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Steamboat medical marijuana strain takes 3rd place

Aloha’s Big Island Banana recognized at Cannabis Crown

The crew at Aloha’s including, from left, Quinn Coale, Bryson Barlow, owner Chris Ward and Brent Munday, is celebrating a third-place finish for its Big Island Banana strain at the second annual Cannabis Crown, which took place April 29 to May 1 in Aspen.
John F. Russell





The crew at Aloha’s including, from left, Quinn Coale, Bryson Barlow, owner Chris Ward and Brent Munday, is celebrating a third-place finish for its Big Island Banana strain at the second annual Cannabis Crown, which took place April 29 to May 1 in Aspen.
John F. Russell

— Aloha’s Big Island Banana may not be the cannabis king, but it’s part of the royal family.

The Milner medical marijuana dispensary’s strain of banana kush was awarded third place last weekend at the second Western Slope Cannabis Crown in Aspen.

Aloha’s owner Chris Ward said the strain did well at the High Times Cannabis Cup last month in Denver, so he decided to make it the dispensary’s eighth entry for the Aspen event.



“We thought, ‘Heck, we do it pretty well, grow some of the best in the state; we’d be foolish not to enter it,’” he said.

Event organizer Peter KO said 17 growers submitted 55 strains of medical marijuana. He said the strains were tested for the highest concentration of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, thought to be the active ingredient in marijuana, and cannabinol and cannabidiol, cannabinoids thought to have medicinal properties.



He said a panel of impartial judges then conducted a blind test of the strains with the highest concentrations.

Big Island Banana was beaten out by the first place winner AK Cherry Lime, submitted by Glenwood Springs-based Green Essentials, and second place winner Grape God Bud, submitted by The Clinic, of Denver.

High Country Caregivers, of Glenwood, took fourth for its WD-40 and fifth for its The Velvet Fog. Ballots still are coming in for the People’s Choice Award, which will be announced later.

Ward said he recommends Big Island Banana as a sleep aid and for relaxation.

“It is a mellow high, sort of a couch potato, evening smoke,” he said. “You wouldn’t want to smoke it during the day if you want to function.”

Aloha’s honor marked the second year a local dispensary was honored at the Cannabis Crown. Rocky Mountain Remedies, in Steamboat Springs, and gardener Ray Thomas took first last year for their Kandy Kush.

Ward said he expects to see a boost in business because of the recognition.

“I think everyone’s always interested to see what won and why it won,” he said.

To reach Jack Weinstein, call 970-871-4203 or email jweinstein@SteamboatToday.com


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