GARDEN CITY, Colo. — This Saturday, tiny Garden City will throw a party to celebrate improvements to its main street. Officials will close a block to traffic and install an ice-skating rink in the middle of the road. There will be horse-drawn carriage rides. There will be hot toddies. And there’ll be three blocks of new sidewalks, crosswalks, benches and trees to show off to the public.
Garden City isn’t much of a city; it’s smaller than a square mile and has fewer than 300 residents. But it could afford to spend $3 million on downtown infrastructure upgrades thanks to its four bustling marijuana retailers.

Before the first medical marijuana dispensary in town opened in 2009, Garden City collected about $360,000 in revenue each year, said longtime Town Administrator Cheryl Campbell. Now pot is legal for recreational use, too, and last year, the town raked in over $2 million from sales taxes alone — mostly from the sale of bud, pre-rolled joints, edibles and other pot products.   
The marijuana boom hasn’t had any downsides, Campbell said. “It’s been a benefit to the community, as far as I’m concerned. And I was anti-marijuana myself.”

In Colorado and other states that let adults possess small amounts of marijuana, the lure of additional tax revenue has helped convince many towns and counties to welcome pot shops. Here in conservative-leaning Weld County, where most towns have said “no” to dispensaries, local officials are watching Garden City and wondering whether they should change their anti-pot stance.

For instance, although the 7,000-odd residents of Milliken in 2015 voted against licensing dispensaries, the town board last year decided to license a couple of retailers. “Obviously, the town board that approved that was hoping for revenue,” Milliken Town Administrator Leonard Wiest said. “They saw what was happening in Garden City.” 

So far, he said, no marijuana retailers have opened, though one store is going through the building permit approval process.

Marijuana tax revenue hasn’t been quite as transformative in Colorado cities with larger tax bases, such as Denver and Boulder. And tax experts say it’s risky for cities to lean too heavily on a single source of revenue — particularly one that’s illegal at the federal level and vulnerable to a federal crackdown.
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“It’s not a stream of revenue they should rely on for their major, long-term spending needs,” said Katherine Loughead, a policy analyst at the Tax Foundation, a Washington-based think tank.

Garden City has a history of embracing vice. It split off from the town of Greeley in the 1930s, after the larger town outlawed liquor manufacture and sales. In its early days, Garden City was the place where locals went to drink and party.

That history didn’t inform the town council’s decision to allow marijuana sales, Campbell said. But the comparison is inevitable. Today, Greeley, population 100,000, doesn’t allow dispensaries, and Garden City is the go-to pot destination for Greeley residents as well as those of neighboring towns and rural areas as far away as Wyoming.   
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The city is so small that it only takes a few minutes to drive through it and enter Greeley, which surrounds the town on three sides. Three of Garden City’s four dispensaries are tucked away off the main commercial strip, and it’s easy to zoom through town without noticing them.

Unlike some other jurisdictions such as Denver, Garden City doesn’t have a special tax on weed. Its marijuana-related revenue comes from the 3 percent city sales tax, plus state marijuana sales tax money shared with local jurisdictions, Campbell said.
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She estimates that the four dispensaries in town employ about 225 people among them, making marijuana the largest industry in Garden City. Most of the rest of the town’s commerce comes from small stores and restaurants, such as pawn shops, auto body shops, Mexican restaurants and a gas station.

Garden City’s embrace of legal weed hasn’t rankled too many residents; Campbell said she can only think of one person who is adamantly opposed, for religious reasons.

Mike Schwartz, co-owner of Empire State Pizza, a family-friendly restaurant full of arcade games, said some old-timers might be against the industry. “But you can’t argue with the results,” he said.

Thanks to the influx of sales tax revenue, Garden City has been able to spend more on public works such as the new sidewalks and crosswalks along Eighth Avenue, the street outside Empire State Pizza. The city also provides grants of up to $8,000 to help local businesses pay for property investments such as facade improvements.

​Empire State Pizza’s landlord used one such grant to add windows, an awning and new tiling to the exterior of the restaurant and its neighbor, a popular hot wings restaurant called Wing Shack. Schwartz used another grant to replace the pizza place’s outdoor signage, he said.

The money also has allowed the city to add new services. Garden City used to be patrolled by the county sheriff’s office, but now it can afford its own four-person police force. Campbell’s staff — once just her — has swelled to three and a temp, not including the police department.

The flood of visitors to local dispensaries has been good for the pizza business, Schwartz said. He cross-promotes with the marijuana retailer across the street, including by offering customers there a coupon for free garlic knots. The tagline? “Pizza tastes better when baked.”
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“There’s a lot of hungry people walking out of that building,” Schwartz said.

Garden City isn’t the only small Colorado town that’s been transformed by marijuana revenue. Marijuana sales have helped rural Log Lane Village pave streets and replace water lines, according to Town Clerk Bobbie Mesmer. Marijuana sales have revitalized De Beque, a fading oil and gas town in Western Colorado, and boosted artsy Trinidad, near the New Mexico border.  

In larger jurisdictions, however, pot has had less of an impact — despite headline-grabbing revenue figures.

Denver expects to collect over $48 million this year from taxes on marijuana sales, licensing fees and state tax money shared with the city ($584 million of weed was legally sold in the city last year, raising about $45 million in revenue). But all that pot money comprises less than 4 percent of the city budget.

The money helps fund city priorities — such as maintenance projects, affordable housing and combating the opioid epidemic. “It’s $48 million we didn’t have before,” said Molly Duplechian, deputy director of policy and administration at the city and county Department of Excise and Licenses.

Some $8 million to $9 million of Denver’s marijuana money covers the cost of regulating the industry and running marijuana-related public health campaigns, such as a push to educate young people about the consequences of underage use. Towns need to set aside money to manage the industry, Duplechian said. “I always, always try to emphasize, when I’m talking to other jurisdictions, how important that’s been.”

In Edgewater, a small city of some 5,000 people that shares a border with Denver, marijuana sales generate about 12 percent of annual tax revenue — less than one of the local big box stores, said City Manager HJ Stalf.

Stalf said the city is wary of relying too much on an industry that’s controversial at the federal level. That’s why the money has been spent on capital improvements, such as a new civic center, new police cars and road upgrades, rather than on staff positions, he said. “If it were to go away, we wouldn’t have to lay anyone off.” 

The state of Colorado collected $247 million in marijuana-related revenue last year, less than 1 percent of its overall revenue, said Shannon Gray, marijuana communication specialist at the Colorado Department of Revenue. “It hasn’t been nearly the amount of money, when you put it in the context of the entire state budget, as some media reports would have you believe.”

Some members of the public mistakenly think schools are getting a windfall from weed, because $40 million in annual excise tax revenue from marijuana sales goes into a school construction fund, said Chris Stiffler, an economist at the Colorado Fiscal Institute, a Denver-based think tank. The state also has spent additional marijuana money on public schools, including $31.6 million in fiscal 2016-17.

The marijuana money comprises only around 1 percent of the state’s overall education budget. But the misconception can make it harder for school superintendents to convince voters to raise local education taxes, Stiffler said.

​Four years after legal marijuana sales began in Colorado, plenty of communities remain wary of pot shops. Greeley’s City Council voted in 2013 to ban commercial sales, and a 2016 city report concluded that the cost of regulating marijuana could cancel out expected tax revenue while creating public health and safety problems, the Greeley Tribune reported at the time.

City council members initially voted against pot sales because they were concerned about enforcement and possible conflict with the federal government, said City Manager Roy Otto. The Greeley Tribune’s coverage of Garden City’s marijuana revenue hasn’t moved council members to reconsider the ban, he said.

There is, however, a chance that a citizens group could put a petition to allow marijuana sales on next year’s ballot, he said. “Will Greeley ultimately legalize it, the way they did alcohol? Time will tell.”
Marijuana’s impact on health and safety in Colorado has been mixed, according to an October report from the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice. Law enforcement officers aren’t filing more cases of serious marijuana-related crimes, but organized crime related to marijuana has been rising.
 
Fewer young people say they’re using marijuana, but more Colorado marijuana users are being hospitalized, though that may be partly because people now feel more comfortable telling doctors they smoke weed, the report cautioned.

In Garden City, legal sales haven’t led to a noticeable increase in crime, Campbell said. She can think of one break-in — “that amounted to nothing” — and some minor shoplifting. The city doesn’t set aside money especially for marijuana enforcement or policing, she said.

If anything, local business owners say, the town feels safer now thanks to the new police department.
The Garden City location of Smokey’s: A 4:20 House, a recreational and medical dispensary, has never had a break-in, but it’s reassuring to know that the police aren’t far away, said Jake Smith, marketing administrator and president of the Garden City Business Association. “Now I can sleep knowing that if someone did try, the Garden City Police Department is a block away from my store.”

Perhaps the biggest long-term threat the marijuana industry poses to Garden City is competition. If more Weld County towns allow pot sales, Garden City’s stores will lose their lock on the local market and become less lucrative.

Campbell said she anticipates that any new locations will spread revenue throughout the region. Still, she’s optimistic. “I feel like we’re established enough to stand on our own.

View the full article here:
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/12/04/the-little-town-that-pot-built

Quinton, Sophie. “The Little Town That Pot Built.” The Pew Charitable Trusts, 4 Dec. 2018, https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2018/12/04/the-little-town-that-pot-built. 

The cannabis industry is evolving steadily after a rapid growth spurt of legalization. Gone are the days of purchasing whatever strain a supplier has on hand. Instead, consumers today have countless strains, concentrates, and edibles to choose from, allowing them to be incredibly selective and specific about what kind of high they experience.

Anyone who enjoys the legal cannabis industry is probably used to noting two main things when making a purchase at their local dispensary: the THC content and the sativa/indica ratio of the product.

Casual cannabis users typically believe that the higher the THC content is, the stronger and more intense the high will be. Likewise, they also figure that sativas will all perk them up while all indicas will mellow them out.

While these beliefs are incredibly common, the truth is that they oversimplify how and why a specific weed strain produces a unique feeling.

You’ve most likely smoked a strain of sativa that left you a tad anxious, while other sativas leave you happy, energized, and ready to tackle the day. The same goes for indica. Some strains are great for relaxing and watching a flick, while others will put you right to bed. Similarly, you’ve probably heard a friend rave about a strain that just didn’t do much for you.

In order to understand these varied experiences, it’s important to remember that cannabis is a wonderfully complex plant.
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​Budtenders at Smokey’s 420 are continuously trained with the most recent information available based on real studies and science regarding product’s THC content. It’s how many cannabis consumers decide which product to buy. Why wouldn’t you choose the strain with the highest amount of THC? Isn’t that more bang for your buck?

If this is the logic you’ve been using, keep in mind that THC content is only one indicator of how a strain or product will make you feel. Choosing your weed based solely on this factor is often compared to going to a liquor store with the mission of selecting the booze with the highest alcohol content.

There’s a reason no one does this; there’s far more to enjoy a good drink than how much alcohol it contains. Just as a sommelier will pick their wine based on a myriad of factors, true cannabis connoisseurs will pay attention to the entire makeup of the product, not just a single element.  

A major influence on how strong and how unique a high will feel is based on the presence and concentration of certain terpenes. ​

If you’re tuned into any cannabis industry dialogue, you may have heard of terpenes before. If not, the simple explanation is that terpenes are organic compounds found in the essential oils of plants.

Specifically relating to marijuana, terpenes are responsible for giving cannabis its distinctive flavors and aromatic scents. There have been over 100 different types of terpenes found in cannabis plants, and each strain, specifically each harvest, comes with completely unique concentrations of them. This explains the light, citrusy notes of Lemon Haze and the robust, Earthy flavor of Afghan Kush.

That being said, terpenes aren’t just about aromas and flavors. Research has shown that terpenes also affect the type of experience a specific strain offers. ​
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While THC is responsible for the psychoactive nature of cannabis, industry leaders are concluding that terpenes help to direct, define, and in some cases, enhance the whole experience. The distinctive types of terpenes and cannabinoids (e.g., THC or CBD) present in a particular strain, along with the concentration levels of each, work together to produce what is commonly referred to in the industry as the “entourage effect.”

In other words, the different compounds work in a synergistic manner to create an experience that’s unique to that strain. The whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.

Different types of terpenes have various therapeutic properties and will also affect a high in various ways. (Here is a good resource for better understanding some of the commonly found terpenes.) Some terpenes produce effects that help enhance mood and energy, while others, such as myrcene, create a sedative calm. Likewise, some enhance the feeling of THC, and others can mellow it out.

This is why you may fall in love with a strain with a lower THC content and favor it over one that has a high concentration. It all depends on what you personally consider a good experience. If you’re looking for a strain that will give you a quick energy boost and appease your anxiety, research suggests that those effects will be determined by the terpene composition, not the amount of THC.

What differentiates live resin from other extracted concentrates? Most agree that live concentrates are higher quality; but what gives them the hype that keeps people coming back? When it comes to live resin it's all about the taste and smell for me, the terpenes. Due to the extraction process, live resin holds all of the tasty aromas captured in a growing cannabis plant straight through to exhaling the concentrate. With the Purple Platinum Bubba, it was no exception to the great flavor and smell you would expect from a quality live resin. ​

Live Resin is high on my list of concentrates I enjoy. Don’t get me wrong, wax and shatter get the job done, but often times lose all of the tastiness the terpenes provide. In a regular wax or shatter extraction cured plant material is used. During the curing process the cannabis undergoes conditions that degrade the terpene and trichrome profiles; such as heat, light, and physical agitation. After the degradation and heat used before and during the extraction process the expected flavor is all but lost. The biggest difference in live resin is “the plant is flash frozen immediately following harvest and kept at freezing temperatures throughout the extraction process.” (Bennett) By using this method the plants flavor and fragrance is carried over to the final product. ​

The package is nice and professional looking. It meets all compliance needs and is child proofed. Inside the package was a child safe glass container. Side note: I prefer glass containers over the plastic ones, easier to dab directly from the container and you waste/loose less product. This stuff is terp jelly! As you now know, one of the characteristics that stand out with live resin is the smell. The smell of this product definitely met the standard for live concentrates! It was through the roof! The gram had a sweet and pungent smell with light hints of floral and citrus. The taste held true to the smell, those terps made my mouth water. It was a nice hybrid indica leaning strain. Heavy body high had me couch locked but the euphoric head high had me in the clouds. I tried it a few different ways: In my e-nail at a lower temperature gave me the best flavor with the least chest/cough affect and largest smoke clouds. I also tried it in my vape pen, this really brought out the floral and citrus flavors, it did hit the back of my throat fairly harsh though. Overall, this is one of the finest live resins I've ever had the opportunity to try! Be sure to check out this amazing dab the next time you come by the shop. ​

Thank you for your generous donation of loads and loads of amazing winter gear, hygiene items, and other items to the Murphy Center and Homeless Gear! We serve nearly 150 guests (individuals and families who are homeless or in jeopardy of becoming homeless) at the Murphy Center every day and donations are hugely helpful in meeting their needs.   We appreciate you hosting a Winter Gear Drive- we think you are all incredible! 

Your support will help make possible all that Homeless Gear and the Murphy Center do.  So far this year, we have impacted thousands of lives:
 
Through Homeless Gear’s programs, we a) helped 10 families – including 19 children – escape homelessness via One Village One Family b) helped secure more than 140 jobs via Hand Up c) helped complete more than 350 benefits applications (e.g. Food Assistance) for a total of $545,533 in potential benefits via Dedicated Navigator d) recorded well over 6,000 interactions via Street Outreach e) served roughly 350 families at service events and collected more than 10,000 meals-worth of food for Thompson School District via Children in Need and f) distributed more than $630,000 million worth of supplies via Distribution.
 
At the Murphy Center, we have—alongside the collaborative of 17 agencies and nearly 40 services—recorded more than 30,000 guest visits with over 3,500 individuals; nearly 6,000 showers; more than 1,300 loads of laundry; and 49 “Housing Success” stories (individuals who accessed services at the Murphy Center and came back to report obtaining housing).
 
Your support will make all that we do possible. Beyond the tangible impact, your donation will show the individuals and families we serve that people care:
 
“Not knowing what to do or where to go and knowing you have four children that depend on you solely can be overwhelming for anybody…“What am I going to do?” It was question I asked myself daily…When I met (you all) for the first time, I was so nervous. Was a group of strangers really going to help me? Were they really going to care? They did, and more than anyone can imagine.” – Kim
 
To learn more about Murphy Center and Homeless Gear, please visit our websites or follow us on Facebook: “Murphy Center for Hope” and “Homeless Gear.” Thank you again for your support!

Sincerely,
Pam Brewer
Volunteer & Event Coordinator
Homeless Gear &
Murphy Center for Hope
(970) 829-1162
www.homelessgear.org
www.murphycenter.org

If you have never cracked a Wonderleaf CO2 Oil Syringe, then you probably wouldn’t know why this product is unique. The syringe, or “C-Ringe,” as it is presented, looks NOTHING like a traditional syringe. The way this product is set up, one would have no idea it was even a cannabis product if they saw it in your room or backpack. Unscrew the child safe lid, and you’ll find the removable stainless steel tip in a small storage area. Screw this on, and you’re ready to go! To dispense the oil, gently press inside of the bottom of the “C-Ringe.” Be warned though, it doesn’t take much to get that golden goodness flowing!

I just LOVE how discreet this thing is. I have tried it two different ways: as a refill and as a dab on the nail of my rig. This syringe is incredibly easy to use for refilling your cartridge. I have a generic glass and steel 250mg cartridge that I use for the majority of my oils. This is by far one of the easiest CO2 refills I have used. The cart I have has two small notches on the inside which fit the stainless tip of the syringe PERFECTLY! All I did was gently put the syringe into the cart, and gave it a couple pumps, and there I was!
 
Pro Tip: use your battery’s preheat function (if applicable) after a refill to loosen up the oil and get things going!
 
As far as the Wonderleaf Syringe’s application for dabs, I had little issue there as well. After letting my red hot nail cool down for about 30 seconds (#WASTEITTOTASTEIT), I put the tip to nail and hit the depressor. After 3-4 hits, I was able to really dial in the size of dab that I wanted. I will say that I have gotten feedback from coworkers who say that they had issue with the oil continuously running through the dram, even after removing from their rig, but I did not have this issue. I would say that a way around this is just to be sure you aren’t getting the tip too hot. My only real issue with the syringe is the inability to pull the plunger back. This leaves a small amount of oil inside of the syringe at the end of your session/refill, but the small amount left over can be harvested by removing the tip and placing it directly on your nail. If you were able to retract the oil back inside of the dram, I think it might work a little better. It is worth noting though, that Wonderleaf sells a premium syringe that comes in all glass, and it is TO DIE FOR!
 
Well, I’ve talked almost as much as I can about the form factor of the “C-Ringe,” so you’re probably wondering about the oil inside. Wow. The strain is Girl Scout Cookies, and it is very obvious from the first hit. This oil is very much true to the plant in its taste and high  GSC is a favorite strain of mine, and the deep euphoria and relaxation is present within the first 15 minutes. Currently, I am writing this, sitting in an airport waiting for my wife to arrive. I've taken probably six rips off of this pen, and I am so happy my wife is driving us home (Safety first!). Some people may be turned off by the 67% on the side of the dram, especially in comparison to some of the 80%+ oils that we carry, but make no mistake: this is a heavy hitter. The body high alone feels like the most comfortable blanket you've ever had around you, and the euphoria sends you straight to cloud nine. Listening to music through headphones provides an almost psychedelic experience with the music waving in and out, and a strong feeling of serenity. Even twenty or thirty minutes later, the high is still coming on strong and feelings of paranoia are nowhere to be found. The taste is one of the sweetest I have ever had from a vapor pen. The vapor is smooth and feels good on the lungs. Cottonmouth is definitely going to happen, so be sure you keep your water handy. Foolishly, I've left mine in the car. My suggested musical pairing would have to be Willie The Pimp by Frank Zappa.

I like to hold my purchases to a standard, and so I rate them 1 - 5, with five being a top score. The categories change from time to time, depending on the product at hand, but in this case 20/20 is a perfect score. With all of that said, let’s rate this mother:
 
Stealth +5: All you have to do for this thing to become just another object in your bag of toiletries is pull off a sticker. Great Job
 
Form Factor: +4: I would have given this a top score if it wasn’t for the feedback I have gotten about the oil continually dripping when used as a dabber. Again, this probably isn’t the intended use of the “C-Ringe” but since it is an option I have to rate it.
 
Quality of Oil: +5 - See the paragraph I wrote above! Between semi-psychedelia and a strong calm feeling, this oil is TOP TIER. The price point of $39.99 makes it an EVEN MORE competitive product.
 
Ease Of Use: +4 - This ties in with the issue under Form Factor. The bit of oil that gets stuck in the tip, while not a lot, is still wasted terp sauce. I was raised to not let terp sauce go to waste EVER, so I do have to deduct points for this.
 
ENDING JUDGEMENT: 18/20
Wonderleaf is easily my favorite cartridge company on the market today. Their oils are consistently good, and they always seem to taste true to the plant. They also have a line of terpenes that will knock your socks off. I could talk all day long about this amazing product and the incredibly kind people behind the brand, but their CO2 oils can do it much better.. You can pick up a gram of this small batch, handcrafted oil for $39.99 at either of our stores.
 
 
#theonewiththedog #TeamSmokeys #Smokeys420