710 Day: Ten Great Ways to Celebrate the Day That Turns OIL Upside-Down

Two years ago on this date, writer Wax Jones explained that 710 "has quickly become the new stoner holiday for the highly concentrated," since flipping the number upside-down spells "OIL."

Today, laying things out in this way is unnecessary, as evidenced by the fact that Jones's post, "Ten Ways to Oils, Waxes, Budders and Icewater Extracts," is among Westword's most viewed items ever.

How to mark the occasion in 2015? Our writers have some ideas.

Below, see Best of Denver winners from 2014 and 2015 that specifically mention oils, followed by excerpts from marijuana dispensary reviews that laud the extracts on hand, as well as the concentrate winners from the most recent High Times Cannabis Cup.

The suggestions will help you be ready when the clock strikes 7:10 — be it a.m. or p.m.  Check them out here.

BEST CONCENTRATE COMPANY (2014)

Top Shelf Extracts

Of all the concentrates we sampled last year from medical dispensaries, one batch of shatter stood out as the strongest, most flavorful of them all — which shouldn't be surprising, since it came from one of the oldest and most widespread concentrate companies, Top Shelf Extracts. The amber chunk of Kandy Kush was very clear, very clean and very tasty. The oil burned with a kushy, earthy flavor on a hot titanium nail, and small, BB-sized dabs were enough to put us right for a couple of hours (though the mouth-watering taste dictated that we take two dabs at a time). Founder and hash wizard Daniel de Sailles has stepped up his game over the last year or so, and we see more and more top-quality hash oil on the shelves being produced by TSE.

BEST EDIBLES (2014)

Incredibles

While some edibles companies have been busted in recent months for selling pot-infused foods with little to no actual pot in them, Incredibles chocolate bars always pack the full punch advertised on their packaging. The bars contain a range of THC concentrates, including icewater hash and CO2-extracted oil. What the Lakewood company doesn't use is alcohol- or butane-based extractions — just natural cannabis and a lot of rich chocolate. Consistently dosed and delightfully downable, these are the chocolate lover's edibles.


BEST IN-HOUSE EDIBLES (2015)

Pure/Colorado Cannabis Company

If edible cannabis is your thing, you're probably tired of the same old flavors, dried-out cookies and boring candies. We were, too, which led us to Pure's in-house edibles business, Colorado Cannabis Company, and its grandma-level baked goods and treats: fresh, sweet apple fritters, creamy-delicious white-chocolate macadamia-nut cookies, crackers — even gluten-free offerings like Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispies treats. Want to make your own? Stop by and snag a jar of in-house cannabis butter made with CO2-extracted hash oil.

BEST REC DISPENSARY FOR YOUR NON-POT-SMOKING MOM (2015)

The Green Solution

If you live in Denver and have friends or family visiting, odds are they're curious about what a pot shop is really like — even if they don't smoke or want to purchase anything. Don't take these tourists to the drab, boring shop around the corner with a few jars in a glass case and a lone stoner behind the counter. Instead, blow their minds at the cannabis market that is the Green Solution. Customers follow a set flow through the store, starting at the pot-food deli area, which features baked goods much more diverse than the brownies that your mom's friends were eating in college. After that, it's hash and concentrates — and then you move on to the buds. Each strain is on display in all its glory behind glass, making it easy for even clueless newbies to note the color, shape and size differences between strains. Finally you move on to the paraphernalia and pot-themed sandals, frisbees, towels and more before checking out at a cashier station straight out of a Hollister store. You can be sure that your visitors will never look at pot the same way again.

BEST COLORADO CANNABIS INVENTION (2015)

Joel Halen's Honey Hole

When it comes to dab rigs, the sky's the limit: People spend thousands on technical glass pieces that filter cannabis residue and recalculate water ratios while delivering smoke to their lungs. Finding the best rig is tough — but finding the best accessory for your rig is simple: It's made right here in Colorado. Joel Halen's Honey Hole isn't just a domeless quartz nail piece, it's the domeless quartz nail piece. The quartz means cleaner hits and a longer life, and the cupped design is perfect for taking massive dabs without overloading the nail itself. Halen blows the Honey Hole for 10mm, 14mm and 18mm male and female pieces, as well as drop-ins for direct-inject bubblers. You can find it at many local dispensaries.

BEST CANNABIS CONCENTRATE COMPANY (2015)

Green Dot Labs

Smoking tar-like, crumbly chunks of pressed hash is so last century. These days, if you can't see through the amber glass of the super-purged shatter oil you're putting in your high-end vaporizer pens or dabbing on your $400 oil rigs, then you're not truly enjoying your concentrates. In the cutthroat world of concentrates, there are plenty of critics — but they all seem to agree that Green Dot Labs makes the tippy-top of the line in Colorado. Not only does Green Dot produce for clients, but it also produces extremely flavorful and potent extracts from its own in-house grow operations with super-rare genetics like Gorilla Glue, Poison OG, Alien Grapevine, Tiger's Milk and San Diego Cat Piss; they're available at many local dispensaries.

Marijuana Dispensary Review: Tru Cannabis on Colfax
April 9, 2015

Waiting on the other side was arguably the most enthusiastic budtender I’ve ever had. Tanja was her name and pot was certainly her game; she knew the genetics, effects and flavors of the dozen or so strains on the shelf back and forth, and was just as well-versed on the amazing selection of concentrates on display. The shop is one of the Dab Stash locations, which basically means it's got a well-cultivated menu of hash oil, shatter and wax on display from four or five different companies, including 710 Labs, Venom, White Mouse, Top Shelf, The Lab and Epic Extracts. It was probably the most thorough, full and appealing concentrate display I’ve ever seen and even though I’ve been shying away from hash oil lately, I spent a good five minutes giving everything a look....

Marijuana Dispensary Review: Mindful in Denver
April 16, 2015

The TR Concentrates shatter and waxes in stock were outstanding. For $30 a gram for wax and shatter and $60 a gram for live resin, the prices were fine. Amazing clarity on the shatters — all strain-specific, with about six different types to chose from. I would have gone with the Headtrip shatter based on the light amber color, but you couldn’t have gone wrong with any of them. And apparently I’m not the only person who noticed. A guy walked in behind me and purchased four grams of live resin sight unseen and walked out before I had a chance to finish with my selections....

Marijuana Dispensary Review: Green Man Cannabis in Denver
April 23, 2015

I was so taken by the pot that I blanked on concentrates. Not that I have much of a need for high-potency hash or shatter these days, as my stomach pain and nausea have become less and less of an issue. But still, it’s worth noting that Medicine Man is stocked with wax and shatter from the shop's own strains, produced by TC Labs and Endo. I’m at the point where I don’t even have to think about shatter if it’s made by TC Labs: it’s always going to be awesome....

High Times Cannabis Cup: A Rookie's Experience, Winners and More
April 21, 2015

Concentrate winners:

BEST SATIVA CONCENTRATE
1st Place - Strawberry Lemonade Live Resin - Crocket Family Farms by Dabblicious Extracts
2nd Place - Wonderland Live Resin - Greenwolf LA with Dabblicious, Crockett Family Farm and G.C. Rebellion Farms
3rd Place - Tangie #17 - Gold Coast Extracts

BEST INDICA CONCENTRATE
1st Place - Crown OG Sugar - Greenwolf LA/Nature's Lab Extracts/Crown OG
2nd Place - Space Valley OG (Fresh Frozen) - Pink House with Incredibles
3rd Place - Kush Company OG Live Resin Batter - Kush Company with Nature's Lab Extracts and the W.E.E.D. Studio City

BEST HYBRID CONCENTRATE
1st Place - B Mega Wellness OG - Nameless Genetics with The Weed of Studio City
2nd Place - Crown OG Crumble - Greenwolf LA/Nature's Lab Extracts/Crown OG
3rd Place - Skywalker OG Kush - Dab Vader/Vader Extractracts
Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.