Colorado Introduces Weed Sommelier Classes 

Picture this: You walk into a restaurant, dressed to impress with your date, sit down and order a
rib-eye, inhaling the scent of cooked meat and spices from the kitchen. The spirits are
high in the restaurant, people are calm, happy, the air is cool with hints of something you
can’t just put your finger on. You’re smiling at your date when the sommelier comes over
and begins to recite off names of wine. Except it isn’t wine. It’s strains of weed picked by the professionally trained sommelier from an organization such as the ​Trichome Institute​. Believe it or not, this is the future for many restaurants in Colorado. Weed Sommeliers, and
edibles are one of the many changes in the legal pot-movement. Formerly thought to be
an idealist fantasy, organizations are beginning to put dreams into action. Businesses are
pursuing the cannabis industry and changing how the nation views pot. Weed is no longer
limited to the stereotypes, teenagers and baby boomers, but rather is expanding to a larger
audience through legal introduction into businesses. For this reason, organizations are
beginning to take advantage of this and prepare the next generation for the growing
industry. 

The Trichome Institute describes the process of identifying and understanding a strain of cannabis as “​interpening​”. Every strain of cannabis has its own unique flower structure and terpenes- hence where “interpening” comes from. With the help of the classes, one
will learn how to distinguish strains and determine which will best complement the
senses. 

As businesses and organizations begin to take pull in the growing movement, advocates such as
Kayvan Khalatbari remind people of the roots of the industry. “It’s mainly a social-justice
movement. But undoubtedly there are business interests at work, which is new in this
movement,"One thing is undeniably crucial to the growth of the industry: Maintaining safety for consumers. Businesses in pharmaceuticals, gambling, and even trucking have thrown in support for
legalization measures, however without consideration for how this bodes for novice tokers, the movement could be damaged. ​Maureen Dowd​ became the covergirl for the inexperienced after being unable to take the high in her hotel room. Businesses and organizations, as well as Colorado restaurants, will be crucial players in making sure the movement maintains an appearance of being safe and new-user friendly.