SMOKE&MIRACLES Cannabis in Colorado: Dispatches from the Green Revolution Contents

ANDREW SCHWARTZ 4 Out with the Old What happens when your grandma says: “Let’s get high”? CHARLOTTE ALLYN 7 Little Green Cubicles The unlikely rise of cannabis consultants MITRA GHAFFARI 10 Fog of War Veterans’ rights to medical marijuana for PTSD treatment

DANA CRONIN 14 Higher Office The mayor’s race and the future of cannabis in Colorado Springs HANNAH FLEMING 17 Slightly Sweet with a Touch of Dank It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it: The life of a professional pot critic

ANNA SMITH 20 The Ganjapreneurs Meet the Stanley Brothers, Colorado’s marijuana millionaires

EMELIE FROJEN 24 Big Steps with Small Feet One family’s struggle to save their daughter’s life with cannabis

KAITLYN HICKMANN 30 Women in Weed 10 questions with Rachel K. Gillette

ANNA SQUIRES 32 The Color of Cannabis Pulling back the curtain on racial profiling in Colo- rado’s marijuana enforcement

BRETT MUELLER 37 Contents Unknown Arsenic. Heavy metals. E. Coli. When it comes to marijuana contaminants, what you don’t know might hurt you

CALEIGH SMITH 40 Wonderplant How industrial hemp could clean up the world

TESSA CARROLL 46 Rolling Stoned The straight dope on the legalities of driving high

JACK QUEEN 48 Membership has its Privileges In which our intrepid correspondent explores the cannabis clubs of Colorado Springs

1 SMOKE&MIRACLES Cannabis in Colorado: Dispatches from the Green Revolution

This magazine is brought to you by a group of students from Colorado College as the final project and culmination of our class. In the class, called “Going Long,” we learned and practiced techniques of long form journalism. This magazine, from initial brainstorming and writing, to editing, photography, and layout was completed in three and a half weeks. The “Cannabis in Colorado” theme was chosen by our professor, Hampton Sides, as a controversial, modern, complex and local issue we could report on in a unique time in Colorado’s history and the history of America.

Edited by Hampton Sides

Designed by Mitra Ghaffari and Kaitlyn Hickmann Hampton Sides instructs the “Going Long” class on how to conduct interviews. Behind him, from left to right, Caleigh Smith, Anna Smith, and Kaitlyn Hickmann listen. The class, taught by Sides and featuring several guest speakers, focuses on how to write a long form journalism piece. Photo by Bryan Oller Cover photos

Top and bottom middle by Mitra Ghaffari Bottom left by Hannah Fleming Bottom right by Emelie Frojen

This anthology was produced as a classroom project by Colorado College journalism students and is viewable by invitation only.

Not for reproduction * Not for sale * For educational purposes only 2 3 impulse to experiment. ago. My father, a real estate lawyer, was in the process of On Mother’s Day, after the customary greetings, I handling the contracts for 70 Pine, an art deco skyscraper managed to hold my grandmother on the line for long that was being converted from an AIG headquarters to enough to ask her a few questions about pot and how a condominium complex. The top six floors, which had she managed to avoid it for eight decades. “Pot? I didn’t previously hosted the offices of AIG’s corporate board, touch it! Not only because it was supposed to make you were to become Belgian businessman Ronny Bruckner’s Out with the åOld go on killing sprees! I mostly didn’t want any of it because private home. On this particular Father’s Day, 70 Pine was What happens when your grandma says: I thought it would make me stupider and go to jail.” completely vacant, so my father asked Ronny if we could “Let’s get high”? I pressed her for more. I wondered if her peers were use it to celebrate. ANDREW SCHWARTZ as experimental in their old age as she is. “Well, when The gold-plated elevator doors opened slowly and the everyone around you is dying and you read about sucky six of us, my siblings and parents and I, stepped in. The Wrinkly, Disgusting Old Bodies candies full of pot in Colorado, you get a little intrigued. elevator soared up eighty stories in sixty seconds. We A couple of summers ago, my family A lot of people don’t talk about it unless they’re with their had to disembark from that elevator and enter a second assembled for my cousin’s misguided grandkids, and then they ask them on the sly if they can elevator to ascend to the private offices at the building’s wedding. We were all dreading it, but reveled smuggle the suckies to Florida. Most grandkids say yes apex. Mom had ordered a platter of sushi, and we ate it a little in the camaraderie afforded to us and then forget. Or they don’t forget, and all of the yentls in a tiny room at the top of the world as the sun set over by our shared plight. My grandmother, a sit around going OY! They’d rather wait for their grown the glittering island called Manhattan. We watched the characteristically blunt yet lighthearted and sons or daughters to come watch them eat the candies millions of windows flicker on like stars in the night sky lively comic, was always our ringleader in just in case they, you know . . .” and imagined for a second what all of the little occupants these situations, and she suddenly declared Grandma made the kind of sound a neck makes when of those many windows were doing. Who were they? that she was ready to try smoking pot. snapping. “I’d say people at Pelican Cove aren’t so afraid What were their stories? “Grandma, really?” of the idea of pot anymore. But mostly what they’re Was that a joint in Andrew’s mouth? Was Andrew “Yes! Yes! Do you have some?” worried about is that they’ve got wrinkly disGUSTing old lighting a joint? “I mean, we don’t have any here, but we bodies!” I was lighting a joint. “ANDREW!” shouted my father. can smoke you up another time.” “What?” I retorted nonchalantly, as if I was so oblivious “I wanna try it! Really! I wanna feel like She grabbed the joint and to the cause of the declaration that it almost offended me. I’m floating!” she rapturously exclaimed in “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” he yelled, stifling her Yonkers accent. drew it slowly and shakily laughter. Grandma was all dressed up in a maroon “I’m lighting a joint.” I said. I passed it to Brett as I and black sequin dress, with her soft, to her heavily painted lips. exhaled. Brett was wide-eyed and confused. He took a hit wrinkled face holding exorbitant amounts on autopilot; not so much voluntarily as impulsively. of makeup in a manner both befitting and “That’s enough!,” I said, “I actually don’t mind,” said my mother, taking the joint beautiful to her aged face. She had a big, and she instantly started out of Brett’s fingers and looking somewhat mockingly at bouncy laugh and an endlessly excited his catatonic face. “It’s a special occasion Carl, let’s have expression. She was taller than most women coughing. a little fun.” and wore her white hair stylishly cropped. Round and round it went. We all got a little high and “You can when you come to Colorado,” stepped out onto the terrace to take in the views. Mother I offered. I asked her what made her so brave. “I guess I wanted broke the silence. “Wasn’t it better when we were all “Yes please! I wanna try it! I really wanna to try it because I wanted to try something new. When tadpoles?” she said. try it!” She grabbed my face, squeezed, and Alice Schwartz taking her first hit.Photo by Andrew Schwartz you’re 83 and your husband and best friend is dead and I wasn’t sure what she was talking about, but it seemed kissed it, and sauntered off to be fawned upon by the your grandkids are doing something you’ve never done, that the weed had kicked in. “It might have been,” I crowd. My three siblings and I stood in her wake, our her being high. Maybe one day, I mused. Maybe one day. you want to try it! OY! Luz is here sweetheart, I gotta go, responded, “had we at any time been tadpoles.” mouths agape at the declaration we had just witnessed. Grandma’s desire to smoke pot threw me for a loop. ta!” “Don’t be a smart-ass, Andrew,” she replied curtly. “I guess it’s going to happen,” said my brother Casey. “It My brand-name prep school education featured a health “Love you Grandma!” “We were all tadpoles once. We could swim right up looks like we’re going to have to give Grandma some pot.” class where I learned all about Reefer Madness, the 1936 “Ok, likewise, goodbye sweet boy!” She clicked off the Madison Avenue. We could just take a straight shot right We all heaved a deep sigh and took our seats, wishing we propaganda film that taught Americans to associate phone in a rush. up Madison and we’d be on the Upper East Side without had brought some pot to watch the doomed lovers bind pot smoking with murderous rampages. It was not so having to deal with any cabs or subways and BOOM! themselves into what would later be an expensive divorce. surprising to me that my grandmother had managed Let’s Have A Little Fun We’d go right across the park and your father and I would I cast a sidelong glance at Grandma who looked bored. I never to try it in 83 years, but I wanted to dig deeper and The first time I ever smoked pot when I probably shouldn’t be in bed already, having long forgotten our children.” was bored, too, and amused myself with the thought of learn the source both of her prior distaste and her sudden have was with my parents on Father’s Day about five years We were all stifling giggles at my mom’s stoned reverie. 4 5 Little Green Cubicles The unlikely rise of cannabis consultants CHARLOTTE ALLYN Cannabis consulting businesses have popped up all The grow room is located in the basement of a house around the country as the medical and recreational on Wahsatch Avenue, near downtown Colorado Springs. marijuana industry has started to boom. Publicly traded Its original function was a storage closet—it is a 4x10 consulting businesses, according to Bloomberg Business, room, about seven feet tall, under the stairs, cinderblock have a current total market capitalization of $150 million. walls. Before installing new lights, the room contained a Medical marijuana is currently legal in 24 states and on single bulb. The four residents of the house, Colorado the ballot in 12 more in 2016. Two states, Washington and College students in their early twenties, decided to use the Colorado, recently legalized recreational marijuana. space as a grow room because, as one of them tells me, And so cannabis consulting is on the rise. According “There would be this one chance for us to legally grow to a 2014 report by Viridian Capital & Research, reports it.” The men are leaving Colorado in June and moving Forbes magazine, companies with marijuana themes to states where cultivating marijuana isn’t legal. Growing are up 147% from the year before. Consulting is the also combines two of their favorite interests: botany and most popular publicly traded business. The companies marijuana. Joe, a resident of the house, says, “We liked that Forbes highlights range from Greenpro, an expert the scientific aspect of it—all these weird nutrients you’re in grow room technologies, to Novus Acquisition and putting in. You’re not just gardening.” Development, which advises medical clients on a cost- The guys grew their produce using hydroponics. They savings plan and a health insurance plan by incorporating went to a gardening store that specializes in grow room marijuana into their treatment. Three grandmas smoking weed. A still from the video clip by YouTube account Cut Video equipment. They found many resources online, too, As the CC students living on Wahsatch discovered, My sister politely gagged. of Ben and Jerry’s. We picked out Dodgeball and I put a including a helpful YouTube video called “Mr. Green’s I growing marijuana is not as simple as it seems. And for “Yes,” continued my mother, unphased. “Life most joint on the table. Grandma instantly burst into laughter. Grow Chronic.” But setting up their grow room proved dispensaries growing it on a large scale, efficiency is key. certainly was easier when we were tadpoles.” “You don’t have to if you don’t want to!” I reassured her. more difficult than expected. But most people who begin a dispensary or want to “I guess it was,” replied my brother Casey, jabbing me “No, I want to!” she retorted. I took a deep breath and They tried all types of different nurturing methods. grow marijuana in their homes do not have the skills to in the ribs with his elbow before I could utter my next lit it. Kurt even read Hamlet out loud to the plants. But the maximize their production. witticism. I howled out in laughter, then retreated inside “Just take a little puff and then breathe in.” I said as I guys needed help. Seeds proved too difficult to grow. A And so they turn to the professionals. to recuperate. We descended together from our shared handed it to her. “You’ll probably cough a little, but don’t dream, all a little bit closer and a little bit less surprised by worry about it, it happens to everyone.” the unpredictability of life. She grabbed it between her puffy index and fore finger “We’re a business just like any other business. The and drew it slowly and shakily to her heavily painted, most exciting thing we do is Hawaiian shirt Friday.” What’s the Big Deal? wrinkled lips. “That’s enough.” I said and she instantly Some months later, my father arranged to bring Grandma started coughing, which made us momentarily nervous. -Michael Eisman, associate at MedMen to visit Vail. As I was already in Colorado, I thought it My dad took a hit to keep his mom company and the might be appropriate to purchase something for her to three of us retired to the couch. None of us usually opted smoke. I thought I’d offer it to her, if she wanted it, for comedies. We all preferred dramas and foreign films. bout with algae set them back. Mites turned up and had I met Kristopher Fowlkes at the Pinnacle Consulting without making any judgments about whether I approved But that night, we sat there calmly, laughing loudly for the to be exterminated. office in downtown Colorado Springs on North Tejon or disapproved. She was a healthy woman and could make first time in a while. So they turned to consultants: one to help them set up Street. Fowlkes wore a white polo with the Pinnacle logo, decisions for herself. She should have the opportunity, so Later, I asked Grandma if she’d be interested in trying the aquaponic system and another to help start the plants light khaki slacks, and dress shoes. It’s a shared office— I gave it to her. it again. She wasn’t sure. “I didn’t really feel anything,” by providing clones. Lovers of indica strains, they grew the receptionist area services many businesses, as does We spent a nice day walking on easy paths by red rocks she said. “All I felt was relaxed. I’m not sure what the big Blue Dream, Chem Dog, Sour Gum, and Sour Diesel— the coffee room and the conference table. Pinnacle’s and talking while the sun went down. We got dinner, just deal is!” and they started to get high yields. They wouldn’t have office space is a small, well-lit room overlooking I-25 and the three of us, and returned home with a couple of tubs had such success without their consultants. the mountains beyond. The office has two desks. Fowlkes 6 7 is the owner and manager of Pinnacle Consulting, which was kind of a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory thing, complicated art. Many people start dispensaries and hire of cultivation has a degree in horticulture and trains he started in 2012. It is one of many new cannabis moving to Colorado. I’d rather go here and not have to friends to act as head growers who little or no experience. growers directly. consulting companies in the U.S. Fowlkes and his staff worry about it [legally] there.” A talented head grower can hugely increase the production Eisman says that the stigma that still surrounds work with commercial and non-commercial clients, Trent Woloveck, the Chief Operating Officer at and the quality. Fowlkes explains, “A lot of time, we’re marijuana can sometimes lead to awkward conversations. but they also use the Pinnacle brand, particularly its the American Cannabis Company, a consulting firm dealing with clients who consume but never grow, or have “I grew up in a small rural part of Georgia,” he says, “and Facebook page, to promote marijuana legalization and in Denver, was working for a Fortune 500 healthcare never even consumed.” Many people, he notes, “can’t I recently visited my family. My mother, coming from a the benefits of smoking. They consider themselves a full company when he decided to enter the cannabis industry. hire the eighty-thousand-dollar-a-year doctor to consult conservative background, hadn’t told anyone what I did. service consulting business, “and we really try to stand Woloveck explains, “I wanted to see how I could become their grow.” So I just came right out and said it. So there were a lot behind it,” Fowlkes tells me. Pinnacle focuses on helping part of the industry because it’s really redefining society. The mark of an efficient grow room is a yield of one of questions like, ‘Is it legal?’ ‘Are you in any danger of clients maximize growing techniques, particularly in big I was always looking for an opportunity to start my gram of marijuana per watt of light, but most amateur getting arrested?’ But then getting past that, they were dispensaries. For non-commercial clients, who Fowlkes own business, and it just so happened that there was cultivators are only producing half that. This difference like, ‘That’s pretty cool, that’s pretty neat-o.” says are the bulk of his customer base, setting up home an opportunity to take my skill set from healthcare shows why, from a financial perspective, dispensaries Woloveck, from American Cannabis, explained that grow rooms and helping people decide which strains to distribution to apply it to the cannabis space.” He enjoys often turn to cannabis consultants. “In this industry positive results may already be removing that stigma. start with (beginners often choose Blue Dream, a relatively helping people to “understand the power of the plant nobody has been established as a brand leader,” he says. Woloveck claims, “Here in Colorado, domestic violence is easy grow and a popular hybrid) are the most common and to ensure that all these states that are passing medical “You don’t have a Proctor and Gamble. You don’t have down, tourism is up, alcohol consumption is down. There services that Pinnacle provides. He never smokes with cannabis programs have the right people running these somebody that’s distributing en masse yet.” are a lot of other positives that stems from having cannabis his clients. businesses and the best possible medicine for the patients The biggest problem that Pinnacle faces is marketing. for a substitute of opiates, painkillers, alcohol and other Fowlkes, who is originally from South Carolina, made of those states.” American Cannabis Company fully “Most traditional forms of marketing don’t recognize the harder drugs.” Woloveck recounts a story of a client who the pilgrimage to Colorado as a result of the passage of reports their financials; the company is publicly traded in cannabis industry,” Fowlkes says. Pinnacle does most of left her medical practice to open a dispensary. She was the Amendment 64. “I immediately went into the medical the OTCQB. its marketing online as a result. But corporate America is first M.D. to have a majority stake in a dispensary. “That field here,” he says. “Where I was on the East coast it Fowlkes says that growing marijuana is a very changing its attitude towards cannabis consulting firms: was an eye-opener for me,” says Woloveck. In November of 2014, Fortune magazine reported that Although Eisman says that people get involved in the MedMen, a cannabis consulting and marketing firm, industry for a wide range of reasons, the prospect of raised 3.75 million dollars from investors. Fortune noted financial gain is certainly one of them. “It would be silly that NSquared, a private investment firm that usually to assume I have the potential to pull in $200,000, but focuses on healthcare businesses, put up most of the I’m only doing this for the people, not for the money.” money. He concedes that big money can be made in this market, but it largely depends on the state. Considering, that there Michael Eisman, an associate at MedMen, emphasizes are over 2,000 dispensaries in Denver alone, he says, that the cannabis consulting business is nearly identical to “That’s a pretty tough market to break into. But if you any other consulting business, and it is completely legal. can break into it, and present something unique, there’s But because it works in the field of marijuana, Eisman’s an opportunity to gain financially.” company carries a certain stigma among many traditional Woloveck enjoys the excitement of working in a investors. Despite the large rush of capital in November, new industry, even though the consulting is not greatly Eisman says MedMen still faces challenges. “Getting different from consulting in other industries: “It’s still money from big banks invested into this industry is quite in its infancy stages, that there’s a lot of unknowns out difficult,” he says. there. I think it’s much more exciting, from a a career MedMen franchises its brand and expertise to new perspective, to develop these programs to show what dispensaries, mostly medical. Sometimes the dispensaries the best practices are and how we can truly make this a take the MedMen name, sometimes they don’t. MedMen product for everybody to use responsibly.” Eisman also helps them stay compliant with laws in their state and likes the excitement of working in an emerging industry, works as an outside management company. To make but the novelty of it doesn’t make their daily tasks any sure the quality of their marijuana is the same at all their more exciting. locations, “we follow a litany of different agricultural and “We’re a pretty boring office when you get down to it,” horticultural standards,” says Eisman. “We are extracting he says. “We’re in here plugging away. It’s not a bunch of the oil from the plant and from there you can test the oil guys getting stoned all day long talking about their favorite for concentrations of cannabinoids like CBD or THC, and Bob Marley album. A lot of folks think it’s something you can blend various batches,” making sure each product drastically different. We’re a business just like any other is the same in each location, just like the hamburgers at business. The most exciting thing we do is Hawaiian shirt Illustration by Anna Kay different McDonalds taste the same. MedMen’s director Friday.” 8 9 PTSD and prescribed “Klonopin and Valium for anxiety and stress, and Ambien to help me sleep at night.” Other “The drugs they fed me VA physicians prescribed Percocet, Oxycontin, Dilaudid, withered away my mind Lyrica, Hydrocodone, and Fentanyl patches. In 2010, a year after returning from service, Phillips’s and body.” wife developed malignant brain cancer and died six months after diagnosis. At the time, he tried to care for his — Zach Phillips, Iraq War Navy veteran three-year-old son, but he was confined to a wheelchair harmful prescription drugs. and was often incapacitated by narcotics and insomnia. The organization’s main program “Save 1000 Vets,” Fog of War “My decision-making, my judgement, my clarity, not to provides eligible veterans with a free monthly supply of mention my short term memory was practically nothing.” cannabis-infused products. The nonprofit also works Veterans’ rights to medical marijuana for PTSD treatment “These drugs they to bring awareness to disabled veterans and prove that MITRA GHAFFARI Representatives. But the trauma from his service had left were feeding me honorable veterans can choose medical marijuana as an him with chronic back pain and lingering mental health were withering away alternative to pharmaceuticals to carry on “productive, Zach Phillips, a 32-year-old Navy veteran, moved to issues. my mind and my successful, and constructive” lives. According to the Colorado Springs from Arlington, Texas six months ago During a missile operation in the Persian Gulf, the body, I was turning organization’s website, Martin is fighting to convince in pursuit of medical marijuana. He agreed to meet with smoke and fumes from a fire had suffocated and blinded into skin and bone,” “VA administrators, elected officials, and medical me to share his story. He sat with slouched shoulders Phillips as he fell down a ladderwell onto a steel deck. Phillips remembered. professionals that marijuana is a better option for Vets

and a straight back, leaning onto locked elbows with As a result of his injuries, Phillips experienced periodic Photo by Mitra Ghaffari “My appetite and than the dangerous prescription medications that result in tense hands gripping his knees. A thick chain framed his paralysis from the waist down, and constant shooting my insomnia weren’t being treated properly. I would the death of an American every nineteen minutes.” wide neck and a baseball cap shadowed his dark eyes. pain from his back up his neck and down through his leg. stay awake for three or four days straight until I would Phillips believes the switch to medical marijuana saved And occasionally, a brief, delicate smile with soft dimples Phillips’s condition deteriorated. He began drinking blackout and drop straight to the floor.” Right after his his life, and he’s confident that once Texas recognizes lightened his solemn face. “a handle of rum every night,” and sought medical help. wife passed away, her parents claimed custody of his medical marijuana as an acceptable treatment for PTSD, In 2007, when he returned home to the United “Not only was I in pain still, I couldn’t sleep at night. I was young son. “They filed custody behind my back,” he said. he’ll succeed in reclaiming custody of his son. Phillip’s States from the Iraq War, Phillips was honored with pacing the floor, I kept looking out the window, paranoid.” “I didn’t get notified until a week after the trial. It was personal fight for access to medical marijuana for PTSD the Humanitarian Service Medal by the House of He was referred to a psychiatrist who diagnosed him with because I was prescribed all these pills. I was barely able and against the debilitating drugs overly prescribed for it to take care of my self, much less my son.” is just one part of a larger ideological battle against long- Phillips spent over a year researching medical marijuana standing political resistance. and talking to veterans who had experienced positive results. “Why would you continue your life popping The Politics pills every day and night? That’s not how I want to live. In February of 1997, after over a decade of banning all When I decided to get myself off everything, I went into clinical research into the medical promise of marijuana, withdrawals for almost two weeks. I was having hot cold federal “Drug Czar” Barry McCaffrey stated, “Drug flashes, sweating, feeling nauseous.” Since moving to policy must be based on science, not ideology.” Colorado Springs, Phillips has noticed that marijuana has In April of 1997, Dr. Marcus Conant and other mitigated his pain and anxiety, eased the transition off of California physicians sued Barry McCaffrey for a narcotics, and helped to sharpen his short-term memory violation of their First Amendment right to free speech, and other side effects of his old drug regimen. fighting against federal interference with physicians who “Who wants to be boggled up with painful and recommend marijuana to their patients. The court ruled traumatic images when you can easily set it aside with in favor of the physicians, concluding that, “by chilling medical marijuana?” Phillips said. “Marijuana helps you doctors’ ability to recommend marijuana to a patient... to stop focusing on it. Studies show how marijuana the prohibition compromises a patient’s meaningful can replenish damaged brain cells caused by a chemical participation in public discourse.” The court ruled that imbalance or brain injury.” denying patients the right to receive candid medical advice Since moving out to Colorado, Phillips has been was insupportable. working for Grow4Vets, an organization founded by Federal officials have gone so far as to threaten Army veteran Roger Martin in Woodland Park, with physicians of their licenses and to prosecute patients for a mission to reduce veteran deaths from suicide and using medical cannabis. Today, although new state policies prescription drug overdose through promoting and protect most citizens from federal overreaching, military Phillips serving off the coast of Syria. Photo courtesy of Zach Phillips distributing medical marijuana as an alternative to more veterans face similar obstacles when seeking access to 10 11 medical marijuana, since Department of Veteran Affairs marijuana’s efficacy and safety,” the American Civil positive results with conventional treatments. Another hospitals refuse to allow doctors to recommend it to their Liberties Union contended in the 2005 Supreme Court study in 2011 by Israeli researchers Eti Ganon-Elazar patients. case Gonzales v. Raich. One way the CARERS Act would and Irit Akirav demonstrated that “administration of the On May 30th, 2015, the House rejected the Veterans help move research forward is ending NIDA’s crippling synthetic cannabinoid WIN552212-2 was able to reverse Equal Access Amendment in a narrow vote, 210-213, monopoly on growing research marijuana. the behavioral and neurological abnormalities that that would have allowed VA doctors to discuss the use of Despite the political policy’s serious impediment to resulted from stress exposure in rat models of PTSD.” medical marijuana with their military patients. The close scientific progression for decades, in his interview with The researchers found that after the rats were exposed vote was promising nonetheless, showing a significant CNN’s Sanjay Gupta in April of 2015, President Obama to a stressful event, those that received the cannabinoid shift since last year’s vote on the same amendment that echoed the words of McCaffrey, stating, “We should treatments did not develop symptoms of PTSD, whereas failed 222-195. follow the science, as opposed to ideology on this issue”. the group of rats that were left untreated did. Although medical marijuana is now legal in 23 states and Washington DC, the VA is explicitly forbidden The Science The Science of Politics under V.H.A. Directive 2011-004 from filling out Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is “a mental health Today, national opinion polls routinely find that public recommendation forms or even offering a medical condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event,” states support for medical marijuana hovers around 80%. opinion about whether a veteran patient might benefit Sue Sisley and Zach Phillips at a Grow4Vets Event in the Mayo Clinic. “Symptoms may include flashbacks, But the politics of the issue are masking the public’s from participating in a state medical marijuana program. Denver. Photo courtesy of Zach Phillips nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable evolving views on cannabis while obstructing scientific “This is clearly a case of ideology getting in the way of thoughts about the event.” PTSD wasn’t recognized as advancements. scientific progress,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) treats first responders and military veterans, many of an illness until the 1980s, but according to VA, experts “Marijuana might not be harmful but it’s about keeping has stated, opposing McCaffrey claims. Gillibrand, Cory whom have some form of PTSD. After years observing estimate at least 20% of today’s veterans experience it. an image clean, and saying you’re pro-marijuana could Booker (D-NJ), and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced a bill and speaking with patients she learned that many were A wide array of medications are commonly prescribed mess up your career. But I know it’s coming around the to Senate in March that would revolutionize marijuana in using marijuana to successfully manage their symptoms. for the treatment of PTSD. However, recent studies corner the more access there is to the science behind the United States, lifting the threat of federal prosecution Sisley, a self-described “lifelong Republican who has conducted by the American Medical Association and the it,” Phillips said. In-depth research has been stymied by for people who use it in states where it has been legalized never tried an illicit drug,” was curious to know why and National Academies have found that the vast majority federal barriers, but Dr. Sue Sisley and other researchers and reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule II drug under how cannabis was helping so many of her patients. of currently prescribed medications provide little to no are moving forward with important PTSD studies despite the Controlled Substances Act. By lowering the schedule Last June, in what she believes was a political move benefit for patients. significant political obstacles that have delayed and classification, this bill would allow for greater research against her research, Sisley was stripped all three of her Anecdotal reports have led researchers to focus on threatened to prevent them from being conducted. into the medicinal value of the drug and allow for health contracts with the University of Arizona College of the endocannabinoid system in the investigation of Marijuana could greatly reduce the demand for insurance to cover marijuana as a medicine. Medicine. After searching elsewhere for funding and marijuana’s treatment of PTSD, as it plays a significant narcotics and simultaneously decrease the number of The new bill, the Compassionate Access, Research support, Sisley has been able to continue her research in role in the regulation of sleep, pain, anxiety and stress. accidental painkiller overdoses, which are the greatest Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act, would Colorado, and cites her “firing” as one of her proudest Sanjay Gupta, in the third documentary of his CNN cause of preventable death in this country. Hundreds of also allow VA doctors to recommend the drug to patients professional achievements, prioritizing her patients’ needs “Weed” series, reports that PTSD is caused by a chemical thousands of veterans are prescribed opiates for pain, while also granting medical marijuana businesses access and advocating for science over political pressure. imbalance in the brain. He describes the condition as, and 1 in 3 veterans polled say they are on 10 different to the banking system by federally legalizing state medical Since it’s still a Schedule One drug, the U.S. has “too many receptors associated with intense emotions medications. Research shows that states where medical marijuana programs. Senator Booker told the Senate, this unilaterally opposed almost all study of marijuana’s like fear and anxiety and not enough of a chemical that marijuana is legal have a 25 percent lower rate of fatal bill “seeks to right decades of wrong and end unnecessary possible benefits. Dr. Rick Doblin, a prominent drug binds to these anxiety receptors to keep them calm and overdoses from opiates. marijuana laws.” policy critic, has observed that the ability for scientists in check.” According to a recent VA analysis, the suicide rate for In a letter urging Congress to pass the Veterans Equal to conduct the research needed for FDA approval has The documentary “The Botany of Desire” illustrates veterans is 22 per day. And Colorado Springs is known Access Amendment, recently retired VA physician Dr. been “politically hobbled” by the “systematic hindrance how marijuana’s THC compound interacts with the brain. to have one of the highest suicide rates in the country. E. Deborah Gilman wrote, “it’s true that we could use of scientific research by governmental agencies.” In 1988, Alllyn Howlett discovered that “THC molecules Promisingly for the city, research by the American Public more studies on marijuana, and we would have them if Sisley ran into the same research roadblock that has activate a previously unknown network of specialized Journal of Health shows a 10 percent reduction in suicide government agencies weren’t actively obstructing them, effectively prevented any scientific study of cannabis for chemical receptors.” Research is discovering that the THC rates in states with legalized medical marijuana. but the fact of the matter is we have enough information more than 40 years. In the Cannabist, Sisley argued that, compound in marijuana can bind to these receptors and It’s hard to blend the stereotype of potheads with the to know that medical marijuana can be a safe and effective “despite receiving FDA approval and the generous grant help restore balance in the brain of someone suffering image of our nation’s military veterans, but the fact is that treatment for a variety of medical conditions.” from Colorado, we continue to wait for access to NIDA’s from PTSD. A recent study in ScienceDaily found that this stigmatized plant is proving beneficial to patients marijuana.” PTSD symptoms in patients who smoked cannabis were who don’t have sufficient access to it. As Rep. Dana The Politics of Science The only legal source of marijuana for controlled, reduced an average of 75 percent. Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) told the House, “It is criminal Sue Sisley, a physician specialized in internal medicine and FDA-approved research on medical marijuana is grown In 2009, Canadian researchers from the Operational that we send our men and women off to war where their psychiatry, is the principal investigator for the only FDA- by NIDA, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and Trauma and Stress Support Centre found that nabilone minds and bodies are broken and then deny them the approved controlled trial studying marijuana in combat contracted with the University of Mississippi. “NIDA (synthetic THC) abolished or greatly reduced the ability to obtain a recommendation from a legitimate VA veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD. Sisley regularly discriminates against scientists who seek to study nightmares of patients with PTSD that had failed to see doctor upon their return home.” 12 13 dispensaries are not allowed to use banks since they are on regulations that will help the problem by reducing the federal institutions; therefore, most if not all transactions dosage per product to just one. are made in cash. Suthers sees a problem here: it’s easier If recreational cannabis is legalized in Colorado Springs, to cheat taxes if all the money is in cash rather than in Suthers doesn’t think much will change—especially in a bank account. “I would suggest from a public policy terms of tax revenue. Medical marijuana carries a regular perspective that we wait and see how things play out,” he sales tax, which is around 7%. However, recreational Higher Office says. marijuana purchases include the 7% sales tax as well The mayor’s race and the future of cannabis in Colorado Springs Similarly, many arguments that are made by pot as an additional 25%. For this reason, most medicinal proponents have not panned out, Suthers maintains. One users don’t make the switch due to the excess tax. Thus, DANA CRONIN 64. But the City Council went against popular sentiment of these arguments is that the legalization of marijuana Suthers says, communities that have allowed recreational when it voted in 2014 against putting the issue on the will eliminate the black market, but it continues to thrive marijuana have not seen the tax revenue increases they The Colorado Springs mayoral election is fast approaching, ballot. Keith King, then the City Council President, despite Amendment 64, Suthers argues. In fact, Colorado had anticipated. and the two candidates are on opposite ends of the insisted that there needed to be hard numbers and strict has become a major exporter of marijuana and has begun Suthers views his constituency as fairly split on the marijuana spectrum. The legalization of recreational regulations attached to the proposal if it were to be left to burden other states that have not legalized it. Another issue, but also notes: “There are a lot of other major marijuana is a hot topic within the city, as it currently up to voters to decide. pro-pot argument that Suthers says is flawed is that issues facing Colorado Springs.” Despite his opposition remains illegal in a state that allows for—and has derived Consequently, recreational marijuana shops are not legalization will drive out the drug cartels. This simply to recreational cannabis, Suthers doesn’t intend to combat huge tax revenues from—recreational use. But with a allowed in El Paso County. They are, however, allowed hasn’t happened, he says. the issue. “I am not a crusader,” he says. “I just respond new mayor in sight, the city could soon see a change in its in nearby Manitou Springs and Fremont County. In a But the biggest problem he sees with the legalization to questions when asked. I’ve always been candid about current status. 2014 interview with the Denver Post, Councilwoman of marijuana and Amendment 64 is the regulation of my views.” The political history of pot in Colorado Springs is a Jill Gaebler said that Colorado Springs was experiencing edibles. “The original 64 had very little regulating the If elected mayor, Suthers is inclined to leave it up the short one. The use of medical marijuana was approved in all the social consequences of allowing for recreational content of edibles, so people were doing things like voters of Colorado Springs. “If it is voted in by the 2000 with the passage of Amendment 20. This amendment marijuana while losing out on the opportunity for tax making a dose equal to one bite,” he says. “Well, who eats voters of Colorado Springs, I will take that direction allowed for a patient or their primary caregiver to possess revenue. one bite of a cookie or one bite of a brownie?” He goes and do the very best job I can of implementing it. But a limited amount of marijuana for medical use only. They The upcoming mayoral election plays into the future of on to cite a few recent fatal accidents involving the over- as a public policy, I have serious reservations about the could possess no more than two ounces or six plants at cannabis in Colorado Springs. The two candidates are John consumption of edibles, and then said that he is working direction we’re going.” a time. Although Amendment 20 didn’t allow for the Suthers, the Republican Party former Attorney General commercial sale of marijuana, caregivers often operated of Colorado, and Mary Lou Makepeace, a Democrat and dispensaries anyway. In 2010, the Colorado Legislature the first female mayor of Colorado Springs elected in endorsed the Colorado Medical Marijuana Code, which is 1997 and re-elected in ’99. Each candidate takes a vastly considered one of the most detailed and comprehensive different approach to the issue of legalizing recreational set of medical cannabis distribution and regulation in marijuana. the world. The new system included licensing medical John Suthers opposes the legalization of marijuana. marijuana distributors and imposing new restrictions on His position stems, he says, from his more than 30 years patients and their doctors. of experience in and around the criminal justice system Then, in 2012, the voters of Colorado made the historic and drug abuse treatment centers. As a former prosecutor, decision to allow for the distribution of recreational he has seen the world of drug abuse up close. Based on marijuana with Amendment 64. With this amendment, his research, he says that marijuana use increases among Colorado residents who are over 21 can legally possess up the youth population when their perception of risk goes to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants at once. down, and legalization has noticeably reduced their The law also allows local governments to choose whether perception of risk. to allow recreational dispensaries within their boundaries. “While I don’t for a minute fail to understand that The amendment does not permit public use of marijuana there’s a high level of adolescent use anyway, I think we and penalizes those who drive under its influence. Several are buying ourselves even bigger problems than we would local governments have chosen not to adopt recreational by not promoting the recreational use of marijuana,” he marijuana, yet most of the state’s larger cities, including says. Suthers also says he doesn’t think the age restriction Photo courtesy of www.krcc.org Denver, Boulder, Aurora, and Pueblo, have allowed it. of 21 prevents minors from using the drug. “I’m not a crusader, but as a public “All governments are hurting for Colorado Springs is one of the cities that has opted Additionally, the legalization of marijuana violates policy, I have serious reservations about revenue. Why not sell pot, and use it for out of this movement and currently does not allow any federal law, which greatly concerns Suthers. He argues that recreational dispensaries within its city limits. The majority Colorado should hold off until the federal government the direction we’re going in.” [fixing] potholes?” of Colorado Springs voters actually favored Amendment has spent more time figuring out regulations. For example, -John Suthers -Mary Lou Makepeace

14 15 On the other end of the spectrum lies Mary Lou Makepeace also supports the legalization of marijuana Makepeace. Although she voted against Amendment from a medical perspective. She takes note of the scores 64 in 2012, after doing more research, she has come of families who have moved to Colorado to provide out in support of legalized marijuana. One of the main medicinal marijuana for their children who suffer from discrepancies she sees is between City Council and the seizures and other unknown illnesses. “You can’t ignore voters of Colorado Springs. She says countless voters that,” she says. “I have to say, reading stories about the have approached her about the City Council’s decision to children, that really impacted me in a way that I hadn’t Slightly overrule popular sentiment on Amendment 64. been impacted before. Here’s a source of something that “When citizens vote for something, they [City Council] could be good beyond recreation.” are obliged to listen to that,” she says. “That struck me, I Makepeace also expresses frustration with the federal was offended by it, actually.” government on the issue. She contends that federal health Another issue Makepeace says can be resolved with the agencies haven’t done their research, and that’s why so Sweet legalization of cannabis is the marijuana black market. many citizens are still against the legalization of marijuana. Although recreational marijuana isn’t currently legal in “I think it’s long past the time that the government looks Colorado Springs, Makepeace says there remains a robust at that on the federal level,” or else it should be left up to with a Photo by Tristan Spinski black market. Placing regulations on the legalization of the states, she said. marijuana could help curb the black market, she argues, Makepeace says her constituency is extremely diverse. and this will make it more difficult for kids to get access She has come across left-leaning pot-smoking Democrats to the drug. In addition, marijuana sold through the black who favor her, as well as a self-described group of of market is often dangerous due to its lack of regulation. “extreme Republicans” who also showed their support. TouchHANNAH FLEMING Illicit marijuana is often laced with dangerous chemicals Whether she is elected or not, Makepeace plans to over which the government has no control. continue showing her support for marijuana legalization. Ry Prichard, veteran pot critic, pot connoisseur, and The extra tax revenue can’t hurt, she adds. Makepeace She endorses the idea of a citizen’s initiative to put the employee and MiNDFUL, has what some might consider Dank It’s a tough job, but has adopted the slogan, “Pot for Pot Holes,” shedding issue on the ballot. “I’m very supportive of citizens being the ideal ratio of work-to-play—he gets paid to play. light on two issues that, she feels, could compliment each engaged in government,” she says. “So even if I’m not When he isn’t at MiNDFUL, a giant grow in Denver, someone’s gotta other. “It’s going to cost millions and millions of dollars in office to implement that, it empowers them to move he takes pictures of pot. Consults about pot-related to fix our roads. So I thought why not sell pot, and use ahead.” activities. Reviews pot. do it: The life of a it for the potholes?” she asks. In this scenario, the 25% Makepeace says she hopes she’s helped bring the “I couldn’t have lucked out more to be in Colorado to tax revenue attached to recreational pot sales would be issue to light while informing people who might not do what I do,” he says. “Especially with the photography. professional pot critic allocated to improve the city’s infrastructure, including have otherwise known about the benefits to legalizing There just isn’t much of a market for it anywhere else From there, Ry started his own blog and became the potholes. marijuana. She says she doesn’t think the issue will go but here.” His journey began much like the rest of the main writer and photographer for Kindreviews.com. He’s Manitou Springs opened its first retail marijuana shop away. “The good thing about campaigns is that you can population, smoking in high school as a self-described been with High Times since 2010 and worked as a strain in July of 2014. That month, says Snyder, was the city’s lift up issues and they’re out there where they haven’t “guitar playing weird kid.” reviewer for a series of popular cannabis news websites. best tax revenue month in its history. Snyder estimates been before,” she says. “Pot was something I had an affinity for,” he says. Stretched thin by a time-consuming schedule, it takes an the retail marijuana sales are bringing in approximately Suthers and Makepeace will face off in the election Unlike the majority of adolescents with reefer madness, extra dose of effort to remain focused during the high $100,000 per month in sales tax revenue remittance. In on May 19th. According to Bryce Crawford, a political Prichard had a mission, an insatiable desire to go further created by a particular strain, and to be able to translate fact, 2015 tax figures show the first three months of this reporter for the Colorado Springs Independent, Suthers is than buying, selling, or smoking. “I started getting into it that high into remotely communicable human language. year are up by 77% compared to last year. currently in the lead. Crawford says Makepeace addresses not just in terms of how much I was smoking, but how At Kind Reviews, the process was precise. According Snyder says the additional burst of revenue comes at concerns specifically geared towards the millennial voters, much knowledge I was inhaling.” to Prichard, employees would immediately take the a perfect time, as Manitou Springs has experienced costly who generally have very low turnout during elections. He cites overgrow.com, a website taken down in the critic’s heart rate and blood pressure etc. after he or she and highly damaging fires and floods in the few years. “She needs them to show up and vote for her if she’s early 2000s, as his early bible. “You could see the mother had smoked. “That was too unwieldy because it’s hard to “If you’d told me that we’d be back on such good to have any chance,” he argues. Crawford also says that and the father and all the resulting phenotypes and the standardize. It’s also hard to remember to do it because footing just a year later, I would’ve been very skeptical,” Makepeace’s support for the legalization of recreational history behind it and the stories. There are all these crazy you have to do it in intervals.” he says. he says. A portion of the revenue is going to fund flood marijuana has the potential to attract a different group of back-stories to all the strains. I cultivated that knowledge I went on Kind Reviews and found the reports very mitigation projects, he added. “Here we have this infusion voters who otherwise might not participate. moving up into college,” Prichard says. Then Jake Brown, succinct. On the right side of the page is a “Rating of sales tax revenue right when we need it most.” Now it’s up to the voters. And with enough of the his more famous contemporary at the Denver Post, told Breakdown” section with categories such as Appearance, Makepeace says she thinks the recreational sale of millennial vote, it could shape up to be a nail-biter. For him how easy it was to get a red card. He did—and it Flavor, Aroma, and Packaging. Additionally, there’s the marijuana can have similar effects on the city of Colorado Colorado Springs, the election of a new Mayor means big opened doors. “I was able to walk into stores and smell price per 1/8th, Type, and Origin of the strain. And Springs. changes, one of which could involve the legalization of and see all these things I was reading about on the pictures. It took me a while to find a strain that wasn’t in “All governments are hurting for revenue,” she argues. recreational marijuana. Internet.” the B+ to A range. 16 17 The most interesting aspect—the website doesn’t give Kind Reviews, the strain—even if it’s popular—isn’t to one gram of marijuana. the reader any clue as to who wrote the review. I clicked on always performance-ready. This is because the origins of More often than not, he Sour Diesel (High Country) strain, one of the first ones today’s most popular strains are debatable or otherwise uses concentrates because I found to receive the grade B because it was “not the completely untraceable. “True lineage can be very he’s a cannabis snob. “With best representation for what strain it is.” What strain is it, difficult at times,” Prichard says in an article entitled weed, I’m just getting so exactly? The reviewer said it gave him “auditory issues,” “Five questions: Why your marijuana isn’t always what jaded because I’ve seen causing his ears to ring so he/she couldn’t focus on any budtenders say it is.” He cites blue dream as the pinnacle the operations, I’ve seen particular noise. “Being easily distracted and ‘artsyness’ of popular strains that are mislabeled by dispensaries how commercialization might come into play as well.” and mishandled by growers. “Sometimes it just tastes like has changed the product Whatever “artsy” means, it comes with a price. shit because they don’t grow it or cure it right, and then to a large extent. So when Luckily, critics like Prichard have a big palette of you’re like ‘This strain sucks, I hate blue dream’ but it has I get something really experience to draw from. “I’ve probably reviewed 700 nothing to do with the strain.” spectacular from a home strains, and when I say strains I mean different examples of In the article, Prichard goes on to discuss the fact grower of the 5 percent of the main strains. There are definitely themes. Sometimes that shopping for marijuana is kind of a crapshoot and operations that do it right, the effect is an up and then down, sometimes a down and that you shouldn’t trust dispensaries—you should try it then that’s the standard. then an up and kinda back to normal. And sometimes yourself. A good dispensary should be able to give you Everything else I’m like, it’s a plateau. And that’s the template for 90 percent of accurate information and feedback on certain strains, ‘Eh.’ ” it.” Prichard always sits in a quiet room. He starts by including whether it was grown from a clone or from a Concentrates, he says, closing his eyes, and assessing how he feels. “The subtle seed. “Finding a shop that meets these high demands is turn ‘eh’ into ‘ah:’ Labs Ry Prichard examines product for sale at a medical differences are really hard to pick up unless you really tough, but they are definitely out there,” Prichard writes. marijuana dispensary in Denver. Photo by Tristan Spinski make very high quality concentrates, even from low- train yourself to do it.” These subtle differences could be He closes the article with a call-to-action for medical/ quality flowers. The average one gram joint, if it’s 20% pressure moving into your eyeballs, sometimes buzzing, recreational marijuana shoppers: Do your homework. head. I’m thinking about everything, but what I’m doing. THC, is 200 milligrams of THC whereas a ‘dab’ is 60% and sometimes you feel the high moving into your limbs And ask the budtender at the counter about his personal With more functional sativas you kind of dial in.” THC or 600 milligrams. “Yeah, it’s more, I guess, but a and torso, almost like an electrical current. experience, because in the end, that’s all the knowledge When it comes to finding a strain that works for you, lot of people don’t think twice about sitting down and Prichard tries not to focus on his state of mind— anyone can give you. the broad categories of “indica” or “sativa” may no smoking a whole joint to yourself these days,” he says. he thinks it breaks In leafly.com’s longer be the crucial dividing factor. “The traditional When he smokes, Prichard says he gets more of a full- concentration. “You “The subtle differences are review of Blue Dream, cannabis nomenclature of indica to sativa is pretty much body effect. When he dabs, it goes straight to the brain. may notice ‘I feel a there is a prevalence false,” Prichard says. “Today, everything is a hybrid. Even According to Prichard, most people who are little happier, or a little really hard to pick up unless of vague descriptors, beyond that, those two categorizations have been shown, connoisseurs take dabs several times a day. “For the more black,’ but you short phrases clipped genetically and biologically, to be quite false.” connoisseur, it’s all about flavor. Beyond that, it’s basically have to focus on your you really train yourself.” from loaded words that According to the pot critic, the scientific consensus the same thing. Does this hurt my throat? Does it taste physiology, things you —Ry Prichard, self-described epicurean who basically say the same from leaders in the industry is that all strains are cannabis clean? Does it have a lasting aftertaste?” That’s where the wouldn’t necessarily.” has reviewed more than 700 marijuana strains thing. Blue Dream, indica, and only hemp is cannabis sativa. It’s essentially market is heading, he says: fancier equipment and better Reviewing pot the review says, makes the most undercover generalization ever. “And within taste. requires a lot more than just smoking a joint and letting you feel “full body relaxation” with “gentle cerebral cannabis indica, there’s an afghanica variety which we In the review of OG Kush Prichard did for The the words flow freely. “I can’t even enjoy it, really—I’m invigoration,” an overall “calm euphoria.” It is marketed generally call ‘stout’ and then there’s an indica variety Cannabist in January, he went so far as to define the thinking about it, analyzing it,” Prichard says. Wine as the perfect balance, the strain that will give you “swift which we would call ‘sativa,’” Prichard says. “It was mis- descriptors: “kushy: dense, mostly rounded triangle reviewers, who often struggle with language, can easily symptom relief without heavy sedative effects.” categorized significantly by the person who found the buds, with slight crowns at the top.” He says the strain rely on details concerning a specific vintage and producer That’s where Ry comes in; telling readers and weeders plants in India.” presented “a strange and uncharacteristic sweetness.” He to inform their writing. Ry is forced to use “rough what the strain is actually good for. The first thing he says Even the generalization that indica makes you sleepy felt confident that it was not pure OG Kush, but an OG categories” to describe the flavors, tastes and smells of is that “driving while sleepy is dangerous.” and sativa tends to be more cerebral and stimulating is Hybrid at best. Then he dropped terms like “trichomes” marijuana. “I’ll describe things as spicy, earthy, fruity, “That’s the hardest part of being a reviewer, describing incorrect, Prichard says. He gives the example of Mob (little hairs/outgrowths on the plant) and talked s about sweet, tangy, those kinds of things,” he says. the effects. Because people’s body chemistries are so Boss: a strain that is reportedly (key word) 70% sativa percentages of cannabadoil versus THC. He lost me for a “The strain ‘Blue Dream,’ that’s one of the most different, you have to give it a few runs to be able to and 30% indica. But this doesn’t at all mean that the second, but continued to trust him. Prichard’s writing does popular varieties. Blue Dream I would describe as describe it and you have to put yourself in other people’s strain you buy will have that percentage. On top of that, not guarantee that others will have the same experience, fruity but it has a sandalwood herby-like haze to it—it’s shoes,” he says. When it comes to activities, he can there are different phenotypes (biochemical or physical but clearly he loves what he does. sweet, but it’s kind of vegetal at the same time. There’s usually get a baseline as to whether he’s functional or not. properties) of the plant sold at different dispensaries. “The same type of people—epicureans for lack of a something else to it. It has the soft floral dark sweetness Whether he can focus, work without distraction. “That’s In terms of functionality, you could be more at a 70% better word—people who appreciate things for taste’s of the blueberry.” what usually happens if I’m on a crazy sativa, I’ll kind of indica, in theory, and feel lethargic rather than artsy. sake, I consider myself that type of person. I try to notice Like the review for Sour Diesel (High Country) on go into a wormhole or get a bunch of songs stuck in my In order to smoke all day, Prichard rolls a joint equivalent the differences and I think about it in that way.” 18 19 The Ganjapreneurs Meet the Stanley Brothers, Colorado’s marijuana millionaires ANNA SMITH When Jesse and his brothers finally opened up about their new profession, some of their closest friends The Stanley brothers of Colorado are some of America’s shunned them.“I had plenty of friends and family stop first legal marijuana millionaires. The five brothers—Joel, talking to me. You found out who your true supporters Jesse, Jon, Jordan, and Jared—focus their business on the were,” Jesse recalls. medical side of marijuana. Today, they have nearly 100 But the Stanleys really began to put their hearts into full-time employees and produce over 600 pounds of their work when they realized they could help cancer medical-grade marijuana each year. patients. One was their own cousin, Ron, who at the I met Jesse at the Stanley brothers’ office in Denver. time had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Ron had been having He is a tall, burly man with neatly-styled brown hair, a issues with nausea and lack of sleep, so the brothers did seamless mix of outdoorsman and businessman. The research to find that they could help Ron with hash oil. clean-cut image the brothers project is at odds with the Ron found himself better able to withstand chemotherapy typical stoner stereotype. All except one of the Stanleys with proper nutrition—marijuana, he found, quickened graduated from Colorado Springs Christian School and his appetite. all identify themselves as being fairly conservative. People started hearing about the hash oil treatment A series of coincidences, trials, and relationships has and contacting the brothers. Eventually they had a patient brought the brothers great success. But now, Jesse says, database of people looking for oil high in THC. The his eyes lit up, the company is on a mission to “change the business started with cancer treatment, then expanded The Stanley brothers at their grow. Photo courtesy of the Stanley brothers stigmas and the fears and the propaganda that has been to treatments for multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and severe on cannabis and hemp for too many years now.” pain. “Indispensary,” and the business began to flourish. foot greenhouse out of PVC pipe. Then, to comply with When the brothers entered the business in 2008, They bought property West of Divide and started state building codes, they were forced to tear it down Beginnings regulations were scarce. “It was the wild, wild West back growing in greenhouses. All aspects of the company were and rebuild it, at a cost of $40,000. In addition to these Josh Stanley, the oldest sibling in the family, started then,” says Jesse. He explained that you were supposed to manipulated to be natural, organic, and compliant with difficulties, growing plants requires intensive care and his first dispensary over eight years ago in Denver and only grow six plants per patient, but no one was regulating regulations. In less than a year, Indispensary had three attention. Success requires often moving and cloning the became one of the first people to sell medical marijuana anything. People were mainly growing in their basements different locations. One of these was later shut down due plants. Electricity bills for growers can be up to $10,000 in Colorado. At first, Josh’s family didn’t take him very and closets. At first the brothers had two different to the rule that a dispensary had to be one thousand feet per month because plants often need supplemental light seriously. Then, he started to explain to his brothers the grows—one in Fort Collins and one in Commerce from a school (at 998 feet, Indispensary narrowly violated in the winter. kind of money they could make, and eventually the other City. They put all of their savings into remodeling the the rule.) Jesse explained that their biggest expense has been Stanley brothers went in on the project together, leaving basements of these locations and installing lights in their Since medical marijuana was legalized in Colorado in quality control. Their extensive, $2.5 million dollar lab is their jobs in the Texas oil industry. basements, until regulations eventually caused them to 2000 through Amendment 20, growers have not had access located in Boulder. “We are able to insure the quality of “We probably wouldn’t have done it if the recession change their operation. to traditional banks. This makes it nearly impossible to product that we put out,” said Jesse. “We test everything hadn’t happened,” recalls Jesse. “We weren’t making finance capital projects, inventory, and mortgages, as well as well as doing third-party testing.” as much money or getting enough work in oil and gas. Adjustments as obtain credit cards and open checking accounts. They The brothers did a lot of research on their own to Conditions were ripe.” Since then, the brothers have altered their role from just also have to operate entirely with cash, which is extremely learn about cannabidiol, or CBD, which is the non- Coming from a conservative background, the brothers growers to growers and sellers. This was due to new dangerous. In 2012, one of their dispensary employees psychoactive part of marijuana. “I read a study by CalPoli had to be cautious with their own community of friends regulations that required “vertical integration.” At first, was attacked and sustained a gash on his head and a that CBD helps slow and possibly stop the metastasis of and family. “People would ask me what I did for a living the brothers simply grew the marijuana and sold it to mild concussion. The brothers have to make security a cancer, or the spreading of the cancer cells,” says Jesse. and I would say that I was in alternative medicine or farm dispensaries. Vertical integration required dispensaries to high priority. “Our grows are hidden,” Jesse says, “and “So I thought: Why don’t we try bringing up a CBD plant supplies—you know, not completely lying but not exactly grow their own marijuana, which had to be monitored by if someone were to come and try to steal plants, they doing cross breeding and asexual breeding? A lot of our telling the truth,” Jesse admits. “Maybe at the time I didn’t regulators from seed to sale. would be sorely disappointed because most have no black patients were old at the time and didn’t like the high, so fully believe in what I was doing enough that I could be The brothers collaborated with Independent Records market value.” we wanted to see if it would work.” proud and explain.” of Colorado Springs to start a dispensary. They called it On a small budget without bank loans, the brothers In 2010, the brothers started the project and were very had to be creative. They built their first 6,000-square- successful with the plants they bred. Eventually, they 20 21 produced plant that contained high quantities of CBD and “I had read that CBD helps slow virtually no THC. It was then the metastasis of cancer cells. So I that Paige Figi, the mother of six- year old Charlotte Figi, contacted thought: ‘Why don’t we try to bring them about their high CBD strains. Charlotte had been born up a high-CBD plant and see if it with a genetic condition called Dravet Syndrome, which caused works?’ ” frequent, violent seizures and —Jesse Stanley took away her ability to walk and talk. The Stanley brothers had already begun growing The Public Eye and selling a non-psychoactive plant through the cross- Over the past few years, the brothers’ work has garnered a pollination of four varieties of medical marijuana. good bit of national media attention. In 2012, they were Charlotte’s mother, Paige, after unsuccessfully trying all featured in six of the thirteen episodes of the National possible prescriptions for her daughter’s illness, heard Geographic series, “American Weed,” which illustrated of the brothers’ plant and jumped at the chance to help some of the challenges they’ve faced in the business, Charlotte live a normal life. particularly the past Fort Collins vote that threatened to The brothers were wary at first of such a young ban weed. “The media attention was a way to create a patient, worried about how the medical marijuana would brand to push some of the things we were doing,” says affect her brain. Charlotte’s family, on the other hand, was Jesse. The brothers were also featured in Sanjay Gupta’s willing to try anything. The CBD oil they administered to documentary “Weed,” and are honorary members and Clippings taken from Charlotte’s Web at different stages in its lifecycle hang to dry before being tested for Charlotte decreased her seizures from three to four an guest speakers at several marijuana business groups such cannabidiol, a cannabinoid shown to be effective in treating seizures. The Stanley Brothers utilize Charlotte’s hour to only three or four seizures in six months. After as the International Cannabis Association. Web for hundreds of patients. Photo via of wired.com seeing the miraculous effect that the high-CBD strain “Most of the media has been wonderful. It’s been had on Charlotte’s seizures, the brothers were inspired telling the story and pushing for change,” says Jesse. “I for just a few ounces. They also noticed that lab results shrug in response to this criticism. “Most of our response to focus on this strain, which now makes up about 70 think you’re now seeing laws change in different states that came from testing each batch of Charlotte’s Web to critics is not to respond. You don’t want to empower percent of their crop. “It was at that point that we knew around the country as a result of work like ours. I think were changing—the amount of THC was shifting. Eric’s their voice.” we had something,” says Jesse. They named their highest- we doubled the amount of medical marijuana programs mounting health problems caused his death on May 10, CBD, lowest-THC strain Charlotte’s Web. Now about in recent years.” 2014. It is unclear what caused this tragic event—Eric’s Intentions for the Future 350 people, including 180 children, are taking the oil- preexisting conditions, Charlotte’s Web, or a combination. Through all the stress and controversy, Jesse Stanley based drug. Controversy Some critics of the Stanleys note that Stanley Brothers says he’s loved working with his brothers. “Yes, we have The brothers’ work has been controversial. “It would be Social Enterprises, the for-profit side of the operation, our fights and our tough times because we are all very Business Ventures hard to find objectivity on the subject,” says Dr. Alan has 36 employees, while Realm of Caring, the nonprofit passionate, but I would not change anything about who I The Stanley brothers now run an extensive array of Shackelford, one of Denver’s leading cannabis physicians. side, only has four people to handle hundreds of calls work with and I’m proud of every single one of them,” businesses and nonprofits, all under the umbrella of Not all patients have good experiences with Charlotte’s and a 12,000-person waiting list for Charlotte’s Web. he says. Stanley Brothers Social Enterprises, or SBSE. Besides Web. Take the case of Eric Prine, for example. At first, Many families move to Colorado for the sole reason This summer, seventeen acres of hemp will be harvested Indispensary, two of their ventures are CW Botanicals, the oil worked wonders for Prine, age 21, who suffered of obtaining Charlotte’s Web, but have to wait years to to go to the families on the waitlist for Charlotte’s Web their product line, and the Realm of Caring, their from uncontrollable seizures. A few months later, Eric receive it. in Colorado, which means the brothers could entirely nonprofit organization. “At SBSE, we believe in the social developed complications. He began secreting clear Another controversy surrounding the Realm of Caring eliminate the wait list for in-state patients. aspect of giving back,” says Jesse. “Rather than some of mucus from his mouth. His family tried to contact the is that the nonprofit refuses to release tissue cultures of Also, the brothers look to expand their operations these big corporations that take, take, take and then give Realm of Caring to ask if this was normal but received Charlotte’s web so that others can try to grow it. Joel to Uruguay, where they have already started making back, we want to give back while we do business.” no response for several days. The secretions increased, Stanley argues that this is for the safety of the families connections and doing research. The grow they hope to The brothers started The Realm of Caring to focus his communication skills decreased, and seizures came and patients (extracting oil is a complicated process) and establish in Uruguay would be significantly larger than on counseling people who are looking for an alternative back— with limited and unhelpful responses from the to protect the operation’s proprietary investment and their current grows in the U.S., and the hemp would be treatments for their illnesses and pains. The nonprofit Realm of Caring. credibility. But many families are enraged that Realm shipped to the US to enable them to serve many more also qualifies people for discounted medications from The Prine family was hurt by a steep rise in the price of Caring would deny them this small opportunity that patients. “At the end of the day,” says Jesse, “your job the brothers’ dispensaries and advocates for medical of Charlotte’s Web during this period; initially they could save lives. doesn’t matter as much as your intentions behind it.” marijuana research. received the oil for free, but soon they were paying $700 “You’re always going to have haters,” says Jesse with a 22 23 spasms. She was about three months old at this time. You don’t know what to ask, you just assume they will tell The Mattison family always leaned towards the more you what to do,” recalls Nicole. natural side of medical care, but that all changed with The doctors did everything they knew to do, but Millie. Nicole explains, “The boys aren’t vaccinated. We nothing was working. Millie was on 2000 milligrams had natural home births. But when Millie came along and of prescription medicine. That would be enough to they said something is wrong, it’s like everything went out incapacitate an adult male. The family was running out Big steps the window. It was like, get her to the hospital, do what of options, and as Penn said, “The doctors had no idea you have to do, give her medications because we were so what’s going on.” with scared.” “The doctors’ answer was always that it was After they realized it was infantile spasms “we ran every neurological. One time she had a super high fever and the test, tried multiple hospitals, multiple specialists.” Penn doctors said it was because her brain couldn’t regulate her says, “They ran tests for days, and days, and days. Then body. But I knew that wasn’t it. I said that she needed to they came to us and said, ‘We’ve never seen anything like have overnight care, and lo and behold, it turned out she this.’” had a staph infection. It wasn’t neurological.” small feet The Mattisons put Millie on a ketogenic diet, which The name of the game is The Froggy Game. The defense: sometimes helps prevent seizures. It is a high-fat, low- Millie Mattison, age 3. The offense: Neil Mattison, age carbs diet that comes in a can. “It wasn’t real food,” says One family’s struggle to save their 11. The object: Boing. Nicole. The can diet didn’t work, and so the family took After Millie’s recent discovery of leg movement, the charge and decided to replicate this diet by blending up oldest brother, Neil has finally found a way that he can real food. Millie quickly gained two pounds. daughter’s life with cannabis simultaneously play, annoy, and love on his little sister. A Still, Millie’s seizures continued, and her body chemistry EMELIE FROJEN The Mattison family is one of hundreds of families game where he can be a big brother. Millie is lying down, grew dangerously acidic. The doctors, argued, once again, who moved to Colorado Springs out of desperation. knees actively bent upwards, small feet firmly pressed on Nicole Mattison sits at the family dinner table with her Their daughter, Millie, suffers from an undiagnosed the couch, close to her body. In comes Neil, he swipes two sons Sam, age 8, and Neil, age 11, and her husband neurological disorder resulting in many symptoms, one her feet from their stance and the legs come down with as Penn. It’s about 5:30 and the late afternoon sun peers of them being chronic seizure clusters. At her worst, loud of a thud as a three year old can make. “BOING!” through the windows creating an orange glow throughout Millie was having about 500 seizures in the course of says Neil. The two smile, sharing a new moment of the house. The boys bicker with each other as their mom three hours. siblinghood. brings their plates to the table. Tonight’s dinner is cheese Millie was born on Tuesday March 6th, 2012. It was pizza and fresh watermelon. All left overs will be fed to a bright and brisk day in Nashville, Tennessee, about 45 Millie’s condition deteriorated. Doctors didn’t know the family’s two freckled chickens. They say grace and degrees. She was born at home, just like her two older what to do and their only solution was to prescribe begin to eat. Nicole’s three-year-old daughter, Millie, brothers. She was a healthy baby girl. However, after a higher doses of more and more pharmaceuticals. “You naps in the adjacent living room. She eats later. month of breast-feeding, Millie had lost a pound from think they know, and they know what’s best. They do Millie is small but spirited for her age. Her wispy her original birth weight. Something was not right. The not,” says Penn. The problem was that a doctor could blond hair can’t be tamed by any sort of scrunchie or hair family went to the hospital right away. The doctor’s be sued for not prescribing more medicine, even if they tie. She has her mother’s smile, her father’s eyes. She’s solution was for Nicole to pump her breast milk instead, don’t believe it will be helpful. And for a family new to a peaceful sleeper, and her smooth pale skin is marked so that they could precisely measure how much Millie was the world of blood transfusions and oxygen tanks, this from the wrinkles on her pillow. getting. flaw in the medical system isn’t always realized. Dinner doesn’t last very long in a family with two The day they were going to leave the hospital, Millie During this time, Millie slept for 23 hours a day. She growing boys. Soon enough dishes are cleared, rinsed, had her first seizure. “It was like something out of The couldn’t eat, make sounds, or voluntarily move. “Before and put in the dishwasher. Then the night time routine Exorcist,” said Nicole. However at the time, the nurses medical cannabis we called her Sleepy Millie. I mean she of baths, teeth brushing, and story reading begins. Quiet said it was just a little reflex and it happens all the time. was comatose,” says Nicole. time for the parents of three could not come soon Still, Nicole was skeptical. After that hospital visit Millie Millie was put on oxygen with a monitor. “I will never enough. Nicole and Penn get their 45 minutes of adult would have these ‘reflexes’ about every three hours. One forget changing her oxygen tank for the first time and her time at 9pm. During this they will watch one episode day Penn realized that she was turning blue after each levels dropped to like 94. And I was freaking the frick of T.V. Today it’s the show Six Feet Under. At 10 pm, episode. The family went back to the familiar ER and out. And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!’ and was Millie’s overnight nurse arrives and the parents are fast was told that it was just acid reflux. They went home. just shaking. And one day a doctor told me the secret that asleep by 10:30pm at the latest. Their alarm will go off One afternoon, they were driving back from Grandpa’s 90-100 is all the same. And I was like, “Why don’t you tell at 5:50am, like it does every morning, in order relieve the house and Millie had 500 spasms in three hours. Finally, new parents this when they go home with an infant and nurse from her duty by 6am. the doctors took notice. Millie was having infantile have to do this. But that just kind of explains the system. Photo courtesy of the Mattison family 24 25 that that aspect was all Penn knew it too. in politics until this, and now we really are.” This new neurological. But one “We were desperate parents involvement grew from Millie’s condition. day she “flat lined and in a desperate situation. Millie “She was as close to The Mattisons have noticed a pattern with the families it was like a scene from death as you could who move to Colorado Springs and join the Realm of ER,” says Penn. Millie was as close to death as you possibly be.” Penn Caring. Most of their children have conditions that can’t was rushed to ICU and remembers. The be precisely diagnosed and who were near death before put on a more basic could possibly be.” doctors were advising the move to Colorado, just like the Mattisons. diet. Her condition the family to consider However, the science hasn’t quite caught up to the improved, but not -Penn Mattison, Millie’s dad signing a DO NOT families. They know that the Charlotte’s Web strain has enough. The doctors RESUSCITATE, been effective for their children, but every family is still told the Mattisons something no family wants to hear. which basically means not providing any more care and working to find out why while always fine-tuning the Millie, they said, had a .1% chance of living. just letting nature take its course. “And I said, ‘Absolutely dosages for their kids. “We are research projects. We are not.’” fortunate that we are research projects with a medicine It was a sunny July day in 2012. Penn was sitting beside Millie lay in critical condition in the ICU when Penn like cannabis and not Tephra or Sable,” says Penn. Millie’s tan sofa littered with pillows, blankets, and toys, saw the CNN special “Weed” with Sanjay Gupta. Nicole adds, “It’s trial and error. You try to find the and the window framing the family’s first Colorado Penn says, “No one in the Tennessee medical profession families whose children are most like yours and you say, summer. Millie was asleep. would go on TV or in the newspaper and say they ‘What are you doing? How’s it working? What did you do Regardless, Penn talked to her out of habit. Mid support medical marijuana.” And none of their doctors that didn’t work, and tell me so that I don’t do it.’” She sentence, Millie opened her eyes. She and Penn made was supportive of medical cannabis. Except one, who believes a lot of people make the mistake of increasing eye contact, an irreplaceable father-daughter connection. told them that at this point, if Millie were his daughter, the cannabis dose at the same time as they are decreasing Penn gave her a kiss. Millie smiled, teeth and all. She he would try anything. “We were desperate parents in a the medication dose. But that produces two variables. knew him. She loved him. And this was the first time desperate situation.” Penn recalls. They connected with The trick is to do one at a time. Nicole has also found the Realm of Caring, a Colorado-based support group another trick that works for Millie. “As far as how to dose for families with similar circumstances to the Mattisons. it now, I think the lower and slower approach is always The decision was made. The Mattison family would best.” move to Colorado Springs. After almost a year of trial and error, the Mattison They sold the family landscaping business and left family has found that Millie responds to the lower Tennessee in less than 30 days. “We got a U-Haul truck Photo courtesy of the Mattison family does of CBD in cannabis. They are just starting to see and said, ‘Whatever we get in there, we get in there, and Charlotte’s Web, “we almost instantaneously noticed upwards of two weeks seizure-free at a time, which is a whatever we don’t, we leave behind.’” They left their a drastic reduction in seizures,” says Penn. Charlotte’s huge improvement for Millie, who used to have 800-plus friends, family, and their church behind and embarked on Web is a cannabis strain that was developed for medical seizures a day. “I don’t really concern myself with the a cross-country mission to save Millie. Within an hour of purposes by the Stanley Brothers in Colorado Springs. seizures anymore. We have some here and there but they pulling in to their new home in Colorado Springs, seven It is high in cannabidiol (CBD) and low in THC—so aren’t even that worrisome. No, we’re trying to figure the different families had come to greet the Mattisons, help low that the plant is considered hemp. This means that other stuff out,” says Nicole. unload boxes, and bring dinner. users do not get the psychoactive high that is traditionally For his part, Penn still finds the seizures extremely associated with marijuana. The medical marijuana comes trying. “It doesn’t get any easier,” he says. “I catch myself The Mattisons had just brought home two baby chicks. in the form of oil and is used by thousands of people to looking away, because if you don’t watch it, it’s just not The boys were ecstatic about this new pet. Millie was help with various ailments. that hard. It never gets easier. The thing about seizures a little confused. She was dozing in her yellow onesie, The Realm of Caring helped the family’s adjustment so is there is nothing you can do. You’re absolutely helpless. painted with spring flowers. A baby chick was placed on much that Nicole now works for the organization. The If you have the flu or break a leg, you can do something. the quilt, right next to her. Surprised at first, Millie didn’t group holds monthly support meetings for Colorado’s But with seizures you can’t. You just have to sit there and know what to do. growing community of marijuana refugees. Additionally, watch and wait for it to pass. It’s incredibly frustrating.” Although, almost immediately, she became fond of her they issue family grants. Right after the move, Penn Luckily, the bad days are fewer and fewer. When new friend. She was nothing but smiles as she reached out took a job working on a farm about three hours east of she came to Colorado, Millie was taking a total of eight and inched the brown fluffy chick towards her with her Colorado Springs, and is gone for one to two weeks at prescriptions. But now, Millie is off every prescription hand. Millie let out a couple of little snorts of laughter. a time. His absences have added a lot of stress to the medicine but one. The Mattisons attribute this reversal It’s a moment that Sleepy Millie would have never been family, but after the move to Colorado, they need the entirely to cannabis. able to take part in. income. Now, in Penn’s spare time, he works with his Millie’s therapists are the biggest cheerleaders for grass roots organization for the Mary Lou Makepeace for medical cannabis. Now she can sit up by herself and Photo courtesy of the Mattison family When the Mattisons first got off the waitlist for Mayor campaign. He said, “We weren’t really involved control her head, arms and feet. She also is learning 26 27 how to make sounds. “It’s little things that other people faith in the medical system and not enough in themselves. Dr. Terry Himes moved to Colorado from Nebraska wouldn’t get. Like the other night she was hollering in a They take what the doctor says as gospel.” after seeing the same CNN documentary that had inspired totally different octave than she normally would have, and Every one of Millie’s doctors believes that the seizures the Mattisons to move. Dr. Himes works at the Sleep it was amazing,” says Nicole. She and Penn have grown are just a symptom of a larger problem. “But nobody Center of the Rockies located in Loveland, Colorado. He to cherish the nights that “Sleepy Millie” isn’t so sleepy. wants to take the time to figure out what’s wrong, because specifically chose that health center because he, too, has Millie was declared blind and deaf when she was born. it’s just Millie,” says Nicole. lost faith in hospital doctors. Himes has helped Nicole It’s not that her eyes and ears don’t function, but rather After losing faith in their original neurologist, Nicole and Penn regain some faith in the medical profession. that the neurons in her brain do not properly register and Penn requested a transfer to another neurologist, but Often, Nicole will send Dr. Himes her latest theories sight and sounds. However, recently in therapy she was the hospital refused. Nicole consulted with the family’s on what Millie’s underlying condition may be. Nicole’s able to follow prompts without her hearing aid or glasses. Medicaid representative who said, “This is illegal.” The newest diagnosis is that Millie has is Cerebral Foliate “The instructor told her to look at the chicken and she Mattisons have to be given the right to choose their Deficiency. “I heard about it from an infantile spasm would look at the chicken and the chicken jumps up. And provider within the network. A Medicaid representative Facebook group. One of the symptoms is saggy eyelids, then look at the cow,” says Nicole. “The therapist also then called the Children’s Hospital, telling them they and Millie’s left eyelid sags!” says Nicole. does an exercise where you have a star shaped hole and a cannot deny a transfer, and that they had to give Millie In recent months, the Mattisons have begun to notice star block, and a circle shaped hole and a circle block, etc. another appointment for a different neurologist. The day some neurological issues in their oldest son Neil. They The therapist would show her, and then Millie would do before that appointment, the Children’s Hospital called used to think he was just immature but as he got older the the same. That is called multistep processing and that’s the Mattisons and said that the hospital had just instituted gap between him and his peers grew. He has what’s known what a typical three year old would do.” These big strides a no change policy for the neurology department only as “censoring process disorder,” which can be a symptom for Millie happened early this year. The Mattison family and that if they didn’t want to see their current provider of autism. Recently, they had some blood work done on couldn’t be more thrilled. However, sometimes the boys they could not come back. Millie could change any other Neil and found that his cholesterol was 211, despite the have a hard time seeing Millie’s progress. Nicole says, doctor but the neurologist. Nicole and Penn firmly family’s extremely healthy diet. But they learned that the “The boys still ask, ‘Is Millie ever going to crawl? Is Millie believe the policy was put in place just because of them. brain metabolizes cholesterol, and what the brain doesn’t ever going to take a bottle?’ And I always reply, ‘I sure Millie was forced to go elsewhere. use becomes overflow. This led to Nicole and Penn hope so.’” believing that Neil’s high cholesterol is a symptom of a Photo courtesy of the Mattison family larger neurological disorder. The family has decided to On Millie’s second birthday, her grandparents made the in the Realm of Caring share a deep frustration with the get him tested for autism this July. long journey in early march from Tennessee to Colorado established medical system. “The people who moved However, this bad news may have a silver lining. Springs. The celebration became even sweeter when here were dying,” says Penn. And most left because their The neurologist thinks that Millie and Neil might have the family learned that Millie had been taken off of the doctors either couldn’t or wouldn’t help. different variations of the same neurological mutations, waitlist for Charlotte’s Web. Just before her grandparents Nicole and Penn believed that they could change meaning a diagnosis for Neil might shed light on Millie’s returned for Tennessee, Millie received her first dose of the doctor’s mind once she saw Millie’s impressive condition. And, luckily, CBD has also proven to be very medical cannabis. It was a happy but uneventful moment. improvement. However, after they did a follow-up EEG, helpful in treating people diagnosed with autism, so the Millie slept. The ground was lightly coated with snow. the neurologist insisted that she could see no improvement Mattisons are living in the right place. But the Mattisons could sense that times were changing, in Millie’s condition. The nurse in attendance pleaded with But the process of testing Neil for autism is emotionally that the weather was turning, that spring was around the the doctor “Do you not see this? She is sitting up and challenging for the Mattisons. Nicole stresses, “I’m not corner. hasn’t had a seizure this entire time.” But the neurologist trying to label anyone. I don’t want people to think of Nicole stayed home with Millie as Penn drove his disregarded the nurse and told them to stop the oil and try him as autistic; I want them to think of him as Neil. But relatives to the airport. Thirty minutes passed, when another prescription medication. When Penn asked why, if we know what it is, we can find ways to better help him, suddenly Millie woke up. She batted her blue eyes open, the doctor’s only answer was because they haven’t tried and the same goes for Millie.” and looked around. If she was Sleeping Beauty, medical it yet. Doctors may risk a malpractice suit if they don’t cannabis was her true love’s kiss. prescribe every medication that might conceivably help Today is a good day for Millie. She is flexing her foot, with a live-threatening condition “It’s all about policy,” which means that she recognizes her muscle control When the Mattison family moved to Colorado their Nicole believes, “and it’s so sad. I just want them to help there. A big step in a small foot. She has gone several Medicaid representative paired them with a neurologist me help my daughter.” hours without assisted oxygen, and she is discovering at the Children’s Hospital in Colorado Springs. They “It was complete nonsense,” says Penn. “They may all kinds of fun, loud, noises. Some of them so loud were so excited about trying medical cannabis but their know medicine but we know Millie.” Nicole adds, “We’re that they drown out the dialogue in the “Six Feet Under” neurologist immediately squelched that excitement. “To her geneticist. Her neurologist. Her hematologist. Her episode on the TV. Nicole and Penn don’t mind. They be honest, they aren’t for [medical marijuana] at all,” gastroenterologist. All of it.” They stood up to the are happy to finally experience the normal annoyances of says Penn, who believes that most U.S. physicians have doctor, which is a difficult thing for most families to do. parenthood. strong ties to the pharmaceutical industry. The families “The issue with most families is that they have too much Photo courtesy of the Mattison family 28 29 What stigmas, if any, surround women in weed? I think we face a lot of stigmas. Because we are the primary care takers in homes and mothers of children, 5 there’s always been a stigma attached to women using cannabis. I think for a long time women were afraid Women in Weed to proclaim their support of marijuana law reforms or their use of cannabis unfortunately because they faced the 10 Questions with Rachel K. Gillette threat of having their children taken away, of being deemed a bad parent, when hypocritically, a woman who drinks wine in a home doesn’t have that same sort of stigma. It’s just a general stigma of, ‘Is it ladylike to smoke cannabis?’ KAITLYN HICKMANN and I would say yes it is. Women are a new market for cannabis. What personal obstacles have you faced in your career? As I approached Gillette’s Even today it can be a challenge being a woman in a leadership position. Any woman in any profession faces office, I took a deep breath. challenges because we’ve only had women’s lib for a few decades. I face it a lot in my legal career, where Stuck to the door were stickers 6 men would rather listen to my male assistant rather than me simply because I’m a woman. I graduated law for NORML and the National school in 2007, and one of my male professors told me that women should not wear pants in court, that they had Cannabis Industry Association. to wear pantyhose and skirts because a judge might find [pants] offensive. And of course I always wore pantsuits, I knew that if the legalization because that’s ridiculous. But that wasn’t too long ago! And it’s still happening. of cannabis in Colorado could be credited to one person, it Talk to me about the sexual exploitation of women to sell weed. was probably Gillette. I entered a clean, warmly lit room. An herb garden grew under UV lights on one side of the room. Her shelf was adorned It has always been there. There are women exploited for the selling of any product. At least in Colorado, I with books and cannabis-isnpired sculptures. Posters on the walls sported 7 see less marijuana businesses using women in exploitative manors to advertise and I think it’s just because quotes, one of which read, “Trends, like horses, are easier to ride in the people find it tasteless and unnecessary. Last year at the Cannabis Cup, we had a number of women who were direction they are already going. -John Naisbitt”. The door swung open ‘painted ladies’. They were essentially naked with paint on their boobs. And I didn’t see any of ‘em this year. I didn’t forcefully and Gillette walked in. “I’m very busy,” she informed me. I was even really see any women who were provocatively dressed. There weren’t people dancing on poles. It was kind of a able to ask her 10 questions. Rachel K. Gillette lives in Lafayette, different vibe. I was really glad to see that. I think they’ve been called out by a number of women. There are obviously Colorado. She works as an attorney a lot more women’s groups coming out in support of cannabis, like Moms for Marijuana, Women Grow, NORML When did marijuana reform become a passion of yours? on cannabis-related issues. She is Women’s Alliance, and Parents for Pot. As more and more of these groups advocate, I think it becomes less cool to I’ve been advocating for marijuana law reform since high school. the Executive Director of Colorado use women in exploitative manners to sell cannabis. 1 I’ve always thought that it was a safer alternative to other drugs NORML (National Organization such as alcohol or cigarettes. It’s a plant. It’s natural. I did not understand for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), How do we talk to kids about marijuana? co-Chair of the Colorado NORML why the government was putting people in jail and wasting resources as a I am a mom. I’ve got two boys, 17 and 19. I’ve always been very honest with them about cannabis. Kids Women’s Alliance and a founding are smart. They want honest discussion. If you sit there and say, “Oh, don’t do marijuana because it fries result of people’s personal use of marijuana. I’ve also always recognized member of Women Grow. Photo that the people who are most affected by the drug war are the poor and 8 your brain,” and then they try it, and it doesn’t fry their brain, they’re going to think you’re lying to them courtesy of bouldercountylaw.com minorities. And those are the people going to jail. about more than just pot. So I’ve always had the discussion with them that marijuana is comparatively one of the safer alternatives for recreation. However, while you’re a teenager your brain is still in development, and you shouldn’t be When did you decide you wanted to be an attorney? How do you think that career coincided using any drugs, including prescription medication, caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes, and you know, marijuana. And thank- with your other passions? fully my kids have listened to me. 2I decided to be an attorney probably my last year of undergrad, when I was around 28 or 29 years old. I wanted to How do we overcome the obstacles women still face in the cannabis industry? have some amount of political persuasion in society, and I thought that being an attorney would be a good way to have that ability. And I wanted to reform what I considered to be some unjust laws and I thought having a law degree I think women need to empower themselves. Presenting ourselves as a united front is a great way to do would be the best way to do that. 9 that. There are still obviously women who don’t feel empowered and I would say women should reach out to their female sisters and counterparts and see that as a group, we can have a stronger voice. Groups like NORML Why is a NORML Women’s Alliance necessary? How does it differ from the rest of NORML? Women’s Alliance and Women Grow are making that change. It’s so important for women to have a voice as a group in the debate. Women are mothers, sisters, parents, 3 and daughters of people who have been affected by the drug war. Men already have a voice. What has been the impact of women’s groups in the cannabis industry? We’re normalizing the female cannabis consumer, which I think sort of scared people in the past. What is Women Grow? 10 Because of the drug war propaganda, the thought of a mother using cannabis instead of drinking Women Grow is an organization that encourages female entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry. The drug a glass of wine on a Friday night with her girlfriends was scary. As these groups evolve and get out in the media and 4 war has been waged against poor and minority men for the most part, and yet the marijuana industry is out in the public, people can understand it. If the public is exposed to a successful female professional who might mostly made up of white men, who are getting the benefit of these reforms. So there’s something to be said also smoke cannabis, they might say, “Well okay, I guess not all cannabis smokers are stoners who sit on their couch for pushing for more women being entrepreneurial in this industry, for more minorities. all day.” 30 31 run rampant in Colorado. ‘60s took the national stage in all of their psychedelic, When Nancy Heitzeg, a professor of Critical Studies sexually liberated glory. of Race and Ethnicity at St. Catherine University in “Suddenly we have white kids smoking reefer and Minnesota, is asked about the racial disparities in drug challenging the status quo,” Guerra says, “at the same arrests, she is less subtle. “This is war,” she says. Any time that we have newly empowered groups of people explanation of the inequities in marijuana possession that are definitely not sympathetic to that status quo.” Cue arrests goes back to one place, she suggests: The federal a sudden panic among conservative white policymakers government’s War on Drugs. who feared both racial and drug-based culture shock. The Color of • Guerra, continuing our lesson, asks me: “So in light When I sit down for an interview with Santiago Guerra, of how quickly the nation is changing and the risks that a visiting professor of Southwest Studies at Colorado white policymakers felt for the continuation of life as College with a Ph. D. in Mexican-American border they knew it, how do they conserve the status quo?” studies, he immediately turns our casual chat into a They launch a war on drugs—one that began with the lesson. He’s wearing a crisp pink button-down and his heavy policing of cocaine use in poor, urban minority dark hair is parted neatly. His hands are clasped over neighborhoods, and then shifted to focus on marijuana. an envelope on which he’s scribbled key historical • Cannabis dates in the American war on drugs for my edification. Time and time again, studies have long shown that whites, We talk quickly about the historical villainization particularly white youths, are more likely to engage Pulling back the curtain on racial profiling in of Chinese immigrants, who brought the practice of in illegal drug dealing than people of color. The Drug opium consumption to the United States in the late Policy Alliance, a national advocacy leader of drug law Colorado’s marijuana enforcement nineteenth century. We skim over the early twentieth- reform, has released recent reports that nearly identical century regulation of cocaine, which grew out of white percentages of white and black high school seniors use ANNA SQUIRES biased. “What Ryan and Benjamin Brown experienced at policymakers’ concerns that African Americans were marijuana. White youth aged twelve to seventeen are the hands of the Colorado Springs police is sadly all too heavy consumers of the products. Then we get to the more than a third more likely to have sold illegal drugs On March 26th, 2015, Benjamin and Ryan Brown, two familiar for young people of color,” said Mark Silverstein, juicy part: the post-Civil Rights era, a time when blacks than black youth. Blacks are no more likely than whites to African-American brothers, were out for a drive just a legal director of ACLU Colorado. “No reasonable person and Latinos gained significant political power; and a time be guilty of drug crimes. Yet in Colorado Springs alone, block from their home in their 2002 Chevrolet. Gray light could watch the video recording of the traffic stop and when the Beats of the ’50s and the flower children of the where African Americans make up only four percent of slanted through a heavy cloud cover, and a light snow say that two white men would have been treated the same was falling. Then a Colorado Springs police officer pulled way.” them over. The Brown siblings’ case is not an isolated incident— Benjamin, sitting in the driver’s seat, was ordered to especially not in Colorado Springs, where African exit the vehicle at Taser-point. Ryan, sitting passenger- Americans are three times as likely to be arrested as side, filmed the incident on his phone. whites for marijuana possession. After legalization of Ryan repeatedly requested that the officers explain the recreational marijuana in the state in 2014, the overall reason for the traffic stop, but they ignored him. Viewers arrest rate for marijuana possession fell by ninety-five can then watch as officers work together to force Ryan percent. Although the arrest rate for whites has dropped from his car, push him to the ground face down in the dramatically, it increased two and a half times for blacks. snow, search him, and cuff him, all the while at gunpoint. “To be black is to be born criminal,” Colorado College When dragging Ryan out of the car, officers are professor Claire García, the African-American Second heard saying he is not under arrest and that they were Lady of Colorado, told me. (Her husband, Joseph Garcia, just checking him for contraband materials – weapons, is the state’s Lieutenant Governor.) “Or, let’s say, to be thought Ryan. But then the police officer holding him born black in the United States is to be perceived as face-down in the snow turned Ryan’s phone off, cutting criminal.” the video short, and patted down his pockets. Ryan alleges García is loosely quoting Richard Wright’s novel that he heard the officer saying to his partner that he was Native Son. She’s also referring to the assumptions that looking for “bud.” many whites make about African Americans—often Upon seeing the video (which is now uploaded to without realizing they’re making assumptions at all. These Youtube), the American Civil Liberties Union agreed associations with criminality, García says, are “rooted in to represent the Browns in court. The free-speech the historical demonization of black [and brown] men.” organization argues the officers’ actions were racially They are what fuel the racialized marijuana arrests that Ryan Brown handcuffed while face down in snow after a March traffic stop.Stills from a video clip by Ryan Brown

32 33 Although African Americans make up only four percent of the Colorado Springs population, three times as many blacks are arrested for marijuana possession as whites. the city’s population, three times as many young blacks make a stop,” he tells me. Newton is young, white, and wonders why he should have to be prepared for a racially- “No,” Newton says vehemently. “I think we go out are arrested for marijuana possession than whites. dressed in regulation khakis, a black polo, and worn black motivated traffic stop at all. and actively enforce anywhere we see. The problem is, In less than thirty years, from 1982 on, the U.S. penal shoes. He’s well over six feet tall and lean, but with massive • if we’re out patrolling and we see it, we can’t just pass it population swelled from 300,000 to over two million. thighs. His hand swallows mine when I shake it. He also by. We’ve taken an oath to protect our communities. If Drug convictions, especially for simple possession of holds the record for the fastest ascent of the Manitou “So how does the enforcement of marijuana possession we see drug use, no matter what race you are, we need to marijuana and cocaine, comprised the majority of the Springs Incline for all of Colorado. laws work?” I ask Newton. address that type of behavior.” increase. The United States now has the highest rate of “And how do you decide who to pull over?” I ask “Marijuana enforcement is up to every officer in the • incarceration in the world. innocently. department,” he tells me. “And it’s enforced by each officer Newton shrugs. “Just by doing traffic stops. Violations. individually – they get to exercise their own discretion.” Guerra is continuing our lesson. We’ve moved on from You look for reasons to stop people—moving violations, He goes on to explain that with the passage of the political side of drug enforcement to the economic. traffic violations, anything that can get you a stop.” Amendment 64, the enforcement of marijuana in Newton may or may not know it, but this enforcement Colorado Springs has become even more muddled. Police “If the majority of drug consumers have middle- to practice has given birth to “driving while black” syndrome. officers often treat simple possession as akin to an open upper-class standing in society,” he asks – which they do A growing body of statistical evidence reveals that black container offense. According to Newton, if a minor is – “then why would you not want to go after them?” motorists are disproportionately stopped for minor traffic found in possession of marijuana, officers will often give I close my eyes and try to put myself in the mindset offenses because the police assume that they are more a verbal warning and destroy the cannabis in question: the of policymakers and law enforcement agents. “If you likely to be engaged in more serious criminal activity. equivalent of a slap on the wrist. imprison the middle class, you cut your tax base?” I say That practice causes a large number of innocent black Yet we’ve sidestepped one of the main issues in the after a moment. and brown drivers to be subjected to police questioning. discussion of race and drug enforcement: the fact that an It also results in a skewed number of racial and ethnic officer has to see evidence of marijuana to engage in any minorities being arrested for non-violent drug crimes that enforcement whatsoever. would not come to the attention of authorities but for the Guerra tells me that after the “white flight” of the racially motivated traffic stop. ‘50s and ’60s – the migration of middle- and upper-class When I ask García – a mother of three sons and one whites to American suburbs – white drug use became Former Colorado Springs police officer Newton. daughter – about the driving while black phenomenon, protected, and the drug use of racial and ethnic minorities Photo via coloradocollege.edu she laughs, but her tawny eyes are sad. “As soon as my became prosecuted. “You can go into any suburb, any Michelle Alexander, in her book The New Jim Crow: kids came of age, I gave them the book Driving While wealthy white suburb in the US, and find a cornucopia of Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, Black,” she says. “And the NAACP pamphlet on the same drugs,” he says. “Whites are protected, especially upper writes that “the racial dimension of [American] mass thing.” and middle class whites, by virtue of the fact that they live incarceration is its most striking feature. No other The pamphlet advises racial and ethnic minorities in such protected and sheltered settings that aren’t subject country in the world imprisons so many of its racial or on how to keep such traffic stops from escalating into to constant police surveillance.” ethnic minorities.” The United States imprisons a larger incidents of police brutality. It might have been of use The opposite is true for people of color in urban percentage of its black population, she notes, than South to the Brown brothers on that March day they were settings. Because space is at a premium in cities, where the photo via www.southerncoalition.org Africa did at the height of apartheid. pulled over by the Colorado Springs police. Ryan, the majority of community members live in shared spaces like Obviously, incarcerated citizens don’t pay taxes. On the This all begs the question: Is what we’re seeing a war older brother, did not follow one of the pamphlet’s core apartment buildings and town houses, drug consumption contrary, they require a constant flow of tax dollars simply on drugs? Or is it a war on the most vulnerable American tenets: He did not comply with the officer’s request to moves into public spaces. to maintain their residency in U.S. jails and prisons. The populations? see his driver’s license and vehicle registration. Yet one Newton has noticed this, too. “Drug use is definitely Colorado Department of Corrections spends an average • more visible in inner-city settings,” he says. “If you go of $30, 374 to incarcerate each inmate per year. The Officer Jason Newton, a former “I’m so tired of the legalization of weed to some communities, the community norm is to be out “supermax” federal prison in Florence, Colorado spends Colorado Springs police officer, smoking on the street or sitting on the stoop. You see about $60,000 per year to keep inmates in permanent is telling me how law enforcement being framed through the lens of suburban kids just out in the open. Whereas if you go to a suburban isolation. agents go about the business of area, kids are going to be in their backyards and their nice “And,” I say, extending my previous thought, “after enforcing marijuana possession white kids looking to avoid citations rather houses. We might be patrolling all of those places, but are conviction and imprisonment, you relegate them to laws. we going to see [marijuana use] as much in a suburban second-class citizenship.” “You look for any justified than the swaths of black and brown bodies setting? Or are we going to see it in an inner-city setting?” It’s true. Marijuana possession arrests create criminal reason to pull someone over and caged by the industrial prison complex.” “So do the police target poorer neighborhoods?” I ask. records that are easily accessed online and are required 34 35 information on most job applications. The Drug Policy says, leaning forward in his office chair. “My hope is that Alliance writes that the life-long penalties and exclusions this program could make a difference in cops approaching that follow a drug conviction have created a permanent somebody in the street, and how that confrontation ends. second-class status for millions of Americans – but largely Mindfulness in police work can remind us to treat the people of color. Post-conviction, they may be prohibited members of our communities as humans.” from voting, renting an apartment or buying a house, This kind of policing style – which Newton calls Contents Unknown seeking out a well-paying job, qualifying for educational “touchy-feely” – is labor-intensive, and it requires a financial assistance, and utilizing bank services. The light touch. It also requires that officers take the time to Arsenic. Heavy metals. E. Coli. racialized enforcement of drug possession laws means understand why community members are, say, smoking When it comes to marijuana contaminants, what you don’t know might hurt you. that all of these exclusions fall more heavily on people a joint on the sidewalk rather than behind closed doors. and communities of color. It allows officers to educate community members about Guerra nods. “So what would our nation look like why their behavior is unacceptable and help them to move if we went after middle-class and upper-class drug forward in a productive way – all without necessitating consumers?” he asks, then smile ruefully. “You would punishment. For those in danger of being arrested for probably jeopardize the economic stability of our nation.” marijuana possession, Newton’s approach involves His message is clear. There’s no incentive for American officers asking consumers to move to a non-public space. policymakers to reform drug laws in order to even the “People are going to do what they’re going to do,” playing field for all races. Newton says, shrugging. “Using marijuana is a personal • choice and it’s not my place to tell someone what to do or “I’m looking at implementing mindfulness into an officer’s not do with their body. I for one am willing to let some life,” Newton tells me. We’ve shifted our conversation violations slide to get in and educate ion the community from marijuana possession enforcement to a program about how to use marijuana without affecting the whole he’s building for the Colorado Springs Police Department community.” as a part of his master’s degree in public administration. • Newton wants to incorporate guided meditation and “I’m so tired,” wrote an anonymous blogger this April, yoga into police officers’ daily practices. Yes—meditation using the social media platform Tumblr.com, “of the and yoga. legalization of weed being framed through the lens of “I want to help develop programs in our department suburban white kids looking to avoid citations rather than to allow officers to disconnect,” Newton says. “Maybe the swaths of black and brown bodies cyclically caged, just for five or ten minutes a day. Forget all the stress, all exploited and viciously rung through the prison industrial the technology we use 24/7, and just clear their minds.” complex.” Photo courtesy of Brett Mueller Newton continues. “It’s hard for officers. We’re in a The Brown brothers, who now face criminal charges male-dominated business – “ for “interfering with official police duties,” probably “Where I don’t think yoga has a lot of proponents,” I agree. And when compared to the systemic, racialized BRETT MUELLER Teachers were notified, parents were called and students cut in. enforcement of marijuana possession laws, Newton’s were disciplined. But a question remained: What actually Jason grins. “Yeah, there’s a lot of opposition to this. hope of creating a more empathetic dynamic between Just an hour before my high school prom, my friend Gina caused the students’ rapid onset illness? Parents and But there’s also a real need for it.” community members and cops seems like too little, too consumed marijuana brownies in secret with her friends in students, wondering the same thing, eventually learned Newton’s hope is that the program will not only change late. her limo group. The night was to be a festive one, and she the real culprit. The marijuana they had bought was laced officers’ personal health, but how they view the world But Newton is a man with a long reach. Several wanted to be prepared. Everything was going well as the with formaldehyde, among other contaminants. What do and their community members. chiefs of police have asked for copies of his research night started off, but as the limo arrived, the members of you mean formaldehyde?, people wondered. On the face of it, his proposal seems far-fetched. on police practices and mindfulness, with the hopes of the group who had indulged in the chocolaty treat began Fast-forward seven years and the question of When black and brown community members are three implementing his proposals in their own departments. to feel the first grumbles in their stomachs. Something contaminants in marijuana looms larger than ever. times more likely to be arrested for simple possession, “If you approach every situation with one mindset wasn’t right. It wasn’t the alcohol, they hadn’t really had Many states have legalized medical marijuana while will it matter that the officer arresting them just finished – that the law is the law and you’re bound to strict much, but it crossed their minds that it could be the other both Colorado and Washington State have legalized it a rejuvenating yoga session and is feeling more empathy enforcement – you’re doomed to fail,” Newton says as intoxicant they had consumed. They entered and joined for recreational purposes. Cannabis is becoming more towards the kid he’s arresting? I stand and reach to shake his massive hand. “But if you in the fun, but Gina felt too sick to dance and headed mainstream, and a large industry is growing from its But Newton seems convinced that his proposal will approach it as an educational opportunity – if you ask, for the bathroom. She would spend the rest of her prom increased acceptance. Medical patients, people with change the dynamic between cops and community how can I change this community member, in a non- night in the stall she initially occupied. Her parents had to possibly compromised immune systems, are ingesting the members. “For too long, we’ve had an us-versus-them confrontational way, it makes all the difference.” race to the venue, as she was wheeled off in a wheelchair same product as recreational buyers, yet neither category mentality between community members and cops,” he It’s not a solution. But it’s a start. into an awaiting ambulance, her face a deep green. of the drug is subject to much in the way of government 36 37 quality control testing. Despite the heavy state regulation It was recently reported that over thirteen percent of town] has a problem with spider over other aspects of its manufacture and sale, this area marijuana tested in Washington State failed inspection. It mites,” she offered. “We tried to use of regulation has not kept pace with the rapid expansion was contaminated in some way, and the entire batch was a special soap but you could taste it in of the marijuana market. Some places are more advanced not allowed to be sold. Those were the reported statistics the weed.” than others; Washington State, for example, has adopted from legitimate businesses in the only comparable state “I’ve definitely had funny tasting measures governing quality testing. But Colorado has to Colorado, and the results were downright scary. If weed and dabs” interjected her been slower to react, and the health consequences are over thirteen percent of the tested produce failed there, boyfriend John, who is a medical largely unknown. then Colorado could have an even bigger problem with marijuana patent. Jakob Rodgers of the Colorado Springs Gazette tainted marijuana. In Colorado, though, the contaminants It was almost a “well, where do we even recently reported that the state would enact new measures still get passed on to the consumer. Lawmakers, wary of begin?” moment as they thought for a in the coming months to require more rigorous testing for causing problems for the emerging industry, have been while longer, struggling to form their contaminants, but no date has been set. Certainly the state slow to act. own views. recognizes the problem. A state compiled online pamphlet So consumers remain at risk. Medical patients are the “Well, if something tastes funny, reports: “Marijuana also can be contaminated with mold, ones at the highest risk as they are already facing health you probably shouldn’t smoke it,” insecticides or other chemicals. Health effects of many problems. A journal article by J.M McPartland points out John said with a chuckle. of these chemicals are not known.” When testing does that “many of these patients…are immuno-suppressed, “I’m trying to think of issues we begin, officials will look for a number of contaminants making them very susceptible to opportunistic bacteria have had in the dispensary,” Emily including “E.Coli, Salmonella, aspergillus…butane and and fungi. Since hundreds of bacteria and fungi are said. “I can’t think of any problems Photo via topinfopost.com other solvents…as well as heavy metals such as arsenic, associated with the cultivation of marijuana, possible with contaminants like heavy metals or chemicals, but we cadmium, lead, and mercury.” microbiological hazards need to be assessed.” The risks currently no accepted standards for safe levels of fungi or don’t really test for that. We have had mold growing, Perhaps even more worrisome, government quality- for the average Coloradoan could potentially be high but bacteria in Cannabis,” the report states. “In the absence of though, and I definitely know other dispensaries that control experts don’t have enough information to imagine how great the threat could be for, say, a cancer or standards for Cannabis, this paper will examine standards keep out-of-date edibles on the shelves for sale.” determine how big of a problem contaminants actually AIDS patient. When asked, nurses at Penrose Memorial for other products meant for human consumption, such “It’s quantity over quality these days.” Emily admitted. are. Some, like E. coli and salmonella, could pose a Hospital couldn’t help but agree about the threats that as tobacco and nutritional supplements.” “We’ve stopped carrying at least one product because potential health hazard. Mold and heavy metals could be contaminants posed. At the same time, though, they No accepted standards are available because the federal mold kept growing while it was in the display case. Others just as dangerous, but no one seems to know for sure. This admitted that they did not have exact statistics or know of government has made studying the plant so difficult. might not have discontinued it.” dearth of information is due, in part, to the difficulty in any patients admitted as a result of ingesting contaminated Comparative products such as tobacco and other items “We get this one thing delivered and each time gaining federal approval to study the drug and to acquire marijuana. This is because patients who may have been consumed by the public might provide a reasonable it comes, a man brings it on ice and we put it straight quality samples from approved growers. affected by a bad batch come in exhibiting symptoms but starting point, but using those same guidelines for into a freezer we bought specially for this. I bet other With marijuana’s growing acceptance, pressure has been the visit is recorded as whatever poisoning it may be— marijuana could be extremely flawed. The cannabis plant dispensaries just take it out of the ice box, give it a mounting for legitimate scientific study of contaminants. not as poisoning from contaminated marijuana. is unique, and as such, new standards and tests precisely confused look, and store it at room temperature.” She The existing medical literature, paltry as it is, gives reason In Washington State, the company in charge of state tailored to its compounds and properties will need to be continued, “That makes it go bad, by the way.” for plenty of concern. In extreme examples, marijuana marijuana testing, BOTEC, recently published a paper developed in order to truly protect the consumer. In the end, it seemed evident that Emily, a person very has been linked to Hepatitis (A and B) outbreaks in outlining their plan for testing, but even that thorough At least they test. There is no doubt that changes will active in the industry, was completely in the dark about Germany, as well as in the United States. In the US case, document fails to reassure cannabis consumers. “There are need to be made but even having a system for testing in how, or even if, consumers are being protected from bad human excrement was used to fertilize plants coming place is a big start. Colorado consumers and purveyors practices and bad product. The only testing done is after from Mexico. Though rare, this type of contamination should closely watch the developments in Washington, the product has left the shelves and been put in the hands goes to show what is possible. A bad batch of marijuana but their reaction has been surprising. In Colorado, the of the consumer. For now, Colorado cannabis consumers can have truly terrifying results. issue seems to have fallen on deaf ears. are blissfully ignorant of the issue: if they don’t test, the It’s no secret that the cannabis plant and her close I recently met with a long-term employee of a high- problem doesn’t exist. When the first round of testing relative, hemp, are great at pulling contaminants out of end dispensary in Colorado Springs named Emily eventually happens, though, they’ll realize they’ve been the soil (some companies are even using the plant to clean Rogers, who seemed to know little about the issue of getting doses of more than just marijuana. up toxic waste), but that trait can work to the consumer’s contaminants. “Well, almost every dispensary [here in detriment. Surely plants used to clean Superfund sites are not bought from dispensaries and consumed. But how “Marijuana can be contaminated with mold, do we know that the chemicals and compounds found in fertilizer don’t have similar results when ingested? The insecticides, or other chemicals,” warns one state short answer: We don’t. Storage molds associated with marijuana. Left to right: Rhizopus nigrans, Mucor hie- malis, Penicillin chrysogenum, P. italicum, Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger. pamphlet. “The health effects of many of these Hopefully NIDA is now growing contaminant-free Top row: sporangia and conidial heads cross-sectioned to reveal internal structures, marijuana to be tested by scientists. with M. hiemalis demonstrating spore release after sporangium dehiscence. Bottom row: natural habit of these fungi. Via Bush Doctor (1987) chemicals are not known.” 38 39 I see Mike, idling on the bumpy old paved road, drive away. I test the revolving disc gate after parking near the main entrance, half expecting to be electrocuted. Instead, I find it locked with a red beeping key reader. The compound of the uranium mill seems deserted, a small breeze reminding me of every abandoned Western town in the movies. Wonderplant “Hello?” I yell, rattling the chain link fence. The light metal door of the guard shack bursts open, How industrial hemp could clean up the world caught by the breeze, and a man steps forth. A bright yellow hard hat sits on his head. The plane of his smirk is entirely at odds with that of his eyes, while his glasses locate some compromise in between. “What can I do for you?” he asks in a drooping Western accent. A stitched Cotter Corporation tag on his uniform introduces him as Ron. “Nice to meet you Ron, my name is Caleigh Smith and I…” I tell him my intentions at the mill. “Hemp, huh? I thought that was a joke,” Ron says A warning outside of Cotter Corporation’s uranium skeptically. “Let me call the boss and see if I can get you mine in Cañon City, Colorado. Photo by Caleigh up to the office to meet him,” he continues, pulling out a Smith cell phone. A small voice rings from the phone after a brief stint medical marijuana and is a local authority on hemp on hold. history. He explains that even Henry Ford made a car “He says he’d love to chat; I’ll let you in.” body from hemp fibers, and the plastic hemp panels he In the guard shack, Ron hands me a visitor’s tag and a created had an impact strength ten times stronger than clipboard full of paperwork. I feel as though I’m being steel. Hemp uses less water to produce fibers than cotton read my Miranda rights. and is naturally resistant to pesticides. I hand him the completed paperwork and he asks me “Cotton is just too expensive overall, especially with to follow him to the trailer next door, where a Geiger pesticide use and control. Hemp eradicates the very counter awaits. Ron records my pre-visit levels of bugs that attack the cotton,” Crouse excitedly explains, radioactivity and drives me through the compound to the gesturing wildly with his hands. “It would even be main office where I’m led through tunnels of hallways to healthier. But no, no, that makes too much sense.” the Vice President of Cotter Corporation. Crouse then explains another little-known fact about “So,” the VP begins, “you’re the journalist that wants this so-called wonder plant: it can clean soil and water. to talk about hemp and the mill.” Hemp, when planted in areas of radioactive contamination, can remove the toxic elements from the groundwater Hemp, marijuana’s non-psychoactive sister, is a largely and surrounding soil. It acts as a filter, removing heavy Photo via hempbenefits.org misunderstood and heavily misrepresented plant. metals, pesticides, solvents, crude oil, compounds found CALEIGH SMITH Confused with cannabis, hemp is made from the fibers in explosives, and other toxins. “Hey! You can’t be up there!” and seeds of the Cannabis Sativa L. plant. Cannabis, on This filtering process is called phytoremediation, and The fence slices my vision into crude diamonds as the I spin around and see an old beater truck. the other hand, is derived from the flowers of the same it has been tested at many heavily contaminated sites, barbed wire strung on top stabs at the clouds rolling in “Sorry! I was just trying to see the mill…” I explain, plant. Hemp has existed in every vein of history, sewn including Chernobyl. After the Soviet Union requested from the mountains. Gravel crunches beneath my hiking gingerly walking down the hill. I try to use my arm to into battles and revolutions, and has treated many ailments that the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, boots and a nearby sign reads “CAUTION: any area obscure the heavy camera slung around my neck. throughout time. It can be used for clothing, ropes, study the heavily polluted site in 1989, three years after or container on this property may contain radioactive The man, whose name is Mike, advises that I leave or canvas, as a superfood, even medicine. “This is really the the disaster, the group concluded that hemp would be material.” he could cite me for trespassing. most amazing plant,” says Bob Crouse, a cannabis activist a viable option. It is also being considered at Japan’s Instinct tries to drag me back to my car, parked safely “No, no, that’s really ok, I’ll leave,” I say, walking to my native to Colorado Springs. most recent nuclear disaster, Fukushima, and Colorado’s away from the guard shack. car. Crouse has long been a proponent for the use of nuclear weapons production facility, Rocky Flats. 40 41 Hemp matures after a mere 180 days, Bob Crouse greatest popularity. He has large, kind eyes and a smile that they influenced and reportedly instated explains, and at Chernobyl, this short time period resulted that simply invites you to sit and listen. His voice is “Some of my favorite moments the criminalization. “No one was interested in in astonishing results. The crop successfully removed soft, forcing you to lean in and pay close attention. The are spent on my back veranda, competition,” Crouse says. toxic substances such as chromium, nickel, lead, and wrinkles in his skin tell not of age, but of a hard-earned When World War II began, however, hemp copper from the soil, and is largely unaffected by the life. His hands paint his stories in front of you so that you smoking hemp, and seeing as use bounced back for uniforms, canvas, and heavy metals in the soil. The harvest was then turned into begin to feel like a character in his narrative. rope. The U.S. government encouraged its ethanol. We sit in The Hemp Store in Manitou Springs, Colorado, far as the eye can see.” citizens to grow and produce hemp for the Phytoremediation is a newly emerging technique, and a small niche shop at the west end of town. The windows war effort, even publishing the movie Hemp yet many are advocating for its use at some of the more are crowded with slogans: Hemp= food + fuel + fiber. —Thomas Jefferson for Victory in 1942. “The government than 30,000 Superfund cleanup sites in the United States, Don’t worry, be hempy. Hemp I Scream. In one half of recites a quote from Thomas Jefferson about his hemp sent 400,000 pounds of hemp seeds to the as designated by the Environmental Protection Agency, the shop, all things hemp line the walls—macramé, shirts, cultivation: “Some of my favorite moments are spent on Northwest for ropes for the war effort,” Crouse says. EPA. Here in Colorado, this may be a viable option for a stickers, incense, blankets, even cookies and ice cream. my back veranda, smoking hemp, and seeing as far as the “Suddenly the government said again that they wanted uranium mill in Cañon City. The other side contains glass paraphernalia with a glass eye can see.” it.” blower cordoned off in a side room. Crouse and I sit on Crouse continues to describe with wild, incredulous Even when the war was over and cannabis became Hemp is federally illegal in the United States and heavily a bench in the glass room as he relays the history of the eyes that even the Declaration of Independence and heavily prosecuted under President Ronald Reagan’s regulated in Colorado, both of which immensely cannabis and hemp plants. Betty Ross’s flag were drafted on hemp paper. During this “War on Drugs,” it continued to grow in the areas it was complicate matters. Many believe that the misconception Hemp is one of the earliest plants known to be time, marijuana plantations flourished in the southern planted for the war effort. “The stuff just grows!” Crouse of its psychoactivity causes this illegality, as well as the fact domesticated, he begins. It was first observed about United States and even made up a significant portion of chuckles, explaining that it spreads like a weed. that lawmakers and many citizens are entirely oblivious to 12,000 years ago. Archaeologically, it dates back to the antebellum Kentucky’s economy. In 1850, cannabis and the many uses of hemp, most of which are beneficial. Neolithic Age in China, where the seeds and oil were used hemp were added to the U.S. Pharmacopoeia and hemp A more well-informed citizenry could be the birth of a for food. This quickly developed into cloth production was the third most heavily produced crop in the U.S. revolution of hemp, and not in the hippy-dippy, macramé in both China and Turkestan around 4000 BCE and was Despite hemp and cannabis being criminalized in way of the 1960’s through -90’s. followed by the first documented use of the cannabis the states in 1914, two chief scientists from the U.S. Bob Crouse is an older man from this era of hemp’s plant medicinally by Emperor Shen Neng of China in Department of Agriculture, Lyster Hozie Dewey and 2737 BCE. Jason L. Merrill, created paper made from hemp pulp The plant then began migrating, where it was two years later and described it as being “favorable in documented in the sacred Hindu text Atharvaveda, or comparison with those created with pulp wood.” science of charms, as “sacred grass,” one of five of “In the 1920’s, cannabinoid medicine emerged in the India’s sacred plants. The migration continued and hemp U.S.,” explains Crouse, but in 1936, the U.S. Government rope was used in Russia in 600 BCE, quickly followed made and distributed the film Reefer Madness in order to by Greece using the same in 200 BCE and England in attempt to scare citizens away from cannabis and its non- the year 100. Nero’s army physician, Diosconides, listed psychoactive sister plant, hemp. Five years later, they both medical marijuana in the Pharmacopoeia in 70 and the were removed from the Pharmacopoeia. “During the Vikings brought hemp rope and seeds to Iceland in 850. prohibition, the government eradicated illegal liqueur,” The use of hemp spread rapidly throughout Arabia Crouse explains. “But in the interest of big business, they between 900 and 1000 where it was mentioned in the wanted something else to prohibit.” The governmental A medical dispensary sign in Cañon City looking east Arabian collection of tales, 1,001 Nights, in 1200. It then finger landed on hemp and cannabis. over the town and surrounding mountains. Cotter spread throughout Africa. In 1533, King Henry VIII This criminalization and attempts to scare people Corporation’s uranium mill sits about two miles west. of England fined farmers if they were not planting and from using cannabis may have been a ploy by the big Photo by Caleigh Smith. harvesting hemp for industrial use. industrialists in the United States. “In order to keep using The Americas were introduced to hemp by the the paper industry,” Crouse explains, “the DuPonts and Spaniards in 1545 when they began cultivating it in Chile, medicine developers were not interested in having hemp Ten years after Reagan, California became the followed by the Jamestown settlers doing the same 1616. move forward.” Randolph Hearst also feared that his first state to approve medical cannabis use for AIDS, In 1619, the Virginia House of Burgesses passed an act precious lumber and paper companies would suffer if the cancer, and other serious illnesses. During the Clinton requiring all planters in Virginia to grow hemp on their hemp industry continued to expand. administration, however, patients and their providers plantations. Andrew Mellon, the Secretary of the Treasury and were arrested because the plant was still federally illegal. Many of our founding fathers grew hemp on their the wealthiest man in the U.S. at the time, had invested Medically, however, research was still being completed at plantations, including George Washington, James extensively in the DuPont family’s new synthetic fiber: Duke University during this time. Madison, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, Zachary nylon. These tycoons and their respective industries Despite various medical advancements, the war on Photo by Caleigh Smith Taylor, Andrew Jackson, and Franklin Pierce. Crouse were so threatened by the potential success of hemp drugs, specifically cannabis, continued into the late 1990’s 42 43 and early 2000’s until it finally began to recede as time “I was facing fourteen years for doing what a doctor for the entire site. Although this stage could last up to and opinions gradually evolved. Legalization of medical recommended,” Crouse says. “Three thousand patients three years, both Gunn Haydon and Bob Crouse remain marijuana quickly transformed into the next logical step were arrested and five of us went through to jury trial.” optimistic that industrial hemp could prove a lucrative for many states, and Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and All five patients won and eventually the government future for Cotter Corp’s mill. Alaska followed with the legalization of the recreational stopped prosecuting medical marijuana cases. “I was variety. However, many remain unaware of hemp in its fighting a court battle, but I’m battling cancer too. Stress Bob Crouse continues his regular cannabis cancer own right and of its many potential uses, both utilitarian kills and I’m surprised I didn’t die then.” treatment without the aid of doctors. He also advises and medicinal. Crouse continues his treatment solo, without doctors, others who are taking CBD, including the Figi family, who Crouse readjusts as Tracy, the shop owner, brings us chemo, or the hellish experiences of traditionally treated recently made a splash in the news. “I knew Charlotte both a glass of water. He takes a small sip. His hand cancer with pharmaceuticals while also serving as a hemp since she was this big,” he says, holding out his arms as trembles slightly as he brings the plastic cup back to rest activist and proponent in Colorado. if holding a small infant. Charlotte Figi and her seizures on the low table. “Cannabinoids, or CBD’s, have another were first treated with CBD when she was five. Sheis amazing talent,” he says. His eyes become glassy with tears Colorado is potentially following the example set thirty now eight, and the medication has drastically reduced the as his chin puckers with the effort of speaking through years ago by Chernobyl’s remediation efforts with hemp. frequency of her seizures. leaden emotions. “They send a signal to cancer cells to kill Cotter Corporation, owned by General Atomics, owns a Crouse has also treated many veterans with severe themselves, just like that,” he says, snapping his fingers, uranium mill in Cañon City. The mill was built in 1958, PTSD, saying their symptoms were all but entirely resolved. “and I got that going on in me, without a doctor.” two miles from town with 8,000 people living within a One vet’s vehicle was blown up in Iraq, and after being “For patients like me, in our state constitution, the two mile radius. bounced from hospital to care center to military hospital 20th amendment that was passed by voters states that The mill once produced 1,200 tons of uranium per on his transfer home, he was prescribed countless drugs, if a patient or person is diagnosed with a debilitating day. There are about 15 uranium mines in Southwestern but nothing worked to treat his severe PTSD. “When they disease and has a recommendation from a doctor to use Colorado, but Cotter Corp’s mill has been particularly get back here, they’ve got twenty prescriptions they know cannabis, you can then do anything you want with the disastrous. In 1978, the mill placed liquid waste laced don’t work,” explains Crouse. “But, if they stop buying plant.” Crouse received such a recommendation from a with heavy metals and radioactive materials into unlined them, the government stamps ‘no longer disabled’ on their paperwork, and they lose all their benefits.” doctor in Denver, and yet regardless of amendment 20 ponds, and it was then declared a Superfund site six years Hemp in it’s many forms. Often confused with canna- in the Colorado state constitution, he was charged with later. Four more spills occurred between 2010 and 2014, bis, hemp is made from the fibers and seeds of the One veteran Crouse treated was suffering from nausea two felony charges. He went to court against Colorado during which Cotter declared the termination of the site. cannabis sativa plant while cannabis is derived from its four to five days a week, twelve to eighteen hours each District Attorney Dan May, speaking as his own defense. However, there were still 15 million tons of radioactive flowers.Photo by Caleigh Smith day. He also suffered bouts of dissociative psychosis And he won. uranium tailings that would need to be removed before the every few months, during which his wife would have to project could be considered complete, costing upwards Haydon explained that the hemp plant “uptakes” physically restrain and comfort him to stop him from of $895 million and requiring 455 trucks per day for 5 ½ the toxicities in the soil, including heavy metals such harming himself. Crouse gave this veteran the same years hauling 100-ton loads of hazardous waste through as Strontium 90, Cesium 137, Cadmium, Lead, Nickel, medication he uses on himself to treat his cancer. the town of Cañon City. Then, another solution emerged and Plutonium. The roots of a mature hemp plant can “Next day, he hadn’t thrown up.” Crouse says from the depths of a community advisory group, or extend and remediate to a depth of eight feet. In order incredulously, his eyes growing. “One week later, he still CAG, meeting. to filter out such poisonous materials and not be left hadn’t thrown up, and even two years later, this vet is “There was a paper handed out in mid-April during with an equally poisonous plant, “the leaf material, no longer suffering nausea or his dissociative disorder.” a CAG meeting,” explains Cotter Corp Vice President where the contaminants are first concentrated, can be Crouse claims that other vets he has helped have John Hamrick. “It isn’t Cotter’s idea, but hemp is a converted to cellulosic ethanol for transportation fuel,” experienced similar results. consideration for site cleanup and remediation.” This Haydon explains. “The seed can be pressed and the oil Crouse and other patients of medical marijuana often paper was introduced to the meeting on April 17, 2015, converted to biodiesel.” In addition, the hemp plant after have miraculous results, yet they are often highly disputed by a man named C. “Gunn” Haydon. Most of the remediation can be turned into Hempcrete at the Holcim and therefore dismissed in the medical world. information presented by Haydon was gained from Laura concrete plant in Florence, Colorado, a mix of lime and “As patients, we’re lab rats, we’re scientists, and we’re Cascardi at Colorado State University in her paper “Hemp hemp that filters CO2 from the atmosphere. anecdotal,” Crouse says. “We don’t exist.” (Cannabis Sativa L.) as a Phytoremediator,” published in “Before the EPA can perform the risk assessment, But the state is slowly taking notice. Many people are December, 2012. Cotter has to declare what the site will be used for first,” still unaware of the difference between hemp and cannabis “In order to maintain a strong, vibrant economic Vice President Hamrick explains. “Hemp is a viable and therefore both are still equally regulated, despite community, there needs to be some kind of industry option, but there are others out there, too. We aren’t hemp’s countless beneficial uses. “In the land of the that has the potential for a long-term existence,” Haydon ruling anything out at this time.” Cotter Corp and its mill blind, the one eyed man is king,” Crouse says, shrugging his shoulders. “We need to teach what cannabis and hemp There are still 15 million tons of radioactive uranium argues. “Industrial hemp as a phytoremediation agent can are currently in the Remedial Investigation Feasibility tailings that need to be removed before the project provide the basis for permanent industries in Fremont Study (RIFS) stage, during which they must gather all are all about because there’s such an open curiosity for it can be considered complete. Photo by Caleigh Smith County that will make that end possible.” possible options and then choose a remedial alternative now.” 44 45 from your local Drug Recognition Expert. increase in heroin use in the community. All officers are “But the driver’s not alone” says Hazlett, “he’s got three being pushed to crack down on those who are driving of his buddies with him. So, who am I most concerned when impaired. with?” Hazlett’s monologues are riddled with these types Denver police make about 3,200 DUI arrests per of questions. Throughout the interview he asks questions year, and about 100 of them are for driving under the that require an answer instead of just a “yes/no” mumble. influence of drugs (DUID). This number was calculated Rolling Stoned To him, this falls under his code of “be a person” when pre-Amendment 64 and has risen significantly. And interacting with civilians. finally, the most powerful finding: a study out this month The straight dope on the legalities of driving high Step three is the time when Officer Hazlett will decide reports that the number of people killed in marijuana- TESSA CARROLL thing is there doesn’t mean everything is there. It’s not whether he wants to take you into custody. These DRE related accidents in Colorado has increased 100 percent just, ‘OK, he has a roach, or he has a bowl in the car that’s officers are looking at the big picture. Just because your over five years. Officer Nicolas Hazlett could never be described as “silly.” still warm.” Rather, it’s the entire picture from the second pipe is still mysteriously smoking in the center console Officer Hazlett mentioned many times throughout Aside from his few dated Cheech and Chong references, the officer spots a (questionable) vehicle in motion. (you swear you don’t know how it got there) doesn’t mean our interview the dangers of overly-confident stoned the man is deadly serious. He serves in the Air Force, but Hazlett fully delved into these details. I had very that you will be arrested, but it doesn’t mean you won’t drivers. The stats explain this plague. Hazlett claims that during his off-time he is a state trooper and a DRE, or little knowledge about DUID’s prior to this interview. either. the reason the physical tasks are implemented into the “drug recognition expert” and instructor. Hazlett is the According to Hazlett, the few ideas I did have, such as He might ask what the name of the strain you smoked DUID prognosis is over-confidence can blind a person kind of person who, even in casual conversation, refers that cops could not accurately test for stoned driving, is, what’s the concentration, or how long ago you smoked. toward the many things that can go wrong in just one to THC by its full name: as “Tetrahydrocannibinol.” were inaccurate at best. I was under the impression that He is not trying to figure out to what degree you are of the many tests, or “gross-motor evaluations,” that an Hazlett’s straight-arrow diction and demeanor are not “highness” can’t be measured because THC is fat soluble. impaired. He is trying to figure out if you are impaired or officer may ask you to perform. contrived. However, I have learned otherwise. All officers (less than not. “Impairment is impairment,” he says. There are no Hazlett says “in the walk and turn there are eight He has never 1%) who have been second chances when it comes it driving stoned. possible things that can go wrong. With horizontal gaze smoked marijuana The officer notices your vehicle trained as a DRE, There are good reasons why the rules are non- and stagnance (which are the fine motor movements of and never will. Yet, can spot clinical negotiable. When Amendment 64 was passed, the fatality the eye lids) there are six possible clues.” Just because he has contributed chugging along at 22 mph and signs, and as well rate of driving under the influence (of drugs or alcohol) you fancy yourself a functional stoner, it is important to much of his time as general signs, of has doubled. Similarly, with the increased availability of realize there are some things that just can’t be faked. and efforts to your glassy eyes glancing back at marijuana use at the marijuana, Hazlett says, police have seen a corresponding mediate stoned drop of a hat—no driving on Colorado him. But what is he really seeing? matter how much roads. I asked him of a “functional if he ever felt uncertain about one of his stoned driving stoner” a driver may think he or she is. Next, DRE’s are arrests, whether it was possible that he’d ever made a also piloting and mastering technology that can measure wrong call. His answer: “Never.” the psychoactive properties of cannabis that indicate You might not know it from the dated posters and the if the person is still under the influence, instead of friendly staff in the Colorado Springs State Patrol office, metabolites that only prove a person has smoked within but every day officers are making arrests for stoned the last month. driving—and they are figuring out ways to fine-tune When the squad car appears in your rear-view mirror, the process. In part, some aspects of the protocol are this is what will happen: First, the officer will observe similar to that of evaluating DUI’s. Officers administer your vehicle in motion. Are you staying in the lane? How standardized field sobriety tests (SFST) such as a One-Leg wide are the turns? How is your use of turn signals? When Stand, Walk-and-Turn, Eye-Convergence, and Finger-to- the officer notices your glassy eyes glancing back at him, Nose evaluations. However, there are other aspects of and your vehicle chugging along at 22 mph he may decide DUID’s that are as prevalent. Some methods are new he needs contact in order to decide if you’re stoned or and some are as old as time. My goal is to identify how just plain stupid. The second you roll down your window, an officer implements all aspects of general and clinical you should be paranoid because the officer is looking for signs to address DUID’s. signs. Odor? Smoke? Roach? In his matter of fact manner, Officer Hazlett laid out This step, step 2, is when the officer looks for the clinical how a DRE identifies stoned driving. There are so many signs. Are the pupils dilated? How red are your eyes? How facets and nuances that may go into an officer’s diagnosis. does your tongue look? (Believe it or not, your taste buds DRE officers like Officer Hazlett are examining the become more pronounced when you are stoned.) How is totality of the circumstance. He says, “Just because one your heart rate? Elevated. These are things you can’t hide Photo by Mitra Ghaffari 46 47 long before the days of potent designer strains with names like Ebola and Kandy Kush. Membership In Colorado Springs—the most conservative city in the state— recreational marijuana is illegal. Studio A64, and the several, less Has ItsPrivileges reputable cannabis clubs in the city, exist in a kind of legal limbo: They can serve but cannot distribute In which our intrepid correspondent explores cannabis. This murky distinction has caused him problems. “We the cannabis clubs of Colorado Springs received two Cease and Desist Orders from the mayor. They JACK QUEEN “I’m the CEO, president, founder of all four companies taped them right to that door you see there,” he says after introducing himself and there,” he says, gesturing past the The Steve Jobs of Marijuana handing me a glossy business card. In addition to Studio drum sets and guitars towards the Studio A64. Photo by Jack Queen It’s a cloudy Sunday evening when I step into Studio A64, A64, he also heads up the Marijuana Business Academy, a main entrance. a cannabis club in an old, red-brick building in downtown group that puts on seminars and workshops for cannabis Stark refused to back down. Invoking the principle Grand rhetorical flourishes like this seem to well up Colorado Springs. A dozen patrons are gathered inside. entrepreneurs, and two medical marijuana information of universal freedom and the Bill of Rights, he rallied whenever I allow for a pause in the conversation, and They converse over the mellow reggae music, passing aggregation websites. his troops and led protest marches on City Hall with I suspect Stark may have lived a past life as a Roman joints and smoking bowls of marijuana. It’s a scene you’d Stark is originally from Kansas. After serving in the banjos and guitars in hand. After hours of testimony and Senator—or a delusional Beat poet. expect to find in Amsterdam or the Haight-Ashbury military, he came to Colorado ten years ago on the heels demonstration, Stark and his people prevailed. The city As long as Studio A64 keeps its doors open, however, district of San Francisco, but not in conservative of the state’s legalization of medical marijuana and council approved the business by a 5-2 vote. it could be the torchbearer in a sweeping new wave of the Colorado Springs, bastion of the Christian right and quickly got into the business, which he frequently refers “We’re the first licensed cannabis club in the goddamn legal marijuana movement: cannabis bars where adults home to several sprawling military installations. to as “the revolution.” He also headed up the Colorado country,” he says with the pride of a man who went can publicly consume marijuana as they would alcohol. Shortly after Colorado legalized recreational marijuana, Springs mayor’s Medical Marijuana Task Force and helped through a legal-bureaucratic wringer and emerged Such a step would be unprecedented in modern America, KC Stark, who the media has dubbed the “Steve Jobs of write the city’s first cannabis regulations. victorious. “This is why we picked a historic spot, right which has imposed marijuana prohibition for over eighty Marijuana,” opened the first legal cannabis club in the Stark sees Studio A64 as both a political and social here in the middle of downtown,” We’re here, and we years and lumped the sticky, green plant together with country. I meet him at the club on a recent afternoon project, as much a place for people to congregate and demand to be treated equally. This building dates to the highly addictive drugs like crack and heroin. and find him sitting in the back at a black poker table, the petition their government for change as it is a place to 1890’s, when this was a rough and tumbling frontier town. site of weekly “Politics and Poker” sessions. Before him meet for doobies and live jazz. He speaks with a speed There were gunfights and whores in here, but now we Fish Swimming Among Bongs rests a propped-up tablet and leather folio with scattered and clarity you wouldn’t expect of a stoner. I ask him how have live jazz and poetry.” Drive East from Studio A64 about five minutes and the papers and fancy pens—accouterments you might expect long he’s been smoking, and quickly shaking his head he Stark says the Colorado Springs police have been more elegant buildings of downtown recede to reveal of a stock broker, not of the proprietor of a cannabis tells me he’s indulged in grass since the second grade— amicable towards him. They tell him they have a lot more Taco Bells, strip malls, and a somber, beige retirement salon. problems with the bar next door than they ever have with home towering gloomily over the beginnings of Colorado Stark has a wide, square jaw, and KC Stark, owner of Studio A64, his mellow cannabis parlor. Stark rattles off the diverse Springs’ infamous modern sprawl. wears rectangular, black-framed range of activities the club offers, from recording sessions Nearby, you’ll find the Speakeasy Vape Lounge, glasses. On his head rests a brown compares what’s happening to open mic nights and cooking classes. It’s a stark sandwiched between a seedy dive and a small warehouse- beret, and around his neck dangles a contrast, he says, to the typical bar atmosphere. “People turned dab bar—a place where you can consume highly thick lighter in a black leather pouch, in Colorado to the Woodstock don’t come here to pick up girls,” he says. “They’re just concentrated, oil extractions of marijuana—plastered a contrast to his white Bluetooth generation. Says Stark: “This here to take part in this culture, to talk about the shared with garish graffiti art. earpiece. Above his head at the experience of pioneering legal cannabis.” I’ve arrived with two friends to check out this different poker table hangs a painting of a revolution, instead of being tuned Again invoking revolution, and now “the Age of breed of cannabis bar, and as we step in the sound of suspiciously similar, bespectacled Aquarius,” he tells me he missed Woodstock but will not raucous electronic dance music (EDM) deafens us. A face with red horns. He confirms it’s out, is tuned in: we’re voting, miss this. Woodstock, he says, was more about consuming grizzled, skinny man with a black leather ball cap over a a portrait of him painted by a fellow cannabis in an anonymous crowd—and then dispersing. head of short, grey hair moves swiftly into the faux-brick member of the Benevolent Order of organizing, and moving like a “This revolution, instead of being tuned out, is tuned in: vestibule and asks if we’re members. the Buffaloes, which he describes as freight train across the world.” we’re voting, organizing, and moving like a freight train “No, we’re just here to try out the $5 trial membership.” the Elks Club of cannabis. across the world.” He nods—he’s used to curious tourists and newbies— 48 49 and gives us the rundown: Everyone presents an ID, pays for snacks, merchandise or, of course, marijuana. scenes dangle from the ceiling. five dollars, reads the “House Rules” and checks in by “It’s ten credits for a gram of flower and one dollar per Voodoo is sitting at the bar listing a name on a piece of plain white paper with hand- credit,” she says. rolling a joint when some drawn lines. Half of the names before us are completely “So 10 bucks a gram?” my friend asks. regulars walk in and take a seat illegible. “Yes,” she replies, unabashedly. at the bar. They soon dive into He punches my name and phone number into a small I don’t partake in the stuff—smoking it makes me a philosophical discussion. tablet, then hands me a black plastic card. Not sure what paranoid—but my friends bristle with delight over the Stoned conversations, I’ve to expect, we sheepishly enter a space decorated in a novelty of a weed bar. We hand her $10 and are promptly noticed, have a different flavor “speakeasy” theme: black leather couches, dark red walls, presented with several jars containing different strains of from drunken ones, and they’re wooden furnishings decorated with various knick-knacks. bud. I watch with a grin as my friends happily make their less prone to ending in broken It’s a cheap building—it could’ve been a Dollar Tree or selection, and we move to a long row of benched tables, bottles and fistfights. low-rent liquor store before—but they’ve done a nice job each with an ashtray, metal joint-rolling tray and bowl I still haven’t gotten my latte, of sprucing it up. In the corner sit two pool tables next of sterile alcohol wipes. They roll two fat joints before and just before I get Ben’s to a dartboard and large fish tank whose residents swim we make our way to a nook in the back corner—a vain attention, he shouts, “Fuck, about amid an assortment of submerged bongs. attempt to escape the music. the latte!” and runs over to the We quickly locate the source of the piercing music: a Between guitars hung on the wall are large coffee machine. DJ bouncing over turntables with flashing, colorful lights advertisements for pipe shops and marijuana dispensaries. Ben delivers my drink. He’s on a stand. The dance floor is empty, and the only patrons As one of my friends gets progressively more stoned, he wearing a blue Buffalo Bills are a handful of jolly regulars in the back at the dab bar. sits in his leather chair, hands glued to the armrest and shirt, and a small gut hangs Presumably that’s where we get our bud, and we approach staring intently at an ad for High Country Healing with over his white waist apron. the bar unafraid of revealing our bewilderment. up-close images of elegant buds. Looking at me with half-open “Hey, uh, so this is our first time here. How does this We ask the bouncer about the pool table, assuming we Photo by Jack Queen but attentive eyes, he leans over the bar in front of me as work?” I ask the “budtender.” She explains the system, need to get “credits.” I inquire about the specifics of the weed operation. the absurdity of which has clearly been lost on her. They “It’s a dollar, but if you only use the middle to coin Your Donations, Please “So, we provide only joint-rolling and bowl services,” don’t sell us “flower” (the preferred term for marijuana in slots it’ll work. I didn’t tell you that, though.” I return to Studio A64, relieved to hear soft, deep house he says. “We can’t charge for the bud, but we can charge cannabis clubs) but they accept “donations” which turn I make some pretty good shots but start to suspect music rather than the rancorous dubstep of Speakeasy. for the service. You can’t leave with it, and all the bud is into “credits” on our cards. We can redeem these credits I’m getting a contact high from the constant haze in here Sitting at a table up front is a man with a dark complexion donated.” that’s had me coughing lightly the whole time (having and a few subtle tattoos. He introduces himself as Voodoo I notice that he doesn’t use the code word “flower” like never smoked in years, my tolerance is pint-sized). As I and asks if I’m a member. Like at Speakeasy, I get the $5 his counterpart at Speakeasy. wait to take my shot, the bouncer comes to feed the fish, day membership and fill out an information card. “Who donates the bud?” I ask. shouting something at them, inaudible over the din. He I walk past a small stage with an idle drum set, piano, “Well, I don’t really know,” Ben answers after a long lingers to stare at them and I ask if the place ever gets and tall mic stand towards the black marble bar occupied a pause. Presumably, A64 uses membership fees and hassled by the cops. “They come through here every now with several patrons. I take a seat in one of the brown revenues to purchase the marijuana, and for whatever legal and then. But they just walk through, don’t say nothin, leather stools crisscrossed with psychedelic duct tape. reason insists it’s “donated.” Behind the bar perpendicular don’t touch nothin, and leave pretty quick.” Voodoo ambles over to the bar as I wait to be served to me, I notice a big box of Raw brand rolling papers next “Dude, I don’t even know if I can smoke this right and greets a bearded guy at the other end of the bar. “I’m to a case of Tazo Tea bags. now,” my friend Scot says. pretty blasted,” he tells Voodoo. “Had a bunch of edibles Voodoo is now explaining to the latest entrants that Since cannabis clubs aren’t allowed to sell recreational today. Man, the service has really gone downhill these the boisterous folks in the back with papers spread over marijuana, you have to smoke everything you buy there days.” the poker table are writing jokes and will be performing or toss it out, just as you can’t leave a bar with a drink in “What are you talking about motherfucker?” Ben, them later tonight. He is interrupted by a loud clatter as hand. Abundant signs remind you that you’re on camera, the bartender, fires back while the others chuckle. “Hey a picture hanging on the wall behind him comes crashing but I tell them I doubt anyone’s watching. Scot gives a Voodoo, get this fucker outta here.” down. Everyone jumps, but there’s none of the hooting quick look around and tucks it under his ear. After the boys are done joking around, I catch Ben’s and hollering you’d expect at a watering hole. The place is still pretty much empty, and as we leave, attention. A64 has no liquor license, so the options are all “Everyone calm down,” yells Voodoo, “it’s just a the new bouncer, a friendly middle-aged woman in a dry—unfortunate for any journalist trying to write about picture.” flowery blue shirt, asks if we’re coming back for bingo the place. I order a latte and take comfort in knowing “Is this place haunted?” the guy next to him asks. in an hour. there’s a bar next door. Shortly thereafter, the door opens and I turn to see I glance at my uncomfortably stoned friends. “Oh, that The décor is much more refined than Speakeasy. KC Stark striding in briskly. Smiling, the Steve Jobs of sounds fun, maybe,” I lie, and we head out the door. Artfully painted cattle skulls hang on the 19th-century Marijuana sniffs the air and says: “Smells like weed in The fishtank at Speakeasy Vape Lounge. Photo by Jack Queen brick walls and long cathode tubes adorned with nature here, doesn’t it?” 50 51