Here at Cannabist HQ, we’re taking a look back at the provocative interviews from our 30 talk show episodes and unforgettable stories covered on the site since things cranked up in late December 2013.
It’s been a fascinating journey to follow since Colorado kicked off the world’s first recreational marijuana sales Jan. 1, 2014. Denver Post marijuana editor Ricardo Baca, who oversees The Cannabist and hosts the show, asked his cannabis colleagues Aleta Labak (digital producer for the site) and video producers Vince Chandler and Dane Madrid to take a turn on the couch and share their top picks:
Intriguing interviews
How are we dealing with the perceptions that “everybody gets high” in Colorado these days?
The joke has gotten old, and the stand-up comedy scene in particular is having some issues, as Denver Post entertainment writer John Wenzel attests. And former Denver Post music editor Matt Miller would prefer if the “cliché stoner acts” could take a break from our state around 4/20.
Speaking of stoners, it’s a rather loaded term. Is it derogatory or a point of pride? Blank Space Media’s Zac Cohen and Cannabist contributor Josiah Hesse share their mixed feelings, along with the “just call it cannabis” movement. Meanwhile, High Times editor-in-chief Dan Skye argues that Colorado marijuana legalization is helping to break the stereotypes that “people who smoke marijuana are unmotivated and they’re not fit.”
Memorable stories (just a few)
Investigating edibles: Since the start of legal sales, wildly popular marijuana-infused foods have been a hot-button issue — particularly their potency — and one we’ve followed with interest. A Denver Post study of several edibles in March 2014 showed THC levels are never exactly what the package reads, but some varied extremely. One milk chocolate bar labeled for 100 milligrams of THC had 0.37 milligrams, according to a state-licensed marijuana testing facility. The Denver Post did another round of tests in 2015 to take stock of regulatory changes and check product potency.
Normalization: What’s the new weed etiquette for parties and other social gatherings? Is a small jar of cannabis a proper hostess gift? We talk marijuana manners with The Emily Post Institute’s Lizzie Post and others as home entertaining evolves in legalized states.
The strange: A medium-security prison turned into a marijuana grow facility and pot shop? That was the plan in a small Colorado town. But the idea wasn’t exactly embraced by local residents.
And who could forget the wacky police chase on an Arizona highway where hundreds of pounds of pot got tossed out the window of an SUV, and it’s all caught on tape.
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