Verde Natural founder Chuck Blackton isn't a Colorado native — he has cannabis-breeding roots in Las Vegas and the Netherlands — but his pot shops fit right in on East Colfax and in Boulder. Verde's award-winning cultivation staff can take one man's limp, dull Super Lemon Haze genetics and turn it into a chunky, dense heavyweight fit for a king. The brand has provided its buds wholesale to dozens of dispensaries around the state, but to get the best deals and whiffs of Black Mamba, Bubblegum Jack and Hazelnut Cream, you have to go to the source. Refusing to subscribe to the indica-sativa rhetoric, Verde is more interested in the specific flavors and effects consumers are looking for, making the educated user feel right at home.

Readers' Choice: Lightshade

This isn't meant as praise for the Clinic's accessibility or retail experience — though both are excellent — but as a tribute to its ability to operate numerous locations while maintaining some of the best genetics and buds in Denver. Each of the chain's four Mile High stores carry a competitive mix of flower and infused products, but the shop's legendary cuts of strains like Sour Diesel, Kosher Kush, Toxic Kool Aid and Strawberry Banana, as well as the Clinic's decision to bring in more wholesale growers, have created one of Denver's best selections of rare and stalwart cannabis products. Pair that with a knowledgeable staff with grassroots experience in Colorado's pot scene, and you've got one helluva welcome center.

Readers' Choice: Diego Pellicer

Multiple locations