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Best New Cannabis Brand

Meraki

In Greece, the word "meraki" means "to put your soul into something," and we can trust this Boulder-area grow to do just that. Founded by longtime Colorado cannabis guys Phil Halpern and Matt DenBleyker, Meraki got off to a hot start with its well-received revival of Sour Diesel and collaborations with popular rosin extractor Soiku Bano in 2023. Meraki's lineup, which includes other stanky, sticky hits like Donny Burger and Party Animal, is slowly expanding as Halpern works with more mother plants, including Lemonhead Delight and several other strains from Colorado breeder FreeWorld Genetics, and the brand is rolling out a Meraki extraction line, too. You can smell and taste the love in every nug, and Meraki is sold for significantly less than some other top brands.

merakibrands.co

Best CBD Product

IoVia Restorative Bath

Cannabis-infused baths have never been better, thanks to extraction technology and the #treatyoself movement. IoVia takes that to the next level by combining 100 milligrams each of CBD and THC with minerals and aloe vera, lavender and tree tea in its restorative bath salts. Founded by former medical marijuana provider and dispensary owner Don Novak, IoVia is more about the wellness side of cannabis than getting stoned, and that cannabinoid and mineral-rich lather is great for the skin and helpful with inflammation. Still, users of THC bath products, especially women, have reported edibles-like highs after a warm soak, so be prepared to relax extra hard if you go over the recommended serving size (we won't tell).


ioviasolutions.com

Best CBN, CBG or THCV Product

Joy Bombs Dream Blends

A line of Skittles-inspired candies from Colorado edibles maker Joyibles, Joy Bombs surprised us last year with its sour and tropical THC bites. But now that CBN is in the mix, that sugar rush just got a lot smoother. Each pack of Joy Bombs Dream Blends is packed with 100 milligrams of THC and 100 milligrams of CBN, with every little nibble dosed with 2.5 milligrams of both. At forty pieces per bag, these delicious rainbow bites can be microdosed or eaten by the mouthful for an early slumber, as CBN is a common cannabinoid for sleepytime edibles.

joyibles.com

Best New Dispensary

The Center

Thomas Mitchell

After operating at 6853 Leetsdale Drive for almost ten years, the Center moved into a different neighborhood in 2023 — but its new digs aren't your typical storefront. The old brick building on South Broadway has been there since the late 1800s, serving as a firehouse until the 1970s. The Center's ownership put over $3 million into purchasing and renovating the building, which now hosts one of the area's best-stocked dispensaries. On top of getting high on history at the Center, you'll have your pick of Denver's most popular growers and extractors, including 710 Labs, Green Dot Labs, Iion, Lazercat, Locol Love, Mighty Melts, Single Source, Soiku Bano and more. And if you're trying to save a few bucks, the Center's internal growers aren't slouches, either.

Best Way to Share a Vape Cartridge

O.Pen Sesh

Released in late 2023 with a $200 price tag, the Sesh was a hot toy on the block for cannabis users last holiday season. Made by longtime Colorado vape brand O.pen, this unique machine relies on traditional 5/10 cartridges — the most common cart for hash pen batteries — to fill up a glass with THC vapor, which users then inhale all in one hit. Simply screw in the cartridge at the base, turn on the machine and let the glass fill, then inhale or pass it around. The Sesh comes with a chamber for traditional concentrates such as wax and rosin, as well. Besides giving new life to those half-empty vape cartridges in your desk and couch cushions, the Sesh provides a unique way to enjoy hash cartridges with friends, which never felt quite the same as sharing a joint — until now.

openvapeshop.com

Best Cannabis Collaboration

Rosin Geodes by Malek's and Lazercat

Cannabis collaborations are rare, thanks to restrictive industry rules and a competitive atmosphere, but Malek's Melts and Lazercat sifted through all that bullshit in the name of flavorful dabs. The two solventless extractors put their rosin together for Geode grams that combine both cold cure rosin and rosin jam — two different consistencies of solventless hash — in a limited run in February. The combination of different consistencies looks like a mini tart, mashed potatoes and gravy or, according to Malek's founder Malek Noueiry, the inside of a hollow rock. Combining the different forms of rosin in a dab makes for a full hit with several layers of flavor, and by using different strains for each extraction, the rosin combo hits even more tastebuds. Noueiry said he and Lazercat would likely work together again if the first drop was successful. Based on how quickly it sold out, we expect (and plead) to see more.

Best Savory Edible

Sweet Mary Jane Milkshake & French Fries Bar

Everything Sweet Mary Jane makes is delicious, from the Boulder kitchen's lightly infused popcorn (a breakroom favorite) to brookies. But anyone who's dipped fries into a chocolate Wendy's Frosty knows how good a sweet and salty combination can be. Founder Karin Lazarus, once dubbed the "Martha Stewart of weed baking" by New York magazine, put that combo in a bar, then added a little THC to the mix — and the results are glorious. Each Milkshake & French Fries Bar, a mix of malted milk chocolate and shoestring potato chips, tastes like a cool, crispy dip right after the drive-thru. If that's not worth savoring, then what is?

sweetmaryjanebakery.com

Best Pre-Roll

Green Dot Labs Live Resin Rolls

Green Dot Labs is one of Colorado's best flower and extraction brands, which is made clear after you take a dry puff of the Boulder operation's Live Resin Rolls. Each pack of five half-gram joints is made with flower and resin combinations geared toward specific flavor profiles, so if your mouth didn't water from the gassy, tangerine notes of Reba Jam or the tongue-pinching sweetness of Peach Oblivion the first time, it definitely will with these. The small dog-walking size of the Live Resin Rolls perfectly encapsulates the flavor and potency Green Dot pumps out, but they can still be overpowering for new users. For those of us who can handle it, though, these strain-specific combinations of flower and resin are a welcome slap to the face — like a shot of concentrated juice in the morning — that keeps you high until happy hour.

greendotlabs.com

Best Pre-Roll

Green Dot Labs Live Resin Rolls

Green Dot Labs is one of Colorado's best flower and extraction brands, which is made clear after you take a dry puff of the Boulder operation's Live Resin Rolls. Each pack of five half-gram joints is made with flower and resin combinations geared toward specific flavor profiles, so if your mouth didn't water from the gassy, tangerine notes of Reba Jam or the tongue-pinching sweetness of Peach Oblivion the first time, it definitely will with these. The small dog-walking size of the Live Resin Rolls perfectly encapsulates the flavor and potency Green Dot pumps out, but they can still be overpowering for new users. For those of us who can handle it, though, these strain-specific combinations of flower and resin are a welcome slap to the face — like a shot of concentrated juice in the morning — that keeps you high until happy hour.

greendotlabs.com

Best Cannabis Gift for Romantics

Green Sativa High Notes

Green Sativa, a Denver-area dispensary chain and growing operation, began selling Valentine's Day cards with one-gram joints dubbed Love Notes in 2023. After they sold out in a matter of days, the staff quickly decided to bring them back this year. "This is a fun way for people to appreciate others, and gummies and other things are usually a little higher priced," Green Sativa operational manager Frances Comeau said in February. The $7 canna-grams were made in-house and came with Valentine's Day graphics and sayings like "Cannabe Your Valentine?" and "For My Best Bud," while each joint was filled with herb grown by Green Sativa's cultivation staff. Made for lovers, friends "and even your mother," according to Comeau, High Notes are the ultimate impulse buy, and a fun way to surprise someone important on V-Day.

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