The Gathering Place Denver

Nonprofits We Love

At Lightshade, giving back to the community is important. For this reason, we want to recognize five local organizations who are making a difference every day.

Citizens in Colorado made their voices heard when they voted in favor of legalizing recreational cannabis. Since then, the cannabis industry has matured, and many businesses, including Lightshade, have built Corporate Social Responsibility programs (or Cannabis Social Responsibility, as we prefer to call it), to demonstrate the capacity of cannabis to do good. It is through our ability to give, that we will show the willingness of cannabis industry leaders to support our community in a big way.

As an industry, we are in the position to redefine CSR, building an improved vision of what it means to be good corporate citizens, and creating new standards for the rest of our industry to follow. The stigma surrounding cannabis is a force we battle each day. Media outlets, even in Colorado, where cannabis is legal, too often portray cannabis as a counter-cultural industry working in the shadows of mainstream society.

This is a false narrative. Our industry is about healthy living, healing, positivity, and love.

February, to us, is the month of love; love for ourselves, for our partners, and for the community. It is for this reason, that we’d like to highlight five local organizations (and a handful of honorable mentions) working to make Colorado a more supportive place to live, for each individual in the state.

Five Colorado Organizations Committed to Giving Back

1. The Gathering Place

Founded in 1986, the Gathering place is the only daytime drop-in center in metro Denver that serves women, their children, and transgender individuals who are experiencing poverty, many of whom are also experiencing homelessness. While the Gathering Place refers to those they serve as “members”, no fees are ever charged for programs or services.

TGP believes deeply in the power of the community, and they work tirelessly to make it stronger. Their core values include recognizing individual strengths, building respect and trust, and offering unconditional acceptance.

If you’d like to learn more about The Gathering Place, please contact them at:

(303) 321-4198, or (303) 321-0679


2. Aurora Warms the Nights

Aurora Warms the Night (AWTN), shelters those experiencing homelessness in the winter when the temperatures drop below 20 degrees. Year-round services include meals, warm clothing, personal hygiene products, transportation to shelter, laundry vouchers, bus passes, partner agency referrals, and advocacy. AWTN operates these services in order to ensure families and individuals meet their most basic needs, learn new skills, and access resources to transition out of homelessness. Aurora Warms the Night also provides a mobile shower truck to give those experiencing homelessness a safe and comfortable place to bathe, helping to restore their sense of pride and dignity.

Aurora Warms the Night is helping to break the cycle of homelessness, through their comprehensive services. Their partner provider services are located onsite and include mental health services, health care clinics, and workforce education for clients, including resume composition, interviewing skills, job coaching assistance, food assistance, SSI, and SSDI application assistance, along with veterans’ services.

AWTN provides education to the community regarding homelessness, including presentations to schools, the faith-based community, corporations, and community organizations.

If you’d like to learn more about Aurora Warms the Night, please contact them at:

info@awtnco.org or (303) 361-6905


Amazing Grace Church Food Pantry

3. Amazing Grace Church

We are proud to partner with Amazing Grace Church, to provide much-needed support to the Amazing Grace Food Pantry. The food pantry is responsible for supplying over 5,000 pounds of food each week to underprivileged members of the community. Amazing Grace had previously been stocking their food pantry with individual donations, along with unused food from local restaurants. When we learned of Amazing Grace and the support they provide to the community, along with the challenges they face in this endeavor, we knew we needed to get involved.

Amazing Grace serves dinner on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month, and Lightshade not only provides financial support, but we also send our budtenders to help out in person. Dubbed “Dinner for a Dollar” the dinner provides a nourishing meal to community members who need it the most.

The food bank also offers needy visitors a choice of products in their shopping area. Additionally, they have an 800 square foot garden that provides produce during the summer growing season and encourages clients to take time to pick fresh vegetables while at the church.

If you’d like to learn more about Amazing Grace Church and the Amazing Grace Food Pantry, please contact them at:

(303) 280-0444 


Project Sanctuary Retreat

4. Project Sanctuary

Project Sanctuary supports military families where they are right now.

After years of working with military families, they have become a recognized leader in bringing health and wellness to veterans and their families. By addressing mental health first, they take families from battle ready to family ready.

Since 2007, Project Sanctuary has been helping military families thrive with six-day therapeutic retreats and an additional two years of family support services. Their evidence-based program is the only of its kind, treating the entire family, and helping veterans, spouses, caregivers, and kids heal together.

If you’d like to learn more about Project Sanctuary, please contact them at:

(720) 561-9193

info@projectsanctuary.us


Project Worthmore and Denver Urban Gardens

5. Denver Urban Gardens

Denver Urban Gardens (DUG), knows that community is the driver of lasting change. That’s why each of their urban gardens and farms has been started and led by local residents. They currently have over 180 gardens in six counties within the Metro Denver Area.

DUG gardeners grow food, but more than that, they grow the community. They put down deep roots, providing resources, training, and support to establish enduring gardens and farms that become valuable assets to neighborhoods. All of this is done with respect for all people and the environment.

Since 1985, Denver Urban Gardens has been building and supporting community gardens in the Metro Denver Area.

If you’d like to learn more about Denver Urban Gardens, please contact them at:

dirt@dug.org or (303) 292-9900


Honorable mentions:

Servicio de la Raza
(303) 458-5851
info@serviciosdelaraza.org

Colorado Homeless Families
(303) 420-6634
info@chfrb.org

Senior Support Services
(303) 832-1622

Grant Street Reach
(720) 593-1993
tina@grantstreetreach.org

We hope you will join us in supporting individuals and organizations who make a difference each day in Colorado. Let’s show the world what the cannabis community is all about—health, positivity, healing, support, and love.

*Lightshade is proud to provide not only financial support to the organizations mentioned above but also store-based donation drives and in person volunteer hours.

Please get in touch if you’d like to know more about any of the organizations mentioned in this blog. Head over to our Cannabis Social Responsibility page to learn more about our efforts to support our communities.


Lightshade Cannabis Products for Valentine's Day

5 Ways to Elevate Your Valentine’s Day with Cannabis

Ignite your passion this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is next week. Are you ready?

Many of our readers will answer this question with a sigh and roll of the eyes, others, with a seductive smile and nod. We understand both reactions.

The Feast of Saint Valentine, as it’s also known, is rough. For those flying solo, the day is forlorn—a stinging reminder that something is missing*. That being said, if you’re married or in a relationship, there’s plenty of opportunities for disappointment (did you remember to buy a card?).

*Note: we should clarify. There is nothing wrong with choosing to fly solo—we are fans of solitude—you do you.

We aren’t part of the doom and gloom set and view Valentine’s Day as a beautiful celebration of love, no matter where you fall on the relationship spectrum. Is our fondness for the Feast of Saint Valentine influenced by cannabis? Perhaps it is (#duh).

Since legalization, cannabis industry innovators have created a legion of products ideally suited for star-crossed lovers, spouses—together for decades, or newlyweds—the happily single, and the not so happily single. Here are five of them.

Five premium cannabis products from Lightshade

Coda Symphony Bath Bombs Lightshade Dispensary

1. Coda Bath Bombs

Everyone loves a relaxing bath. Light a few candles, turn on the romantic tunes, and treat your Valentine (or yourself) to a relaxing cannabis-infused bath with the Symphony Bath Bomb collection from Coda Signature.

From Coda:

The body essential Bath Bomb Symphony Collection orchestrates the rich effects of cannabis with our unique oil blends to provide a total body healing experience. Simply drop a single bath bomb into a warm bath, submerge yourself, breathe deeply, and let this effervescent experience relax your muscles and nourish your skin.

Binske Edibles Lightshade Dispensary

2. Binske: 100mg Raspberry Chocolate Bar

Valentine’s Day and chocolate go hand-in-hand, and you’d be hard pressed to find a better, sexier, cannabis-infused chocolate, than a bar from Binske. Borrowing from the ancient Mayan tradition of chocolate manufacturing, Binske’s 100mg Raspberry Chocolate bar joins the gold of Moctezuma with the Feast of Saint Valentine.

From Binske:

As legend has it, when Cortez conquered the Aztecs and asked emperor Moctezuma for their most prized commodity, he was shown vaults of cacao instead of gold. The real gold of the Mayans, Oro Maya Chocolate, comes from the lush tropics of Mesoamerica, where it first evolved in the Amazon River Basin between three and six million years ago. The Mayan civilization is credited with being first to document the manufacturing of chocolate and popularized it in their culture, as they considered it sacred, and chocolate was believed to contain the ‘spirit of the gods’. The cacao is grown, harvested and produced in the same Honduran jungle sacred to the Mayans.

The Honduran 65% Cacao with crispy bits of tart raspberries bursting with flavor. Suggested musical pairing: Je Ne T’aime Plus by Manu Chao.

Foria Lightshade Dispensary

3. Foria: Pleasure Lube 5ml

Break out the cannabis-infused lube when you and your Valentine are ready to kick things up a notch—or, when you’re ready for a solo celebration. Need we say more? Nope.

From Foria:

FORIA Pleasure is a first of its kind all natural sensual enhancement oil thoughtfully designed for women and their partners –  a blend of nourishing liquid coconut oil and lab-tested cannabis oil.

  •   Sourced from sun-grown cannabis cultivated to organic standards
  •   Delivered in 100% organic-certified coconut MCT oil
  •   30-50 servings per bottle
  •  Independently tested for purity: free of pesticides, heavy metals, microbes, and other toxins    

4. Love’s Oven: Red Velvet Cookies 100mg

If THC laden chocolate bars and cannabis-infused lube isn’t your thing, perhaps the 100mg Red Velvet Cookies from Love’s Oven will spark your interest. Who doesn’t love a sensual cannabis-infused cookie on Valentine’s Day?

From Love’s Oven:

Dive into the deep mysterious taste of luxury that will leave your taste buds wanting more.

Ingredients:
White Flour, Colorado Beet Sugar, Cannabutter, Egg, White Chocolate Chips, Cocoa Powder, Liquid Red Food Color, Pure Vanilla Extract, Pure Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Agar

Allergens:
Wheat, Dairy, Egg

Package Size:
Ten individually packaged, 10 mg active THC cookies

Mary Jane's Medicinals Lightshade Dispensary

5. Mary Jane’s Medicinals: Aloe Lotion 2oz

Everyone appreciates silky, smooth skin, especially on Valentine’s Day. Treat your special someone to a relaxing rub-down with a cannabis-infused lotion from the topical experts at Mary Jane’s Medicinals.

From Mary Jane’s Medicinals:

Our silky body lotion is a great product for skin issues that can affect larger areas of the body because it easily spreads over the skin and is quickly absorbed. Between the regenerative powers of cannabis and aloe vera’s well-known ability to treat burns, this lotion is quite effective at soothing and helping to restore sunburned, sun damaged, or aging skin. And it can aid comfort for other painful skin problems too. Apply this rich cream all over your body before bed for a restful night’s sleep.

Valentine’s Day has been delighting lovers and irritating single-folk since the Middle Ages. Fortunately, for those lucky enough to live in Colorado (or any state where recreational cannabis is legal), marijuana is here to help you elevate the years most contentious ‘holiday.’

Whether you’re going it alone this year, or spending the day with your closest companion, make this Valentine’s Day an elevated experience to remember. Place a pre-order online.

Be sure to keep an eye on our sales & specials page next week for our Valentine’s Day promos.


Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions - Lightshade Dispensary Denver

Cannabis Can Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions—Here’s How

The New Year is your opportunity to reset and renew, and cannabis is here to help.

As the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, people around the world celebrate the New Year and make resolutions with the best of intentions. From dropping weight to hitting the gym, lofty travel plans, to personal wellness goals, we start the New Year with only positive outcomes in mind—unfortunately, as the days progress, most of us run into roadblocks. Cannabis can help.

While people become more comfortable with mainstream cannabis and a new population of consumers discovers the variety of strains and their impressive range of effects, we continue to chip away at the couch-locked stoner stereotype.

We want to pause and make something clear: we mean no disrespect to consumers interested in the classic, couch-lock experience. There’s a wide range of consumers and an equally broad range of cannabis effects—we don’t discriminate.

Let’s get back to our resolutions.

Cannabis has proven benefits to those touched by a slew of issues, from tension and general pain relief, to more severe afflictions. Surprising to some, however, cannabis can provide motivation to keep you on track to hit your New Year’s goals.

Tackle your to-do list with a Sativa-dominant hybrid.

If you’re missing the energy or motivation to tackle a list of resolutions, a Sativa-dominant hybrid will be your best friend. Sativas elevate your mood, but in the case of a hybrid strain, a touch of Indica helps to keep you grounded and focused. That said, the impact of a strain depends on your body chemistry, and the strain’s unique terpene profile (click here to learn more about terpenes and how you can use them to predict your high). If you’re new to cannabis, as the phrase goes, start low and go slow. Test with low doses and experiment with various strains to find the right products to help you tackle your list.

Lightshade recommends:

Enliven Strains for an energizing experience: Durban Poison and Sour Joker

Inspire Strains if you prefer a more mellow effect: Lavender Jones and Pineapple Express


Elevate your workouts and stay on track this year.

Microdosing cannabis before a workout is a great way to prepare mentally for an intense sweat session (we published a blog about it last year). The awareness of your body grows, and each movement becomes a focused, moving meditation. Cannabis and yoga go hand-in-hand, and, yoga, as well as being an intense total body workout, is an excellent way to focus your mind and to cultivate a positive mental attitude. Set achievable goals, start slowly, and don’t hit the gym or studio with so much enthusiasm that you burn out instantly.

Pro tip: if you pull a muscle in the gym or yoga studio, cannabis can help with that too (be sure to visit your healthcare provider for anything more than a minor injury).

Lightshade recommends:

Enliven strains to elevate and energize  your workout: The White, Green Crack and Red Headed Stranger

Calm Strains for post-workout relief: Star Dawg, Mother’s Milk and Dalae OG


Make travel plans and unleash your creativity with a strain from our Inspire category.

While we never recommend traveling with cannabis (it’s illegal), we always encourage consuming to inspire creativity and to dream up lofty travel plans. Pull out the map, pin it to a wall, consume a strain from our Inspire category, and start throwing darts. Pick a dream destination and sit down to map out a strategy. No goal is too lofty when you strategize and build a roadmap. We recommend that you solidify your travel goal(s) and work backward, step-by-step, making notes at each juncture to bring your target to life.

We are biased, but in our opinion, cannabis is the ultimate catalyst for inspiration and creativity. With the right strain, you’ll find the focus and motivation to bring your lofty travel goals and creative resolutions to life.

Lightshade recommends:

Inspire Strains: White 99, Orange Herijuana and Sour Diesel

Optional: try a Rest strain to clear your mind and daydream about your next adventure: Bubba Fett


There is quite literally, a world full of resolutions, and, while most people will find themselves losing sight of their goals as the year moves forward, there are steps you can take each day to achieve and exceed your objectives in 2019. Cannabis can be your ally in this endeavor—your secret weapon.


Lightshade Apparel 2018 - Denver Dispensary

Top 5 Blogs of 2018

A Look Back at 2018 With Lightshade’s Top 5 Blogs Of The Year

Prepare for the New Year with a look back at five of your favorite blogs from 2018.

The New Year is just around the corner, but we’re not quite ready to say goodbye to 2018. The last 12 months have been a whirlwind for the Lightshade family. We’ve won awards, including Best Dispensary For A Native, our staff continued to support a few of Colorado’s amazing charities, we saw our newest dispensary bring medical marijuana to Federal Heights and even helped put on a party at Red Rocks last winter.

Through the year, Lightshade continued to spread awareness around cannabis, educating our blog readers about various cannabis-related topics. It’s with this in mind we thought it would be fun to look back on some of our favorite entries. Here are our top five blogs of 2018!

Lightshade celebrates women in cannabis

1. Women In Cannabis

2018 saw a powerful surge in the push for gender equality and women’s rights. From the #MeToo movement to the millions across the country who participated in the Women’s March at the start of the year, women everywhere stood up for fairness. This blog entry from last March, National Women’s History Month, highlighted some of the achievements of the cannabis industry’s most notable and distinguished women, including Lightshade’s very own Shannon Brooks.


Cannabis for Recovery for Athletes

2. Cannabis: The Secret To Enhanced Athletic Performance and Recovery

Here’s one for those of you with fitness goals on your New Year’s resolution list. In this blog from April, we explored ways that cannabis is changing how people workout, train and recover while staying in shape or preparing for a competition. If you’re looking to take home the gold in 2019, check out this blog and see why cannabis and fitness go hand-in-hand.


Different Brands & Types of Cannabis Vaporizers

3. Cannabis Vape Pens and Cartridges: Two Of Our Favorite Things

Since legalization in Colorado, vaping has become a preferred cannabis consumption method for many consumers, and 2018 saw this category of products grow even more. Maybe it’s the convenience of vape pens people enjoy, perhaps it’s the variety of unique CBD and THC cartridges available, whichever your reason, cannabis enthusiasts have proven this trend isn’t going anywhere. In this blog published last October, we got our staff involved and asked them to tell us about their favorite cannabis vape products.


Cannabis Concentrates at Lightshade Dispensary Denver

4. Only The Good Stuff: The Wide World Of Cannabis Concentrates

This past July Lightshade celebrated Concentrates Month, and as part of the celebration, we published a blog explaining all things cannabis concentrates. In this entry, you can find out everything you need to know about the many different types of cannabis concentrates available at Lightshade. Wax, shatter, budder, resin and more. No matter what form you’re curious about, this blog has the answers.


Hemp-derived CBD and Marijuana-drived CBD - Lightshade Dispensary Denver

5. CBD Explained

Sure, this is our most recent blog entry, but it covers one of our favorite topics so we had to include it! Last week we published a blog covering one of the most significant U.S. consumer trends of 2018; Cannabidiols, aka CBD. Even if you’re unfamiliar with this cannabis product category, chances are you’ve at least heard the term CBD. CBD has been popping up in products nationwide, but still, many Americans don’t know what CBD is or does. Here we address just that and more, including how marijuana-derived and hemp-derived CBD differ and what to expect when you consume CBD.


We are looking forward to 2019!

2018 was a big year for cannabis and Lightshade alike. We want to thank all of our AWESOME customers and friends for continuing to feel the Lightshade love, as well as our brilliant staff for making this past year a success. However, we’re all about the future—bring on 2019. We will see you next year!


Hemp-derived CBD and Marijuana-drived CBD - Lightshade Dispensary Denver

CBD Explained

An Exploration of This Years Hottest Cannabis Trend, Cannabidiol (CBD)

CBD is exploding nationwide, but mystery and misinformation are preventing consumers from realizing its benefits.

This year, cannabidiol products, more widely known as CBD, have taken the country by storm. Despite, or more accurately because of, the attention these products are receiving, a growing number of consumers are unsure of what CBD is (and does), and how it differs from the more commonly understood cannabinoid, THC.

As CBD becomes more widely known among a population of consumers, most of which are new to cannabis, it is essential to take a close look at this emerging category of products and lift the veil of mystery to eliminate confusion and misinformation.

Let’s dive in.

CBD: A Basic Definition

Let’s begin with the basics. What is CBD?

Cannabis is packed with hundreds of chemical compounds known as cannabinoids. These cannabinoids are responsible for the range of effects commonly associated with the plant. CBD is one of these compounds.

Most consumers, until recently, have been familiar only with THC, the chemical compound responsible for our favorite plant’s psychoactive effects. Our bodies absorb cannabinoids via the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is a group of receptors found within the brain and central nervous system that make it possible for us to realize its effects (psychoactive or otherwise).  

Other cannabis compounds include CBN, CBG, and THCV, to name a few. Each compound owns a unique set of properties and interacts with the ECS to produce a broad range of effects.

CBD alone, is not psychoactive, meaning it won’t get you high. This fact is the primary point of difference between CBD and THC. This is not to say CBD has no effect on the body, to the contrary, CBD has a range of effects that while different from those offered by THC, are equally impressive (we will get to those later).

Cannabinoids - CBD and THC - Lightshade Dispensary DenverMarijuana CBD vs. Hemp CBD

There are two primary types of CBD; marijuana-derived and hemp-derived. To understand the difference between the two, we need to first understand the difference between marijuana and hemp. Both are varieties of the cannabis plant, however; they have very different attributes, both chemically and visually.

Looking at the two plants side by side, you’ll see the hemp plant has thin leaves with tall, slender stalks. Marijuana, on the other hand, has broader leaves with a shorter stalk and large buds. The most significant difference between hemp and marijuana, however, isn’t in appearance, but in the make-up of their cannabinoids. Marijuana typically has very high levels of THC and lower percentages of CBD, while hemp, as you may have guessed, contains high levels of CBD and low levels of THC.

When looking at the difference between marijuana-derived CBD and hemp-derived CBD, it all has to do with the percentages of each cannabinoid the plants produce. While each plant will have percentage of both THC and CBD, hemp plants will have an extremely low percentage of THC, which is why hemp-derived CBD is legal in most of the U.S. and marijuana-derived CBD products still remain legal only in medical and recreational states, such as Colorado and California.

Hemp-derived CBD and Marijuana-drived CBD - Lightshade Dispensary DenverIf it doesn’t get you high, what does it do?

CBD on its own may not produce any psychoactive effects, but it makes up for that with many other qualities. CBD has a therapeutic effect on the body and has been shown to help with nausea, inflammation, stress, pain and anxiety relief. Many consumers actually prefer CBD to THC for this reason. They can get many of the benefits of cannabis without having to have the head-high that comes along with THC so they can consume throughout the day while remaining alert and focused on their routines.

Further research is needed on CBD, but there have been many studies that suggest CBD can be helpful in the treatment of illnesses such as cancer and epilepsy.

Effects of CBD - Lightshade Dispensary DenverWhy get CBD products at a dispensary?

If CBD is legal in nearly every state (be sure to check your local laws), why bother going to a dispensary to purchase CBD products when you can just order them online? There are multiple reasons why a dispensary is the way to go.

First and foremost, you have the option of buying cannabis-derived CBD products. As we mentioned before, cannabis-derived CBD products also contain different levels of THC in addition to CBD, and here is where things get really interesting.

By many accounts, THC and CBD work best when they are utilized together. What is known as the “entourage effect” in the industry, this concept suggests that cannabinoids work better together, with THC and CBD enhancing one another’s characteristics and benefits while downplaying adverse side effects of the other, such as CBD reducing paranoia symptoms that could be brought on by THC, for some people. This is something you just won’t be able to get from CBD-only products sold online.

The confusion around CBD has grown as more products find their way to market, sold online (as we’ve mentioned above), and at local farmers markets and boutiques. CBD purchased outside of a dispensary has been known to include chemicals which could be harmful when consumed. Additionally, in countries like China, where a large percentage of the world’s CBD-only products are produced, dubious testing practices and vague regulations increase the chances that your purchasing products with unhealthy additives. You can rest assured that products purchased at a licensed Colorado dispensary, have been through rigorous testing for chemicals, microbes, and other potentially harmful additives.

Dispensaries offer a wide range of products, with varying ratios of THC to CBD. Whether you want a 10 to 1 ratio of ‘CBD-heavy’ gummiesan even ratio of 1 to 1 THC/CBD bath soak, or a 20 to 1 CBD/THC tincture, these are all options you’re only going to find in a dispensary.

At Lightshade, we carry a full offering of the highest quality CBD products available, from full CBD vape pens to THC/CBD edibles, we’ve got it all. Our knowledgeable budtenders are trained and ready to answer any questions you have about CBD or any and all things cannabis related. Stop by any of our eight Denver-metro locations and discover what the CBD movement is all about.


Different Brands & Types of Cannabis Vaporizers

Cannabis Vape Pens and Cartridges: Two of Our Favorite Things

Lightshade’s managers love vape pens and cartridges—here are some of their favorites.

We like to poll our retail store managers a few times a year to learn more about their favorite products. If you’re a regular visitor to this blog, you might remember last February’s article highlighting our manager’s preferred concentrates.

This time, given the increasing popularity of cannabis vape pens and related goods, we wanted to find out what our retail store managers love among Lightshade’s vape and THC vape oil cartridge product lines.

Cannabis Vape Pens—Colorado’s New Favorite Consumption Method

It’s not surprising to learn, since legalization, vaping has become one of the most popular cannabis consumption methods. Vapes offer a smooth, discrete, and simple experience for consumers. Additionally, vape pens provide consistent and straightforward dosing, immediate onset, and cartridge options spanning the entire spectrum of flavors and effects.

Unlike smoking flower (don’t get us wrong, we LOVE consuming flower), with vape pens, there is no need to use a grinder, fuss with rolling a joint, packing a bowl, or waiting while someone does that work for you. Just pop your favorite cartridge into the pen and enjoy—it’s that simple. Speaking of simplicity, single-use vape pens with pre-loaded cartridges are also available. In the realm of cannabis, it doesn’t get any easier.

It’s understandable, given the ease of use and the possible range of effects, why Vape pens are loved equally by new cannabis consumers and seasoned enthusiasts alike.

Keep reading to find out what vape products Lightshade’s retail store managers love.

Lightshade Managers Favorite Vape Products

Evolab G-Pen at Lightshade Dispensary Denver

Linnea

Lightshade 6th Ave (Denver Dispensary)

Evolab G-Pen

“My personal favorite is the G-Pen from Evolab. Similar to the Pax Era in its unique pen and pod design, I find the terpene-rich oil blend gives an explosive flavor and consistent high from start to finish. While some cartridges may have a diminished and sometimes burnt taste when they are nearly empty, the G-Pen offers a full-flavored hit and a pleasant buzz until the very end.”

Evolab Gio Pods at Lightshade Dispensary Denver

Haley

Lightshade (Aurora Dispensary)

Evolab G-Pen and Gio Pods

“My favorite vape product we carry is the Evolab G-pen and Gio pods. The pods carry zero polypropylene glycol (PPG), and they have a high terpene profile making them very tasty. The effects are consistent and eclipse most other products in longevity and quality. The price point is great, the heating time is instantaneous, and the battery life is usually 2 hours.”

Pax Era Vape - Lightshade Dispensary

Heather

Lightshade Dayton (Denver Dispensary)

Pax Era and Pax Era Live Resin Pods

“My favorite vape product Lightshade carries is the Pax Era vaporizer with the Pax Era Live Resin Pods. When it comes to flavor and buzz, the smoking experience is unlike any other cartridge. The high terpene extract pods are also some of my favorites—this is a great cartridge for consumers looking for a high comparable to flower. Pax allows you to customize your device to your own personal preferences through a free downloadable app. It allows you to adjust the temperature, and play games! The newest feature on the app allows for consumers to log a smoking “Sesh“ so you know how much of your pod you’ve been smoking and for how long, as well as how much product gets you to where you need to be! Overall I recommend this product to seasoned veteran smokers as well as first timers because of how easily customizable the smoking experience is.”

Michael

Lightshade Sheridan (Denver Dispensary)

Craft Sesh Cartridges

“My favorite vape product at Lightshade, are the Craft Sesh cartridges. Craft’s distillate consistently tests between 75 and 95 percent, so consumers know they will get a consistent experience, every time. Craft also reintroduces strain specific terpenes to their Sesh cartridges, making these some of the best tasting cartridges, on a budget.”

Pax Era Pods - Lightshade Dispensary Denver

Aryana

Lightshade Federal Heights (Federal Heights Dispensary)

Pax Era Pen and Pods

“Pax has a wide variety of pods from their affordable budder pods to the more expensive live resin, distillate, 1:1, 3:1 CBD: THC options to suit all users….I love the lock feature you can enable thru the app.”

Evolab G-Pen at Lightshade Dispensary Denver

Aja

Lightshade Holly (Denver Dispensary)

Evolab G-Pen

“The Nomad distillate cartridges are awesome! The oil is pure and potent. These cartridges are similar to the CSC distillate cartridges, but Nomad stepped it up a notch and introduced new flavors like Cantaloupe and Dreamsicle! I love these cartridges not only because of the flavors but also because of how smooth the oil is when you hit it. A lot of vape pens are harsh and tend to burn my throat and make me cough, but the Nomad pairs a pleasant hit with a flavor that isn’t too overwhelming.”

Evolab Chroma Colors Cartridges - Lightshade Dispensary Denver

Jose

Lightshade Iliff (Aurora Dispensary)

Evolab Chroma Colors Cartridges

“The Evolab Chroma Colors Cartridges are my favorite vape item! They provide rich Terpenes and pure Cannabinoids that deliver a great tasting product with a wide range of flavors, a great atomizer and high THC percentages—I am never disappointed. The price point is very competitive, and I’m able to enjoy my oil with no clogging issues or any of that awful burnt taste!”

Cannabis vape pens and cartridges give recreational and medical cannabis consumers high quality, convenient, discrete and versatile products to suit every occasion and mood. Lightshade is proud to offer the latest vape products available at each of our 9 retail locations, including all of the items mentioned above.

Stop by or pre-order online, and experience for yourself why the Lightshade difference is night and day.


Lightshade Cannabis this Fall

Fall Is Never A Drag When You’ve Got Cannabis

The Lightshade 30-Day Challenge, Continued

Elevate the season with our Autumn-focused recipes and ideas.

Last month, we challenged you to make a switch from alcohol to cannabis at least one evening a week, for 30 days. We’ve since received a flood of positive feedback from Lightshade customers, who have discovered for themselves, the transformative impact making this change can have.

From the miraculous to the mundane, customers have reached out to share inspiring stories and significant results—our budtenders have heard it all. Everything from people who have dropped an inch from their waistlines to one customer, new to cannabis, who realized an incredible personal transformation after only a handful of positive experiences, and has since made the decision to eliminate alcohol completely.

This month, as the temperatures drop and you begin to spend more time indoors, Lightshade encourages you to continue to challenge yourself and perhaps add an additional day (or more) each week where you swap the booze for the bud. To help support you in this endeavor, we’ve come up with a handful of ideas specific to this transitional time, as the heat of summer subsides, and we changeover to the season of cold.

It can be difficult to keep clear of the whiskey or wine on a cold Colorado evening. The recipes and ideas below will help you stay the course.

Transform your Broncos game-day experience.

When imagining game-day parties, most Coloradans see images of wings, dips, and beer—lots of beer. The thing is, when you’re surrounded by carb-heavy treats, inserting extra calories in the form of a beverage isn’t ideal. Adding the threat of a possible post-game-day hangover (made worse by a loss), is equally unappealing. This football season, try swapping out the brews for cannabis. Your guests might make jokes, they may seem shocked, and a few might call you crazy, but they’ll appreciate the restful sleep, dropped calories, and hangover-free morning, post game-day.

Everyone loves Mac N Cheese—try this enhanced recipe at your next game-day gathering.

  •     ½ cup cold Cannabutter
  •     1 tablespoon melted Cannabutter
  •     ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, preferably grass-fed
  •     1 cup flour
  •     4 cups milk
  •     2 teaspoons salt
  •     ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  •     1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  •     1 pound penne pasta, cooked
  •     1 cup shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
  •     1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  •     1 cup shredded American or Swiss cheese
  •     ¾ cup grate Parmesan cheese
  •     ¼ cup breadcrumbs

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bring your milk to a rolling boil. Add your Cannabutter, seasoning, cheese and penne pasta. Pour mixture into a baking pan and sprinkle with breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.


Hunker down for a chill afternoon at home.

It’s getting cold—in comparison with our string of 90+ degree-days in September, some might say frigid. Throughout summer we advocated taking advantage of Colorado’s outdoor activities, but there’s nothing wrong with spending a guilt-free afternoon at home on a cold fall day. Self-care is a must in this fast-paced digital age, and sometimes a quiet afternoon, reading, listening to music, or revisiting your favorite movie is just the thing to recharge your batteries. Cold weather is the perfect excuse to stay inside.

Enjoy a dose of liquid sunshine on a cold Colorado afternoon.

Vegan Golden Milk—via Stillwater Brands

Golden Milk

  • 1 ½ cups light coconut milk canned
  • 1 ½ cups unsweetened plain almond milk
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 cinnamon stick (or ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • Pinch of ground black pepper
  • Sweetener of your choice—we recommend maple syrup, coconut sugar, or sugar in the raw
  • 2 Ripple Relief 20:1 Packet (10mg CBD: 0.5 mg THC)

Instructions: 

  1. In a small saucepan, add coconut milk, almond milk, ground turmeric, ground ginger, cinnamon stick, coconut oil, black pepper, and sweetener of your choice (1 TBSP).
  2. Whisk to combine and warm over medium heat. Heat until hot to the touch but not boiling—about 4 minutes—whisking frequently.
  3. Turn off heat and taste to adjust flavor. Add 1 Ripple packet. Add more sweetener to taste or more turmeric or ginger for intense spice and flavor.
  4. Serve immediately, dividing between two glasses and leaving the cinnamon stick behind.


Host a cannabis-themed dinner party and/or happy hour.

Fall is the season of small gatherings and reflection. There’s no better way to stay warm than by inviting a few of your closest friends over for a cannabis-themed happy hour and/or dinner party. Invite your friends to join early, whip-up a delicious cannabis-infused mocktail–or leave the cannabis out, place a few tinctures nearby, and have guests dose themselves. As an alternative, set out a plate of edibles for everyone to enjoy–remember, ‘start low and go slow’.

Take a short break from cannabis while you and your guests enjoy dinner, and instead of a cocktail or dessert after the meal, indulge in a post-dinner cannabis-infused chocolate. We recommend Bliss Cups from 1906, or Coda Signature’s ‘Coffee & Donuts’ 100mg THC chocolate bar (to be shared).  

Couples, after your guests leave for the evening, keep the fun going with High Love Beans from 1906 or wind down with Midnight, also from 1906.

Pro Tip:  As we’ve said mentioned above, start low and go slow. It’s easy to over-indulge—you want your guests to feel relaxed, not ready for a nap. Have questions? Visit us, we are always more than happy to help.

Sativa Pear Punch

  •      2 parts pear nectar or pear juice
  •      2 parts sparkling cider or lemon-lime soda
  •      1 part cranberry juice
  •      10 mg worth of cannabis tincture:

*We recommend Aliviar CBD Tincture for a punch with no psychoactive effects, Mary’s Medicinals The Remedy 1:1 Oil or Dixie Synergy Drops, both of which contain equal ratios of CBD to THC, or Ebbu Genesis Aqua Drops, a THC-only option.

  •      Garnish: pear slice and/or freshly grated nutmeg

(Alternatively, you can make the punch without cannabis and let your guests control their dosage. Place the tincture drops directly under your tongue for faster results.)

sweet-potato-mash

  • 2 lbs sweet potatoes
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup evaporated milk
  • 1/3 cup Cannabutter, softened
  • ¼ teaspoons, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir until smooth (or relatively smooth). Once smooth, pour the mixture into a casserole dish and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. For greater potency, add more Cannabutter when done.


Find Your Balance

Whatever the occasion, you can find the right product and strain to fit the moment for both you and your guests. Enliven, to find focus, euphoria, and energy. Calm, to elevate your mood or to relax. Inspire to boost your pre-dinner appetite, enhance creativity, or discover bliss. Rest, to relieve tension and to help your guests go home and enjoy uninterrupted sleep.  

We realize the transition from summer to fall can be rough. We also realize, for many people, making a switch from alcohol to cannabis can be equally challenging. The unnecessarily checkered past of our favorite plant, mischaracterized both pre and post-prohibition, only adds to the challenge new consumers face when integrating cannabis into their lives. Lightshade is here to guide your journey—visit us today and begin your transformation.  


Dispensary in Denver for Colorado Tourists

Is Legal Cannabis A Colorado Tourism Game Changer?

Colorado has long been the destination of choice for savvy outdoor travelers, and legal cannabis has added an extra layer of attraction for visitors.

Is Cannabis Tourism a Game Changer for Denver and Colorado?

Mile High Numbers:

Colorado tourism is booming. Last year saw a record-breaking 86 million visitors to the Centennial State. The numbers are still out on 2018, but it will likely be another banner year for out-of-state visitors. And while the cannabis industry can’t claim all the glory for this influx in tourists, it has undoubtedly played a significant role, particularly in Denver.

For many cannabis tourists, Denver is seen as the epicenter of the weed industry revolution, and for a good reason. Of the 1,000+ medical and recreational dispensaries in Colorado, Denver dispensaries account for over half of these, making it one of the most ‘dispensary dense’ cities in the world. And our hometown is happy to welcome domestic and international visitors to enjoy the offerings. With these tourists adding close to $21 billion to our economy last year alone, it’s easy to see why. And there’s certainly no shortage of reasons to visit.

From East to West, Your Bases Are Covered:

Fall is on the horizon, but there is still time to squeeze in the last little bit of Summer vacation, and if you’re one of the many people planning on coming through Denver there are plenty of ways to soak up the last few drops of Summery goodness.

With Denver’s abundance of dispensary locations, you’ll be set from the moment you land at Denver International Airport. Just past our beloved “Blucifer” (do a quick Google search, you won’t be sorry) on your way into town, you’ll have plenty of Denver dispensary options to choose from to get your trip started off on the right foot. The I-70 corridor between downtown and the airport is packed with both medical and recreational dispensaries, including Lightshade’s Peoria location, which you can’t miss from the highway. You may even smell our grow house before you see our glowing sign, just to the south of the interstate near the Peoria exit.

No matter what brings you to Colorado, be it our beautiful National Parks, the picturesque campgrounds, one of the many music and beer festivals, or maybe just to hang out and experience everything Denver has to offer, your cannabis needs will be covered. Even smaller mountain towns like Breckenridge, Crested Butte and Winter Park offer medical and recreational dispensaries. Tax revenues from marijuana sales drive both state and local education, public health, and other beneficial social programs. Additionally, cannabis fuels the local economy by providing jobs to a large percentage of industry professionals.

Dispensaries in Denver

Elevate Your Vacation:

Maybe you’re looking to indulge in a more cannabis-forward experience on your trip to Colorado. Don’t stress, there are plenty of weed-friendly adventures available to Denver tourists and locals alike.

Summer is the season of Red Rocks in Denver. With near nightly concerts and events, there’s always something ready to drop at the most scenic venue in the country. The music hall of the gods is a 20-minute drive from downtown Denver, but there are stiff penalties for driving while high in Colorado (it’s simply not smart or safe). Not to worry though, just take your favorite rideshare to the show. Get the full Red Rocks experience without worrying how you’ll get back home. As a reminder, it is not legal to publicly consume cannabis so pre-game in the comfort of your home.

After the concert, you might need a little Zen in your life. A cannabis-inspired yoga class is just the thing. Denver based companies like Marijuasana and Twisted Sister offer private CBD and marijuana focused yoga classes and workshops to add a mellow “vacation-from-your-vacation” to your Colorado visit.

What’s a vacation without indulgence? Before heading back to DIA, make an appointment to pamper yourself at one of Denver’s CBD friendly spas. From cannabis-infused oil massages to facials with CBD-based skin products, many spas throughout Denver are taking a holistic approach to self-care and elevating spa-days to the next level.

This is just a small sampling of the cannabis-centric activities Colorado has to offer. From private multi-course weed dinners to creative art classes and everything in between. There’s something for every visitor to the Centennial State.

No matter what brings you to Colorado, we’re happy you’re here. Lightshade has eight Denver-metro dispensaries ready to serve you. So if you’re just here for a quick layover, have a work meeting downtown or need a quick pit stop on the way to your mountain getaway, we have the goods to make your stay in Colorado one you’ll never forget. Stop by and see why the difference is night and day!


Lightshade - We are not doctors

Check Out Our New ‘Pieces Of Flare’

Lightshade team members are adorned with new flare and our customers are wondering why. Here’s the lowdown.

If you’ve been into one of our eight locations recently, chances are you’ve noticed the new “I Am Not A Doctor” pins adorning the shirts and lanyards of our in-store staff. Understandably, we’ve had a lot of questions about the purpose of these pins and what they mean, so we thought we’d address them head-on.

Recently, the Marijuana Enforcement Division of Colorado, or ‘MED’, has made some changes to what workers in the marijuana industry are allowed to claim, both in person and on product packaging. Primarily, the new regulations aim to curb the practice of marijuana industry workers providing medical advice to consumers, surrounding the use of cannabis products to treat specific conditions and ailments. As a result, Lightshade is working closely with the MED to make sure we are giving our customers safe and accurate information about both medical and recreational cannabis products – without crossing the line and recommending specific products for any conditions that could/should be treated by a healthcare professional

In addition to the pins, you’ve likely seen our handouts which read “We are NOT Physicians and are unable to provide product recommendations or advice based on medical conditions. Please consult your healthcare professional to determine the potential benefits of cannabis.”

The pins and handouts are all to keep our customers the most informed cannabis consumers in Colorado.

Lightshade - We are not doctors

Your Health Is Our Priority

At Lightshade, we are proud to have some of the most knowledgeable and discerning budtenders in the industry working in our stores. Our staff is well versed in all of the products we offer, but we are not physicians. The safety and well-being of our customers is our highest priority. Our goal is to give you as much information as possible and help guide you towards the right decision on your cannabis purchase, but when it comes to your individual health, your doctor knows best.  We wholeheartedly believe in the use of cannabis as part of an active, balanced, and enjoyable lifestyle. However, qualified medical professionals are the only ones who should be providing you with advice and direction when it comes to your physical health. We encourage you to speak with your doctor about cannabis and if it’s right for you, in the treatment of any physical and/or mental ailments you might be experiencing.

Our industry is ever-changing and advancements in technology, research, and product information continue to push us forward. Lightshade aims to stay at the forefront of all things cannabis and we believe this is a step in the right direction—ensuring the longevity of retail marijuana in Colorado.

Keep the Questions Coming!

While the new MED regulations, and our ongoing efforts to provide customers with accurate information, will impact the conversation around the medical benefits of cannabis, it by no means should stop you from coming in and talking to us! The best part of our job is getting to chat with our loyal customers about our products and the latest in the world of cannabis.

Our staff is more than equipped to handle all your questions about strain effects, consumption methods, which products contain CBD and in what amounts, and any other topics you may be curious about. We want you to have the best cannabis experience possible, and we’re here to make sure that happens. So come by one of our eight Denver-metro locations with all your questions, speak to one of our budtenders and see why the Lightshade difference is night and day!


Lightshade Denver Urban Gardens

Denver Urban Gardens - APDC Planting Day

Lightshade staff and partners came together to help out D.U.G. (Denver Urban Gardens) at the Asian Pacific Development Center and planted in the community garden alongside community members. The team was responsible for clearing two new garden beds and planted perennial pollinator plants to help the garden flourish.