Colorado dispensary customers love edibles, but are infused drinks better?

It’s no secret that cannabis is a healthy and safe alcohol alternative, which helps explain the recent infused beverage explosion. But a hangover-free morning isn’t the only reason infused drinks are having a moment.

First, let’s answer the question posed in the title of this blog. No – infused drinks aren’t better than edibles – and edibles aren’t better than infused drinks. We’re democratic in our love for cannabis. 

Let’s get back to infused beverages. 

Infused drinks (or drinkables), is a swiftly growing cannabis product category. You can walk into nearly every Denver dispensary and find shelves lined with infused coffee, tea, sparkling water, and sodas. 

(For the record, you shouldn’t walk into any old Colorado dispensary – you should visit us.)

There’s even an industry organization dedicated to infused beverages, the Cannabis Beverage Association. Here is their mission statement:

“The Cannabis Beverage Association (CBA) is a trade association established to represent and advocate on behalf of the producers and consumers of cannabis beverages. By educating policymakers and consumers, establishing standards for operators to uphold, and advocating for common-sense policies, we can ensure that the cannabis beverage industry delivers safe, high-quality, reliable products to the consumers who enjoy them.”

The infused beverage market is ripe for the taking as far as corporate brands and interests go, which explains why infused beverages need an association. 

We digress. 

We’ve seen a surge in infused beverage popularity in our Colorado dispensary locations since stay-at-home orders began. In April, Headset, a cannabis data and analytics platform, released data showing a 14% infused beverage sales spike; edibles experienced a 28% sales bump. Before COVID, drinkables accounted for only 1% of the cannabis market – the post-COVID sales spike is considerable. 

The increased popularity of drinkables (and edibles) makes sense considering the virus is an enemy to our respiratory system. Many people would now prefer to drink or eat cannabis rather than smoke or vape. 

And infused drinks are arguably the most universally appealing new cannabis consumption method; drinkables are easy to consume, relatively discreet, and attractive to people who appreciate the effects of weed more than its flavor. 

Despite the universal appeal of infused beverages, every person should exercise caution when trying new consumption methods. Whether you’re a cannabis expert or a new consumer, we suggest that you take the same approach to infused drinks as you do edibles – start low and go slow. Overconsumption is possible with infused drinks, even at low doses. Start with a 5mg THC dose (or less) and give it an hour before taking another sip.

Here are a handful of infused drinks we love:

Keef Sparkling Water (Blood Orange)

Keef Sparkling H2O provides a naturally flavored, zero-calorie, zero-sugar, infused beverage experience. The blood orange cannabis sparkler is your summer go-to for a low-calorie, sugar-free alternative to alcoholic beverages and sugary cannabis edibles. Each can contains 10mg of THC. 

PHYX 1:1 Lime

PHYX 1:1 Lime is an expertly formulated, deliciously refreshing, THC-infused beverage. It’s your socially distanced summer companion. Every bottle of PHYX sparkling water contains 2.5mg THC and 2.5mg CBD – it’s our most mellow infused drink. 

Lagunitas Hi-Fi Hops

Hi-Fi Hops is an IPA-inspired infused sparkling beverage made using everything Lagunitas knows about hops – but with zero alcohol, no calories, and zero carbs. And it’s infused with THC from the finest sun-grown cannabis. 

Keef Mocktail Lemonade

Keef Mocktail Lemonade has a classic lemonade taste with a cannabis twist. It’s a timeless carbonated beverage containing 10, 10mg servings of THC in each bottle (please don’t drink a bottle in one sitting). Each bottle comes with a resealable dosing cap for precise and consistent dosing. 

We’re in the midst of socially distanced summer barbecue season – wouldn’t you prefer a thirst-quenching beverage that won’t leave you with a headache? Ask your Lightshade budtender about their favorite infused drink.

Here are eight products curated by our Colorado dispensary budtender’s to help you make the most of a socially distanced summer.

Summer in Colorado this year is going to be unlike anything we’ve experienced before. It’s tough to celebrate the season of sunshine beneath a mask (it gets hot under there!), and six feet away from friends. But, that doesn’t mean your Colorado summer has to be a drag. 

You can still make the most of summer with the eight hand-picked Colorado dispensary products featured in this blog.

01. Lightshade Joint Packs

Sharing a joint isn’t smart right now (for obvious reasons). But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a relaxing summer toke. Our strain-specific joint packs are the perfect summer companion. Drop a tin in your pocket, find a chill (legal) spot to smoke, and leave your worries behind.

02. Dixie Bursts

Dixie’s line of cannabis-infused taffy is a burst of sunshine in your mouth. Available in indica, sativa, and hybrid strains, each bag includes three flavors: mango, blue raspberry, and strawberry. You can safely consume with friends, and toss a package around a socially distanced circle. Bring hand sanitizer and positivity to the party. 

“Dixie Bursts are an assorted pack of three fruity flavors that are sure to make any situation shine a little brighter. The mango, blue raspberry, and strawberry taffies are bursting with flavor and are the ultimate discreet dosing edible. Individually wrapped, you can take them anywhere your adventure takes you.” – Dixie 

03. 1906 Drops

1906 has a family of “drops” – pills featuring thoughtful combinations of THC and CBD designed for every part of the day. Drops fit perfectly into your Colorado summer lifestyle, and, considering the anxiety of today’s world, 1906 Drops can help you maintain daily serenity. 

“1906 Drops are a toolkit of six plant-based experiences to optimize every part of your day. These thoughtful formulations combine THC and CBD, plus super-effective adaptogens and herbs for energy, arousal, relaxation, sleep, focus, and a happy mood. Drops are designed to fit perfectly into your life – and your pocket. Each drop is vegan and gluten-free and contains zero calories. Drops activate in 20-minutes or less.” – 1906

04. KEEF Brands Sparkling H2O

Sparkling water infused with alcohol is all the rage (we see you White Claw). But there’s also sparkling water for Colorado dispensary customers – the perfect solo refresher for a sweltering summer day. KEEF Sparkling H2O, infused with 10mg of THC, is cooling sparkling water with a hint of energizing citrus. They are seriously good and available in three flavors: raspberry, blackberry coconut (1:1), and blood orange. 

“KEEF Sparkling H2O is refreshing sparkling water infused with 10MG THC and just a hint of citrus flavor. Currently available in Arizona and Colorado, KEEF Sparkling comes in Raspberry, Blood Orange, and Blackberry Coconut 1:1.” – KEEF

05. Love’s Oven Individually Wrapped Products

Love’s Oven crafts cannabis-infused confections to satisfy your summer evening sweet tooth. And their individually wrapped baked goods are perfect for tossing around a socially distanced backyard party. Their infused product line-up now includes everything from cookies and brownies to caramels and chocolate-covered graham crackers. 

“Love’s Oven was born in 2009 with a promise to its patients to provide great tasting, cleanly extracted, and quality infused products. If you look at the label of our 20+ products, you’ll never find any ingredients that you need to have a chemical engineering degree to pronounce.” – Love’s Oven

06. Sinsere Peanut Butter Cups and Nougat Fluff Bites

Sinsere (the newest Love’s Oven brand) marries handcrafted Belgian chocolate with cannabis, in an impressive array of flavors and styles (the range includes more than ten infused products). We love every product, but this summer, our budtenders are enjoying their peanut butter cups and nougat fluff bites in particular. 

• Peanut Butter Cups (10mg THC per package, 5mg THC per piece):
  “Big peanut butter filled cups handmade with a thick Belgian milk chocolate shell. Handcrafted in-house with the finest ingredients and high-quality distillate.” – Sinsere
• Nougat Fluff Bites (100mg THC per package, 10mg per piece):
  “Simplicity at its finest. Light and fluffy pillows of nougat enveloped in a Belgian milk chocolate shell. Handcrafted in-house with the finest ingredients and high-quality distillate.” – Sinsere

07. Ripple Quick Sticks

Stillwater’s QuickSticks are the newest edition to their Ripple line of products. QuickSticks are flavored single-serve packets that you can dissolve directly on your tongue, or include in a refreshing summer mocktail. Ripple QuickSticks are available in three flavors and potencies: 

• Pure: Blueberry Pom (10mg THC, 0mg CBD)
• Relief: Mint Chocolate (20mg CBD, 0.5mg THC)
• Balanced: Gingerberry (5mg THC, 5mg CBD)

“Ripple QuickSticks introduces a brand new consumption method to the Ripple family of products – flavored Ripple intended to dissolve directly on the tongue! QuickSticks is a great product for fast delivery and tasty experience. Use it right before bed or heading into your favorite movie.” – Stillwater

08. Wyld Gummies

Wyld is a relative newcomer to the Colorado cannabis scene, but this Portland, Oregon-based brand is already a hit in our metro-Denver dispensaries. With a vast range of gummy flavors and effects, you can find the perfect taste and vibe for every summer occasion, from socially distanced barbecues to solo cannabis adventures.  

Wyld celebrates what our Pacific Northwest provides by creating treats that coincide with our ambitions and adventurous lifestyles. Climb cliffs and hike trails; explore our rivers, lakes, oceans, and mountains. Enjoy what brings us together and let Wyld keep us coming back.” – Wyld

Don’t let social distancing kill your summer vibe. 

Restrictions and stress don’t have to keep you from enjoying another beautiful Colorado summer. Drop by your favorite Lightshade Colorado dispensary and ask our budtenders to help you assemble the perfect socially distanced summer cannabis kit. 

It might be time for Colorado’s cannabis consumers to think outside the three-strain box.

The three-strain cannabis categorization system has been around for as long as anyone in Colorado can remember. We’ve grown accustomed to walking into our favorite Colorado dispensaries and selecting either sativa, indica, or hybrid strains. 

And for a long time, breaking strains into three categories worked (sort of). Humans like simple answers and easy options. Knowing that an indica would land you firmly “in the couch,” A sativa strain could get you off the couch, and a hybrid would drop you somewhere in the middle, made selecting products relatively simple.

But most of us have discovered things are a tad more complicated. Have you consumed an indica that left you anxiously counting sheep, a sativa that crushed your daytime productivity, or a hybrid as unpredictable as Colorado’s weather? 

Speaking to WeedMaps in 2019, Alex Revich, Director of Partner Education at Flowr, a Canadian cannabis cultivator, said, “What we’ve known for a while is that really, the only thing that indica and sativa tell you for sure is the size of the plant and what the plant looks like.”

It’s time for real talk: classifying cannabis in three categories is limiting and impractical.

We don’t want to complicate your decision-making, but there is a better way to find the right strain. 

How should we talk about cannabis?

Cannabis, as it turns out, is more complicated than any of us could have guessed. And with a 5,000-year history of human consumption and scant research, there’s a lot to be discovered. 

Still, through limited scientific exploration, we’ve learned enough to know that the range of effects provided by marijuana is influenced by factors outside the properties of just three strains.  

Many Colorado marijuana dispensary customers are familiar with cannabinoids – chemical compounds responsible for most of the effects of cannabis. On the other hand, terpenes, which also factor into the universe of potential cannabis effects, are still mostly unfamiliar. 

You can skip the three-strain debate and use your nose as a guide because of terpenes, the fragrant oils coating our favorite plant.

What do cannabis terpenes do?

Indica, sativa, and hybrid are simple ways to classify weed, but cannabis terpene profiles are a better indicator of how your body will react. 

Researchers are only starting to understand the effects of specific terpenes, but, from observational data, we know that some are uplifting antidepressants (linalool). Others, boost memory (alpha-pinene), and a few can help you get to sleep at night (myrcene).

Still, without the genetic makeup of each strain listed on flower containers or edibles packaging, it’s hard for most of us to predict how a strain will act, which is why the three-strain system prevails. 

But, as we’ve already pointed out, your sense of smell can be an asset in selecting a new product at your favorite Denver dispensary. 

Citrusy strains are often associated with anxiety relief, while those with piney aromas tend to offer anti-inflammatory effects, and earthy-scented strains can suppress an insatiable appetite. 

The scent-focused approach to selecting your new favorite strain isn’t an exact science, but it’s a helpful way to move beyond the basics of sativa, indica, and hybrid.

Here are a few common terpenes we think you should know:

Indica, sativa, and hybrid: the debate rages on. 

Is it time to end the three-strain debate? Probably not. But, it is time for Denver dispensary shoppers to open their minds (and nostrils) to a more mature process of strain selection. And if everything we’ve said is confusing, we get it. This a complicated topic – that’s why our budtenders are here to guide you.

Cannabis has a lengthy list of terms and phrases, and you can forget 90% of them. But you should add THCV to your weed vocabulary.

Cannabis is growing increasingly popular. But there’s a barrier to more popularity, and its not Federal legalization, its confusion. 

If you’re a seasoned consumer, you probably have a cursory understanding of cannabis terminology. But fresh customers often find our industry’s (surprisingly) complicated glossary a barrier to entry. It’s not keeping customers from visiting Denver dispensaries, but it is keeping some people from getting the most from cannabis. 

There are terms every Colorado cannabis consumer should know, from the obvious (THC and CBD) to the slightly-less obvious (cannabinoid, endocannabinoid, terpenes) to the esoteric (THCV).

THCV, or tetrahydrocannabivarin, is a lesser-known term, but it’s one you should know.

What is THCV, and, more importantly, what does it mean for you?

Let’s cover the basics first. THC and CBD are cannabinoids; cannabinoids are chemical compounds responsible for our favorite plant’s effects. THC gets you high, CBD helps relieve symptoms like pain, nausea, anxiety, and inflammation. 

THCV is also a cannabis compound. And, like THC and CBD, THCV has a unique set of beneficial characteristics. 

THC and THCV are molecularly similar, but their effects are different.

THCV is psychoactive – technically, it should get you high, but researchers aren’t entirely sure it does. 

“THC is, of course, famous for its psychoactive properties. CBD, by contrast, is known for having next to none. As science dives deeper into the psychological effects of lesser-known compounds in cannabis, there’s always that voice calling from the sideline: “Yeah, but does it get you high?” 

When it comes to THCV, the answer is…probably.  We’re not 100% sure yet. This is science, after all. It’s complicated.” —Leafly

We know this is confusing. 

Many Internet outlets claim THCV’s effects are more intense than THC. Some go so far as to call the effects “psychedelic.” The jury is still out. 

Most of our THCV knowledge comes from studies conducted in the early 1970s. Researchers found that THCV is a chameleon that exhibits little to no psychoactive properties in low dosages. In higher quantities, it displays intense psychoactive effects. A THCV buzz tends to arrive quickly and intensely and dissipates just as fast.

Beyond its dynamic psychoactive properties, THCV has numerous benefits to Colorado dispensary customers.

What are THCV Benefits?

Studies indicate that THCV can reduce PTSD-associated anxiety. The research also suggests that this lesser-known cannabinoid can improve motor functions, and reduce tremors in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients, and is an anti-convulsant for people with Epilepsy. 

Perhaps more interesting, THCV won’t give you the munchies. In fact, it has the opposite effect. The cannabinoid mitigates hunger, making it a potential obesity treatment and helpful for consumers interested in weight-loss. The cannabinoid is also known to regulate blood sugar in type 2 diabetes patients. 

Cannabis prohibition at the federal level inhibits scientist’s ability to conduct more in-depth THCV research. Still, as our overall understanding of the various cannabis compounds increases, we’re learning the complexities of this historically misunderstood plant.

We keep things fresh in our dispensaries. Our teams are always on the lookout for new products from Colorado cannabis vendors. We also like to ask our employees for their favorites from time to time.

But it’s been a while. 

This is the perfect time to check in with our staff and see what they’re getting into. Here’s what our budtenders had to say.

Here are eight cannabis products Colorado Dispensary budtenders love.

Dadirri Caviar Cones

What happens when dry flower meets cannabis extract? Caviar, that’s what. And Dadirri crafts the cannabis industry’s most excellent caviar cones. 

Here’s how it works:

Dadirri Caviar joints feature top-shelf flower soaked in premium cannabis oil and coated in bubble hash for a smooth and delightful high. Our employees are fawning over Dadirri’s ‘Rest’ infused caviar cones, and we’re confident you will too. It’s pure luxury – treat yo’ self.

Wana Quick Fast-Acting Gummies

Wana’s new quick-release gummies are an edibles game-changer. With cocktail-inspired flavors, onset time between 5-15 minutes, and Delta-9-THC effects lasting up to four hours, their newest gummies deliver a “less intense inhalation-like experience.” 

Here’s how it works: 

Wana’s newest gummies use innovative onset technology called TiME (Thermodynamic Individual Molecular Encapsulation). TiME allows for greater bioavailability, by individually encapsulating Delta-9-THC cannabinoids and bypassing the liver to enter the bloodstream immediately. The high arrives fast and dissipates in roughly 2 – 4 hours, so you can move on with your day (or eat another gummy). 

We love the happy hour-inspired flavors, Peach Bellini, in particular. 

Wana Quick Fast-Acting Gummies

• CBD/THC 1:1 Strawberry Margarita
• Sativa Peach Bellini
• Indica Pina Colada

Shift Cartridges

Shift Cannabis carts are potent and delicious. They’re also pure, with no fillers, thickeners, vitamins, or mineral oils. Shift carts have a genuine quality you can taste. 

Here’s how it works:

Shift uses top-shelf distillate, offering a variety of homemade and hand-picked flavors designed for experience and taste. 

Sativas

• Sunshine Haze
• Island Sweet Skunk

Indicas

• Skywalker OG
• Cherry Kush

Hybrid

• Lemon Jilly

Sinsere Chocolates (pronounced Sin-sair)

Sinsere is the newest kid on the Love’s Oven block, but the chocolates are already a Lightshade staff favorite. Crafted from rich Belgian chocolate in too many flavors and effects for us to pack into this blog, Sinsere is sincerely good. 

Here’s how it works:

Love’s Oven crafts Sinsere in-house using the highest quality infused Belgian chocolate and top-shelf distillate. The Sinsere chocolate bites and single-serving Belgian chocolates feature 10mg of THC per piece. The 100mg THC Belgian chocolate bars are also 10mg THC per piece.

Spherex Mango Kush Carts

Spherex is on the cutting edge of scientific engineering and design. They unlock the power of cannabis through high-level refinement and extraction technology to offer a high-quality product we love. Spherex Mango Kush carts are an award-winning cannabis classic known for uplifting and euphoric effects and the taste of mango with kush and pine undertones. 

Here’s how it works:

Crafted with Spherex’s innovative extraction and refinement techniques, their vape cartridges feature unique terpenes selected from their favorite cannabis strains. Strains are analyzed for composition and blended to taste. With the perfect blend achieved, Spherex sources the highest quality natural terpenes to guarantee a consistent experience.

Dixie Elixirs

Dixie Elixirs are our go-to when we crave refreshing mocktails. And as spring transitions into summer, it’s a safe bet our budtenders are relaxing at home with a Dixie Elixir in-hand (when they’re not in one of our Colorado Dispensaries). Did you know elixirs were the first Dixie product? Now you do.

Here’s how it works:

Dixie Elixirs are crafted with pure cane sugar and are free of artificial coloring or flavors. Dixie uses homogenization technology to increase bioavailability and decrease onset time. And their packaging is child-resistant and features a dosing cap with a 15ml line to help you find the perfect dose. 

Dixie Elixir Flavors:

• Berry Lemonade
• Cherry Limeade
• Half & Half  (Tea and Lemonade)
• Root Beer

Canyon Cultivation Gummies

Canyon Cultivation is obsessed with quality, and it shows. Their range of amusingly named gummies checks every box. Delicious? Check. Easy to microdose? Check. Fun? Check. Right now, our employees are enjoying Canyon Cultivation’s unique Sour Cherry Limeade flavor, but every gummie is excellent. 

Here’s how it works:

Canyon Cultivation’s range of gummies (“Chew It”) offers smaller doses with big flavors. Because, as Canyon says, “Perhaps the only drawback to most gummies is that you only get to eat one.” They’ve created these lower dosage gummies so you can microdose to your heart’s content and keep the chill vibes going all day long. And with 100mg of premium THC in every package, you’re not missing out. 

Chew It Flavors:

• Sour Cherry Limeade
• Sour Lemonade 
• Sour Watermelon Lemonade
• Pineapple Lemonade

Stratos Sleep Tincture

Sleep is essential for healthy bodies and minds, but most of us spend our nights counting sheep in our fast-paced and stress-filled world. Cannabis is a proven and effective sleep aid. Stratos Sleep Tincture is one of the best products designed specifically for this purpose. Our in-house insomniacs approve. 

Here’s how it works:

Stratos Sleep is a 1:1 CBD tincture made with equal parts indica dominant THC and whole plant CBD, to create a balanced, sleep-inducing effect. Stratos uses a proprietary combining method for homogenization to ensure consistent dosing. Its cannabis oil is derived via whole plant CO2 extraction. Pick up a bottle and get some rest. 

The eight cannabis products discussed in this blog are only a handful of the options available in our Colorado Dispensaries. The next time you shop with us, ask your budtender what they love. We guarantee you’ll discover your next favorite product or strain. 

We’re with you – because we are you – and we want to know that you’re okay. 

History is marked by events that change how we live. Some are gradual and creep slowly toward a tipping point, and others draw a direct line in the sand. 

If you’re old enough to recall the world before – and after – 9/11, you understand the shocking immediacy of change Americans experienced. And almost everyone can tell you where they were the moment our Twin Towers fell. 

Similarly, coronavirus is changing experiences for generations of people globally. The virus is eliminating jobs, transforming our economy, and tearing families apart. 

Colorado cannabis dispensaries are essential, and our budtenders are proudly serving the community. They are taking risks alongside our nation’s hospital workers, grocery staff, food service employees, delivery personnel, and all other essential workers. And they’re doing it because they recognize that we are all connected. 

The phrase “we’re in this together” is so pervasive that it’s in danger of losing meaning. But it’s the truth, and Lightshade wants you to understand that we are you.

We need each other now more than ever; this is the time for empathy, love, and compassion. And while we don’t know what the next six months look like, we’ll be here to support you with brave budtenders and weed. 

But please, wash your hands, use sanitizer, wear a mask, and be kind to our budtenders when you’re in our stores. We’re all doing the best we can. 

*Speaking of face masks: Because of State regulations, we ask that you kindly remove your mask at check-in and in our budbays. 

It’s natural to search for a silver lining amid the darkness. We won’t come out of this the same as we entered, but there’s light on the other side and a cleaner, more equitable, and deeply connected world. 

So, we ask – how are you? Are you okay?

Referred to by some as the Amsterdam of the U.S. (if you think that’s a stretch, we agree), Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood is at the forefront of the movement to end cannabis prohibition. It was here, after all, that Ken Gorman organized the first 4/20 rallies in Civic Center Park, and the historical (and probably haunted) Croke-Patterson mansion (now bed and breakfast) tried to become the city’s first public cannabis consumption lounge. 

“The first 4/20 rally at Civic Center was organized in the early 1990s by Ken Gorman, a Denver native and one of the city’s best-known cannabis activists. Gorman, aka “Governor Pothead” (he conducted several write-in gubernatorial campaigns), shepherded Denver 4/20 through more than a decade of difficult activism. These were the years during which the seeds were sown for legalization votes that would culminate in Colorado’s 2012 passage of full adult-use legalization.”—Leafly 

Lightshade has called Denver’s Capitol Hill home since opening our 6th Avenue cannabis dispensary on the edge of the neighborhood in 2016, and we’ve witnessed Denver’s transition from cow town to a booming metropolis firsthand. Once considered a city reliant on ski tourism, agriculture, and energy for its livelihood, Denver today is booming, with a rapidly growing population and the maturing legal cannabis industry. And Cap Hill is still a neighborhood at the center of it all. 

Our short cannabis-lovers guide to Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood has something for everyone. From proud weed-loving natives (we see your bumper stickers) to tourists, to digital nomads planting roots in our city.

Your itinerary for the perfect day in Denver’s Capitol Hill:

Shop at our Capital Hill Dispensary

Our 6th Ave dispensary is ground zero for your Cap Hill experience. Arrive when we open (8 AM), and chat with our expert budtenders. They’ll recommend the perfect products to fit your plans. And, they might have a few suggestions that are absent from this guide. 

Lightshade dispensary budtenders are Denver’s alternative tourism board. Strike up a conversation – they won’t let you down. 

A quick note before we move on: public cannabis consumption is illegal, and driving while under the influence of cannabis is also prohibited (and stupid). Don’t consume in public; walk or take a ride-share to explore the outer reaches of Cap Hill. 

And be realistic about tolerance. Don’t consume more than you can handle. We like to micro-dose before taking in the sights, sounds, and experiences of Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. A little bit goes a long way. 

Lightshade 6th Ave
745 E. 6th Ave.
Denver, CO 80203
720.899.3040
Sunday – Thursday 8:00AM- 9:45PM
Friday & Saturday 8:00AM- 10:45PM

Experience

Titanic survivor and founder of the Denver Women’s club, “The Unsinkable” Molly (Margaret) Brown was a fierce advocate for women’s rights and a well-known Colorado socialite. Her husband made it big in the mining industry of the late 1800s, and the couple bought a home on Pennsylvania Street near 14th Avenue. Visitors flock to her house, now a museum, to take-in local history while they try to catch a glimpse of Molly’s ghost. 

Molly Brown House Museum 
1340 Pennsylvania Street
Denver, CO 80203
303.832.4092

Cannabis consumers tend to be music fans, and there’s no better place to shop for vintage (or new) vinyl than famed Colorado record store, Wax Trax. Surly record store clerks have served-up slabs of vinyl from the corner of 13th and Washington for more than 40 years. And you can find everything from hip hop, jazz, and R&B, to stoner metal, EDM, and obscure afrobeat 45s (record store nerds go deep).  

Wax Trax Records
638 E. 13th Ave.
Denver, CO 80203
303.860.0127

Perk Up

Hudson Hill is a relative newcomer to Denver’s coffee and bar scene. Still, they’ve made a name for themselves by offering Capitol Hill residents a chill place to perk up or imbibe. And it’s a stone’s throw from Wax Trax (across the street). Hudson Hill offers a uniquely Scandinavian take on the Cap Hill cafe and bar, with blond woods, white subway tile, and sprawling windows. It’s the perfect place to reset before you hit the pavement again. They also have small bites to satisfy your mid-morning munchies. 

Pro tip: Ripple Dissolvables from Stillwater are discreet, and won’t take away from your coffee’s flavor. Tear into a single-serve packet and get on with your day. 

Hudson Hill
619 E. 13th Ave.
Denver, CO 80203
303.832.0776

Eat

Capitol Hill is rich in restaurants that appeal to every palate and budget. But there are standouts that Denver dispensary customers love. Here are two of our favorites:

Potager

Potager was Denver’s original farm-to-table restaurant when they opened two decades ago. And they still offer a menu that rotates every four weeks to reflect what’s in-season (and delicious). Tucked away on a side street off 11th Avenue, the restaurant is a hidden gem in Capitol Hill and has a romantic postage-stamp-sized patio in back. The restaurant changed ownership last year, but it’s as delicious and comfortable as ever. 

Potager
1109 N. Ogden St.
Denver, CO 80218
303.832.5788

City, O’ City 

City, O’ City, is Denver’s beloved Capitol Hill vegetarian restaurant. You’ll find a menu full of vegan and vegetarian fare, with enough gluten-free options to please the strictest of celiacs. City, O’ City, is also a late-night hotspot where cannabis-friendly locals hang and converse until the doors close and the lights turn-off. 

City, O’ City
206 E. 13th Ave.
Denver, CO 80203
303.831.6443

Relax outdoors

Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood isn’t lacking in relaxing outdoor spaces. And with nearly year-round sunshine, Cap Hill’s parks are free and always there for you to enjoy. We can think of few things better than hitting a Denver Dispensary near you (preferably our 6th Ave Dispensary) for a few essentials, consuming (not in public), and then hitting a beautiful park for the day. 

Here are two parks we love:

Cheesman Park
Franklin Street & 8th St
Denver, CO 80206

Governors Park 
7th Ave and Logan St
Denver, CO 80203

Cap Hill is Denver’s most densely populated neighborhood. It’s also one of our city’s oldest neighborhoods. The area is walkable, cannabis-friendly (to be clear, we’re not saying it’s okay to consume in public), and worth exploring. 

Visit Lightshade’s cannabis dispensary at the corner of 6th Avenue and Logan in Denver today!