Dear Stoner: My dad lives in Aurora, and we're coming out for his 75th birthday party. My wife has never smoked pot (or anything, not even cigarettes) but suffers from chronic migraines. She wants to try a pot edible, but I heard that pot can only be purchased by non-residents in smokable form. Can non-residents buy edibles? Randy Dear Randy: Whoever told you that was smoking some bad shit. Out-of-state residents can purchase edibles as well as raw herb. Look for high-CBD edibles if you can find them - though they're harder to come by at recreational shops. Otherwise, stick to edibles made with indica-based strains. While it is an over-generalization, indicas tend to help with pain and tension and act more as a sedative. But don't try too much: Stay in the forty-to-fifty-milligram range and take it slow. [continues 336 words]
Dear Stoner: I know that you cannot OD by smoking weed, but what about ingesting it? There are some very strong eatables; what if I get the munchies on marijuana chocolate bars? I would like to know the limits. Garufa Dear Garufa: If by "limits" you mean how much weed an otherwise healthy person would have to ingest to literally die from THC, it's surprisingly less than you'd think - but even so, you'd never be able to come close to doing it. Allow us to drop some science. There's a thing known as the "median lethal dose" for pretty much all foreign chemicals we humans use and occasionally put in our bodies; it's called an LD50 rating. Basically, it's how much of something someone would have to ingest to die at least 50 percent of the time. (LD stands for "lethal dose.") [continues 311 words]
Dear Stoner: I drive around town with my seven-year-old, and I know it is only a matter of time before he starts asking me about the "MMJ" signs everywhere. How should I talk to my kid about pot, since it is always in his face these days? Mad Over Marijuana Dear Mad: I don't think the consumption of marijuana is any more in your child's face than any other adult activity, namely the consumption of alcohol. Pot just stands out more because it's not the norm yet. But think about how many times you've walked past a table full of liquor at a restaurant with your kid in tow: Junior is taking that in just as he is pot dispensary signs. [continues 381 words]
Dear Stoner: I recently retired to Colorado from Texas, where I was with my doctor for more than twenty years. I want to find a GP or internist in the Denver area who is marijuana-friendly. While I may not want or need that prescription anytime soon, I'd like to start with a doc who likes the idea of cannabis before pills when necessary. Can you offer any recommendations of how to find such a person? What a joy for this to even be a valid question! I love you, Colorado! [continues 384 words]
Dear Stoner: I'm out of town on business a lot, and whenever I tell people I'm from Colorado, it eventually leads to someone asking me about legal pot sales. I'm all for it and smoke from time to time myself; I just don't really want to talk about it with people who don't feel the same way as I do when I'm trying to do business with them. Working for the Weekend Dear WFTW: I didn't go to business school, but I'm pretty sure they don't cover this, so you've come to the right place. I say turn it back on them: Look at them squarely in the face and ask, blankly, "Why - do you smoke cannabis?" Then give a neutral chuckle: Maybe you meant it, maybe you didn't. Then wait. Their response is the key to your next move, and it works both ways. They might say, "Well, hell, yeah I do" - and then the two of you can go share a joint of their local weed while talking about whatever fancy business you do that flies you around the country all the time. [continues 286 words]
Dear Stoner: My husband and I are traveling to Colorado from Illinois and are wondering: If we have medical marijuana licenses from California, would they work in Colorado? Shirley, via the potline Dear Shirley: Unfortunately, no. Your card from California will not work in Colorado, as we don't offer reciprocation for our state medical marijuana program. That means you'll have to do your shopping at one of our recreational marijuana shops and, unfortunately, probably pay a lot more for bud than you're used to paying in California at a dispensary - in addition to the roughly 20 percent tax on top. The good news is that if you're both at least 21, you can legally possess up to an ounce of recreational herb at a time in Colorado. [continues 328 words]
Dear Stoner: WHERE CAN I FIND SPICE? - synthetic weed - in Denver or Lakewood? I can't use the real stuff and can't find the stuff I used to buy anymore anywhere. Raul, from the potline Dear Raul: Think of the sketchiest neighborhood in Denver. Now find the nearest corner store not chain-owned in said neighborhood. That's our best guess as to where to find Spice - but frankly, we have no clue. Never tried the stuff ourselves and don't really have the desire to. Did you know synthetic cannabinoids were first made for testing on rats and weren't ever meant for human consumption? Yeah. Rats. In a way, people smoking it are still lab rats, and we have no way of knowing what the hell that stuff will do to you in the long term or even the short term. Batches of it show up from time to time in states across the U.S., making people sick enough to require medical treatment - including 221 people in Colorado last year, at least fifteen people at a homeless shelter in Austin, and 29 people in Gainesville, Florida, just last week. And who can forget the infamous face-eating incident in Miami in 2012? We certainly didn't. [continues 276 words]
Dear Stoner: Have there been any studies conducted on the benefits of using cannabis to help treat PMS? I'm Mean Once a Month Dear Mean: I hear you (sassy finger snaps). No, seriously, I know that PMS isn't all about being a stereotypical raging bitch to the random barista who happens to fuck up your caffe latte with a quarter-teaspoon too much milk. It's a serious condition for many, many women that can cause the type of cramping, anxiety and pain that would qualify pretty much anyone for a medical cannabis card. And for those reasons (and as you probably already know), medical marijuana can most certainly help treat the symptoms of PMS. [continues 348 words]
Dear Stoner: Here's a stoner question that's been on my mind: Is the world eternal? Grass Hopper Dear Grass Hopper: Waxing philosophical is one of life's greatest stoned joys. As for your eternally unanswerable question: This stoner is a bowl-half-full kind of guy. Yes, the fact that Earth is only 4.5 billion years old is pretty irrefutable (unless you actually take the Bible literally), but the laws of the natural world around us would indicate that this world has been around forever - at least on the physical plane we currently know. See, the matter that makes up the earth - the air, the mountains, puppies, and the newspaper you are reading right now - was at one point just floating around in the ether of space and time, and it will be that way again someday. Think about it like this: The ganja you grow in your garden stems from a seed, but it pulls elements from the soil, sun and air to grow. When it is harvested, cured and smoked, those elements are transferred to another physical state again. In other words, the cannabis plants you haven't even grown yet already exist and the plants you toked on years ago still linger to this day. Put that in your rolling paper, twist it up and ponder it for a while. [continues 257 words]
Hey Stoner: Why does organically grown MJ cost the same as the chemy stuff? Why do buds that take longer (like 112 days) to grow, cost the same as a strain that only takes 50 days? Why does a strain that produces a small harvest cost the same as a big common-yielder costs? Does everyone just grow for weight? Heady McPatch Dear Heady: I've actually found that the places growing quality organic herb are usually about 10 percent more expensive than shops that are pumping out the fertilizer-laden hydro systems. But I've also seen the price on organic-grow mediums and nutrients come down over the last few years - and these shops buy and grow in bulk, which keeps their pricing down. A lot has to do with competition. There are hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries out there vying for your business, and they have to keep their prices down to compete with one another (as well as the non-taxed herb being sold through caregivers). That also goes for the long-flowering strains versus the short-flowering strains. Yes, shops could sell their 112-day sativas for more money than their eight-week-flowering strains (and there are a few shops that still do this), but the slightly increased cost of the longer-flowering buds comes out in the wash when they are selling other strains at the same price that were cheaper to produce. It's one benefit of growing in bulk - which answers your final question: Yes, almost every dispensary is growing the majority of their crops for weight. A few dedicate smaller grows to "top shelf" buds, but for the most part, they're trying to maximize everything they can to keep their profit margins high. But the same goes for any other commercial industry. That said, my caregiver never charged me more for Super Silver Haze than he did an eight-week kush - and if a private grower can manage to do that, I see no reason why dispensaries shouldn't be able to, also. [continues 117 words]
Dear Stoner: I'm flying from one Colorado city to another. Is it legal to carry marijuana on me? Durango Unchained Dear Durango: We're not saying you can - and we're not saying you can't. We've written in the past about how the Transportation Security Administration doesn't really have any law-enforcement capabilities. So if the TSA finds that quarter-ounce of Tangerine Haze tucked in with your tighty-whities during a routine search and actually feels like stopping you, agents will hand you over to local police, who will enforce local law. In Colorado, that quarter-ounce is technically legal under state law, and the cops really would have no reason to detain you or take your marijuana. That is, unless you're at Denver International Airport or Colorado Springs Municipal Airport. Both instituted special rules making marijuana possession illegal on the property when recreational cannabis sales began earlier this year, though officials at both have said they really aren't increasing patrols for pot. Violators at DIA face fines ranging from $150 for first-time offenders up to $999 if you're dumb enough to get caught three times or more. [continues 248 words]
Dear Stoner: If the three flowering plants (and the three soon-to-be flowering plants) I have growing as a legal red-card holder yield a very conservative ounce per, in a few months I'll have three to six oh-zees, and the legal limit is two ounces. How do you handle a stock overrun? Evil Willy Dear Willy: Congratulations! You've discovered a weird legal gray area! Your question actually requires multiple answers, so take a big hit, hold it and bear with me. [continues 350 words]
Dear Stoner: What is the cheapest place to get a medical marijuana recommendation? I've got all my paperwork, and I'm disabled. Malcolm Dear Malcolm: This is one of the most-asked questions on our Westword potline, and the answer is: I don't know, because I see the same doc I've been seeing for years now about my stomach issues. I'm also not really into suggesting doctors based on who is cheapest. If you've got every reason to get a medical marijuana card and no doctor in Colorado would turn you down for a recommendation, I would suggest flipping through the back of this very newspaper and calling some of the clinics that advertise. Try explaining your financial situation to them. I would think at least one has a program for low-income patients. Otherwise, you can expect to pay around $50 or $60 for a reasonable first-time doctor's visit, which really isn't much - about the cost of a quarter-ounce of pot from an MMJ dispensary. You could be paying double that plus tax if you rely on retail sales right now. The good news is that the state medical marijuana registry card fees have dropped to $15 annually. [continues 255 words]
Dear Stoner: It's our first 4/20 in Denver. Give us some tips. Mountain Mark Dear Mark: While the organizers of the two-day 4/20 rally are asking people not to light up at the event in order to comply with the city's request, the reality is that people have been lighting up in Civic Center Park since well before Amendment 64 passed, and the tradition probably isn't going to stop this year. But be warned: Cops can and do write tickets down there, as public marijuana consumption is still illegal in Colorado. So don't be an idiot and borrow a lighter from a cop to spark your joint or ask one to wind-block for you while you hit your freshly packed Durban Poison. [continues 352 words]
Dear Stoner: I've always wanted a hemp houseplant. What are the rules and regulations for growing hemp on a small, non-commercial scale? And does that count as one of the six plants that I'm allowed to grow? I realize that if I'm already growing marijuana, I'd need a male hemp plant to avoid cross-pollination - right? Spring Haze Dear Spring: Technically, there are no special laws regarding the non-commercial home cultivation of hemp - mostly because few people would really care about growing such small amounts of a commercially valuable crop they can't sell or get high from. That means that if you're going to grow hemp at home, it will fall under the guidelines for recreational marijuana and count toward your six plants. (Just think of it as growing really low-grade ganja.) And while hemp plants don't produce buds worth smoking, they do go into flower - so you'll have to make sure only three reach that stage at a time. Keep in mind that you'll need tall ceilings: Hemp isn't short and squatty like the ganja you've got in your basement. [continues 263 words]
Dear Stoner: Where can I buy quality seeds in Denver? Dear John: Recreational sales for seeds are slim pickings these days, but you can pick up beans from Reserva Privada Colorado at the Clinic, as well as Rare Dankness seeds at River Rock and Medicine Man. Those two companies have won numerous awards in recent years. The Livwell on Broadway and 3-D are also advertising some cool Flo crosses. Dear Stoner: Is a red card required to buy clones in a store? [continues 345 words]
In honor of the Best of Denver, our stoner picked two of his top questions from last year. Have a fresh one? Send it to marijuana@westword.com or call 303-293-2222. Dear Stoner: If a mosquito bites you while you're smoking a joint, will it get high? Buggin' Out Dear Buggin': What a classic stoner musing! I can remember sitting poolside with a bong in college, wondering the same thing. Sadly for the mosquito, there's no buzz to be had out of the active THC in your blood. According to a 2001 British study conducted by GW Pharmaceuticals, insects are among the few beings on earth that don't have cannabinoid receptors. Birds, fish, mussels and even sea urchins, for example, all have cannabinoid receptors. [continues 331 words]
Dear Stoner: The hint of warmer weather has me thinking: Can I grow ganja outside in Denver? Sprouts Dear Sprouts: According to Colorado law, your growing must be done in an enclosed, locked space and not conducted "openly or publicly." That's a pretty broad definition, and one that hasn't really been hammered out in the courts (yet), but most people seem to take it to mean that you can't just throw seeds in your rose garden. Instead, you'll have to build a lockable greenhouse of sorts. Sounds like a pain, but even the DIY hopeless can construct one for under $150 using some clear or white corrugated roofing and chain-link fence posts found at any local hardware store. [continues 330 words]
Dear Stoner: If I have a half-ounce of raw herb, how many milligrams of THC edibles can I also have before I am technically over the one-ounce recreational limit? Frank the Tank Dear Frank: This is the type of ninth-grade math question we wish our teacher had asked us back in the day. It all comes down to the beauty of the metric system. One gram equals 1,000 milligrams, and under state law, that's the conversion for edibles, concentrates and tinctures. Therefore, a 100-milligram edible counts as one-tenth of a gram of herb. In short: You could have 14,000 milligrams of THC edibles, or about 140 different store-bought, recreational-strength treats. [continues 336 words]
Dear Stoner: I was wondering about RVIA licenses for vehicles and motor homes - whether people can use marijuana in the enclosed area of those vehicles when they're not in use. I know there are some quasi-public ones around, but I'm more interested in private use and whether I can smoke marijuana in mine in our state parks. Camper Dude Dear Camper: We've had this question before, and the answer remains the same: State parks are public places, so smoking cannabis in state parks is not legal, according to the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife. But with RVs, there seems to be some gray area, as the courts have ruled in the past that people can expect some semblance of privacy in them even while in a public area. [continues 304 words]
Dear Stoner: I'm watching this dreadlocked skier from Norway right now and wondering if Olympic athletes can smoke pot. Reggie Ross Dear Reggie: The Olympics have a notoriously drug-free stance regarding competition, especially when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs. For years, that also included a pretty hard-line stance on cannabis, and as much as fifteen nanograms in your system the day of a test could disqualify you. That's exactly what happened to the very first Olympic snowboarding gold-medalist, Ross Rebagliati, who had to fight to keep his medal after testing positive after the 1998 Nagano games. [continues 341 words]
Dear Stoner: I know the Stoner is on paternity leave. So I wonder, as a parent of a newborn, what precautions do you take when smoking marijuana? Baby Buds Dear Sugar Babe: This is Hazel Kush, guest Stoner - and also a new mom. There isn't a whole lot of scientific research that's been done on the effects of marijuana on newborns - partially because parents who puff aren't likely to be 100 percent honest about it when questioned, and partially because the few studies that have been conducted don't always control for other substance use, so research subjects could be puffing ganja, smoking cigarettes and downing alcohol. How do you pinpoint which substance caused a problem under those circumstances? [continues 328 words]
Dear Stoner: Is there any truth to the Internet rumor that some strains that contain high levels of THC-V can actually help with weight loss by reducing appetite? If so, do you know of anyone who needs a subject for a long-term scientific study? Big J Dear Big J: We've done some digging, and, yes, there is some truth to the tetrahydrocannabivarin (THC-V) claims. But we don't think that bong rips will be replacing exercise on The Biggest Loser any time soon. About ten years ago, scientists at Aberdeen University in Scotland realized that THC-V caused the opposite reaction of THC in the human body: It doesn't get you stoned, and it blocks the appetite surge caused by THC. It was so good at the latter, actually, that GW Pharmaceuticals announced in 2007 that it was starting research on the compound as a potential treatment for obesity and obesity-related disorders like diabetes. [continues 300 words]
Dear Stoner: Given the concern about diversion of cannabis out of state, will simply having Colorado license plates be probable cause for a traffic stop by police in the states surrounding Colorado? The Bud Bandit Dear Bud: Have you ever met anyone from Amsterdam? You can imagine the question they're asked most often - and I can assure you it's not about tulips, canals or van Gogh. That's what having Colorado plates (or a Colorado ID) screams to the rest of the world right now: MARIJUANA! [continues 441 words]
Dear Stoner: Are there going to be high-CBD strains at recreational dispensaries? I really want to shop for the marijuana to use it medically. Anne (via the potline) Dear Anne: We've gotten this question a lot recently from people who want to try cannabis medically but don't want to see a doctor or register with the state. We're starting to get more information from shops about what will eventually be on their menus, but for now it's mostly rumors. People have told us that the Green Solution has a 9 percent CBD Shark Shock for sale and that Greenwerkz will be transitioning to dual-use - which means its high-CBD R4 strain and edibles made from R4 trimmings will be available on the retail side. Your best bet is to check menus online or call the recreational shops directly; you can search for retail dispensaries at westword.com. [continues 305 words]
Dear Stoner: It's legal to grow up to six plants and gift an ounce of herb to anyone 21 and up, and it's legal to buy it in a store. But is it illegal for patients to share product given to them or purchased from a store? Once a product touches the hands of a patient, does it become de facto medical? WSP Brad Dear Brad: The answer really comes down to semantics - and whether or not you're a stickler for the rules. Under the law, it is illegal to share medicine purchased from a medical marijuana facility or given to you by your caregiver with anyone else - including other medical marijuana patients. [continues 358 words]
For this week's Ask a Stoner, our ganja guru took a look at the questions and answers on the City of Denver's official retail marijuana page. While most of the site's advice is solid and straightforward, some of it needed tweaking by an actual cannabis user. It is illegal to consume marijuana in public. This is true, and Denver police have been enforcing the law. By last week, there had been 155 tickets written for public consumption of marijuana in 2013, nearly twenty times the number written in 2012. But the reality is that public toking has been going on in Colorado since well before Amendment 64 passed, mostly because people know how to be discreet about it. What matters is being safe if you do decide to puff in public. For starters, don't spark up in busy places like the 16th Street Mall, a park with kids around or outside of a Rockies game - you're just asking for it. Finding a nice, secluded spot in an empty park or puffing a one-hitter in a huddle of cigarette smokers outside of a bar is a stealthier way to approach things. And for you skiers and boarders: Keep to the tried-and-true methods of chairlift smoking and dipping into the trees for a quick "safety" meeting. Edibles are also included in public-consumption laws. Not that we foresee many people getting busted for eating brownies in the park, but it is worth pointing out. [continues 733 words]
Dear Stoner: Is it easier to get high at high altitude, as it is to get drunk? Tipsy McSpliff Dear Tipsy: Brace yourself, because you might not like the answer. The altitude/alcohol connection is actually a myth. In fact, your tax dollars went to a Federal Aviation Administration study on this exact thing. The FAA tested people in a pressure chamber that could simulate the air and air pressure of any altitude, and they found no difference between the effects of booze on people at sea level and those at elevations like Colorado's. Your body can only process alcohol so fast. If anything, the booze is mixing with the effect of higher and drier climates on your body, which includes dehydration and tiring easily. But that's not exclusive to high altitudes. Less water in your blood plus more alcohol equals a quick drunk on the beach as easily as it does at Winter Park. [continues 321 words]
Dear Stoner: The recent issue about whether people can smoke in public view, like on personal patios or balconies, has me a little confused and irritated. Non-smokers say smoking pot in public view is dangerous to families and might influence children the "wrong way," but I feel that cigarettes are so much worse. I absolutely hate cigarette smoke, and it's harmful even as secondhand smoke. Why is it such an issue about pot but not about cigarettes? Mack Dear Mack: It's an issue because politicians want to make it an issue. While most cities in Colorado aren't even touching this subject - they realize it's a neighbor issue and not a police matter - - Denver City Council decided outdoor pot smoking in the privacy of your own property was worth spending several weeks discussing. But it wasn't about actual complaints; if it were, I'm sure that cigarette smoke would have been part of the discussion, along with all sorts of other things that people perceive as a nuisance, like stinky rose gardens and piles of stinky dog poop that your neighbor only cleans up once a month. [continues 271 words]
Dear Stoner: In the song "Legalize It," Peter Tosh says herb is good for glaucoma and asthma. Was marijuana being used for those things back then, or was he just full of it? S. K. Eptical Dear S.K.: Peter Tosh's claim that ganja is the only cure for either condition is incorrect, but his lyrics are rooted in reality. He's referring to local folk-medicine treatments that Jamaicans have used since the 1800s, when ganja likely arrived on the island. And some fishermen reported that they could see schools of fish more clearly in the currents after puffing a spliff. [continues 342 words]
Dear Stoner: Can I fly out of DIA with pot? Headed Home for the Holidays Dear Head: We've covered this a few times, but it's worth reviewing again before January. The short answer is: Yes, but only sort of. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration agents at security checkpoints are not looking for cannabis (or any other drugs). Since the TSA isn't technically law enforcement, if agents do find something suspiciously green and skunky, they'll refer it to a local law enforcement authority. In Denver, that means the ounce of herb you've got in your carry-on at DIA is legal if you're 21 or older. [continues 328 words]
Dear Stoner: I'm reading a Sports Illustrated/MMQB article that says "a lot of [NFL] players suggest that marijuana is one way to heal their bodies." So if a Bronco gets legal medical marijuana in Colorado and then fails an NFL drug test, who wins? Not At All Related to Patricia Calhoun Dear NAARTPC: To our knowledge, that issue hasn't yet come up in the NFL - but the answer is that the NFL would treat a player smoking medical marijuana to deal with pain from running full-speed into another human being again and again over a three-hour stretch every Sunday much the same as it would treat a player who's lighting up just to get baked. That is, the NFL would freak the fuck out. [continues 322 words]
Dear Stoner: This summer I was charged with marijuana DUI after a trooper stopped me for swerving on I-70 on the way to the mountains (I was actually looking at my cell phone for directions). The officer instructed me to do roadsides (which I passed with flying colors), submit to an alcohol breathalyzer (which came back at 0.0), and finally forced me to take a blood test after he was unsatisfied with the results of the previous tests. My blood test results came back at twice the legal limit, so I am petrified about what will happen and not sure what I should do. I know you're not an attorney, but maybe you know someone else who has been in this situation. [continues 291 words]
Dear Stoner: Do you think it's socially acceptable now to light up at a party in Colorado or not? Holiday parties are coming up, and I'd much rather smoke a few joints than choke down another pint of bourbon and eggnog. Tired of Sneaking Off to My Car Dear Sneaking: We hear you loud and clear. Not that we mind the occasional adult beverage, but holiday parties are much better when you don't spend the following day puking up red and green cupcakes or freaking out because you slept with your boss's newly legal daughter. [continues 352 words]
Dear Stoner: I'm a new mom. While I never smoked during my pregnancy, I really miss my doobies. The only problem now is my boobies. Specifically, I'm breast-feeding, and I'm wondering if I can pass THC on to my baby through breast milk. Also, could that lead to my child being taken away if a nosy doctor ever wanted to test him? Mama Ganja Dear MG: I'm not a doctor, but there are people who are and who study such things, and even they can't come to an agreement on this issue. Most studies do show that you can pass on THC to infants via breast milk - roughly .8 percent of what you ingested yourself. One study out of Texas Tech University concluded that the levels aren't enough to get your baby stoned, but they could possibly alter long-term neuro-behavioral functions. The study also noted that infants exposed to THC in breast milk can test positive for up to three weeks. And, yes, to answer your question: That would be more than enough for a nosy doctor to call the state on a parent. It's happened, too: In 2012, a mother from Butte County, California, who was a medical marijuana patient had her children taken away after one tested positive for cannabis that was likely consumed through breast milk. A few other scary factoids: Higher rates of SIDS deaths have been noted in babies whose mothers smoked marijuana and breast-fed, and marijuana could negatively impact a mother's ability to produce milk. [continues 170 words]
Dear Stoner: Where is all the marijuana for the recreational industry coming from? Stockpiling in Stapleton Dear SS: The rules haven't been finalized yet, but what we do know is that the medical stores transitioning over to recreational stores will be able to designate half of their existing medical marijuana inventory (plants and buds) to their retail inventory. Most medical marijuana centers currently are licensed to grow up to about 3,000 plants, assuming six plants for every patient. They can only do that once, though. After that, they've got to be self-sustaining or purchase from other stores until September 2014, when the statewide moratorium on independent cultivation facilities expires. For some shops, that's not going to be a problem - as they've not so discreetly expanded to massive greenhouses this past spring. [continues 268 words]
Dear Stoner: The holidays are coming up, and I'm thinking about getting a seasonal job for extra income. Something with low responsibility, like retail or working with Christmas trees. I enjoy cannabis recreationally. Do you have any advice on how to surreptitiously find places of employment that do not conduct a new-hire drug test? I'd rather avoid those that do altogether than find out about the drug test after they already have all of my information. Thanks! For High-er [continues 350 words]
Dear Stoner: I really love live reggae, but lately I'm afraid that I'll get high from all the smoke in the air. I work for the federal government and am subject to random drug screening at work. I'll get fired if THC is found in my system. Is it possible to get high from breathing the smoke in the air? Will I test positive on a drug test? The last two Tribal Seeds shows I attended in Denver were filled with people lighting up all around me, and I decided to leave. I really love reggae, but I like paying the bills, as well. Please help! [continues 322 words]
Dear Stoner: My grower said his greenhouse in Weld County got flooded, and he offered to let me take some plants home if I help him clean up. He said the place smells like manure from the floodwaters. My question: Is the stuff safe to smoke? Because I sure don't want to make any "brownies" out of it. Rockin' the Good Shit Dear Rockin': Manure has been a staple fertilizer for vegetables for thousands of years. And while it's not necessarily a common fertilizer for cannabis, as long as you flush the plants well before harvesting them (and maybe give them a little spray-down with some water before they go into flower), I don't see anything wrong with smoking them. [continues 306 words]
Dear Stoner: So last week you said Denver was a pretty tolerant place to light up outside of sporting events, and then pot lawyer Rob Corry gets arrested at Coors Field. What's up with that? Para Noid Dear Noid: Rob Corry's arrest on September 25 is a good example of exactly how you shouldn't use cannabis in public. For starters, police say he was in the smoking section of Coors Field when he lit up a stinky, smoky joint. At the very least, a one-hitter would have been a much better way to keep the obvious use down - but Corry should really get himself a vape pen if he wants to toke in public in a stealthy manner. [continues 349 words]
Dear Stoner: We're flying in for the Eagles game next weekend, and I want to get stoned before I go in. What's my over-under on that? Green & Black Dear Fans of a Lesser Team: This question has come up a few times, actually. Yes, you can get stoned before the game. But as a tourist, don't go waltzing into a dispensary expecting to score a bag of herb. This has nothing to do with your ugly Michael Vick jersey: Recreational sales don't start until next year. If you can't find it from a waiter or bellman, you'll do fine in the parking lots by the stadium...even if you're not in orange. [continues 327 words]
Labor Day weekend is regarded as one of the biggest drunk-driving holidays on the calendar, right up there with Memorial Day, New Year's Eve and Thanksgiving. Statistics support it: According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, 1,342 people were arrested over a nineteen-day stretch between August 16 and September 3 of this year for suspected driving under the influence. Jeremy DePinto and Jenny Kush loved cannabis...and each other. Rebecca Maez was charged with vehicular assault and homicide while driving under the influence. [continues 3493 words]
Dear Stoner: I found a few seeds in a bag last winter and planted them in my back yard earlier this spring. I know enough to know I lucked out in getting a female plant, but when exactly do I harvest this thing? I can't find any definitive answers. Green Greenthumb Dear Green: Awesome. Nothing beats solar-powered, homegrown marijuana that you've toiled over and waited for all on your own (as you'll soon find out). Unfortunately, there is no exact answer here, as all plants mature differently, and there isn't any one thing that tells you a plant is ready. We suggest doing a lot of research at sites like ICMag.com and THCFarmer.com, but here's the short version: [continues 296 words]
Dear Stoner: I know that smoking marijuana openly isn't legal anywhere, but what if I'm parked in my RV at a campsite with the windows rolled up and nobody can see me? Would that be legal? Pot Smokey the Bear Dear Bear: I like where your head is at, but unfortunately the answer is no. It would not be legal to smoke marijuana in your camper (or tent or car) in a state park - and that includes Jellystone. Even if the vehicle is considered your primary residence, it is where that vehicle is located that matters. [continues 315 words]
Dear Stoner: Do Americans smoke way more herb than the rest of the world, or is there somewhere else I should be living? Smoke Two Joints Dear Two Joints: A staggering amount of Americans have smoked cannabis - we consume more than 18 million pounds of it annually, by some estimates - and about 14 million of us smoke it on the regular. According to government statistics, 24.1 percent of the residents of this country consume marijuana every year. Keep in mind, though, that this is based on the number of people who were willing to admit to using weed to a government-hired survey conductor. [continues 334 words]
Dear Stoner: Can this hippie medicine really cure cancer, or are all of these activists just getting too high off their own supply? Key Mo Dear Key: Yes, some parts of the cannabis plant have been shown to kill cancer cells in certain cases - though to say outright that marijuana cures cancer is oversimplifying things a wee bit. We stoners do that sometimes. On the one hand, there's a load of grassroots information and testimonials from patients who swear that concentrated cannabis oil has put their cancer into remission or killed it off entirely. Among the most wellknown is the story of Rick Simpson, who insists that his whole-plant extract called Phoenix Tears banished his skin cancer. He even has a series of online videos dubbed "Run From the Cure" to prove it. Simpson's not alone, though: Dozens of patients have similar stories. For example, four-year-old Cash Hyde gained national attention last year after his parents - desperate for anything to help save their son from advancing brain cancer - began giving him cannabis oil for his nausea and pain. They also claim that the oil helped keep tumors at bay. [continues 234 words]
Dear Stoner: I just moved to Colorado, and I want to learn about the different types of weed. But looking in the back of Westword can be a little overwhelming. What do you think is a good starting point for finding the info? Dear E3K: We've been over this in the past, so maybe starting with our online Ask a Stoner archives at westword.com would be a good place to begin, slacker. Okay - sorry to harsh your mellow; that's not what this is about. If you want to start finding out about cannabis strains, the web is going to be your best place to find information. Do some digging over at leafly.com for user-generated reviews of cannabis, and check out the forums on sites like icmag.org and thcfarmer.com. Seedfinder.eu is also a good resource for getting strain information from seed breeders themselves. [continues 281 words]
Dear Stoner: I saw that Uruguay is legalizing marijuana. What is going on down there? When should I start booking my airline tickets and hotel reservations? Tea Traveler Dear Traveler: Uruguay is basically pulling a Colorado, with the legalizacion of limited amounts of cannabis for adults and regulating sales through government-sanctioned storefronts. Uruguayan president Jose Mujica - who says he's never even seen marijuana, let alone used it - sponsored the legislation to help put an end to drug-related crime in the country. [continues 329 words]
Dear Stoner: How long have people been getting high off of marijuana? Sean in Lakewood Dear Sean: Recorded cultivation of cannabis for fiber goes back as far as 7,000 years in some parts of the world - that much we know. As for how long humans have been getting stoned, that's something we're still trying to figure out. We do know that the first human to ever get stoned quickly became the most laid-back person in his tribe, though. [continues 324 words]
Dear Stoner: My parents just caught me smoking a joint with friends, and now I'm grounded until summer is over. Did you ever get busted when you were younger?Grounded in Golden Dear GG: Yes, I got busted all the time by parents, security guards, college-dorm assistants, campus police, the ski patrol and even my friend's mom, the very first time I smoked. I've told that story in the blogs before, but the long-short of it is that I should have realized then that I wasn't very good at keeping my cannabis use a secret. You should work on that skill, young Jedi toker. [continues 380 words]
