Thomas Mitchell
Audio By Carbonatix
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There are plenty of cannabis growers in Colorado who grow respectable reefer, and the vast majority of Denver area dispensaries carry at least two or three of them. There are far too many to list, but here are five cannabis cultivators we’ve enjoyed burning this year, in alphabetical order.
Green Dot Labs
Green Dot Labs flower has been on Colorado’s top shelf since the Boulder-based operation, long known for its concentrate products, began dedicating resources to cultivation and pre-packed flower over six years ago. Few, if any, growers have been able to stay on top that long, but founders/husband-wife duo Dave and Alana Malone have kept Green Dot on point well into the 2020s, even during a multi-million-dollar expansion into Arizona. Green Dot strains such as A5 Wagyu, Paloma, ROYGBIV and Thunderdome have received numerous awards and accolades from cannabis critics; each one showcases something unique and extremely potent, both in flavor and effect. A5 Wagyu may be the meatiest, fattiest-smelling strain I’ve ever come across, while Paloma is full of grapefruit, black pepper and smoky sweetness, creating a fizzy sensation in your schnoz. But Thunderdome, in all of its gassy, garlic-y, dumpster funk glory, may be my favorite.
Thomas Mitchell
Malek’s Premium Cannabis
Malek’s Premium Cannabis and its rosin arm, Malek’s Melts, are led by founder Malek Noueiry. With over a dozen years in Colorado’s cannabis industry, six spent at the helm of Malek’s, Noueiry and his staff are dialed in this year, with a steady mix of in-house specialties like Panda Puffs, Petrol Rainbow and Tally Mon, classics such as Fire OG and Sour Diesel and new experiments. Malek’s Private Stash line, still more affordable than most premium pre-packed jars, has released impressive, stanky takes on Caribbean Butter, Puro Loco and Red Hotz in 2026. Malek’s has also rescued local beloved genetics from defunct grows and went unbeaten in several joint-rolling competitions that largely included California brands.
Single Source
Co-founders Tony Karas and Kenneth Connaughton have been working together for a decade, and have been in Colorado’s cannabis trade even longer. The duo behind Single Source can be found fly fishing almost as often as they are in the grow, and the Colorado-centric ethos shines through their flower and rosin. Single Source still dedicates growing space to Sour Diesel and classic OG strains, like Brain OG and Loompah’s Headband (one of Denver’s skunkiest delicacies), and you’ll find complex, balanced cuts of newer strains, like Sour Papaya and Strawberry 2.1. Everything they touch is sweating in trichomes and hits at least an 8/10 in the flavor scale, and many of their creations — like the Hawaiian-Punch-forward Whip Itz or Champagne Patties — are goddamn tens.
Single Source
SPCY Canna
Boutique budtenders have been in love with this Denver-based cultivation for over a year now, and for good reason. SPCY Canna‘s Chocolate Diesel, winner of Westword‘s Best Cannabis Strain of 2026, is a gorgeous combo of Chocolope and Sour Diesel that lives up to the pedigree — and that’s not the only new hybrid with classic genetics SPCY grows: Super Durban is a stanky-sour-sage mix of Durban Poison, a landrace sativa from South Africa, and Super Silver Haze, a mix of Skunk, Northern Lights and Haze. You can count on SPCY to hit home runs with modern, popular varieties like Black Maple, Blue Zushi and Chimera Junky, as well, but it’s the time-tested genetics in strains like Dr. Who (Chem ’91 x Trainwreck) and Golden Pineapple (Golden Goat x Pineapple Kush) that keep me coming back.
Viola
Founded by ex-Denver Nugget Al Harrington, Viola could be Colorado cannabis’s best celebrity brand. That’s because Viola, named after Harrington’s beloved grandmother, is much more about cannabis than celebrity. Harrington isn’t working in the shadows, and Viola’s professional basketball roots are evident in the branding, highlighted by a recent collaboration with NBA legend Allen Iverson (a former Nugget himself). But the proof is in the pot, and Viola grows some good shit. After a brief pause in the Colorado market, Viola rebounded strongly in 2025 with quality flower releases, including Apricot Scone and the Yams, and continues scoring high with Bubblegum Gushers and Iverson ’91, a balanced hybrid of F1 Durban, Gushers and Runtz named after Iverson’s MVP season.
