Archive for the ‘Colorado’ Category

Bobbie Nelson and Paul English (Denver, Colorado) (July 30, 2016)

Sunday, July 30th, 2023

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Thank you, Janis Tillerson, for these photos from the Willie Nelson & Familyshow at Fiddler’s Green in 2016.

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Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real at Telluride Blues and Brews Festival 2021

Thursday, June 3rd, 2021

Willie Nelson fans at Red Rocks

Saturday, May 29th, 2021
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Katrina and Lane, with this limited edition bandanna from Scooterville.

Thursday, November 12th, 2020

Friday, November 6th, 2020

Willie Nelson & Family at Red Rocks (August 28, 2008)

Friday, August 28th, 2020
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Willie Nelson fans at Red Rocks

Thursday, July 30th, 2020

Tuesday, April 28th, 2020

Marijuana Essential Business in Colorado

Wednesday, March 25th, 2020

Willie’s Reserve Weekend Special

Saturday, December 21st, 2019

Willie Nelson, Red Rocks, September 5, 2010

Thursday, September 5th, 2019

Waiting for the Willie Nelson and Family show to start with a bunch of Willie Nelson fans at Red Rocks is half the fun. Well, maybe not 50%, more like 25%, or at least a good 10% , but still lots of fun. We were all happy that the doors were open and we were ready for WN&F.

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Katrina and Lane, with this limited edition bandanna from Scooterville.

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Martha English sat out front for Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real set.

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Willie’s Reserve partners with Nathaniel Rateliff, on “Nightstache” cannabis

Tuesday, August 27th, 2019
photo: Janis Tillerson

www.DenverPost.com
by: John Wenzel

Willie’s Reserve, the Denver-based cannabis brand from singer-songwriter Willie Nelson, recently unveiled its first partnership with a Colorado musician.

Soul-revival band Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats has lent its name to a line of Willie’s Reserve vape pens made with “a high-quality strain of cannabis, known as Cherry AK.” The 500-milligram distillate cartridges are available at eight LivWell shops in Denver, Garden City and Fort Collins, according to Willie’s Reserve.

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“(Willie) met the guys at Farm Aid 2016, which was their first year playing that event, and that day was all a conversation about agriculture. And nothing has energized agriculture in America like the legalization of cannabis,” said Elizabeth Hogan, a co-founder of GCH Inc., the company that owns and runs the Willie’s Reserve and Willie’s Remedy brands. “Ever since then, we’ve talked about what it means, and they’ve expressed interest along the way in doing this.”

Willie’s Reserve was looking to partner with a band making an impact with both its music and its advocacy, Hogan said. Rateliff’s act — which rose to national prominence in 2015 with the upbeat single “S.O.B.” — fit that bill, thanks in part to The Marigold Project, a nonprofit Rateliff founded to work for social and economic justice.

“We are such fans of what those guys are doing in the world,” Hogan said. “It’s impressive that this band on the big rise is taking the time and effort to have those conversations.”

The timing of the Cherry AK cartridge debut is no accident, either. Having released a pair of studio albums and a live album from Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Rateliff and his band also opened for The Rolling Stones at Broncos Stadium at Mile High on Aug. 10 and have an already sold-out two-night headlining stint at Red Rocks on Aug. 21 and 22. Harnessing the publicity surrounding those events helps not only potential Colorado sales but also sales in future markets.

“They’re excited to launch their project in Colorado because it’s their home, but the intention is to bring this collection to other states,” Hogan said.

Colorado is currently the No. 1 market for Willie’s Reserve products. Since launching in August 2016, more than 1.2 million Willie’s Reserve Ready Roll joints have been sold here, and the brand is currently available in about 180 shops statewide, according to the company. Moreover, the volume of Willie’s Reserve vape products sold in Colorado has grown 120 percent year-over-year, the company said, although it declined to share revenue numbers.

“Our best-moving items are half-gram vape cartridges and eighths of packaged flower, but ready-rolls have been really, really popular, and we’re bringing new edibles pretty soon,” Hogan said.

Nathaniel Rateliff at Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic 2019

Sunday, July 7th, 2019

Thank you Janis Tillerson, for these great shots of Colorado’s own, Nathaniel Ratecliff, performing at Willie Nelson’s 4th of July picnic in Austin

Willie Nelson fans at Red Rocks

Wednesday, May 29th, 2019

Colorado woman behind Willie’s Reserve

Saturday, March 30th, 2019
Elizabeth Hogan

www.Westward.com
by: Thomas Mitchell

Few musicians have the cannabis cachet of avid toker Willie Nelson. The country music star’s Willie’s Reserve has been a big hit, with his branded joints, buds and an ever-growing list of infused products finding their way into dispensaries around Colorado and beyond. Instead of tethering the brand to one supplier, Willie’s Reserve partners with wholesale cannabis growers around the state to ensure a wide range of strains and varieties. The strategy has helped the brand grow into a major presence, while offerings from Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa have seemingly plateaued.

Although much of the success of Willie’s Reserve can be attributed to the popularity of the Red Headed Stranger himself, it wouldn’t have happened at all without Elizabeth Hogan, co-founder of GCH Inc., the company that owns Nelson’s cannabis brands. While she’s not related to Nelson, the strawberry blonde has given new meaning to the term “red-headed stepchild” as she plots the path to a pot empire. To learn more about her unique job scenario, we caught up with Hogan when she was at SXSW in Austin.

Westword: How’d you get involved in legal cannabis? Has it lived up to expectations?

Elizabeth Hogan: I got started as a consultant to help answer the question “How should Willie Nelson get into the cannabis business?” Very quickly, I realized part of the answer was me! I jumped in with both feet, and working in cannabis has surpassed my hopes. Being around passionate, engaged people and working on every imaginable angle to create something viable and sustaining is pretty damn exhilarating — and exhausting.

What are some advantages to having someone like Willie Nelson as the face of the brand?

There is no one like Willie Nelson. He is completely one of a kind in terms of his artistic contribution, wisdom and vision. He describes himself as the canary in the coal mine for the impact a lifetime of cannabis consumption will take. I say, sign me up for that lifetime! Willie is so humble and funny, and I think a lot of people can relate to his approach, which is: Remember to enjoy the plant!

What does Willie’s Reserve sell in Colorado right now?

Willie’s Reserve includes packaged flower, ready-roll joints, eedibles inspired by original recipes from Willie’s wife, Annie and concentrate cartridges, which are Willie’s go-to item lately.

How big of a role will hemp and CBD play in your business and the dispensary market overall going forward?

We’ve introduced a separate brand, called Willie’s Remedy, to offer hemp-derived products in the many places they can be sold all throughout the country. The first product, full-spectrum hemp oil-infused whole-bean coffee, has been a big hit. We’re seeing the conversation about cannabis become so much more informed and mainstream. Hemp-derived products have a big role to play in inviting all types of people to try cannabis and awaken their endocannabinoid systems.

A lot of flower in Colorado is still viewed as a commodity and sold unbranded, and the retail prices reflect that. Do you see that changing any time soon? How do you find footing on the shelf if a dispensary is pushing its own products?

It all comes back to the shoppers, and shoppers are seeking products to match their experiences, tastes and occasions. This is one area where I think we can expect cannabis to move like consumer packaged goods. When stores carry a variety of offerings and price points, they can serve more shopping occasions and consumer types, and earn their repeat business. In many ways, Colorado retailers are at the cutting edge of this phenomena because of the maturity of the market, and we’ve learned and improved a lot by listening to our Colorado customers’ feedback.

What should we expect from Willie’s Reserve and GCH in the future?

The whole idea behind Willie’s Reserve is to provide access to a collection of products worthy of Willie’s legendary and ever-changing stash. In Colorado, additions to our edibles line, concentrate line and a few special projects to highlight particular strains are all in the works for 2019.