First Munchie Crawl Raised Spirits and Funds for Art of War

The October 3 MassRoots Munchie Crawl was a big success in its inaugural run down the coolest strip of Broadway, stinking up a few blocks of local restaurants, dispensaries and participating shops. A team of green tour guides helped crawlers reach the participating spots on the map, between pot pit stops at the giant limo-bus parked outside of Denver Relief. Handmade Munchie Crawl gift bags were filled with appropriate items: a guide to how THC affects the body, lighters, papers, and even an edible from Better Baked. Many crawlers were so thrilled to be smoking and socializing on the bus that they didn't need to make it to every stop. But the energy and excitement of supporting local businesses was well worth the slower speed of the stoners' pace. And all proceeds went to benefit Art of War, a veterans' art-therapy nonprofit in Denver. 
The giant white limo, courtesy of Colorado Cannabis Tours, was the hub of all the action. There were tourists in from Montana for the crawl who couldn't wrap their mind around the concept. "We smelled the bus as we were walking up the street," they said. "We were like, 'Oh, that's where we're supposed to be.' Follow the smell."

My tour guide was Curt Bean, founder of Art of War, a passionate veteran who values the art-therapy programs that his organization provides. "It isn't exactly art therapy," he explains. "We aren't analyzing the work or taking it apart in that sense. It's just art, which so happens to end up being therapeutic in its practice. I am a veteran, and I have always been an artist. To me, it's just important to be a part of the community of veterans in Denver, whether it be painting, hosting gallery shows, or at retreats that we offer free for vets. Cannabis naturally goes hand in hand." Beside founding Art of War, Bean is one of the biggest advocates fighting on the front lines to pass the initiative allowing veterans with PTSD to get their medical-card benefits.  Gary Lee's Motor Pub and Grub, whose ailing founder Gary Lee Bomar passed away the next day, still wanted to be a part of the Munchie Crawl. "It was what Gary would have wanted; it was the last thing he reminded his staff of before he left this week. Their cook was like, 'We're doing it,'" remembered Brett Davis, Munchie Crawl founder. Bomar was one of the biggest advocates of the Munchie Crawl when Davis originally proposed the idea, and the first on board to offer snacks for crawlers. To pay tribute, there were lit candles around his photo in Gary Lee's, and the crawlers all raised a glass in his name. 
After paying tribute, the group crawled on. Tour guide Bean took us to get leprechaun pops at Dougherty's, as well as BBQ at Sticky Buds; the trip ended with a Sexy Pizza and Walnut Room cupcake party at Illuzion Glass, where crawlers played a heated game of cornhole.

One of the highlights of our tour was seeing the amazing remodeled 1974 Airstream brought to life by cannabis media gurus Weedstream and Edipure, aptly titled "The Weedstreamer." 
The trailer was designed by Weedstream founder Mike Henry, and every piece of its reincarnation was produced by locals, from the upholstery and chairs by Golden Mattress, to the veterans who put it all together: craftsman Chris Denton, with Jolly Blume and Jeff Mitchell. Over the course of two months, they worked hard to get the 32-foot-trailer shining again; it had been at the bottom of a lake for several years. Patrick McGirr designed the artwork on the exterior; executing the kitschy weed-themed details on the interior was a group effort, but the design was the brainchild of marketing maven Michelle Henry, Mike's daughter. The after-party at Brendan's Pub was packed, so the decked-out Weedstreamer served as an after-party satellite. 

Getting a contact high? View our full slideshow from the event.