Cannabis Culture

Recreational cannabis is slowly taking over in Colorado, but Chronic Factory founder Matthew Lopez is still passionate about the small batch. The Denver native brought more than a decade of experience cultivating legal marijuana to his Baker neighborhood dispensary, buying the location from his former employer, New Amsterdam Organics, in order to implement his own growing practices. The soil-grown cuts of Strawberry Blonde, Afghani and Blue Lemon Thai show the love put into the cultivation, and a consistently affordable and potent concentrates menu is a smart way to ensure patient loyalty.

LoCol Love's strains are covered so heavily in trichomes that you get free bowls of kief at the bottom of every eighth — but the wholesale cultivation's Colorado Cream Soda, a hybrid of Gelato and Kush Mints, took that snowy reputation to a new level in the past year. We still don't really know the color of the strain's buds, since each calyx of Cream Soda is covered in a layer of resin that looks almost unnatural. The smoke's flavor — a combo of vanilla, sweet dough and pine — tastes like a weed-infused root beer from 2012, sticking the landing with a creamy back end...which is admittedly hard to notice when you're coughing your brains out after an overzealous bong hit. Colorado's strain library has been asserting itself nationally for over a decade, and the rest of the country would be lucky to taste LoCol's Cream Soda — but maybe it's better served as our little secret for now.

Cannajuana is exclusive to medical marijuana patients for now, but the south Denver dispensary plans to open for recreational sales soon, and we can't wait. Since taking over for the old MMJ America space last July, Cannajuana's potent in-house roster of Papaya Cake, Miracle Alien Cookies and other trendy varieties has been getting raves for all the attention to detail during the curing process. However, the real beauty is inside the grow, where you'll find clove and nettle plants sharing plots with cannabis in order to create live soil with pest-killing bugs. That's the kind of sustainability we like to see.

A dispensary's selection isn't just about strains, though A Cut Above certainly has a lot of those. Now that superstar growers carry all the cachet, pot shops can't sell just buds from their own gardens and expect to bring in the shoppers. But in a sea of competition on South Broadway's Green Mile, A Cut Above serves as a beacon to seasoned stoners, thanks to a long, constantly evolving flower menu. You'll find cultivators like Antero, Cherry, Snaxland and Bloom County, all of which typically come in a few bucks cheaper than at other places. Show up mid-day or during slow hours if you can, because we're not the only ones who know about the menu.

The legacy strains of pre-legalization aren't as omnipresent as they used to be, now that strains named after candy and baked goods are taking over. While L'Eagle isn't opposed to new-school options, offering cuts of Gelato and Runtz while even bringing in flower from outside growers to keep up with demand, the longstanding dispensary always keeps a handful of the classics on hand. The Strawberry Cough, Grape Ape and Sour Diesel smell and taste just like they used to, and if you're lucky, you might find rarer cuts from yesteryear, too, like Texas Hash Plant and Pakistani Chitral Kush. Hosting a visiting old head who just wants a stiff cut of what he grew up on? Fly over to L'Eagle.

Stoners are a weird bunch. We're particular, but we want options. We like affordable products, but we also don't want our money going toward shitty weed or (worse) shitty dealers. Callie's Cannabis Shoppe, a family-owned dispensary in Northglenn, checks all those boxes, always carrying several dozen flower options, from popcorn to connoisseur buds, for all budgets. The regular deals and rewards program make the drive worthwhile for anyone who drops a hefty portion of Friday's paycheck at the pot shop, and the staff knows how to be friendly and helpful without pushing overstocked crap into your basket. Callie's is good people, and for some of us, that extends to the high.

After more than seven years of recreational sales, it's safe to say that most of Denver's cannabis stores have the desired tourist routine down. "Start low, go slow with edibles. Have you tried a vape pen or THC mints? No, that lotion won't get you stoned." The menu at LoDo Wellness will not only fulfill all of your visiting friend's weed fantasies, but the dispensary's lower downtown location and strong prices ensure a fair trip that won't take you out of the city action. And the store's atmosphere — a basement setting adorned with Eastern decorations and couches dating back to the medical-only days, when you could roll your own joints at the shop — is a fun blast from the past for any pot nerd.

The "help" at Helping Hands is literally in the name. Sure, the reviews of its menu are great, and the budtenders are beyond considerate, taking their time and avoiding the eye rolls when inexperienced customers come by — but it's how they take care of regulars that earns our respect. Helping Hands was one of the first dispensaries in Colorado to apply for a medical marijuana delivery license during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering drop-off services for its at-risk patients. The dispensary also began accepting cryptocurrency and partnered with a digital payment app in 2020 for those tired of paying cash all the time. These moves might seem simple on the surface, but legal marijuana's banking status and delivery laws have been advancing very slowly, and these hands are helping push them forward.

The Denver dispensary scene's mural game has undergone serious upgrades in recent years, as talented artists like Pat Milbery, Tukeone and Chad Bolsinger have turned pot shops into Instagram attractions. With a warehouse cultivation containing multiple garage doors and side walls as well as an old train car on the property, the Herbal Cure had a handful of canvases, and the south Denver dispensary brought in a handful of artists to play around with them. Henry Bell's airbrushed collage of famous tokers like Snoop Dogg, Bob Marley and Randy Marsh adorns the train car, while Roby Stowe's cartoon portrait of Cheech and Chong, the Like Minded Art duo's homage to Damien Marley and South American-inspired street art from Dan Drossman all cover the garage doors. To top it off, the Herbal Cure hired A.J. Davis to paint a moonlit mural of a woman smoking a joint on one of its outer walls.

You can scan for coupons and flash deals if you have the energy — there are plenty of scores out there if you do the work — but eventually you'll just want something dependable, both in the pipe and on the budget. Good Chemistry's four locations and $30 eighths (raised from $25 at the end of April) keep good weed within a reasonable distance of nearly all points around town, and affordable, classic concentrates like kief and bubble hash will always have a special place in our lungs. Stop overthinking it, and trust the chemistry.

You can buy CBD chocolates at the gas station or liquor store these days, but if you're interested in really seeing a benefit for your bucks, go to a more knowledgeable source. The folks at Pachamama's CBD boutique not only know all about what they're selling, but they work for the company that made it. The store's CBD lotion, gel capsules, balm and edibles are made internally with solventless hemp extract; its tinctures include ingredients like goji berry, cacao, valerian root, black pepper and turmeric for more specific effects. The "focus" oil, a blend of full-spectrum CBD oil, cacao and goji berry extract, mixes well with coffee, while the "natural" version, free of additives, is a reliable starting point for new CBD users.

Unless you're watching Se7en, everyone loves a good mystery box. Adventure CBD's eight different CBD sampler boxes — for newbies, regular users and animal owners, among others — all provide enough products to start or maintain a CBD regimen, with options for skin care, oral and topical use, daily wellness, and horse, dog and cat owners. This way, you can decide if gummies or tinctures are the best route and enjoy a CBD-infused bath in between. Each product is made by the Colorado Springs CBD maker, which operates a physical location in the Springs but ships products nationwide. And let's face it: CBD products aren't cheap, so buying in bulk always helps.

The hash-cartridge game is still viewed as somewhat lesser than real dabbing, but solventless manufacturers have been raising the bar, and Lazercat is in the lead. Specializing in rosin — the process of extracting cannabinoids with heat and pressure instead of solvents — Lazercat squeezes water hash, not flower, and doesn't include vaping additives in its cartridges. "They'll never be the same as a dab, but the convenience can't be beat," reads a humble description on Lazercat's website. We appreciate the honest sell, but that pen brings more heat than a major-league fastball, so be careful.

Picking the best solventless cannabis concentrate in Colorado is like picking the best IPA, with dozens of talented and worthy extractors honing their talents right in front of our eyes as methods evolve. Not only are Single Source Colorado's creamy and brown-sugar slabs at the forefront of the rosin movement, but the company's founders are about as Colorado as it gets. You can find Evergreen native Tony Karas fishing when he's not tending the factory, and Kennn Wall has become a local hash hero since leaving his job as a chef at Steuben's, cooking up award-winning sauces and syrups in the lab. Whatever consistency you're looking for, Single Source can whip it up, and it'll always be from one strain, and one strain only.

THC and CBD aren't the only cannabis compounds worth checking out. CBN (cannabinol), CBC (cannabichromene) and CBG (cannabigerol) are all on the rise as the hemp industry expands, and they've shown their own potential for therapeutic benefits as well. Extract Labs, a Boulder-based hemp extractor, makes a handful of CBC, CBN and CBG products similar to their CBD counterparts, including gel capsules, tinctures and powdered isolate, all of which can be purchased online. Our favorites, though, are the CBN, CBG and CBC chocolate bars. Each packs a full spectrum of cannabinoids while placing an emphasis on those with which we're more unfamiliar. At $13 apiece, they're a fun, cheap (and tasty) experiment.

Dogs will eat their own shit, but try to give them a pill and they turn into the pickiest eaters alive. Mix those wretched capsules into peanut butter, though, and you might have a chance. Suzie's CBD Treats, a maker of hemp-infused treats in Wheat Ridge, not only does cover-up work for other medications, but the brand's CBD peanut butter can also offer some treatment of its own. Infused with 125 milligrams of full-spectrum CBD, the peanut butter is tasty enough for humans, so feel free to lick the spoon before Muttley does.

The Bay Area-based cannabis brand's public face, Berner, has become one of the pot industry's first celebrity figures, turning the Girl Scout Cookies strain into dispensaries and licensing deals across the country and into Europe. Cookies finally came to the Colorado market last May, inking a licensing deal with the growers at Veritas to cultivate Cookies genetics for statewide distribution, and sold out at stores in hours. Cookies then opened its own retail location on South Broadway in November, drawing lines out the door on an average Tuesday as wannabes waited for the newest cut of Cereal Milk or Cheetah Piss. Can the hype be too much at times? Yes. Do all celebrity weed brands come at a cost? Certainly. But at least with Cookies, you know there are terpene monsters lurking inside each bag, and they never fail to unleash a sweet, milky combination of flavors most users haven't tried before.

In a world where the term "OG" carries a different sort of significance, 710 Labs is a true original. The established extractor stays on top of the ever-growing mix of Colorado hash makers by growing its own phenotypes of rare strains like Banana Pie and Watermelon Zkittlez and owning the production process from seed to shatter slab. Like a cagey veteran with ten years of experience in the league, 710 stays established while pushing the edge, producing flower, both solvent and solventless concentrates, full-spectrum extracts and vape cartridges — and pretty much all of it is fire.

Who says that edibles can't taste better than real candy? No fan of Colorado-based Coda Signature, which makes infused candy bars that combine flavors like coffee and doughnuts, maple and pecan or caramel and popcorn, and fruit notes (gummies) with mixtures of mango and chili-lime, lychee and cucumber, and cherry and sarsaparilla. Those are dank adult flavors we can get behind, but the fun doesn't end there: Coda's infused chocolate on a stick, intended to be melted into a hot beverage, makes for one beautiful morning by the campfire. We deserve to taste more than sugar and hash oil when eating edibles, and Coda never disappoints.

Flavor variety, price, consistency and availability are all important aspects of a reliable edibles company, and California transplant Wyld has been a four-tool player since launching in the Rockies. Products from the cannabis-infused gummy maker have popped up at just about every store in Denver, available in juicy flavors like marionberry, raspberry, elderberry and peach, with CBD included in several flavors and CBN added to the marionberry for nighttime use for a small additional charge. Yet even after doubling up on cannabinoids, Wyld's price tag is still very budget-friendly, coming in at around $20. Who wouldn't be wyld about that?

With nearly 25 years of experience that stretch back to roots in Amsterdam, Cannarado Genetics brings a level of respect and a reputation to Colorado cannabis breeding that few in this state can claim. Specializing in feminized seeds for sale on the internet, Cannarado reached national popularity after birthing Sundae Driver, Grape Pie and Pie Hoe, the latter of which sparked a well-known collaboration with California's Jungle Boys. As much as we'd love to smoke Cannarado weed from a Cannarado dispensary, we'll appreciate a breeder who stays true to their roots.

This Commerce City dispensary is operated by the Fernandez family, who moved to Colorado from Miami and worked on their grow and dispensary for over two years before opening for business. Son Alex leads the cultivation side; his grandfathers grew tobacco in Cuba, and like his elders, he can produce one helluva smoke. KrystaLeaves is also one of the few pot shops selling multiple phenotypes of the same strain, allowing you to try several different slices of Layer Cake or Frozen Lemons at once. Sure, you can find KrystaLeaves flower elsewhere under the label Cuban Crew, but true stoners want to go to the source, and there aren't many weed wells out there better than KrystaLeaves.

The Colorado cannabis field is full of talented growers, but Cherry's out-of-this-world ability to take users to another planet needs to be recognized. Lead grower Jason Maclean wasted little time asserting himself among the city's best, pumping out versions of Oreoz, MAC, Grape Pie and Kush Mints that are simply better than the rest, covered in trichomes with aromas that cannot be contained inside a wimpy plastic bottle. Don't measure Cherry's potency as if it were flower for mere mortals: Smoking this shit is like taking a dab, and it should be toked slowly, if only to better appreciate that sweet Cherry flavor.

We get it: You can smoke weed anywhere if you really want to. But some people enjoy their highs more when not illegally consuming pot in public, and at Boulder Adventure Lodge, you can soak up Colorado's very great outdoors and burn one freely. Known more for activities than its cannabis policy, Boulder Adventure Lodge is a pot-friendly cabin and camping area that also has a nearby creek, a slackline park, rock-climbing sessions and regular group hikes. While there's no smoking allowed in the rooms, the lodge has several designated smoking areas outside, all of which allow cannabis use.

We're not sure if Max Montrose would call himself an "influencer." He doesn't really hawk products or discount codes, and selfies are rare on his Instagram. But as president and instructor at the Trichome Institute, an accredited cannabis education course, Montrose definitely influences takes on cannabis, psychedelics and plant medicine with his posts on interesting legal fungi operations, shady hemp farmers, psychedelic cacti and the ins and outs of terpenes, the plant compounds in cannabis responsible for their distinct aromas. You almost always learn something new about flora and horticulture from Montrose, reminding us that this journey doesn't always start and end with cannabis.

You can find close-up pictures of frosty buds and saucy concentrates on any pot social media page, but at least following Vangst might get you a gig. The cannabis industry job recruiter's Instagram account regularly posts information about upcoming career fairs, and also highlights growing pot companies and notable executives and business owners around Colorado's cannabis space. More important, Vangst tags the Insta accounts of these movers and shakers, enabling easy networking opportunities for those who are bold enough to reach out. You'll learn about the skunky stuff, too, but it never hurts to know who's pulling the strings.

Make fun of the heady references all you want, but if Positive Vibes is anything, it's authentic. An elaborate rig for $50 more than your wallet allows won't be pushed on you here, and you won't find any stoner douches rolling their eyes when asked to explain what a terp pearl is. The beloved Englewood head shop is all positive vibes, my dude, and we mean it. There are so many options, from smokeable glass art to elaborate rigs and pendants crafted by local artists, that no matter what your budget, you'll find something nice here. Head in after a glorious meal at the Breakfast Queen across the street — or before, if you want to warm up before the feast, the Mile High way.

A hike up the Independence Trail takes you up the side of a mountain overlooking Evergreen. Local chipmunks are known for greeting hikers at the top, so keep your snacks tight to the chest — but make sure they're woodland-friendly, just in case. Otherwise, you'll find enough privacy — even on weekends — for a low-key toke while sitting 8,000 feet above sea level, with a stunning view heightened by an imagination high on weed and serotonin.

Public cannabis consumption is still illegal in Colorado, but that's never stopped us: A joint in the park is one of the greatest simple pleasures of summer. For those who'd prefer to enjoy one inconspicuously, the right patch of grass for an afternoon j requires a rare combination of size, beauty and location. City Park is too wide open, and Washington and Cheesman Parks are too packed — but Little Cheesman is just right. The square-block park sticks out like a green hangnail on one of Denver's most popular recreational areas. Like Cheesman, it's loaded with good trees and hangout areas; unlike Cheesman, it's rarely busy enough to stop you from having a safe, respectful smoking session. And there's room enough for a game of catch afterward.

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science staffers don't just showcase history, they dig it up. In 2019, the staff helped excavate triceratops fossils from a construction site in Highlands Ranch, some of which are on display at the museum's Prehistoric Journey exhibition. Imagine learning that after a mid-afternoon joint at City Park! And if dinos don't intrigue your stoned mind, there's always the fail-safe planetarium and IMAX theater for visual fun, as well as a gem and mineral hall for you crystal-lovers out there. All told, the museum probably holds too much stimulation for a fried brain to handle, but it'll be fun to try.

Nowadays, most massage therapists will incorporate CBD into your session if you ask — but why not get yours from a true specialist? A former medical marijuana caregiver, a molecular scientist and a licensed massage therapist partnered in 2015 to create Color Up, a therapy center and CBD manufacturer, and the team's Denver studio takes that expertise to a new level. Not only are massage therapists and estheticians available for a CBD glow-up and other therapeutic services, but Color Up's new digs also host an on-site lab that offers a dose of education, as well as a retail area so you can take more feel-good supplies home.

ReCreate didn't invent cannabis tincture, but the company is doing a damn fine job of perfecting it. The THC-infused branch of the business created by the Stanley brothers, the growers behind the Charlotte's Web strain, ReCreate wasn't designed to get users high, but instead mixes a full spectrum of cannabinoids to reach desired effects. Each blend and ratio of THC, CBD, CBC or CBG is made to help sleep, offer pain relief or aid everyday self-medication. And while we can't make medical recommendations, we can say the sleep tincture, a 1:4 CBD-to-THC ratio with valerian root, knocks out our marijuana reviewer like a half-bottle of Nyquil.

The cannabis beverage market has a hard time staking a claim at dispensaries, but powdered drink mixes require less space and don't need refrigeration, and edibles makers are taking notice. Ebb, a new line of infused drink mixes from the people behind TasteBudz gummies, is one of the better powder packets we've tried so far, offering 10 milligrams of THC per pack, as well as such ingredients as vitamin C and electrolytes to keep your body awake and hydrated as the edible wave hits. Keep the immune system and spirits boosted with orange-mango, enhanced with 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C, or nurse a hangover with wildberry and electrolytes. The packets are on the sweeter side, so don't be afraid to drop one in your water bottle, then fill it — or add one to a smoothie.

Edible testing laws still prohibit a true cannabis bakery, where the goodies are made and sold fresh every day, from opening in Colorado, but Jade and Jane's Bakery hits all the after-school snack notes and then some. The six different brownie flavors, four different gummies, four different cookie sandwiches and four different cupcakes all slap, but it's the pound cakes and mug-cake mix that keep our sweet tooths jonesing. Lemon-honey and strawberry-vanilla pound cake bites are our dangerously delicious favorites, with 10 milligrams of THC per piece, and the mug-cake mix is a fun purchase for anyone looking for a bigger kick — just mix in a tablespoon of cannabutter or oil before putting it in the microwave.

We still can't order weed-infused dishes at Denver restaurants, but munchies-inspired menu items hit harder, anyway. Wild Corgi's stoner boxes, $20 combos designed exclusively for delivery and takeout, go straight for deep-fried nostalgia, packing boxes with carnival favorites such as chicken wings, sliders, mozzarella sticks and cheese curds, as well as desserts like fried Oreos, Cosmic Brownies, churros and tons of other sweet, crunchy delights. Wash down every order with the Capri-Sun and Hi-C juice boxes included in the stoner packs, which are named after the Corgi staff's favorite weed strains, and get lost in the childhood lunchbox you always wanted.