredibly badass women who came friends, post it on your socials, to embrace the denigrating “suffrag- are guaranteed equally under the US ette” nickname bestowed upon them Constitution is the right to vote. In fact, share it so much it gets redundant. Volunteer for voter registration by men aghast at the idea of women women were not even included in the participating in the political process. Constitution until the 19th Amendment. drives. Help get people to the polls. Be vocal and denounce any false The ratification of that equalThe suffragettes and their male rights amendment led to the largest statements about voter fraud assocounterparts, collectively known as suffragists (aka people who advocate single one-day increase of potential ciated with mail-in ballots. And then vote like your life depends upon it. for the extension of the right to vote, voters in the history of the United States. Which, duh, obviously: wom- Because this time, more so than ever especially to women), crafted a poen make up half the population and before, lives do depend on it. litical movement that was powerful, SUMMER 2020

ILLUSTRATION BY MARY LONG, ADOBE STOCK / CONSTITUTION IMAGE BY ANDREA IZZOTTI, ADOBE STOCK

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Celebrating a Big Win

C O N T R I B U TO R S

Aaron H. Bible, Rodney Burell, Nora Mounce, Leandra Romero, Stephanie Wilson

COME ON, GET APPY

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BY THE NUMBERS

1,933,074 POUNDS

Total weight of cannabis flower sold in Colorado from 2014 to 2019.

Get Baskin the Game Baskin boasts CBD for athletes.

SOURCE: New Frontier Data

500K HOURS Amount of time Colorado search and rescue volunteers spend responding to about 3,600 calls annually SOURCE: Colorado Sun

29 PERCENT

Percentage of consumers who said there was an increase in their personal cannabis consumption as a result of COVID-19.

In the sea of CBD options, Baskin’s CBD product, according to the company, delivers 18 percent more CBD to the human body than does its competitiors, and its all-natural, long-lasting, breathable formulation is ideal for active adults. “Our crop comes from various states. Regardless of legally grown resources, the CBD used is broad spectrum and derived from hemp,” says Maikel van de Mortel of Lighthouse Strategies (the parent company of Baskin). “Each batch that we create is accompanied by a COA [certificate of analysis], which is key, as this allows consumers to see exactly what they buy and where it comes from. We use a special QR code to make our COAs accessible to the consumer.” Baskin’s selling points include superior binding technology that keeps the cream bonded to the skin through washing, rubbing, or sweating; controlled release of the CBD over a prolonged period; a formulation free of alcohol, parabens, waxes, or other solvents; and a patented formula that lets an athlete’s skin breathe and retain its natural moisture. With its market saturation and all the rhetoric around CBD’s actual effectiveness for sports recovery, few brands have patented CBD personal-care items the way Baskin has. Baskin’s sport recovery cream harnesses 300 mg of CBD to create the most targeted and effective solution, without slowing you down or taking you out of the game. Baskin sport recovery cream / 300 mg CBD / $50 / baskinessentials.com

S U M M E R 2020

S E N S I M AG .C O M

THE BUZZ

BILITIES BY STEPHANIE WILSON, EDITOR IN CHIEF

1 IN CASE YOU MISSED THE IRONY of all the Great Gatsbythemed New Year’s Eve parties thrown to welcome in the second coming of the Roaring 20s, let me remind you how that decade ended: not much worse than this one is starting.

2 IN CASE YOU NEED A REMINDER: whatever you’re feeling is valid. There is no right or wrong way to process what we’re going through right now. There is a right way to interact with others right now, though: with care, through a mask, and from a distance.

3 IN CASE YOU’RE FEELING LIKE GOING OUT in public without a mask: stop watching Fox News, you’re being brainwashed. Be a good human, you’re better than that.

4 IN CASE YOU NEED A PICK-ME-UP: pick up a bouquet of blooms the next time you’re at the grocery store. Yes, funds are tight and flowers may seem like a frivolous purchase, but a $6 bouquet can brighten up rooms and moods alike. A 2018 study from the University of North Florida’s Department of Public Health finds that living with flowers “significantly alleviates daily stresses.” And we’re all a little bit stressed right now. Or we’re in denial, which is a stressful state to be in. Flowers will help. Pro tip: for the best flowers at the lowest prices, look for wholesale florists open to the public in your area. 5 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Denver’s mayor reversed his decision to leave recreational cannabis dispensaries and liquor stores off the list of essential businesses just three hours after the city’s stay-athome order was issued in March. Denverites were clear: flowers— the kind ones with THC—are definitely essential.

Only Plants Understand

Houseplant sales are on the rise, and researchers believe millennials are to thank for the recent boom in the bloom economy. It’s 18- to 34-year-olds who now occupy 29 percent of all gardening households, according to the annual National Gardening Survey. One theory about all of the houseplant hype is that it’s a new form of self-care. Tending to plants helps those who live in urban jungles or those who are overwhelmed with technology to feel more connected to nature. In the age of social media, millennials are said to have surpassed Generation X and baby boomers as the loneliest generation, according to a poll by YouGov. Owning a plant gives people an opportunity to nurture, providing a sense of fulfillment and purpose without the extra costs of caring for a pet. There could also be new additions to the plant culture craze with cannabis plants. According to the National Gardening Survey, 33 million households (27 percent) say it should be legal to grow for personal use, and 19 million households (15 percent) say they would grow cannabis if it were legal to do so. As the trend continues to grow, perhaps the use of having indoor plants to help boost wellness won’t just be a short-lived fad, but, rather, a new lifestyle for those dealing with stress and anxiety.

BASED ON THE REACTION TO THE MASK MANDATE, IF GOVERNOR POLIS ISSUES A STATEWIDE FIRE BAN, SOME PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SET THEMSELVES ABLAZE.” —@kyleclark, Aug. 13

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S E N S I M AG .C O M

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SUMMER 2020

THE BUZZ

PHOTOS (FROM TOP) BY REDPIXEL, ADOBE STOCK / COURTESY OF VETERANS CANNABIS PROJECT

Standing Up for Veterans

To cope with these injuries, veterans are prescribed myriad medications, often including opiates—an approach that has left veterans Veterans Cannabis Project remains laser- battling addictions. An average of 20 veterans commit suicide from these complications daily, according to the group. Studies and veterfocused on advocating for vets. an experiences demonstrate that cannabis is a viable treatment opAccording to statistics from the American Legion, 92 percent of tion that circumvents the negative side effects of opiates and other all veterans support research into medical cannabis, and 83 per- prescriptions, Distaso says. But veterans continue to be barred from cent of veteran households support legalizing medical cannabis. legal access by federal law because of its Schedule 1 status. That’s why the Veterans Cannabis Project (VCP) pulls no The VCP’s stance is that veterans have obviously earned their punches when it comes to access to medical cannabis for veterans. benefits—which must include full access to safe, legal medical “We’re working to change the conversation about the lifesaving cannabis. Thus, the VCP is asking that the federal government allow (webster’s) health treatment value of cannabis,” says Doug Distaso, VA doctors to recommend cannabis, counsel veterans on how to acexecutive director. He explains that service members are coming cess legal cannabis, and complete/submit the necessary paperwork; home with wounds both visible and invisible, and are experiencing provide legal protections for veterans to use medical cannabis chronic pain and PTSD at double the rate of the average American. without fear that they will lose their job or benefits; and require the VA to research the impacts of cannabis on veterans’ health issues. Pillars for the mission include advocating on behalf of veteran cannabis access; educating policymakers and the public about the value of cannabis to veterans; and supporting veterans across the nation with the resources necessary for understanding the value of medical cannabis, and knowing their rights and the tools they need to encourage federal policy change. “We’re helping create a community that can heal our nation’s broken approach to cannabis and provide veterans with safe, legal access,” says Distaso. Veterans Cannabis Project / vetscp.org

1:3 Releaf Body Lotion Papa & Barkley’s Releaf body lotion is the latest addition to the company’s skincare products. The moisturizer is said to be the first THC lotion in the California cannabis market made using fresh-pressed rosin (rather than THC distillate or isolate). It combines the powerful effects of THCrich rosin and the hydrating agents of jojoba oil, shea butter, and mango seed oil. By using full-spectrum cannabinoids, phytonutrients, terpenes, and chlorophyll, the lotion gives skin the major benefits of powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial agents—ultimately helping promote skin vitality. S U M M E R 2020

S E N S I M AG .C O M

S O U T H E R N C O LO R A D O

SUMMER 2020

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SUMMER 2020

PHOTOS BY JACOB LUND, ADOBE STOCK

Stay Strong

And change your mindset, because you should have fun with it. If you’ve been stuck in a fitness rut and the thought of Yes, 2020 is a total dumpster fire— tapping it back on a bike and it’s not over yet. Keep going. one more time makes you want to reach for TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON the Sauvignon blanc well before noon, mix it up. Take a Zoomba class via Well, that just happened. vard Health Publishing Zoom. Learn how to do a remind us in “Starting What, exactly, you ask? proper squat. Challenge to Exercise,” a special All of it. We’re living your roommate to a game health report from the through some strange of Pickleball—and then medical school. “To be times right now, and learn how to play yoursuccessful, [exercise] those times are guaranshould be something you self. Whatever works, just teed to get stranger the as long as you do. do as routinely as eatcloser to election day By making exercise ing, sleeping, and taking we get. It’s been hard. It your habit now, you’ll be may get harder before the your morning shower,” setting yourself up for a the report begins. pendulum swings in the strong start to whatever It can be more diffiother direction. comes next on multiple cult to maintain a rouAs you move through levels. Researchers at the tine during the frenzy this new world, just reUniversity of Texas at of current reality, when member to help yourself. Austin have found that routines are a distant Which isn’t always the exercising regularly is memory. Stress, uncereasiest thing to do, no linked to better eating tainty, slashed budgets, matter how disciplined habits. In a 2019 study you are when there’s not a unstructured free time, published in the Internaand unlimited access to global pandemic altering your typical routine. Since what’s in your fridge: each tional Journal of Obesity, scientists found that there is a global pandemic of these alone can throw sedentary participants happening, we’ve rounded even the most well-inwho took up exercise tentioned plan off track. up some tips and expert showed an increased It’s far too easy to skip advice about how to help yourself stay as healthy as the morning run you had preference for lean meats and vegetables planned in favor of curlyou can right now. What and a decreased interest it all boils down to is making up in a cliché while wearing a “Namastay in ing a plan and then makBed” t-shirt. Which is toing some moves. tally fine, as long as you Plan on Sticking to a Plan don’t blow a year of effort by doing utterly nothing Exercise shouldn’t be at all. Stay strong. And something you do only plan ahead. Get out your when you want to drop those 10 extra pounds or calendar now, and map out your fitness schedule prepare for the charity 10K, the editors of Har- for the month.

in fried foods, sodas, and other unhealthy options. “The process of becoming physically active can influence dietary behavior,” says Molly Bray, corresponding author of the paper and chair of the Nutritional Sciences department at UT Austin and a pediatrics faculty member at Dell Medical School. “One of the reasons that we need to promote exercise is for the healthy habits it can create in other areas. That combination is very powerful.” Drink More Water Staying hydrated helps your mind stay alert, keeps cravings at bay, and helps ward off headaches that inevitably greet you the morning after a night of over-indulgence. It is also key to keeping healthy in such pandemic-laced world. That goes double if you’ve got to hop a flight right now. The Aerospace Medical Association suggests drinking eight ounces of water for every hour you’re in the air to prevent dehydration. “Staying hydrated helps ward off infections, especially when traveling by air,” explains cleaning and organizing expert Donna Smallin Kuper. “Low humidity inside the cabin creates the perfect storm for cold and flu-like viruses. … Staying hydratS U M M E R 2020

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THE LIFE

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ed helps counteract the effects of jet lag, so you’ll feel better when you arrive at your destination.” Reward Yourself “Meeting your exercise goals, even short-term ones, is cause for celebration,” that Harvard special report reminds us. “Whether your reward is small or large, make sure it’s something that’s meaningful and enjoyable. Avoid rewards you might regret soon after, such as eating an ice cream cone if your ultimate goal is losing weight.” Consider instead upgrading to Spotify Premium so you’ll have limitless tunes to motivate your workouts. If you are overindulging on the sweets, don’t be too hard on yourself. Researchers from Deakin University in Australia looked into whether a short-term binge on carbs—perma-vacation (a.k.a. “furloughed indefinitely”) and drowning your woes in vats of whatever indulgence is still in your budget—is as detrimental to your health as chronic overeating for months at a time. The conclusion: your body can adapt to short periods of overindulgence, so if a nice hazy IPA is your thing, yield to your desire and pour another glass. Just don’t do it every day

until we’re on the other side of this crazy storm. Think Wilde (Oscar Wilde, that is): “Everything in moderation, including moderation.” If you’re tempted to down that third glass of cab or slice of pepperoni, gently remind yourself that comfort food sure feels comforting in the moment. What isn’t comforting, however, is wearing pants that are a bit too snug. To give you some perspective, it takes

six months to take off the weight people tend to pack on over the course of the 40 or so days between Thanksgiving and New Years. COVID’s already been around for four times that length, and it shows no signs of abating.

Fitness On Demand If COVID’s taught us anything, it’s that you don’t need to go work out, you just need to work out. And thanks to these apps, you can do that wherever you are. We’ve rounded up the best programs that offer a variety of workouts, class types, and perky instructors there to guide you, to keep you motivated, and to keep you coming back for more. Break a sweat.

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tation. Or you can even hit the pavement and explore the outdoors with the audio-only running classes.

DanceBody LIVE

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Dance fitness for everybody, from anywhere. With daily live classes streamed directly from DanceBody’s NYC studios, on-demand cardio and sculpt workouts, and rentable programs, DanceBody gets your body moving in new ways and working muscles you didn’t know existed.

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S E N S I M AG .C O M

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S O U T H E R N C O LO R A D O

SUMMER 2020

THE LIFE

A B O U T T H E AU T H O R

Mona Van Joseph has been an intuitive since 2002. She is an author, columnist, and host of Psychic View Radio. She created dicewisdom.com, which also has a smartphone app. mona.vegas

HOROSCOPE

AUGUST HOROSCOPE What do the stars hold for you? TEXT MONA VAN JOSEPH

laxing into the feminine viLEO bration) will benefit you in Stress is caused by your ex- many ways. Allow yourself pectations of other people to be recognized for your this month. If you just accept uniqueness. the fact that you’ll have to do all the work without resent- OCT. 23–NOV. 21 ing or expecting anything, SCORPIO everything will be fine. No other sign has the ability to get as deep into a soul AUG. 23–SEPT. 22 like you. You will experience VIRGO some epiphany-like insights No coasting, you will miss this month. The most draout on a major opportunity. matic of which will be your Follow up with anything that intimate connection to the secures your future comknowledge of the Universe. fort. Awareness to detail will avoid any misunderstandNOV. 22–DEC. 21 ings with those who will con- SAGITTARIUS tribute to your success. You’ve been working hard and feeling unappreciated. The isSEPT. 23–OCT. 22 sue is not the work you’re proLIBRA ducing; it’s that your heart is Be prepared to get attention not in it. That’s why you’re not from people you don’t know getting the acclaim and recnow. The vibration of conognition you want. It’s not the necting with women (and re- place; it’s you. JULY 23–AUG. 22

DEC. 22–JAN. 19

CAPRICORN

August calls for joyful seriousness of the things important to you. It doesn’t matter if you’re building tables for squirrels or changing the world. A casual awareness for your love of life draws more loving. JAN. 20–FEB. 18

AQUARIUS

A happy did-the-work breakthrough month for you! That project or idea is ready to go full fledge out there right now. What’s so cool is that you get to do this in a relaxed, “I know it’ll be fabulous” vibration…and it will! FEB. 19–MARCH 20

PISCES

So last month was sort of sucky because you had to resolve to honor your worth

LEO, IF YOU JUST ACCEPT THE FACT THAT YOU’LL HAVE TO DO ALL THE WORK WITHOUT RESENTING OR EXPECTING ANYTHING, EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE.

and dump what wasn’t working. A sign from the Universe this month validates why you had to set this new standard.

thing. The Universe is speaking to you. MAY 21–JUNE 20

GEMINI

Do not allow yourself to MARCH 21–APRIL 19 be short-changed, comproARIES mised, or cheapened. Stay Be aware that you are always strong in your worth and connected to spiritual purauthenticity. The right oppose and guidance. Take noth- portunity is about to presing for granted and be delight- ent itself. fully ready when coincidence JUNE 21–JULY 22 prompts you to action.

CANCER

APRIL 20–MAY 20

TAURUS

As soon as you relax into your direct connection with Spirit, everything shifts for you. You do not need (or want) to do things the way anyone else does some-

This is not an action month. What is meant for you will just come to you. No chasing after what you want. It’s a time of concentrating on what brings you a sense of peace, harmony, and contentment.

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THE LIFE H E A LT H

Confessions of a Carnivore A former meat eater goes lean and green.

PHOTO BY JOEL CLAYTON PHOTO CREDIT

TEXT DAWN GARCIA

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THE LIFE

PHOTO BY JOEL CLAYTON

H E A LT H

I’ve been eating meat since I was a toddler. Burgers, steaks, Chef Boyardee, Hamburger Helper, tuna melts, meatloaf, pork loin, bacon, ham, turkey, chicken, spaghetti bolognese, carne asada, shrimp, chorizo, and hot dogs. It’s safe to say I consumed full farms over the span of my youth. We didn’t have a lot of money, and there were a lot of mouths to feed. Growing up in the ’80s, we ate Wonder Bread, canned and frozen goods, and processed foods because they were cheaper. Middle-class families like us did the best we could to keep us all fed and not go broke. Eating fresh foods or vegetarian fare never occurred to my parents—or me—until much later. I went to Saugus High, where my preference of school cafeteria food consisted of nachos, fries, or grilled cheese sandwiches. But that’s also when I began taking an environmental studies class with Mr. Olsen. The course was experimental for the state and would focus on environmental issues, including how meat and dairy are produced. A video that showed how cows are butchered did it for me, and a vegetarian I gladly became. For about three

years. Until the smell of a steak and A1 sauce wafted through the air at a boyfriend’s house. His dad was barbecuing filet mignon and New York strip, and I caved—hook, line, and sinker. One bite into that succulent red meat and I was officially off the vegetarian bandwagon. Fast forward a decade. As an independent young woman living on my own in Los Angeles, I went grocery shopping at health food stores and went to the gym faithfully four days a week. My lifestyle habits started to change considerably. Something about the produce section was endearing to me; all the colors and variety of fruits and vegetables lured me like a chef to a global spice market. I started experimenting with healthier meats like poultry and seafood until eventually, I was gorging on salads, freshcut carrots, and jicama. I really loved eating smart. It left me feeling abundant in energy. Five years later and officially entering into my 30s, pregnant and thinking very differently about food and how it’s produced, I cut out poultry. The thought of handling raw meat while a baby grew inside my belly was massive-

You don’t have to cut out all meats and fish to do something good for our earth. Choosing to cut back on your weekly consumption can make an enormous difference.

ly unappealing. When my daughter was born, eating clean and healthy was the only option. I had to be in perfect health to be the best mother to her. I am fortunate to have eaten some of the most exquisite food in the world prepared by some of the greatest chefs alive, but I also love to cook at home and prepare food for my daughter and myself. That’s part of single parenting: making smart eating choices and adopting a healthy lifestyle indefinitely. In doing so, I’ve researched so many things about food, including how eating certain foods impacts the environment. That has led me to the past five months of transitioning to eating a plant-based diet. I live in Southern California, and while being vegan is what the cool kids do, I’ve made the choice to eat that way because it’s one meaningful thing I can do to positively affect the environment. According to an article in National Geographic, “producing beef uses 20 times the land and emits 20 times the emissions as growing beans, per gram of protein, and requires more than 10 times more resources than producing chicken.” And the blog Green S U M M E R 2020

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THE LIFE

PHOTO BY TYLER KAHILL

H E A LT H

Eatz reports that livestock farming produces from 20 to 50 percent of all manmade greenhouse gas emissions. With brands like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat making waves in the mainstream burger marketplace, there are smart alternatives that use less water and gas emissions than traditional meat production, lending to a happier planet and a healthier you. Getting down to the nitty-gritty of it, I simply love this planet. I love that we live in a world where oceans and forests, deserts and lakes all coexist in harmony. Yet we humans tend to overuse far too much of our natural resources. All of this is to say, you don’t have to cut

out all meats and fish to do something good for our earth. Choosing to cut back on your weekly consumption can make an enormous difference (see Footprints by Diet Type chart below). Eating meats that are grass-fed or seafood that is sustainably sourced ensures your personal choices make an impact. Making small changes in your everyday life isn’t as difficult as it sounds, and in today’s foodie-centric world, the plant-based choices of truly good tasting alternatives are plentiful. Thanks to companies using nuts instead of dairy (Violife, Lisanatti Foods, Miyoko’s), or jackfruit instead of meat (The Jackfruit Company, No Evil Foods), or grocers

such as Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, Bristol Farms, and even Vons and Ralphs, there’s no shortage of places to buy smarter meat alternatives. While I do crave a grass-fed cut of filet mignon grilled perfectly medium rare or my utter indulgence, foie gras, making the transition

to a plant-based diet has changed how I feel mentally and physically. My once frequent headaches are nonexistent (unless I don’t sleep, but that’s an article in and of itself), my joints and bones hurt much less, I no longer have swelling or stomachaches, and I have more clarity and energy than ever before. Going vegan isn’t for everyone, and that’s totally okay. Making subtle changes in how you eat and what you eat, however, can mean a world of difference—including improving the health of the current planet we reside on. This month, take the challenge to eat more greens and beans and less processed foods, meats, and dairy-based cheeses. See how you feel, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll not only lower your carbon footprint, you may actually enjoy eating a little smarter.

FOOD FOOTPRINT A meat lover has the highest carbon footprint at 3.3 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. SOURCE: Shrink That Footprint

Note: All estimates based on average food production emissions for the US. Footprints include emissions from supply chain losses, consumer waste and consumption. Each of the four example diets is based on 2,600 kcal of food consumed per day, which in the US equates to around 3,900 kcal of supplied food.

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lis s b BODY MADE FOR

Do you know you have an endocannabinoid system? You do. Your self is full of cellular receptors that bind with the active ingredients in cannabis known as cannabinoids. So why have we just now started to hear about it? TEXT LELAND RUCKER PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS JOSH CLARK

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ne thing I’ve noticed over the years, when talking with my cannabis-using friends, is that they are more likely to say it makes them feel “normal” rather than “stoned.” I generally answer that “it keeps me balanced” or something

ORIGINAL PHOTO BY CHARLIE, ADOBE STOCK

s along those lines. I would never say that about other mind-altering substances (alcohol, for instance), and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at least one reason millions of us keep coming back for more. But why do so many people who use cannabis feel that way? A couple of years ago, I began reading about

something called the endocannabinoid system, a regulating procedure within the body that works in much the same way cannabis does. My bs detector turned bright red. Yeah, right. Even for an advocate, that seemed a little too much to swallow, a little too good to be true.

There is much evidence that cannabis, or whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in cannabis, has been used to treat symptoms of human illnesses, disorders, and diseases in many cultures for centuries and that it was a standard pharmaceutical product in the United States. Today, after decades of lies

This article was originally published in Sensi Denver/Boulder August 2017 edition

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from the government and popular culture’s continuing depiction of marijuana users as inept “stoners,” we’re finding that ordinary people are using cannabis for pain, arthritis, and muscle relief and—surprise—just to relax. But why? Cannabinoids are chemical compounds found in cannabis plants, more than a hundred different ones so far. For the most part, no other plant accumulates them quite like cannabis, and these cannabinoids provide the plant with everything from pest resistance to relief from the sun’s UV rays. The most recognized are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), known for its psychoactive properties, and cannabidiol (CBD), recognized for its medical applications. “Many people have tried THC and CBD. Those are called phytocannabinoids,” says biochemist Samantha Miller, founder of Pure Analytics, a cannabis testing facility in California. Scientists have also discovered cannabinoids that are produced naturally in the body. Called endocannabinoids, they have structures similar to phytocannabinoids. Raphael Mechoulam, William Devane, and Dr. Lumir Hanus found the first endocannabinoid and called it anandamide after the Sanskrit word for bliss, in 1992, and later found another, called 2-arachidonoylglycero, or 2-AG. So far, so good. In 1988, scientists found receptors in all mammals that respond to cannabinoids, CB-1 receptors found in the brain and CB-2 receptors found throughout the body. These endocannabinoids hook up with these receptors. In biochemistry, it’s called the “lock-and-key” model, where the cannabinoid molecules act like

this natural architecture to interact with cannabinoids,” Miller says. “You find these all over the body, in the nervous system, the immune system, everywhere. The endocannabinoids control and influence a lot of different things, like sleep, appetite, anxiety, addiction, the cardiovascular system, immune system—everything to do with quality of life.” Perry Solomon is the former chief medical officer at HelloMD, a popular wellness website with a growing number of patients using cannabis. He describes the endocannabinoid system as a feedback mechanism that helps keep the body in equilibrium. “When you get excessive stimulation, pain, emotions, or bad experiences, chemicals are released that can overwhelm the body,” he says. “Endocannabinoids are a way to keep the body in balance.” There are literally thousands of —Perry Solomon, HelloMD research papers and studies around the world on cannabinoids. But cannabis research remains a somewhat arcane branch of science in the United States, which, under the “keys” that fit into the CB receptor auspices of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, until recently would “locks.” When the CB receptor is fund only projects that were aimed “unlocked” by a particular cannaat the abuse side of the equation. binoid, it changes its shape, and US researchers still encounter how it changes shape determines how it regulates cell signaling (how bureaucratic hassles, lack of adequate study product, and the fact cells communicate within themthat cannabis remains a Schedule selves and how they communicate I drug, which by definition means with other cells). From a chemical standpoint, THC is structurally it has no medical purpose. “Consimilar to anandamide, and CBD is ventional medicine traditionally has concentrated on opioids,” says comparable to 2-AG. THC “unDr. Selma Holden, a physician and locks” the CB-1 receptor in almost assistant clinical professor at the the same way anandamide does, and CBD “unlocks” the CB-2 recep- University of New England. But even US scientists and doctors are tor much like 2-AG. beginning to recognize that some“The reason we interact with cannabis so strongly is that we have thing’s going on.

“WHEN YOU GET EXCESSIVE STIMULATION, PAIN, EMOTIONS, OR BAD EXPERIENCES, CHEMICALS ARE RELEASED THAT CAN OVERWHELM THE BODY. ENDOCANNABINOIDS ARE A WAY TO KEEP THE BODY IN BALANCE."

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ORIGINAL PHOTO BY JAMES MOSLEY, ADOBE STOCK

“Historically, people just thought cannabis was something that got you high and concentrated on the THC. Because of medical-marijuana efforts and a little increase in evidence, they’re starting to come around,” she explains. “And more patients are turning to their medical doctors and saying, ‘this stuff works for me.’” As recently as 2017, the University of Vermont was the only medical school in the country with an accredited course on the endocannabinoid system in its curriculum. “The people who should know about it aren’t taught it in medical school,” says Solomon, and he understands some doctors’ initial reluctance to deal with the endocannabinoid system. “Until doctors come out and become familiar with what’s involved in the system, there’s a hesitancy.” Oncologists, who already know it helps relieve the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, are among the leading edge of physicians beginning to take cannabis seriously, and other specialists are looking into cannabinoid alternatives, Solomon says. “A recent National Academies of Science study found that cannabinoids are being used to treat chronic pain in adults, and it does work,” he says. “So anesthesiologists are saying, ‘Maybe this is something we should look at.’” Holden says that some of the most exciting research today concerns cannabinoids’ anti-inflammatory qualities. “When you think of it, a lot of diseases, not all of them, have an inflammation component,” she says. “In dementia, in asthma, it’s all inflammation. That’s what’s interesting about the endocannabinoid system. It’s influencing these inflammation markers.”

“WE CAN'T FALL TOO MUCH INTO THE BELIEF SYSTEM THAT HAVING AN ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS IS BAD." —Dr. Selma Holden, University of New England

Much of the research is being done at the behest of drug companies eager to create new products from cannabinoids and able to afford the expensive re-search needed for approval. GW Pharmaceuticals has developed a couple of cannabidiol products to combat epilepsy, and its Epidiolex was approved by the FDA in 2018 for the treatment of seizures—the first cannabis plant-derived medicine ever approved by the FDA. Arizona company Insys Therapeutics recently received preliminary DEA approval for a synthetic cannabis drug called Syndros. (The company also contributed to the successful effort to stop a marijuana legalization initiative in that state last year.) Much of the emphasis on cannabis healing these days is concentrated around CBD and marketed for its non-psychoactive effects. Hold-

en cautions that if someone is using cannabis for a chronic condition like back pain or Crohn’s disease, the feeling of elevation can be an important part of the therapy, too. “We can’t fall too much into the belief system that having an altered state of consciousness is bad.” And that gets us back to where we began. That altered state of consciousness that has offered me and so many people a feeling of relaxation, of being in a place where they can be creative and focused or as a way to deal with common maladies. “Our brains are ideally suited for cannabis,” Chris Kilham, an author and ethnobiologist who studies plant-based remedies as the Medicine Hunter on Fox News, told me. “There’s no substance other than water that has the health benefits and continued significance of those benefits.” S U M M E R 2020

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Upcycled Cuisine Coloradans are transforming food waste in good taste. TEXT JOHN LEHNDORFF

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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to find information about the state of our environment that is so alarming and depressing, you wonder if anything you do will make a difference. (It also tends to lower your general opinion of human beings as a species.) Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m especially alarmed about food waste. Ac-

cording to the Department of Agriculture, at least 40 percent of the US food supply is wasted every year, costing an estimated $2 billion in addition to the land, water, labor, and energy it took to produce, move, and store it. The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates

PHOTOS COURTESY THE REAL DILL

farmers, manufacturers, grocers, and home cooks threw out $165 billion worth of food, much of it still edible, last year. Given how many Americans are living with food insecurity, it seems stupid. But beyond the doom and gloom, there are people and companies in Colorado engaged creatively in fighting food waste. I don’t mean greenwashing, token efforts, and good intentions. I’m talking about the simple, concrete steps folks are taking now to cut water use and emissions, feed people, aid local farmers, and save money for businesses. Some focus on upcycling—wringing maximum use and value out of everything edible and keeping it out of the landfill. The following list is inspired by David Byrne (of Talking Heads fame), who started Reasons to Be Cheerful (reasonstobecheerful.world). Byrne shares news about people doing good things for the planet because, he says, “It reminded me, ‘Hey, there’s actually some positive stuff going on!’ Almost all of these initiatives are local.... Hope is often local. Change begins in communities.” These ideas can be emulated by other cities

and companies, and may spark new ways to keep more food from becoming waste. Toast to a Bready Brew If your first sip of Penny Loafer pale ale makes you crave a sandwich, there’s a good reason. The Post Brewing Co. in Lafayette brews this ale using upcycled ciabatta and sourdough bread from Louisville’s Izzio Artisan Bakery. The bread replaces one third of the water-intensive grain in the brew. The ongoing effort donates $1 from every pint to Metro Caring and Denver Food Rescue.

stellar Bloody Mary mix that is now the company’s bestselling product. The Real Dill gives its organic food scraps to a nonprofit that turns them into compost for urban farming programs.

Leftovers Uplift a Community We Don’t Waste is a Denver nonprofit that focuses on recovering food from a less obvious source of food waste

From top: The Real Dill's pickling process results in a delicious cucumber-infused water, and instead of dumping it down the drain, they built a Bloody Mary mix highlighting it as the main ingredient.

Farm Upcycling Gets Spicy At McCauley Family Farm near Longmont, Marcus McCauley grows chilies that he uses to make his Picaflor brand fermented hot sauce. He dries the strained hot sauce leftovers and packages artisan chile flakes for pizza. An evangelist for regenerative agriculture, McCauley feeds the pepper waste to his CSA chickens, who fertilize Pickling Problem, the fields where saved Bloody Mary Success seeds are planted for Denver-based pickle-packer The Real Dill is the next generation devoted to creating zero of peppers. waste. It uses gallons of cuke-infused water, a byproduct, to bottle a

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THE SCENE GOING GREEN

PHOTOS COURTESY ROMERO’S K9 CLUB

The outdoor biergarten area at Romero's K9 Club & Tap House in Lafayette welcomes well-behaved off-leash pups as long as their humans register with the establishment and purchase a daily, monthly, or yearly pup pass.

than restaurants and homes. Caterers and events always produce extra food so they don’t run out. With refrigerated trucks and an 11,000-square-foot distribution center, the organization collects food from some of the largest venues, including the Colorado Convention Center, Denver International Airport, Pepsi Center, and Coors Field, and distributes it to dozens of metro Denver organizations fighting food insecurity.

Beer Waste Goes to the Dogs More than 1.5 million barrels of craft beer are produced annually in Colorado, according to the Brewers Association. Every gallon produces about 1.7 pounds of wet spent grain that’s low in sugar but high in fiber, protein, biotin, folic acid, riboflavin, and minerals. Much spent grain is fed to farm animals, but Romero’s K9 Club, a dog-friendly bar in Lafayette, has teamed up with nearby Cellar West

Much spent grain is fed to farm animals, but Romero’s K9 Club, a dogfriendly bar in Lafayette, has teamed up with nearby Cellar West Artisan Ales to create its Pawsmic Cookies spent grain dog treats.

Artisan Ales to create its Pawsmic Cookies spent grain dog treats. Say Cheese and Save Water Greeley’s Leprino Foods, the world’s largest producer of mozzarella, had a water problem because cow’s milk is nearly 90 percent water. What do you do with all that liquid after you extract the curds? Leprino filters and treats the water, reuses it for cleaning the plant, then retreats it and puts it into the Cache La Poudre River. The facility now generates 300,000 more gallons of water than it uses every day. Meanwhile, Noosa, a Colorado company making super-smooth yogurt in Bellvue, treats and uses its excess water for cleaning cow barns and irrigating crops. Connecting the Dots Creates Value, Flavor Colorado Springs-based Food Maven helps connect loads of surplus, relabeled and postdated food, and imperfect vegetables and fruits with food producers and food service. For example, Food Maven helped a Western Slope orchard connect with a brewery, which used a large load of ripe Colorado peaches to flavor an artisanal seasonal ale. S U M M E R 2020

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Clear Intentions is a millennial woman-owned-and-operated glass recycling processor.

PHOTO CREDITS (FROM TOP): COURTESY CLEAR INTENTIONS / COURTESY NIMAN RANCH

Pretty Way to Cut Glass Waste Food service and taverns create tons of glass waste every day. Denver’s Clear Intentions collects glass from restaurants, bars, caterers, apartments, and

hotels, and processes it into a specialty crushed, polished, and colored glass product used as fish tank gravel and in mosaics, gardens, and fountains. In Hotchkiss, Jack Rab-

bit Hill Farm distills fine spirits from local fruit, including MEll vodka, which is sold only at Colorado bars and restaurants. Like an old-fashioned milkman, the distiller picks up the bottles, then sterilizes and refills them for delivery.

resulting rich compost is available to gardeners along the Front Range.

Going Whole Hog (and Cow) It takes 441 gallons of water to produce one pound of boneless beef— and a whole lot of methane. Westminster-based Making Artisan Niman Ranch buys only Composting Easy whole animals from Rocky Mountain farmers, not just popular Composting is a service parts like tenderloin. created by former chef The company encouragEric Kenna, who was ap- es nose-to-tail cookery palled by the food waste and offers sausages, created by homes and tripe, oxtail, cheek meat, restaurants. The compa- pigs’ feet, lamb necks, ny recycles plastic food and marrow and bones buckets from foodservice for bone broth. Ethnic companies to use as com- communities across the post containers, leaving US who appreciate the clean ones when it picks other cuts are a rapidly up the full buckets. The expanding market. S U M M E R 2020

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Digital Declutter Rekindle a relationship with yourself by checking out digitally.

“I feel like my brain is waking up,” I wrote in my journal on day six. Less than a week into what I’ll call my 31-day “digital declutter,” I simultaneously felt like I was losing my mind and finding a better one. I was trading up. In searching for strategies to go minimal with technology, I found an abundance of everything else I had been missing: a rediscovery of how to 40

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listen to the inner voice instead of sacrificing solitude to become a sponge for everything else. In our current instant-gratification economy, how do we use technology to our advantage without losing ourselves in the process? As a small-business owner with hobbies and a social life, I often found myself challenged by the time-management dilemma. We all seem

to be rushing yet perpetually unsatisfied. We have more technology now than ever, and we’re promised endless value from tools like social media. Technology is meant to provide simplicity, community, efficiency, and, ultimately, happiness in our overstimulated lives. Yet, so often, we find ourselves feeling short on time and increasingly anxious about it.

Today in the United States, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses, affecting around one in five people, with millennials being the most anxious generation ever. A study of almost seven million people in the US found that depressive symptoms have only risen since the 1980s. Some argue that the increase is simply because everyone

PHOTO BY JACOB LUND, ADOBE STOCK

TEXT LIZ WILSON

THE SCENE WELLNESS

PHOTO BY YULIA, ADOBE STOCK

is more aware of anxiety and depression, so more likely to diagnose it. Others claim that the culprit is our societal shift from intrinsic goals that reflect core values to a priority on materialism and individual gain. Personally, I suspected that the pressure to be constantly available and social was a major factor in my looming anxiety. Over the course of six months, I tracked every minute of my technology use in order to prepare myself for the big declutter. My data showed that for roughly 40 hours a month, I was engaged with what I now consider to be unnecessary distractions: social media,

texting, email, and internet surfing, among other time-sucking apps. Upon self-reflection, I discovered that none of this screen time helped me feel relaxed, happier, or able to spend more time on meaningful activities within my community. With the help of computer science professor Cal Newport’s book Digital Minimalism, I adopted “a philosophy of technology use in which you focus your online time on a small number of carefully selected and optimized activities that strongly support things you value, and happily miss out on everything else.” Think of it as the Whole30 diet for your mind.

We get tricked into shorting ourselves by the constant feed of digital consumption... We all seem to be rushing yet perpetually unsatisfied.

After 31 days alone in my head, one thing became clear to me: Spending time with technology isn’t inherently bad, but spending zero time without it prevents us from formulating original thoughts, ideas, and innovations. We get tricked into shorting ourselves by the constant feed of digital consumption. According to RescueTime, an app that monitors iPhone and Android use, Americans with smartphone devices spend about 3.5 hours per day actively using them. I’ll do the math for you—that’s over 24 hours per week. Clearly, the problem isn’t that we’re short on time, but we’ve figured out a way to fill every second, therefore eliminating solitude and precious time for reflection and restoration. As the shock, boredom, and panic of my digital detox wore off, I adjusted to a new concept of time that was seemingly half its previous pace. I settled in to just being me. I left work at work and social time to actually being around other people. Using technology minimally, in a way that supports my values, has proven to be a priceless lesson in this overstimulated world. It’s also opened up much more time for me to go live. S U M M E R 2020

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For more information or to listen LIVE, visit our website www.TheDailyDoseTalkShow.com 42

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Hold the Gluten

Whether you’re gluten-intolerant or allergic to conversations about gluten, socca is a quick and delicious dish for everyone to enjoy.

PHOTO BY PROSTOCK-STUDIO, ADOBE STOCK

TEXT JADA CALYPSO BROTMAN

My friend Marla Brown has never been diagnosed with celiac disease. Until she hit about 28 years old, she could eat all the bread and pasta she wanted. After cutting out gluten in an effort to lose a little weight, Brown was

astonished at the change in how she felt. Not only did she find losing weight easier, but her sinuses cleared up and her complexion improved. “I hated the idea of cutting out such a huge food group,” says Brown. “But I couldn’t

get over how much better I felt. No more stuff y nose; my energy level improved. It just wasn’t worth it to go back to eating wheat.” Why has the United States seen the huge uptick in gluten-free diets? Is it gluten itself

or the pesticides in Big Ag conventional wheat? Is it all psychosomatic? Whatever the scientific truth of the matter, it seems undeniable that a lot of people (primarily women who have enough money to make such conscious eating S U M M E R 2020

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DIET

choices) report that they feel better when they avoid gluten. Personally, I’m not gluten-intolerant, but with so many people avoiding it these days, it’s a great idea for the home cook to have a few solid gluten-free recipes in their repertoire. As someone who often cooks for others, I was overjoyed to realize that gluten-free chickpea flour, which is always in my pantry, is available in bulk and organic at our local natural foods stores. A number of fabulous gluten-free dishes can be made with chickpea flour, but socca is my favorite. I absolutely love-love socca, or farinata, as it’s known in Italy—or faina in Uruguay. My pop calls it socca, which is the French word. The fried flatbread hails from Nice, but the concept is found in various Southern climes. Whatever you call it, it’s a simple delight. Socca is especially helpful in the contemporary cook’s repertoire because it has nothing to which your allergic-to-everything friends can object. Hard to mess up and cheap to make, socca is a tasty weapon in your supper arsenal, whether you are pro- or anti-gluten.

Socca

Makes two 12-inch soccas / Servings: 4–6

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

• Move whole pan to broiler. 1 cup garbanzo flour • Mix the flour, water, salt, and oil well. Let the batter Keeping a close eye, broil 1 cup + 3 tbsp water rest for at least an hour, up it until the top is golden1⁄2 tsp kosher salt to overnight. brown and the edges are crisp. The underside will 3 tbsp olive oil • Turn on broiler, and be well browned by then. remix batter. Heat a Freshly ground 12-inch cast-iron pan on a • Remove the pan from the black pepper medium flame, and add a oven. Sprinkle the top Additional olive oil tablespoon of olive oil. with lots of freshly ground pepper and a generous • Pour in batter to cover the sprinkle of olive oil. pan, no more than 1/8-inch deep (roughly half the batter • Remove the socca to a if using a 12-inch pan). cutting board and slice it like a pizza. Serve and eat • Leave to cook until socca is immediately. dry and set, about 2 mins.

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F U L L - S P E C T R U M F E U -L EL X- TS RP AE C C TT ER DU M L I V E X TI R A P LRI V EE - M UC T ME D R N E AM B I I U S M C PA N C A N N A B I S T HE

U LT IM AT E IN CA N N A BI S T HE ULT IM AT E I N CA N N A BI S TA K E N T O A N E W P E A K O F TA K E N T O A N E W P E A K O F P E RC E P T I O N . F U L L- S P E C T RU M , P E RC E P T I O N . F U L L- S P E C T RU M , L I V E - E X T R AC T E D PREMIUM L I V E - E X T R AC T E D PREMIUM CANNA B IS. A NEW P LA N E CAN N AB IS. A NEW P LA N E OF P ER F E C T ION . TH E CO 2 OF PE R F E C T IO N . TH E CO 2 E XT RAC T ION PROCE S S HAS EXT R AC T ION P RO CE S S HAS BEEN U LT R A- R E F I N E D… A N D BEEN U LT R A- R E F I N E D… A N D RE-DEFIN E D TO C R E ATE TH E RE-DEF IN E D TO CR E ATE TH E IDEAL T E R PE N E PROF I L E A N D S O I DE AL T E R PE N E P RO F I L E A N D S O MUCH M OR E . PARTA KE I N TH E M UC H M OR E . PA RTA KE I N TH E FULFILLING NATURE OF THE TOTAL FULFILLING NATURE OF THE TOTAL PLANT. AB SOL UT E LY F R E E O F PLAN T. A B SOL U TE LY F R E E O F SO LVENT S AN D H YDRO CA R BO N S . SO LV EN T S A N D HY D RO CA R BO N S . IT ’S T HE EX PER IE N CE O F YO U R I T ’S T H E EX PER I E N CE O F YO U R FAVORI TE ST R A IN , L I F TE D TO FAVOR IT E ST R A I N , L I F TE D TO AN UNFORG E T TA B L E N E W A P E X . AN UN FORG E T TA BL E N E W A P E X .

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P R O M O T I O N A L F E AT U R E AG R I C O R L A B O R AT O R I E S

Better Testing is on the Horizon As regulators set the stage for more rules about contaminants in cannabis, one lab is focusing on heavy metals.

enver-based Agricor Laboratories, led by Mike Branvold, the company’s president, began in 2014 after Branvold took a year to investigate what he could offer the cannabis industry using his background in the pharmaceutical industry. The result is one of the best labs for cannabis testing in Colorado. Agricor Laboratories has a management and lab staff that comes from the regulated pharmaceutical industry, which operates under the current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) environment. Agricor, which has modeled its practices around that same cGMP framework, was granted ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation by the American Association for Laboratory

to offer these heavy metal tests with the quickest turnaround times in the industry, which has been a major pain point for the industry since the start of heavy metals testing.” He says most of the concentrate “We’ve manufacturers and finished products streamlined companies are starting to test in order our to get a jump on process validation and minimize its impact for the upcom- workflow ing time frame. to offer “The model we set up at Agricor, these heavy which is in line with FDA regulated metal tests industries, allows manufacturers to with the have confidence in their data and allows them to predictively tighten quickest their process controls. If contaminants turnaround are found in their product, we can times in the help track down the root cause and industry.” oftentimes find the source of that —Mike Branvold, contamination.” While testing requirements for can- president of Agricor Laboratories nabis are still evolving through state regulation, general agriculture has had these types of testing requirements in place for quite some time, he says.

Accreditation (A2LA). The lab is focusing on key testing needs of the industry, the latest of which is heavy metal testing. It was added to Agricor’s range of test panels in February. The lab can now test for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury in flower product, concentrates, and finished products. Only flower is currently required to be tested per the state requirements. Starting April 1, concentrates and finished products were added to the list of products requiring heavy metals testing. “I think you will see other labs starting to offer heavy metals [testing] in products other than flower soon,” Agricor Laboratories Branvold says. “In addition to the qual- State Certified Marijuana ity data that we’re able to generate, Testing Laboratory we’ve also streamlined our workflow agricorlabs.com

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Fighting for freedom is Join the revolution at norml.org

P R O M O T I O N A L F E AT U R E M A R QA H A

The Staying Power of Cleaner, Safer Products One company stays true to its vision of treating cannabis as a drug that will soon be subject to closer regulatory scrutiny.

annabis is rapidly evolving to meet the medical needs and therapeutic uses of consumers globally. For marQaha, a cannabis product manufacturer, this means researching, designing, and producing products based on well-documented science coupled with proprietary methods to perform in a powerful and measured manner. This has been the mission of marQaha, (the company names means a state of enlightened bliss), since its founding in 2010. That mission just took

now comes in a blueberry chamomile gummy. So if somebody wants the solid form of that beverage, now they can have it.” Its latest product is a sublingual tablet designed to quickly dissolve into the bloodstream. Users will feel the effects in minutes. marQaha has also updated its overall brand by revising labels, placing regulatory content on the inside via a hinged label, rebranding its packaging, and converting to smaller, eco-friendly packaging. Meador says the first product in early 2010 was researched and designed for authentic, and often critical, medical patients. “We validate and test every ingredient used in our products,” he says. “It’s production on that level, and that’s what we have been doing since the beginning.” marQaha uses four core company-created technologies to ensure its products are a good experience for the consumer: enQap, using liposomal encapsulation; nanoTeQ, using nano-particle technology; Qerpene, or terpene-based formulations; and eQuiLib, for positive mood support while using THC. When Meador and cofounder Tim McDowell jumped into the cannabis industry in 2009, they knew they would need to act like cannabis was a regulated and tested drug to even have a chance to be taken seriously. “When you look down the road, the FDA product protocols will most likely be the norm,” Meador says. “So simple stuff like weighted ingredient lists, ingredients with certificates of analysis, and consistent formulations and delivery methods, for example, are all FDAbased protocols that we follow.”

another leap forward as the company recently announced the opening of its new research and development center in Denver and the highly anticipated launch of new marQaha product lines. The company has added a full gummy line (GoGo Gummies) and a new ratio-based, 100 percent coconut tincture line (Entourage Oil) over the last year. “With the gummies, we wanted the option to complement our beverages,” says Skip Meador, comarQaha founder of marQaha. “For example, our Cannabis Product Manufacturing Blueberry Chamomile flasQ beverage marQaha.com

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THE END

New Volunteers TEXT KATY GURIN

PHOTO BY TRADOL, ADOBE STOCK

In the sun, we circled after speaking to our senator’s staff. We’d given them a list—four steps to transition from fossil fuels— and received no promises for action. Why then, I wondered, were we so giddy? As we spoke of the hard work ahead, why did we feel relief? Before that day, alone in an office, I’d plotted the rise of the future sea, thinking this is the arc of my story: since my birth we’d burned more fossil fuels than all years prior, the decades left to stop this burning were the span of my career, and all I could do on my own was switch out my lightbulbs and mourn. But on that day, each of us felt—I’m sure of it— that as we composed our letter we’d summoned a new sense of possibility, and in delivering it together: power.

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SUMMER 2020