Aurum Labs, a Well-Established Colorado-Based Hemp and Cannabis Testing Lab, is the First Independent Lab to Receive CDPHE Certification for the Most Robust Hemp Pesticide Testing in North America

Aurum Labs is the first Colorado lab to be fully certified by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to conduct all required compliance testing of industrial hemp products. This includes a pesticide screen of 102 analytes - the most expansive pesticide analysis of hemp and cannabis in the nation.

Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert (R), known as a controversial political figure, slammed state Sen. Don Coram (R) for supposedly having “ulterior motives” when he backed a bill to lower penalties for fentanyl. (Benzinga)

Startups worth watching 

Payment startups are tapping the cannabis industry with solutions aimed at digitizing the historically cash dependent sector.

“We’re incredibly proud to be the first cannabis company to sponsor Colorado’s first professional ultimate disc team and hope this will drive a movement toward the acceptance of cannabis in professional sports.”

Colorado’s first professional ultimate disc team has announced its newest sponsor.

Local dispensary Star Buds will have its logo featured on the team’s jersey, a move that the company hopes will fuel the further acceptance of cannabis in professional sports.

Owned by parent company Schwazze, Star Buds has been operating in Colorado since 2013.

Cannabis and hemp extraction technology company Boulder Creek Technologies and hemp-derived cannabinoid producer Red Mesa Science & Refining are partnering to utilize Vapor-Static™ Extraction Technology to produce CBD and other minor cannabinoid raw materials for B2B distribution to contract manufacturers, co-packers and white-labelers.

Red Mesa Science & Refining is the first industrial-scale hemp producer to implement Boulder Creek Technologies Vapor-Static™ 5000 system, creating a profound improvement in process optimization and workplace safety, while significantly reducing costs and environmental impact.

“Mike Bites” has already been rolled out in California, however, they will not be allowed in Colorado in their current form.

Mike Tyson, the iconic American boxer, launched a new product in March: ear-shaped edibles, in reference to his fight against Evander Holyfield in 1997. His new ear-shaped edibles, called "Mike Bites" are missing a little piece. Yes, the little piece of Holyfield's ear that Tyson took in that famous fight. "Mike Bites" has already been rolled out in California, however, they will not be allowed in Colorado in their current form. Colorado has a law banning marijuana edibles that are shaped like humans. (Benzinga)

Since the implementation of recreational marijuana dispensaries after legalization, the industry has spread its roots in the Mile High City and is taking the next step.

Last year, Denver overhauled its marijuana regulations to include licenses for delivery and hospitality. As a result, you can now have marijuana delivered to your home, and some businesses are getting ready to roll out a new model: consuming cannabis in their store.

But a big part of that overhaul was to embed social equity into the application process.

“Since we opened up the applications for consumption licenses a couple months ago, we’ve seen three applications that have been submitted,” Executive Director of Denver Excise and Licenses Molly Duplechian said.

Denver has long been a desirable travel destination. With the legalization of adult-use cannabis, tourism has been on fire and hotels have been trying to keep up. Indeed, a recent study showed an increase of 120,000 hotel rooms rented per month once tourists were able to purchase cannabis legally, yet public consumption of cannabis was banned in Denver.

Enter the Patterson Inn, the first licensed cannabis consumption lounge in a hotel, which just obtained a provisional license from the city of Denver, clearing a major cannabis licensing hurdle to operate a cannabis consumption lounge as an amenity to the adjacent hotel.

Ag expo offers ray of hope for crop’s future in Southwest Colorado

The wave of hemp popularity has come crashing down, but there is still potential to catch a smaller wave, according to a presentation last week at the Four States Agricultural Exposition.

“In 2019, when I gave the hemp talk here, this room was packed; now, there are just a few,” Abdel Berrada, a hemp researcher with Mesa Verde Ag Solutions, said Friday.

“What a difference a few years makes. A lot of growers went out of business.”

He said the hemp boom in Colorado turned to bust for many reasons, including inexperienced farmers hoping for a quick profit, a steep learning curve, a high supply that drove down the price and insufficient processing infrastructure.

Some cannabis businesses in Denver, Colorado have received approval to operate with a cannabis hospitality license—meaning soon there will be dedicated spaces for people to legally consume cannabis.

Applications were accepted starting in November 2021, and the first licenses were granted earlier this month. One such business, Tetra Lounge which is located in downtown Denver, is both a social equity applicant and a soon-to-be owner of a hospitality license (once the proper inspections have been completed), as of March 21.

Tetra Lounge owner Dewayne Benjamin hopes that things will be finalized soon, since there is less than one month to go before the arrival of 4/20.