Marijuana bouquets blossom in Colorado

DENVER, Colo. (http://www.thecannabist.co/) – There’s no holiday more cliché than Valentine’s Day, and there’s no gift more cliché than red roses. But in the new world of legalized marijuana, bud bouquets are now a reality, which might just make us reconsider.

The concept of incorporating cannabis into floral design was officially introduced this past summer in a New York Times trend-spotting piece on marijuana at weddings in Colorado and Washington State. Denver Highlands-based Plum Sage Flowers was featured for its cannabis inspired florals at the request of couple Lauren Meisels and Bradley Melshenker. As an award-winning, event-focused florist, owner Erin Hornstein says her goal is “to create flowers that complement our clients’ preferred aesthetic. It was important to them that we included the plant … we did, and it was fun and gorgeous! But this isn’t something we’re specifically aiming to do.”

One florist slightly ahead of the trend is Buds & Blossoms owner Bec Koop. After getting her start in the biz at her mother’s Washington D.C.-area flower shop, Koop is now based out of her eco-friendly home studio in Centennial, Colo., where she creates custom arrangements for weddings and special events, often featuring marijuana flowers. As a part-time budtender at High Country Healing in Alma, Colo., Koop started experimenting with marijuana and traditional flowers in 2013.

“I was cutting down my own (marijuana) plant and had some extra flowers from an event laying around. I sort of had this ‘aha’ moment where I realized there was this perfect fusion of the two,” Koop says. “It’s really exciting to bring this new theme of freedom and legalization into the wedding industry. I’m planning on expanding to daily bouquets for customers in the next year.”

As far as the legality of it all? Customers must obtain their bud beforehand and bring it directly to the shop (the cannabis cost is not included in the price of a floral arrangement). The Perfect Petal also restricts cannabis orders from delivery, so in-store pickup is required.

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