148 APRIL 6-12, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | REAL ESTATE | RENTALS | SERVICES | EMPLOYMENT | CANNABIS & MORE | CLASSIFIED | Best In-House Flower at a Dispensary KrystaLeaves 5301 Vasquez Boulevard, Commerce City 303-802-0026 krystaleaves.com Did anyone else wake up one morning and realize that most of Denver’s good canna- bis isn’t attached to a dispensary anymore? That’s a stark difference from a few years ago, when branded growers weren’t re- ally a thing and top-shelf fl ower was still grown internally. KrystaLeaves is one of the few dispensaries keeping that pulse of in-house fl ower alive, pumping out some of Denver’s most intriguing and terp-heavy cannabis. Multiple phenotypes of the same strain are common at KrystaLeaves, as are in-house creations with big followings, like the Con Leche and Grape TK. Founded by the Fernandez family and largely overseen by son Alex, this Commerce City cultiva- tion is worth the drive, especially if you have a sharp nose. Best Customer Service at Dispensary Alto 2160 South Lipan Street 720-428-2663 stayalto.com Alto is one of the smaller dispensaries in Denver. The sister dispensary of Egozi rosin has to split space with a cultivation and hash lab, so only one party at a time can enter the bud room — but that’s what makes the service so good. There aren’t any distractions for shoppers or the bud- tenders, who are as helpful and lovely as they come. A small-knit crew led by local mixed martial artist Elias Egozi and man- ager Juliana Mohr, Alto makes sure its em- ployees are educated on the ins and outs of good fl ower and hash, which are stocked in abundance. You might even run into an MMA pro, if you’re lucky. Best Selection at a Dispensary Oasis Cannabis Superstore 6359 East Evans Avenue 303-756-1494 5440 West 44th Avenue 303-333-3338 oasissuperstore.com Last time we visited, Oasis Cannabis Su- perstore had 35 strains on the shelf…from the fi rst three growers listed on the menu alone. In all, there were over 175 strains to choose from on a random Tuesday, not counting the pre-rolls, and the edibles sec- tion had even more options. Mass selection is the norm at both locations, so if you’re ever in search of a product, chances are Oasis has it. Cannabis products of all price tiers can be found here, and Oasis doesn’t skip the smaller stuff, either, with tinctures, topicals and a smoking accessory inventory that can rival a head shop all packed into these skunktastic superstores. Your brain might overload from the abundance of op- tions, but once you settle in, it will be hard to shop elsewhere. Best Bargains at a Dispensary Spark Dispensary 3900 East 48th Avenue 303-573-4800 sparkdispensary.com Even when stores have deals going on, all of the top brands are usually off limits. Not at Spark, where hash heads and fl ower con- noisseurs can fi nd deals and low prices on the likes of 710 Labs, Bloom, Bubba’s Kush, Dablogic, Indico and Mountain Select. We’ve walked out of Spark with grams of 710 rosin that cost less than $30 and have stocked up on Soiku Bano as if it were a Costco run — and it’s actually fi nancially conceivable to buy ounces of quality herb here. Whether it’s a daily deal or you just visited on the right day, chances are a highly rated brand is discounted, and the starting prices are affordable to begin with. Best Dispensary for Classic Strains Silver Stem Fine Cannabis Multiple Colorado locations silverstemcannabis.com Dispensaries and growers have to chase trends to stay competitive, but we never thought that fi nding pot pillars like Golden Goat and OG Kush could become so hard in Denver. As the vast majority of stores chase new singles, though, Silver Stem Fine Cannabis continues playing the hits. New creations are on the menu at Silver Stem, too, but you’ll always see classic strains that helped build cannabis culture into what it is today — Blue Dream, Chocolope, Golden Goat, Lemon Skunk, OG Kush, Orange Krush and Sour Kush being just a handful of them. Whether it’s nostalgia or chasing that one unforgettable high, Silver Stem can help you bring home gold. Best Topical Product Escape Artists Relief Cream letsescape.com/product-category/ topicals Once your body nears around thirty years old, the knots, strains and sore spots pop up without warning, typically at the start of the day. Keep Escape Artists Relief Cream in the medicine cabinet, though, and you’ll have a layer of defense against the aches and pains of exercise, awkward coordination and old age. Made with 800 milligrams of CBD, 800 milligrams of THC, a pharmaceutical-grade pain cream, and black pepper and cedar ex- tract, this cream has helped us with sore necks, strained quads and arthritis fl are-ups. And since THC lotions don’t reach your blood, it can be applied as often as needed without fear of a failed drug test. Best Cannabis-Friendly Venue Marijuana Mansion 1244 Grant Street 720-446-5433 mjmansion.com You can’t just walk into the Marijuana Mansion and light up a joint — the eccen- tric space serves as a photo-shooting gal- lery most of the time — but the historic, potentially haunted Capitol Hill mansion also moonlights as a private cannabis- friendly event host. Cannabis and More continued from page 146 continued on page 150
