High Notes: Finally, Some Good High-CBD Weed

Finding decent high-CBD weed in Denver used to be relatively easy, but industrial hemp's federal legalization in 2018 put an end to that. CBD products derived from hemp are easier to buy online, but they rarely have the same natural flavor and integrity as dispensary buds, and stoners appreciate a little THC in the mix.

Dispensaries largely abandoned CBD flower and hash once hemp products became available, but one of Colorado's most prestigious growers could help change that. A hot CBD strain is far from the only highlight of our dispensary scene this summer, however, with impressive edibles, vape cartridges and mini joints all hitting high notes.

Tester #51 by 710 Labs
Finding high-CBD flower or hash at a dispensary is a chore nowadays, but I'm glad that at least one quality cultivation is still fighting the good fight. Maybe every grower would do the same if they could produce a CBD strain this delicious.

A mix of Alien OG and a Blueberry phenotype, this sweet, nurturing strain rarely, if ever, hits 15 percent THC while maintaining a strong CBD content of around 10 to 12 percent. The near-even ratio provides an amazing body high for soreness and hangovers, but it doesn't skimp on the giggles or munchies, while strong notes of blueberries and a surprise fennel/licorice flavor play well with the Alien OG piney characteristics. Tester #51 scores high across the board, and I hope other top growers follow 710's lead here.

Green Dot Labs Live Resin Rolls
If you're not ready to spend $45-plus for an eighth of Green Dot flower, a joint is a great way to sample its strains. Take a dry hit of the Boulder cannabis brand's one-gram joints, filled with popular Green Dot strains like Reba Jam and Thunderdome, and you'll be able to taste the award-winning flower loud and clear.

Green Dot's Live Resin Rolls, a pack of five half-gram joints infused with live batter from Green Dot, are better for more experienced users or shared sessions. If you can handle the more potent hits, these strain-specific combinations of flower and resin are a welcome slap to the face. My little dog-walker joint of Peach Oblivion flower and Reba Jam resin tasted like a shot of concentrated juice in the morning, and I was high until happy hour.

LePow Extracts Gummy Crunch
The cannabis industry, legal and otherwise, has taken a strong liking to Nerds, with dozens of edibles and strains named after the candy. The real Nerds brand eventually became fed up with it, but that hasn't stopped a smart Colorado edibles maker from incorporating a generic version of the crunchy mini-candies into gummies. LePow Extracts, known for THC syrups and cereal candy bars, also makes a bar of gummy squares topped with Nerds-like candies. (Think Nerds Rope, but in bar form.) The 100-milligram bar is made with full-spectrum Rick Simpson Oil, not distillate, so expect a more full-bodied high, as well.

DabLogic Rosin Cartridge
It's a lot easier to take a hash pen with you to a non-legal state than searching for black-market pot, but most of our hash pen and cartridge options are made with poor starting material and taste like flavored nicotine. Not DabLogic's. Made with a cartridge designed and patented by founder Julian Casellas, DabLogic's rosin cartridges hit smoothly and manage to make me feel as if I just took a dab or hit off a doughnut joint. That might sound easy, but the vast majority of vape carts, rosin included, fail to impress my tastebuds or high meter. DabLogic brings the flavor and haymaker hit until the lost drop is gone.

Kahuna Ice Pops
Summers have never been hotter, but at least we have one more dispensary product to keep us cool now. Kahuna's 10-milligram ice pops are infused with various cannabinoid combinations, with the straight THC version the easiest to find. The mini ice pops come in adult-themed flavors such as Cabana Frosé, mango passion fruit and Cabana Margarita and are usually sold at room temperature. Fear not: These pot pops are frozen and ready to eat within a couple of hours, and they can always be blended into a mocktail if you're impatient.