He is an award-winning chef who has prepared injury-healing meals for NFL and NBA stars such as Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups and Von Miller. He is a cannabis connoisseur who teaches people how to prepare nutritious food with marijuana.

She is a former corporate executive who served on President Obama’s National Finance Committee in 2008 and now runs a marijuana dispensary. She is a passionate political activist who wants to spread the word on the medical and social benefits of pot.

We were going to Denver for a wedding and a concert and I wanted to check out the pot scene. The cracks I hear about supporting Gary Johnson for president are mostly about his support for legalizing marijuana.

Colorado and I go way back, to a teenage “coming of age” camping trip with Coors, other “provisions,” and hitch-hiking girls.

It was The Seventies.

My wife and I lived in Denver after our first daughter was born. I was “becoming an Advertising guy” after my first stint in radio; a freshly-minted Yuppie pushing a stroller.

It was the Eighties.

The average seed round in the nascent cannabis industry in the U.S. hovers around $1 million, according to hemp and cannabis-focused investment research by Poseidon Asset Management.

But Denver-based Baker Technologies Inc. has raised $1.6 million in seed funding for software that helps marijuana dispensaries win new customers, eliminate long lines in stores, and retain and reward their best customers for loyalty.

Founded in 2015, Baker originally began as an “order ahead” app to let customers reserve and go pick up the marijuana products they wanted for medical or legal recreational use.

Denver Relief, Colorado’s original medical and recreational cannabis operation dedicated to responsible growing practices, announced today the sale of their licensed Optional Premises Cultivation (OPC) and Manufacturer of Infused Products (MIP) facilities to CMH Brands, a Colorado licensee and processor of Willie’s Reserve. Willie’s Reserve is the much-anticipated premium cannabis brand by award-winning musician, actor, author and longtime marijuana advocate, Willie Nelson. Denver Relief, founded in 2009, is the longest-established cannabis business in the city and is a main cog in kick starting the modern marijuana movement.

Since the possession and use of cannabis recreationally was legalized in Colorado, the state has experienced a significant growth in tourism.  Many new visitors to Colorado are interested in cannabis for a variety of reasons - either as a future business prospect - for medical reasons - or simply a tourist who wants to visit a dispensary.  

Many of these new visitors however, have complained that once they arrive in Colorado - they have difficulty finding a place to smoke - because many hotels in Colorado have banned smoking altogether - and specifically prohibit the consumption of cannabis on their property.  

The benefits of cultivating and processing hemp domestically go beyond the economic advantages. Making hemp farming federally legal and increasing the number of crops nationwide could make a powerful impact on our efforts to prevent global warming.

Last week, Colorado Hemp Company and NoCo Hemp Expo hosted Hemp On The Slope, an event in Collbran, Colorado, meant to educate and inform the community on the benefits of domestic hemp cultivation. Among the most significant of the benefits? Industrial hemp farming reduces our carbon footprint and thereby combats global warming.

The following is a condensed and edited interview with Tripp Keber, CEO, Dixie Brands.
 
Why did you get into the cannabis industry?
I got into the marijuana business, ironically, to make money. Boy, was I wrong in the early days. I realized in a very quick time period that there was far more to this industry than making money. The power of cannabis is just superior to some of the other wellness platforms, so it’s exciting to see us six years later and how the company has grown.
 

The addition of heat to common pesticides can create poison. Organic Maryland LLC has a safe solution that uses no chemical pesticides.

It was a only a matter of weeks after the November 6th deadline to apply for a Maryland medical cannabis grower’s license before the public outcry over Colorado recalls began. In March of this year, the Denver Post reported more than 10 recalls in less than a month. A commonly used pesticide has driven massive recalls in Colorado, prompting concerns over crop safety and product integrity, particularly within the state of Maryland.

The newly budding industry’s employees are purpose-driven, highly motivated, and sometimes a little baked.

At first glance, MassRoots is just like any other technology company in America. The Denver-based social platform for marijuana enthusiasts boasts an open-concept, loft-style office filled with 33 talented programmers, developers, and sales staff.

But beneath the surface there’s something unique about working at a pot startup, and it has little to do with the fact that employees are often permitted to consume the substance on the job.

The common question gets to the bottom of some of the central problems in drug policy.

Cannabis continues to be the world’s favourite illicit drug with around 147m people using it annually. However, there are fears that the drug is becoming increasingly potent and that it could pose a public health risk. But how reliable is the evidence? And is it really getting stronger?