#CannabisJournalism — Initial Thoughts
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know a lot about cannabis. Marijuana, weed, ganja… It’s all very foreign to me.
As a full-time college student in the state of Colorado, the first state in the nation to legalize cannabis, one might think that I’ve dabbled in the weed industry, but truth be told, it’s never been my thing. Strangely enough, I even live less than a block away from one of the first recreational dispensaries in the state to open, Starbuds on Evans, but I still haven’t managed to walk through those doors. I’ve only recently turned 21, though, so that has definitely stalled my cannabis timeline.
My family, on the other hand, does have a history with cannabis, which is part of the reason why I was interested in enrolling in this course.
My mother grew up in Michigan until the age of 12, where she lived in a school bus on a farm with her very…hippie father. He was definitely a proponent for the cannabis industry, as two of his closest friends were Tom Crosslin and Rolland Rohm, the owners of Rainbow Farm.
Rainbow Farm is a tragic example of cannabis growing gone wrong. Two men, life-partners Crosslin and Rohm, owned the land where they held annual festivals, all which were family friendly and where no drug sales were present. The Farm did grow cannabis, but mostly, they focused on promoting peace and equality, spreading their message with thousands of visitors that would attend their events and gatherings each year.
The story gets dark, though, as Rohm and Crosslin were both shot and killed on their property by police in 2001, which made big waves in both the drug and cannabis industry.
Long story short, my mother has plenty of stories of her time spent on Rainbow Farm as a child with Rohm and Crosslin and her father. Her background with cannabis has definitely intrigued me about the cannabis culture and the history of this industry, which is one of the reasons why I’m so excited to dive into this class.
Diving into this course yesterday, I had a great time being introduced to the industry and the many facets of cannabis. From lavish dinner parties to complicated legal logistics, I was really impressed by how much we learned about the both the history and the future of cannabis both in Colorado and in the United States.
Talking to Kendal Norris, the CEO and founder of Mason Jar Events, I was blown away by how successful something as simple as a cannabis-centered dinner party can be. Hearing her inspiration for the company, along with looking at examples from her events, it was inspiring and eye-opening to see that someone has had great success with breaking down the typical “stoner stereotypes” that are so frequently associated with cannabis consumption.
Yesterday we also had the pleasure of conversing with Sturm College of Law Professor and the leading individual in cannabis law and policy, Sam Kamin. Kamin was incredibly knowledgable and over conversation was incredibly helpful in explaining some of the logistics behind the legalization of cannabis.
Today is the day that I’m most looking forward to; spending time at The Denver Post and speaking with Ricardo Baca, the editor and founder of The Denver Post’s “The Cannabist”. Baca is an incredible journalist and visionary and I’m really looking forward to hearing his insight on both the past, present and future of cannabis in Colorado and in our country.
