Pubdate: Wed, 26 Aug 2015
Source: Colorado Springs Independent (CO)
Column: CannaBiz
Copyright: 2015 Colorado Springs Independent
Contact:  http://www.csindy.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1536
Author: Griffin Swartzell

NEW CANNABIS BAR OPENS, GUERRILLA GROW BUSTED, PTSD SUFFERERS SUE, AND MORE

Change in business

There's a new cannabis bar in town, but it looks familiar. The Dab 
Lounge is at 1532 N. Circle Drive, the same space as the now-defunct 
420 Speakeasy. It has mostly the same furniture. The owner, Daniel 
Goodman, was night manager before buying the business. The place even 
has the same Star Wars pinball machine.

But that's where the similarities end. Goodman is repurposing the 
club's s so-so hip-hop stage for comedy, in the style of nearby 
Loonies. Only instead of drunken hecklers, Goodman plans to fill his 
seats with giggling stoners.

"I come from a background in comedy in New York," he says, "just 
going to shows every weekend."

And so far, it shows. Local comedian Ben Verbeck says, "I always 
loved the place when it was 420 Speakeasy, but Dan has made 
significant improvements."

It's not just the comedy drawing special attention. Goodman has 
teamed up with local vaporizer company Silver Surfer to stock Dab 
with Silver Surfers for both flower and concentrates. He's also 
bought scented oil trays for his vaporizers - they can do double duty 
as aromatherapy for planned yoga sessions.

Goodman's added pool tables to the game room, and hopes to host 
tournaments. An espresso dispenser is due to arrive Friday. The house 
lights are noticeably brighter, and the front desk bar area cleaner.

"We wanted it to weed out any seedy element," Goodman says. "We 
wanted to make a place for people to laugh."

Verbeck says that's what Goodman's done. "Dan is cultivating a client 
base that is easy to get along with, and the club always has a 
laid-back vibe," he says.

Guerrilla grow busted

On Aug. 19, the U.S. Forest Service destroyed an illegal marijuana 
grow operation in Pike National Forest west of Lakewood. Local and 
federal agencies helped on the raid, destroying 3,900-plus plants, 
plus more than 3,000 pounds of equipment, including irrigation pipe, 
pesticides, camping gear and trash.

"Illegal marijuana cultivation causes a wide variety of problems," 
says Tammy Williams, spokesperson for the Forest Service. "For 
instance, the use of herbicides, pesticides and rodenticides can 
cause extensive and long-term damage to ecosystems and impact public 
drinking water for hundreds of miles."

The Forest Service asks anyone with information on the grow or any 
others to call 303/275-5266.

Keef crumbs

A few weeks ago, the Colorado Board of Health decided against adding 
PTSD to the list of conditions that can be treated with marijuana. 
The Associated Press reports that five PTSD sufferers aren't content 
to wait for results of ongoing studies that might help their cause - 
they're going to court. On Aug. 20, they filed suit in Denver 
District Court to reverse the decision.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom