Even when stores have deals going on, all of the top brands are usually off limits. Not at Spark, where hash heads and flower connoisseurs can find deals and low prices on the likes of 710 Labs, Bloom, Bubba's Kush, Dablogic, Indico and Mountain Select. We've walked out of Spark with grams of 710 rosin that cost less than $30 and have stocked up on Soiku Bano as if it were a Costco run — and it's actually financially conceivable to buy ounces of quality herb here. Whether it's a daily deal or you just visited on the right day, chances are a highly rated brand is discounted, and the starting prices are affordable to begin with.

Dispensaries and growers have to chase trends to stay competitive, but we never thought that finding pot pillars like Golden Goat and OG Kush could become so hard in Denver. As the vast majority of stores chase new singles, though, Silver Stem Fine Cannabis continues playing the hits. New creations are on the menu at Silver Stem, too, but you'll always see classic strains that helped build cannabis culture into what it is today — Blue Dream, Chocolope, Golden Goat, Lemon Skunk, OG Kush, Orange Krush and Sour Kush being just a handful of them. Whether it's nostalgia or chasing that one unforgettable high, Silver Stem can help you bring home gold.

Once your body nears around thirty years old, the knots, strains and sore spots pop up without warning, typically at the start of the day. Keep Escape Artists Relief Cream in the medicine cabinet, though, and you'll have a layer of defense against the aches and pains of exercise, awkward coordination and old age. Made with 800 milligrams of CBD, 800 milligrams of THC, a pharmaceutical-grade pain cream, and black pepper and cedar extract, this cream has helped us with sore necks, strained quads and arthritis flare-ups. And since THC lotions don't reach your blood, it can be applied as often as needed without fear of a failed drug test.

You can't just walk into the Marijuana Mansion and light up a joint — the eccentric space serves as a photo-shooting gallery most of the time — but the historic, potentially haunted Capitol Hill mansion also moonlights as a private cannabis-friendly event host. Rooms are decked out with curated historic decorations and local art, giving each area an individual feel, ranging from Victorian to glow-in-the-dark, while the mansion's century-and-a-half history includes everything from spirit sightings to the creation of legal pot. Before the mansion's current owners took over, the building housed the offices of several attorneys who co-wrote Amendment 64, the voter-approved initiative that legalized recreational cannabis in Colorado. If you want to experience the Marijuana Mansion with a joint in hand, keep an eye on Eventbrite listings for private parties, and follow the instructions to request an invitation if you're 21 or older.

When longtime Denver-area businessman Curtis Washington bought a building with a liquor store in southeast Denver last year, he had already envisioned a dispensary joining the party. A new licensee of Denver's marijuana social equity program, Washington and his son, Jordan Brooks, planned to turn half of the place into Green Remedy as part of a new venture together. Although they're the only two businesses in the building, the dispensary and liquor store have different addresses, allowing them to operate under the same roof independently. The rare distinction has already helped lure in customers, according to Washington, and the combo seems particularly smart when you're facing after-work errands during rush hour.

You can find a bag of Lay's and a bottle of Sprite at any convenience store, but It's a Bodega takes junk food to a whole new level. In fact, most of the snacks here aren't "junk," but imported rarities. From Japanese Kit Kats and Taiwanese potato chips to outlandish Fanta soda flavors and Chinese Oreos, KC Christian's exotic snack shop has munchies that will make you ooh and aah and ask "How many of those am I allowed to buy?" Shopping at It's a Bodega isn't just a fun trip for snacks, it's an experience of East Coast homages, nostalgia and edible creativity. You'll have to pay for the rarest items — Oreo Moon Pies from Thailand have gone for as much $25 each, and Christian once sold a $40 Fanta — but there are plenty of fun, tasty and holy-shit options that won't break your budget, like international Twix and a Canadian remake of Crystal Pepsi.

Who doesn't love a novelty vending machine? Missouri has a vending machine that sells barbecue burnt ends. Texas has a pecan pie vending machine. California has vending machines for eggs and sprinkles. And what are the robots selling to us in Colorado? Weed, of course. Cannabis vending machines have popped up before in the state, but Terrapin Care Station's in-house version is the first that doesn't require a pre-order or human employee to operate. You simply walk into the Terrapin dispensary on Mississippi Avenue in Aurora and flash your ID to the counter attendant, and that's where the human interaction ends. You can buy flower, hash, pre-rolls or edibles from the machine in seconds and be gone without a word. The vending machine is currently only at the Mississippi location, but Terrapin plans to roll them out at its five other locations in the future. Misanthropes and haters of the public, rejoice!

Cannabis farmers' markets can't really exist in Colorado because of laws surrounding legal pot sales, but something pretty close to one happens twice a month just outside of Denver in unincorporated Adams County. Every other Saturday at JAD's Mile High Smoke, the state's only licensed cannabis bar, you can attend Taste of JAD's, a marketplace meant to showcase new cannabis growers, extractors, edibles brands and more. After vendors set up at 2 p.m., guests sample each of their products (and the entire cannabis menu at JAD's) for various fees until 6 p.m. No products can be taken outside the bar, unfortunately, but all Taste of JAD's vendors are available in Colorado dispensaries, so take note of what to shop for next time.

Our opinion on the majority of pre-rolls are well documented and don't need to be repeated, but Red Roots is building a foundation of trust we can get behind. Made with quality flower, not plant scrapings, with a rolled snake of rosin placed gently in the middle, Red Roots is the easiest way to smoke a "hash hole" or "doughnut joint" for those who can't roll. The infused joint hits like a monster and burns like an ash doughnut, with the hash melting into oil and seeping into the flower as it burns, leaving a hole in the center as it goes. Red Roots joints are a little pricier than the free hot dog that comes with a big dispensary purchase, but their potency and quality can get you through multiple sessions. Or turn you into a deep-fried hush puppy. Whatever works.

Snaxland has been busy making a mark in other places over the past couple of years, opening a store in Oklahoma and expanding into Puerto Rico. Yet one of Colorado's most popular growers still didn't have a store in its home state. After purchasing a former Golden Meds dispensary in 2022, Snaxland was expected to open its first dispensary in Denver this year. As we still waited for the Denver outpost, however, Snaxland surprised us in February with a newly opened store in Boulder. The location, previously the Peaceful Choice dispensary, is now dishing out more than fifty Snaxland strains and flower from other growers, as well as concentrates from extractors like Green Dot Labs and Soiku Bano. You can still find Snaxland at dispensaries across the state, but going to the source pays dividends in the form of exclusive cuts and new releases.