High Notes: New Rosin, Marijuana Movie Nights and the Most Purple Weed I've Ever Seen

Colorado's cannabis scene doesn't get the national respect it used to, but we still have the most evolved market in the world. Growers and hash-makers across the state continue to invent and innovate new strains, vape tech and rosin combinations, and we still have a few bright potrepreneurs figuring out new ways to bring the cannabis industry out of the dark ages.

From the most purple weed I've ever seen to a marijuana movie night box, here are seven amazing cannabis creations to try in Denver this winter:

Dablogic Half-Gram Carts
Real ones know that if you want to keep the hash pen hits smooth and unburnt from start to finish, anything over a half-gram is bound to spoil or clog. For my money, Dablogic's mixed-micron vape cartridges are the best out there right now. (That's not really a surprise: Dablogic founder Julian Casellas has been pushing boundaries in extraction and vape cartridges for a while.) Most dispensaries carry the half-gram carts from $30 to $40, and they're all filled with Dablogic's award-winning rosin. The Berry Diesel and Disco Belts have been particularly pleasing, and they all fit the random five-ten thread batteries I have laying around.

Marijuana Movie Night Box
I've written before about GreenDoor, the closest thing we have to a cannabis subscription box service in Denver. For $130 (and a $10 delivery fee, if you want it sent to an Aurora or Denver address), you'll get a box filled with dispensary goodies, cannabis accessories and non-infused snacks and doodads. I finally tried one, and was pleasantly surprised with how much value came in that box.

GreenDoor's current box offering, dubbed Movie Night, was packed with an eighth of flower grown by Del Mundo, as well as a Noodle Doink (that's a pre-roll joint) and gram of rosin from 710 Labs, Tastebudz rosin edibles and Ript distillate  gummies. The box also included a $5 Fandago voucher to rent a movie, hemp-derived CBN sleep gummies, bags of truffle popcorn and fruit snacks, a mini bottle of sparking apple cider, joint papers and CBD massage oil. That's a pretty big haul of highly-rated products for $130, and it makes for more than just one movie night if you have any streaming services. As the weather gets colder and holiday breaks start, GreenDoor's boxes are a fun and easy way to hunker down or surprise someone you love. (GreenDoor can't make the box a monthly subscription service yet because of current cannabis laws, but you can sign up for a reminder every time a new one drops.)

Indico's Classic Strain Lineup
After a strong 2023, this Ordway-based grower kept the ball rolling in 2024, opening a medical dispensary in Colorado Springs while expanding its name and footprint even more in the Denver area. I'd like to think some of that new popularity is thanks to Indico's penchant to grow the throwbacks, both in name and characteristics. The Orange Kush I bought at Maikoh Holistics this fall took me back to 2008 and smelled like I'd just popped into a Hi-C Orange Lavaburst. The Tropical Haze, a cross of Big Skunk and Haze, smelled like Florida Kush and a shot of Dole tropical punch — and deserves even more respect given how few Hazes there are in dispensaries nowadays. Other Indico creations, like its OG-heavy Texas Shoreline and the intoxicating-trashy-delicious Alligator Wine, also make my eyes glaze over. Well done, Indico. Now get a Denver store, please.
Bubba's Kush Rosin
Not to be outdone by its friend down the street, Ordway operation Bubba's Kush has also made a name for itself as one of Colorado's top dogs in the grow room. Founder Chris Kaizer's potent cuts of Orange Cream Cake and Cherry Killer had already made me a fanboy several times over, and now Bubba's Kush has stepped into the rosin market, too. Lead extractor Jonathon Horton cooks up (or freezes and presses, if we're being accurate) some of southern Colorado's best solventless hash without overthinking it. Proven strains like Donny Burger and the Soap are wet and oozing with terps, while the Road Skill Skunk reminds me of hotboxing some sweet, sticky mystery weed in the 2000s.

Meraki's Supermodel Strains
I've been hot on Meraki since discovering the cultivation's incredible cut of Sour Diesel last year. Co-founder Phil Halpern and his grow staff have pumped out hit after hit ever since, with strains like Charmz, Donny Burger, Fatty Cakes and Tropical Runtz all showcasing Meraki's ability to meld aroma, flavor and potency with the best of them. However, two of Meraki's more recent releases have been catching the eyes of dispensary shoppers: Nightshifter and Rozay Rain, both among the more captivating strains I've encountered in a long time.

Nightshifter, a cross of Trop Cherry and Frozay '94, reminds me of a dark-purple grape Gatorade, both in look and flavor. It could be the most purple strain I've ever seen that wasn't dyed or digitally altered. Opening a jar of Rozay Rain might as well have been the briefcase scene in Pulp Fiction. The heavy coverage and glistening trichomes basically shined out of the jar, with colorful spots of blue, red and violet scattered across the nugs. I've yet to smoke a dud from Meraki.

Cherry AK-47
A cherry-forward phenotype of the immortal AK-47, this rare cut has been slowly popping up in Colorado dispensaries thanks to Green Dot Labs. Anyone who misses the skunky, tobacco flavor and relaxing high of AK-47 won't be disappointed, but powerful notes of cherries, licorice and hash add extra layers of flavor. Mature taste buds and seasoned tokers would love this strain, and I hope to see more of it on a regular basis. There's nothing better than an extremely talented grow team paying homage to the classics.

710's Affordable Flower
710 Labs is one of the few growers charging top-tier prices without hearing much complaint, but consistently spending $50-plus on an eighth is a tough task for most of us. Fortunately, as budgets tighten and expectations change, 710 has a couple of more affordable options in deli-style and mylar bag flower, both of which I've seen on sale for $35 or less an eighth.

Although not quite as photo-worthy or trichome-laden as the pre-sealed jars, both of 710's cheaper options still erupt with terps upon opening the packaging. I've seen 710's deli-style buds at Colorado Harvest Company, Maikoh Holistics and Reefer Madness for several months now, but more stores likely carry it. The pre-packed flower in mylar bags is a little newer and harder to find, but Lightshade locations all carry it.