Leah Welborn
“As an artist, there’s a sweet jump-starting quality to [marijuana] for me. I’ve often felt telepathic and receptive to inexplicable messages my whole life. I can stave those off when I’m not high. When I’m high – well, they come in and there’s less of a veil, so to speak. So if ever I need some clarity… or a quantum leap in terms of writing something, it’s a quick way for me to get to it.” – Alanis Morissette
Art and cannabis go hand in hand (or pipe in hand, if you will), and it’s long been thought to promote creativity and open-mindedness. A few months ago, we talked with artist Jay Paul Apodaca who told us that, “artists have always had an affinity for green,” and explained how cannabis inspires him. Now there’s an exhibit of botanical illustrations of our favorite herb at The Museum of Natural History at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Cannabis: A Visual Perspective is open through January 26, 2018, and features “a juried selection of botanical illustrations presented by the Rocky Mountain Society of Botanical Artists (RMSBA), rendered in watercolor, colored pencil, print and mixed media. This exhibit, the first of its kind in the nation, explores the diversity of the genus Cannabis and spotlights the groundbreaking research conducted at the University of Colorado Boulder to expand our knowledge of this group of flowering plants.”
RMSBA president Vanessa Martin said, “Our vision in highlighting the cannabis plant was for this to be educational. We just wanted to take it back to [the fact] that this is a plant – just like any of the others out in your garden. It’s nature. Let’s let the dialogue go from there.”
Last year, CU Boulder received a grant of $839,500 for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to study the effects of concentrates on consumers (that’s right. Nearly a million dollars to study dabbing. Gotta love Colorado!), so the exhibit is a natural fit for the University.
You can see the exhibit at the Biolounge in the Henderson Building at 15th and Broadway in Boulder, and admission is free. If you really want to immerse yourself in the art, stop by The Green Solution® before you head to the museum and grab some snacks – but remember, never drive under the influence of cannabis.