Best Dispensary for a Connoisseur 2024 | Eclipse Cannabis Company | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Denver might be Colorado's cannabis capital, but just about every ambitious Colorado grower and hash maker is trying to get inside a dispensary on the outskirts of Boulder. Established brands like 710 Labs, DabLogic, Green Dot Labs and Lazercat account for much of the real estate at Eclipse Cannabis Co., but good weed sells itself, biscuit, and pushing the popular stuff don't mean shit. What this space-themed dispensary does better than others is spot new talent. Premier brands like Bubba's Kush, Red Roots Rolling Co. and Sunshine Extracts all got off the ground with the help of Eclipse. We can't wait to see what's on the horizon for 2024.

Temperatures have never been hotter, but at least we have one more dispensary product to keep us cool. Kahuna's ten-milligram ice pops are infused with various cannabinoid combinations, with the straight THC version the easiest to find. However, the CBN and THC variety might be more effective at summer siestas or relaxing in the pool. The mini pot-sicles come in adult-themed flavors such as Cabana Frosé, mango passion fruit and Cabana Margarita, and are usually sold at room temperature, like Otter Pops. But fear not: The 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.

kahunacannabis.co

Finding pot from a respectable grower has become surprisingly hard if you're not ready to spend top dollar, but it's no joke to the Laughing Grass crew. Proud to serve quality cannabis without expensive marketing flair, the west Denver store believes its $30 eighths and $100 ounces stack up with other hitmakers charging twice that. After trying Laughing Grass’s in-house cuts of Banana strains and old-school favorites like AK-47, Sour Diesel and the CBD-heavy Harlequin, you’ll probably agree. On top of daily deals, Laughing Grass has been putting on promotions in 2024 that give customers free grams of hash with $40 purchases and BOGO flower on Fridays and Saturdays. Whether you’re trying to buy bulk amounts of rosin or stock up on flower, it’s hard to find greener pastures than this.

Open in the Denver area for nearly thirty years, Headed West had to move three times before settling at its Englewood location in 2006. Owner "Big" Mike Mahaney has made the head shop a mainstay on South Broadway ever since, selling functional glassware of all shapes, sizes and prices long before recreational cannabis was legalized. Headed West stocks glass from artists like David Armour and UncleFish, big brands like MJ Arsenal and an extensive selection of vaporizers, blunts, dab rigs and everything else a smoker, joker or midnight toker would need. On top of a strong inventory, Headed West has become a staple for cannabis users with month-long deals, special raffles and friendly house service. When the bong breaks or you're looking to improve the collection, you know where to head.

Growers Tony Karas, Logan Nuss and hash whiz Kennn Wall have turned Single Source into a Colorado cannabis blue-chipper, pumping out some of the state's best flower and rosin. Single Source's Sour Diesel and GMO are always in pole position, but what we respect most about Single Source is its drive to grow what most others don't. Good luck finding Loompa's Headband or Strawberry 2.1, two turbo-charged Single Source strains, from anyone else in Colorado (and if you do, know it won't be as good), and you can count on the Denver operation to do pillar strains like Papaya Cake or Poontang Pie not just correctly, but exceptionally. Grab a gram of Wall's top-notch rosin, largely made from the same Single Source strains sold on the flower shelf, for a true cannabis combo.

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The chimera was said to have terrorized the ancient Greeks by flying down from the sky and scorching the land by breathing fire. That myth likely originated from a volcano in what is modern Turkey, but anyone who smokes Iion's Chimera today will be living that legend, because this shit is fire. Not just hot or worthy of praise. Fire. Vivid colors on Chimera's buds look like a blue and purple flame. The strain smells like a unique mixture of griddled dough, skunky tobacco and berry jam. And the high is upbeat, focused and creative. Reorganize the house, write a letter or get a little artsy; whatever activity you choose, Chimera livens it up. Add in a manageable comedown and munchies, and this is our favorite anytime toke of the year.

iioncannabis.com
Scott Lentz

Colorado Harvest Company has been around since the medical marijuana days, and that experience shows through the menu. Rare and popular flower brands from across the state are available at all three Colorado Harvest stores, from 710 Labs to Indico, with other talent in the grower lineup like Green Dot Labs, Malek's Premium Cannabis, Melody Genetics, Single Source, Snaxland and Colorado Harvest's own garden. The hash list, headlined by 710, Green Dot, Mighty Melts and Single Source, among others, is just loaded. Fans of hydrocarbon extractions also have plenty to shop through, and seasoned edibles eaters will appreciate a long list of rosin-infused treats. And as one of the few stores to offer delivery in Denver and Aurora, you don't have to make the drive if you live in either city.

When it's time to celebrate a wedding, newborn or big promotion, don't settle for a penny pre-roll or homemade joint. A true celebration requires quality, presentation and elements we can't make on our own. And few people can make a hash hole like Kayne Perry. The founder of Red Roots Rolling Co., raised around the Kentucky tobacco fields, can only make around 75 of the 2.6-gram doughnut doinks a day, with two grams of selected flower and a 0.6-gram rosin snake placed in the middle. Meant to be shared with others or smoked over multiple sessions, Red Roots hash holes are like a fine cigar and should be treated as such, with humidity-controlled storage and a torch lighter. As more grower and extractor collaborations come to fruition for Red Roots, we can't wait to celebrate in 2024.

redrootsrolling.com

Named after the beloved and incredibly ridiculous pot propaganda film from 1936, Reefer Madness stores have plenty of good flower — but it's safe to say these dispensaries are hash-crazy, too. Over the last couple of years, store manager Ryan Ashby has curated quite a selection of extractors on the shelf, from 710 Labs to Single Source and plenty in between. Reefer Madness receives limited drops and brand-new creations from Lazercat and Malek's Melts, with other popular rosin brands such as Big Heads Little Necks, Green Dot Labs, Mighty Melts, Mountain Select, Olio, Sunshine Extracts and Trichome Collective also on the menu. Wax, shatter, live resin, Rick Simpson Oil and vape cartridges are in heavy supply at Reefer Madness as well, so any dabber will find something they like. And with a new store opening on South Broadway last summer, you can now step into the madness on both ends of town.

Hash-covered buds, also known as caviar or moon rocks, aren't anything new to dispensaries — but good ones are. Similar to pre-rolls, caviar's starting materials are rarely tip-top, but all of those worries go out the window with Locol Love. The Boulder-based cultivation is one of Colorado's top wholesale growers, with impressive cuts of Colorado Cream Soda, Minties, Monkey Berries and much more. Now you can get those same beautiful nugs with a frosty coat of solventless sift, collected in-house, for a few bucks extra. The high feels clean and supercharged, even for strong tolerances, and the kief sticks to the buds well enough for a slow burn. If you're looking to impress a cannabis connoisseur without breaking the bank or just want something stiff in case of emergency, this is a great choice.

locol-love.com

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