A SK A STONER BY HERBERT FUEGO MedPharm is now Dear Stoner: If marijuana sales are so bad and businesses are struggling so much, then why are new dispensaries opening all the time? Colfax Carl SAME GREAT PRODUCTS Dear Carl: Two things can be true at the same time. Marijuana sales are bad, but business owners still believe in the power of pot. Dis- pensary revenue is down across Colorado, thanks to fewer out-of-state customers and a year-long drop in wholesale prices. This has pushed a handful of dispensaries to sell, close up shop or, in more than one case, get shut down because of failure to pay city sales taxes. At the same time, dispensaries still present lucrative opportunities for investors with deeper pockets than mom-and-pop operations trying to pay bills week to week. We’ve seen several new dispensaries open in the place of former stores while new pot shops have sprouted up on their own over the past six months. In cannabis epicenters like Denver, there will always be competition and new areas ripe for the picking, even if a few stores can’t make it. Expect more of the same going forward. Dear Stoner: Why is it so hard to find tinctures at dispensaries out here? I’m about to make my own if I have to. Orally Fixated Dear Fixated: You highlight an ironic ele- ment in legal cannabis. More and more edi- bles claim to be “fast-acting,” yet we’ve had a classic fast-acting edible staring us in the face this whole time: tinctures. The cannabis- infused oils enter the bloodstream quickly when administered under the tongue, and they’re typically easier to dose than edibles. So why are they so hard to fi nd? Well, based on a few dispensary menu searches, tinctures are actually readily available. Medical, recreational, high-dose, low- LEARN MORE AT BUDMARY.COM 34 dose, fl avored, unfl avored and high-CBD tinctures are all for sale in Denver-area dis- pensaries. You might have to drive a few minutes to fi nd a desired variety, and stores do a poor job of showcasing them, but that’s how it goes with most shopping quests. If you’re a homebound medical patient, I can see how frustrating that is, as highly dosed medical tinctures are harder to fi nd than the recreational stuff, which tops out at 100 mil- ligrams of THC per bottle. Making your own tinctures is the real answer here, though. It requires little more than grain alcohol and patience, and will likely prove to be the most affordable and effective route. Send questions to [email protected]. OCTOBER 6-12, 2022 WESTWORD | REAL ESTATE | RENTALS | HEALTH WELLNESS | SERVICES | EMPLOYMENT | ADULT | MUSIC | CLASSIFIED | westword.com
