Plants being moved into a brand-new two-story greenhouse belonging to Nature’s Herbs and Wellness in Garden City, Feb. 3, 2014. Nature’s Herbs is one of many business hoping to cash in on the legalization of marijuana in the state. Patrick Cavan Brown for Al Jazeera America

Plants in the flowering greenhouse, where they are exposed to light closer to the red end of the spectrum for 12 hours a day. They spent the first part of their lives under white light for 18 hours a day. Patrick Cavan Brown for Al Jazeera America

Matt Brown in one of the buses he uses for his business, My 420 Tours, which specializes in marijuana tourism, giving participants a behind-the-scenes view of Colorado’s pot industry. Patrick Cavan Brown for Al Jazeera America

Erica Pilch of Cloud Nine Caregivers, the first and (so far) only shop to sell recreational marijuana in northern Colorado. She is a former EMT and the mother of two teenagers. Patrick Cavan Brown for Al Jazeera America

Plants at Nature’s Herbs are grown from clones rather than from seed. That guarantees the genetic purity of the plants. Patrick Cavan Brown for Al Jazeera America

According to state regulations, every gram of every plant, from tiny seedlings to clone to harvested mature crop, must be accounted for at all times. Tags and computer programs are used for tracking. Patrick Cavan Brown for Al Jazeera America

Plants being sorted, trimmed, dried and bagged at Nature’s Herbs. Patrick Cavan Brown for Al Jazeera America

Outside Nature’s Herbs’ greenhouse. Patrick Cavan Brown for Al Jazeera America

THC is soluble in butane, a colorless organic compound that boils at 31 degrees, making it very well suited for producing hash oils. After pot is soaked in butane, the infused yellow fluid is drained off and boiled, leaving a substance very high in THC. Patrick Cavan Brown for Al Jazeera America

The entrance to Nature’s Herbs in Garden City. Patrick Cavan Brown for Al Jazeera America