My 420 Tours

In 2013 My 420 Tours was created as the first marijuana vacation company in the U.S. 

Today they have nine consumption friendly events including 420 exclusive vacations, grow and dispensary tours, specialty classes such as joint and sushi rolling, infused cooking classes, and “Buds and Beers” craft beer and cannabis tours. 

The Verde Natural tour began at the My 420 Tours headquarters, Cluster Studios where participants were able to browse the gift shop stocked up with unique items to purchase such as CBD infused cold brew coffee, grinders, and stash containers. 

Ambary Gardens, specializing in hemp derived CBD products, hosted a popup during the tour showcasing their various therapeutic topicals, full-spectrum hemp oils, and skin care products as an added bonus.  

The Tour 

The tour began with a 15 minute educational video by Dr. Richard Cohen who explained the medicinal benefits of cannabis, the basics of understanding the plant makeup including THC and CBD, various strains and their effects on the body and mind, as well as discussing different ways to consume. 

This video was very important to show participants as it helped provide everyone with a basic understanding of cannabis before getting an in-depth view of how the plant is grown. It is also important to educate the consumer on various ways to consume and the strength of methods of consuming (especially edibles). 

There were tourists from all over the U.S., varying age groups from millennials to baby boomers, as well as various comfort levels of consumption from novice to expert smokers. 

After the video the fun started and we were able to hop on the the consumption bus to Verde Natural’s Grow Operation!  

Consumption Bus 

While on the consumption bus participants were encouraged to spark one up consuming the strain of their choice. The bus was BYOB with more than enough bud and vape pens to go around. 

Participants were able to enjoy themselves on the bus, converse with others, and really start to reap the benefits of their unique Colorado experience.

There aren’t many places I can think of where one can legally consume with others in a safe environment while participating in a tour! 

After a 15 minute bus ride we were on location at the Verde Natural’s Grow Facility.  

Grow Tour 

Coming off the bus slightly stoned we were encouraged to leave everything on the bus besides our phones and sunglasses and enter into the building. 

We were instructed to cover ourselves in hazmat suits to protect the plants from any outside contaminants.

If you have never been high in a hazmat suit before with a bunch of strangers let me tell you it was quite the experience! 

Putting on the suits and entering into the facility might of been my favorite memory from this tour.

All Natural, Live Soil Facility 

Verde is an organic, natural grown facility with over 55,000 square feet being generated solely off of solar power. 

The secret to Verde’s success lies in the soil specializing in growing cannabis in live soil.

This method allows microbes to live within the soil allowing the plant to naturally chose when and what it wants to eat. By mimicking a natural state plants are reaching their highest terpene and cannabinoid profiles through this grow method. 

Plants will be fed a mixture of bat guano, alfalfa meal, and worm castings amongst other natural products to help bring nutrients back into the plant and soil. Compost and microbial teas will also be utilized to provide similar benefits. 

Verde believes in a holistic, small footprint approach always recycling and reusing their soil after each grow season as well as taking steps to be as sustainable as possible producing minimal amounts of waste. 

After learning about the specifics of how the cannabis is grown we were able to make our way through the various life stages of the cannabis plant starting with the veg room.

This is the beginning stage of the cannabis plant where plants stay for 8 weeks in 18 hours of sunlight.

The rooms are built up with plants stacked up on shelves in order to monitor humidity control and make the grow as energy efficient as possible. 

Moving into the next room plants were more mature and beginning to flower.

It is important to note that the cannabis plant observed is always female – as the female plant is the one that produce’s the bud for consumption. 

The final room was the most breathtaking full of plants in full flower with crystalized buds ready to be trimmed and cured through the drying process for consumption.  

Due to this mindful grow process Verde Natural prides itself in a product that is clean and safe to consume and also helps one feel creative, energized, focused, or relax depending on the strain of choice. 

It was so interesting walking amongst the plants, observing the different strains and their individual characteristics, and truly honing in on the energy the plants were producing! 

At the end of the grow tour participants were able to see and smell the final product – the crystalized cannabis buds of Coal Creek Kush and Hazelnut Cream

Verde Natural Dispensary 

After learning a wealth of information about how cannabis is grown and being able to see the plant go through all the stages of it’s life cycle we concluded the tour at Verde Natural’s Dispensary in Denver, CO. 

My 420 Tours offered various package deals for participants to purchase in the dispensary as well as being able to purchase the strains we watched being grown in the tour! 

While most of the participants checked out the dispensary my group made its way next door to Nuggs Ice Cream Shop

After a full day of cannabis consumption an ice cream cone never tasted so good! 

Once everyone made their purchases in the dispensary the consumption bus took us back to Cluster Studios where the tour made it’s end. 

Whether you are a Colorado native or visiting Denver for the first time My 420 Tours provides tours for all interests in the cannabis industry. 

Check out My420Tours for information on this tour and others for your next trip to Colorado or for the 420 Holiday Specials! 

**Special thanks to Cynthia Ord of My 420 Tours for allowing Greenlove Denver to experience this tour. 

 

All photography provided by Kenesha Facello Photography 

GreenloveDenver Media Production, 2018