On the first day of legal recreational marijuana sales, my then-fiancé waited in an hours-long line and brought home a quarter ounce of bud. I had no idea what to do with it, so I used it to infuse some coconut oil. And then said coconut oil sat in a cabinet for a solid year before I finally decided to do something with it. I ended up using it to make some almost raw brownies with maple ganache and—to my surprise—they were a huge hit. So huge that everyone who tried them made it a point to tell me that I needed to figure out a way to sell them. Once I realized Colorado didn’t have any edible options for the health-conscious cannabis consumer, I approached my soon-to-be husband with the wild idea of starting a whole food edibles company and—again, much to my surprise—he was all-in. We applied for our recreational license in August 2016, and we’ve been trying to navigate the weird world of legal cannabis ever since. Also, I recently (and accidentally) discovered that I can eat gluten without all the adverse side effects if I consume a little ganja 20 to 30 minutes before chowing down. Yeah, you read that right. Marijuana has allowed me to enjoy gluten without all the associated GI issues. How cool is that? As for baking or cooking with it, you can use canna-coconut oil in any recipe that calls for oil or butter. My favorite way to consume cannabis has always been in products similar to what we make at AFC, something that’s wholesome and nutrient-dense but also something that’s delicious and delivers a really smooth and consistent high. As for how I overcame those challenges, turns out a little pep talk from my husband (who is also my business partner) does the trick. Not only is he reassuring and supportive, but he’s also really good at telling me what I need to hear (which, at the time, usually isn’t something I want to hear). All I know is that the dude has a way with words that manages to bring the kind of clarity I need to solve problems. And I love that about him.
