DENVER — Standing — literally — in the shadow of Sports Authority Field at Mile High, where the Broncos dispatched the Patriots on Sunday in the AFC Championship Game to advance to Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium, is a place called: “Mile High Recreational Cannabis.’’
It’s safe to say there’s no other place like this in the NFL.
This is where many of the football tailgaters go to pick up their party goods for the game, but instead of a six-pack of beer, they’re buying game-day joints — legally since Jan. 1, when the sale of marijuana became legal in Colorado.
This brings an entirely new meaning to the words “Mile High’’ for many fans going to the stadium to see their beloved Broncos.
Because for the first time in 48 Super Bowls, each team, the Broncos and Seahawks (Washington), resides in a marijuana-legalized state, this game should be nicknamed “Bud Bowl’’ — with apologies to Anheuser-Busch.
After taking a Tuesday tour through some of the recreational weed shops about town speaking to Denver fans, the consensus was this: The Broncos are going to win the Super Bowl and their fans believe they are going to have a hell of a lot more fun than anyone in the country watching.
“I prefer sitting down and watching the game stoned instead of being drunk; you remember more,’’ said Rodney Martinez, one of the workers behind the counter at Mile High Recreational Cannabis. The store, where there were about 10 jars of different strains of weed that offer varying degrees of highs for $20 to $50 a gram or $8 to $15 for a pre-rolled joint, sits in the back of Mile High Medical Cannabis.
On the first day of the year, when stores were first legally permitted to sell, Erin, from the Mile High Recreational Cannabis store, said there was a line snaking out of the store and around the block all day with people waiting more than three hours to score a gram or three.
On the day before the AFC Championship last week there was a line around the block all day.
“We’re so close we share a driveway with the stadium,’’ Erin said with a hint of pride in her voice. “It was like, grab-and-go.’’
It is not, however, a simple grab-and-go for everyone in Denver.
A contradicting twist to legalization of marijuana is the fact it does not apply to everyone. If for example, Peyton Manning or Champ Bailey decided they wanted to partake, if caught they would be suspended by the NFL.
Von Miller, the Broncos’ best pass rusher, was suspended for six games this season for violating the league’s banned substance policy, and there were reports marijuana was one of the substances.
“It is hypocritical for the athletes not to be able to use this when everyone else can,’’ a Broncos fan named Troy said after making a purchase at the LoDo Wellness Center, a downtown recreational distributor that also draws many Broncos fans.
The use of marijuana has become almost mainstream in Denver, matter-of-fact.
When I got into my rental car at the Denver Airport last week, the first thing I noticed was the scent of marijuana — obviously from a previous renter smoking weed rather than Marlboros.
When I walked out of a restaurant from lunch Tuesday on the corner of Blake Street and 16th — in the middle of downtown Denver — there were four friends hanging around on the sidewalk casually passing a joint around and rolling some others.
There are two common kinds of strains: Indica, which is described as a more relaxing high, and Sativa, which is described as a more energetic high.
You do not need to smoke weed to get yourself high here; these places sell cookies, brownies, caramels, chocolates truffles, Tootsie Roll-like treats and even sodas. The edibles sell so fast, the stores are usually sold out in a day or two until their distributors reload.
“We had a lot of San Diego and New England fans in here before the playoff games buying edibles and joints, but there were no Charger or Patriots fans in after those games,’’ Jay, who works at the LoDo Wellness Center, said rather gleefully.
For those who have inhaled while in Denver, the airport has green bins where people can deposit whatever leftover pot they have before going through security screening.
Where does all that excess go?
“The TSA,’’ Erin surmised. “The TSA is getting high as [bleep].’’