Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/648009
4 0 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t WHAT'S WHAT, WHAT'S HOT AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR: YOUR GUIDE TO THE MODERN MARIJUANA MARKETPLACE BY RACHEL BURKONS / PHOTOS BY JEN OLSON W hether you're a newcomer to cannabis or an old-time hash master, there's no denying that the modern cannabis industry is an ever-evolving landscape of new products, plants and places to explore. Ever curious, e Clever Root set off to Colorado, where we turned to Colin Madden, Corporate Retail Trainer at e Green Solution, which operates 12 dispensaries across the state, to find out what to look for, what to ask and how to find the right cannabis for every person and palate. FINDING THE RIGHT DISPENSARY Not sure where to start? Madden gives us a comparison even the most inexperienced cannabis consumers can understand: "ere's a big difference between your liquor store on the corner where you go when you're looking to grab a six pack of Bud Lite, and where you go when you've got a sommelier with you and are looking for a great bottle of wine. ere's room for every business model, but there is a range of dispensary experiences," explains Madden. e Green Solution, then, is where you'd take the cannaseur who knows their Blueberry Kush from their Strawberry Cough, but that doesn't mean newbies aren't welcome. "We really want people to be as informed as possible, so when a new customer arrives, they're greeted at the door by their own personal retail associate, who will take them all the way through the experience. It doesn't matter if they don't even know the difference between sativa and indica; we pride ourselves on being able to dig deep and find out exactly what our patients are looking for." ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS e Green Solution's retail associates, who undergo two weeks of classroom-style training, offer details on cannabinoid contents and breakdowns, terpene profiles for various strains and can help steer a guest toward the right concentrate and advise on edible dosages. is information-based philosophy is quickly becoming the gold standard for high-end dispensaries across the country, and while your local budtender might not know the terpenoid benefits of a particular strain, there are some basic questions you should be asking. Do you lab test? Which cannibinoids are present and dominant? Are your concentrates tested for residual solvents? While some of these questions are easy to answer in places like THE COLORADO EXPERIENCE CANNABIS DISPENSARY 101 Colin Madden is the Corporate Retail Trainer at The Green Solution, which operates a chain of 12 dispen- saries across the state.