When local artist Sladjana Ahmetovic injured her foot during the pandemic, she found that smoking cannabis while painting (and inviting friends over to do the same) was an excellent way to cope with cabin fever. It proved to be so popular that she turned it into a business. Pretty Dope Paintings is like those wine-and-paint nights you can find all over town, except instead of raising a glass, you're lighting a joint. Pretty Dope Paintings offers classes about once a month, and subjects have included fireflies in jars, desert sunsets, and holiday-themed art. The classes last about three hours and it's BYOC (bring your own cannabis). Ahmetovic says that her classes draw all skill levels, and she usually keeps the session's project pretty simple since marijuana is in the mix. She holds classes about once a month, and there are usually about 20 people who show up for a little puff and paint.

If you're more of a casual consumer of marijuana, you may not be on top of what's going on in the burgeoning Arizona cannabis industry. So if you want to learn, consider familiarizing yourself with Cannabis Cactus, a magazine with national reach that's published right here in Scottsdale. Because it's Arizona-based, Cannabis Cactus has lots to say about the local marijuana industry — think profiles of business owners, reviews of Arizona-made products, and more. It also routinely publishes recipes for infused foods and beverages, articles about how cannabis can help with various medical conditions, travel pieces, marijuana news from around the world, and more. Every time we open the magazine or visit the website, we learn something new about the fascinating world of cannabis.

The already-hip Clarendon Hotel and Spa got even cooler last year when the four-star establishment became Arizona's first pot-themed overnight destination. It's been going strong for a year and is now on the map with the likes of Bud-n-Breakfast, pot news outlets, and websites such as Trip Advisor. The Clarendon boasts a rooftop bar with great views of the city, a full lounge bar, a spa, the tasty Fuego Bistro, and a pool with cabanas. Currently, pot smoking is allowed in 15 rooms, with plans to expand to 40. The Elevations Lounge is open to guests and members and is a relaxing space where folks can smoke and check out new products. The Clarendon also hosts marijuana chefs and events; just in August, the hotel put on a budtender appreciation party and a pot-infused Spanish cuisine tasting.

In April, the Phoenix Events & Entertainment Complex was home to Cannaval, a music festival with designated cannabis consumption lounges where attendees could watch local musicians perform while they partook in, well, you know. Authority Zero, The Black Moods, Mouse Powell, Black Bottom Lighters, and other musicians were part of the lineup. And that wasn't the only entertainment happening during the half-day festival modeled after los carnavales in South America; elsewhere on the 13-acre grounds, there was pro wrestling, samba dancers, rotating aerial acrobats, jugglers, stilt walkers, fire performers, master balloon artists, unicyclists, and glassblowers. Sad you missed it? It's happening again on November 12, and Executive Director David Fowler says this one will be even bigger and better.

In the world of weed, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong are like the president, Mr. Rogers, and Beyoncé wrapped into one iconic duo. And for proof, we point to the amount of love the pair received when they made a series of appearances at Nature's Wellness dispensaries in Tolleson, Phoenix, and Glendale in May. The point of the visits was to promote Cheech & Chong's Cannabis products, a lineup that includes flower, cartridges, edibles, and concentrates. But the crowd came to see the men that have making them laugh for more than 40 years. Displaying patience, kindness, and their legendary quick wit, Marin and Chong made some introductory remarks at the Glendale Nature's Medicine location, then settled in for a lengthy autograph session in which generations of fans showed up for the chance to see cannabis's funniest ambassadors.