On July 10—or 7/10—we celebrate potent, mind-blowing, cannabis concentrates! I spoke with budtenders to get the low-down on the best concentrates for dabbing in Colorado. Here’s what products they recommend and where you can find them.
Kush Masters Live Resin
(Courtesy of Kush Masters)
Look for it on these menus:
- The Station in Boulder
- Starbuds in Louisville
Most cannabis connoisseurs consider live resin to be the best concentrate around, and that’s reflected in its price—a gram usually costs between $40 and $80. Justin, a budtender at L’Eagle Services, told me that the amazing taste makes it worth the expense.
Kush Masters makes some of the best live resin in Colorado. Their concentrates contain a lot of terpene-rich “sauce,” which Chanel—a budtender at The Station in Boulder—says makes them more flavorful than other brands. Danielle, the concentrate buyer at Starbuds in Louisville, says that Kush Masters’ live resin usually has a higher THC content than other brands.
You can dab the crystals for a strong, stoney effect while dabbing the terp sauce provides a mellow, flavor-rich experience. Chanel likes to mix terpene sauce with CBDA crystals for a relaxing, flavorful experience.
Green Dot Labs Live Resin
(Courtesy of Green Dot Labs)
Look for it on these menus:
- Golden Leaf in Steamboat Springs
- Doctor’s Orders in Pueblo
- Kind Meds in Denver
Concentrate quality can vary greatly, and a lot of this has to do with the source material. As Matthew, a budtender at Kind Love says, “Trash in, trash out!” The best concentrates come from buds that have been lovingly tended to create oil-rich trichomes and lots of terpenes. That’s what Green Dot Labs is all about: whole-plant extract and no distillate.
Green Dot Labs’ live resin is high in terpenes and features big, stellar crystals. Several high-end dispensaries use Green Dot Labs to make their live resin, including House of Dankness in Denver and Golden Leaf in Steamboat Springs. Green Dot also makes Black Label live resin from plants they grow themselves.
Their live resin retails between $30 and $55 per gram.
Kama Ice Wax
(Courtesy of Kind Love)
Look for it on these menus:
- Kind Love in Denver
If you want to dab a super clean concentrate, solventless ice wax is the way to go. It has an average THC content of 75% and costs between $25 and $50 per gram.
Since solventless extraction typically doesn’t require much equipment, many dispensaries make their own in-house. A good place to get started is Kind Love. Their KAMA Ice Wax is clean, clear, and terpene-rich.
Craft 710 Concentrates
(Courtesy of 710 Concentrates)
Look for it on these menus:
- Magnolia Road Cannabis Co in Trinidad
- Ajoya in Louisville
- Maggie’s Farm in Manitou Springs.
Danielle from Starbuds in Louisville recommends that concentrate newbies start with butane hash oil (BHO) or propane hash oil (PHO) concentrates. The lower price means you don’t have to invest a lot of money to find out whether concentrates are your thing.
Several of the budtenders I spoke with recommend Craft 710 BHO and PHO concentrates. Kirstie at Ajoya says that Craft 710 makes an excellent PHO extract. The sugary texture makes it easy to dab and produces a thick, flavorful smoke. Craft 710 concentrates can sometimes be found for as low as $20 per gram, making them the best concentrate for budget-conscious dabbers.
West Edison Concentrates
(Courtesy of West Edison)
Look for it on these menus:
- Solace Meds in Fort Collins
- Faragosi Farms in Trinidad
Danielle, the concentrate buyer from Starbuds in Louisville, recommends West Edison concentrates for newbies. They offer a variety of strains, are affordable, and are always honest about how their products are processed. As a bonus, West Edison tests their concentrates for CBN and CBG in addition to THC and CBD.
A gram will usually cost you between $20 and $30.
