Nothing beats the taste of fresh weed or a new strain you’ve never tried before. Just like coffee, each strain of weed has its own unique taste. This taste carries over no matter how you choose to use it, but it’s particularly noticeable when you light up freshly ground bud. The delicious taste you’ve come to associate with your favorite buds from your Denver dispensary comes mostly from terpenes. 

What Are Terpenes?

Terpenes are a concentrated oil found cannabis plants. They’re produced by the same part of the plant that creates CBD and THC and, in nature, repel harmful insects. These same oils also serve to attract bees, wasps, and other pollinators to help spread their pollen. Some strains have more terpenes than others while other strains have terpenes that are incredibly mild and almost indiscernible. 

What Terpenes Do

The most noticeable effect terpenes have on the smoking experience is the taste of the bud. To better determine what types of flavors you can expect, growers have incorporated the tastes into the names of some of the most common strains. Grapefruit Diesel strains have a tart almost fuel-like smell when whole and when lit, taste a bit like grapefruit. Banana Kush buds, on the other hand, smell strongly of banana leaves when whole and when lit, taste sweet like bananas. 

In addition to determining the flavor of the strain, terpenes are also thought to influence each strain’s beneficial properties. Some terpenes promote relaxation more heavily while others encourage deep focus and improve productivity. The effects of each strain can be explained by your budtender. Keep in mind that these terpenes are also seen as beneficial for health purposes. For example, recent studies suggest that the terpene alpha-pinene, common in many strains, suggest that the terpene can help with ulcers and even may help individuals suffering from asthma. 

Terpenes Are Found in Most Plants

 Believe it or not, terpenes are not unique to marijuana. In fact, they’re a major component in essential oils, giving them the unique smell you come to expect. This means they can be found in many herbs, flowers, and even straight CBD oil and tinctures. There are over 100 known terpenes making up many of the strains we know and love as well as the herbs you cook with, the plants you encounter on hikes in the Colorado wilderness, and even the fruits you eat. 

Flavored Products Are Not Enhanced With Additional Terpenes

Though there are many flavored cannabis products on the market, it’s important to remember that those flavors are not just due to the terpenes from the strain. However, if you’re looking for a particular natural flavor experience, explain your preferences to your budtender. They’re familiar with the characteristics of each strain and the terpenes that create the flavors you’re looking for. 

Whether you’re looking to try a new strain or want to pick up a bit of East Coast Sour Diesel to help you unwind after work, we’ve got what you need. Stop by one of our three locations and stock up on rolling papers, grinders, and bud today. 

Fall weather means more rain and sleet. If you’re like most Coloradans, the gloomy weather puts a damper on your outdoor activities, forcing you to come up with a fun-filled way to pass the time. There’s nothing wrong with spending a few hours enjoying a pleasant high from your favorite weed shops in Denver, but you still need to find a way to stay entertained. Here are a few fun cannabis-filled ways to pass a rainy or stormy afternoon this fall. 

Get to Baking

Making your own cannabis-infused treats is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without having to leave the house. If you’re comfortable in the kitchen, consider making cookies. Grab a bag of chocolate chips and make the recipe according to the instructions. Just make sure to incorporate some finely ground-up weed into the flour mixture. 

The addition of the pot shouldn’t mess with the texture or cook time, but it will give you a pleasant buzz when you bite into the first cookie off the sheet. If you’re not a fan of baking, make some marijuana rice cereal treats using the microwave instead of the oven or stovetop. Just remember to use some cannabis butter in place of normal butter and you’ll be satisfying your sweet tooth in no time.

Listen to Music

It should come as no surprise that weed can make your favorite music sound even better. When the rain’s falling, turn on your favorite tunes, smoke a bowl, and let the sounds wash over you. You’ll notice parts of songs in an entirely different way. If your creative juices are flowing, you might even interpret new meanings behind the lyrics that make some of those old tunes even more mind-blowing than they were before!

Read a Book

Many people find that it’s easier to focus when they’re high on certain strains of marijuana. If you’re one of those people, light up a joint and grab that book you’ve been putting off reading. When you’re high, you’ll be able to dive deeper into the plot, identify with the characters, and make it through those long (and boring) descriptive passages that otherwise send your mind wandering. 

Binge-Watch Your Shows

Nothing beats curling up on the sofa in a heavily buzzed state and catching up on your favorite shows. When it’s raining, you have the perfect excuse to spend the day inside and can avoid the self-imposed guilt-trip you’d feel if the weather was perfect. So, pop some popcorn, open your preferred streaming service and get to binge-watching your favorite show. By the time the rain stops, you’ll be caught up and able to stop worrying about your friends dropping major spoilers into the conversation. 

Rainy days are the perfect time to enjoy your favorite strains and edibles. Stop by one of our three locations and stock up before the fall storms start to roll in. Not sure what strain you want to use to beat the gray weather? Our budtenders are happy to recommend some of our favorite products. 
 

When it comes to consuming edibles, you have two main choices: buy pre-made goodies or make them yourself. Though pre-made pot-infused treats from the best dispensary in Denver will get you high while letting you satisfy your sweet tooth, baking your own treats can be a fun experience. There are dozens of ways to incorporate marijuana into your baking, but making cannabis flour is one of the best. Here’s what you need to know about making and using home-made flour from your favorite bud. 

What is Cannabis Flour Anyway?

Cannabis flour is a blend of dried bud and your regular run-of-the-mill baking flour. Unlike cannabutter, it’s much harder to find in dispensaries and it’s often more cost-effective to make your own. All you need are some incredibly dry buds and your choice of baking mix. Yes, even those with celiac disease can enjoy cannabis flour in the comfort of their own home—just swap out standard baking flour for your favorite gluten-free all-purpose blend. We recommend Bella Gluten-Free All Purpose Baking Mix based out of Boulder. 

How to Make Cannabis Flour

• Step 1: The key to any high-quality cannabis flour is to prepare the bud properly. The more stems and seeds that make it into the flour, the stranger the texture of your baked goods will be. Carefully break apart each bud, removing as much of the stem and as many seeds as you can. 
• Step 2: Just as you would to load a bowl or roll a joint, you’ll need to grind your bud before combining it with your baking mix. Unfortunately, your standard grinder won’t pulverize the bud thoroughly enough. Instead, use a coffee grinder. This will break up the dried bud and pulverize it into powder. Don’t have a grinder? You can get the same effect by using a mortar and pestle. 
• Step 3: Incorporate the pot powder into your flour. As a general rule, it’s best to keep the pot powder separate from your baking mix until you’re ready to start baking. This way, you’ll be able to control the dosage in each recipe and keep the pot fresh. Store it in an airtight container and measure out doses as needed.
• Step 4: Get to baking! Mix whatever amount of cannabis powder into your baking mix. For best results, measure out the amount of baking mix you need into a bowl. Then, sprinkle the cannabis powder over the flour. Use a whisk to thoroughly incorporate the cannabis into the baking mix. This helps ensure a consistent high throughout the entire batch of treats.

Some Advice

When eating homemade goodies, go slow. The last thing you want to do is devour an entire brownie that contains three times the amount of pot you’d normally ingest. Until you figure out how much powder works for you, start out with smaller amounts. You can always increase the amount of pot powder used in future batches. 

Ready to make your own cannabis flour? Stop by Altitude Dispensary and stock up on some high-quality bud to add to your baking mix!
 

Getting high is a great way to relax, but for many people, weed from their favorite weed shops in Denver gets the creative juices flowing. When the urge to get crafty hits, sitting still and watching a movie can be boring beyond words. Instead of trying to suppress those creative urges after smoking, embrace them! Here are a few fun ideas to feed your creativity and let you relive those fun moments from your childhood at the same time.

Grab a Coloring Book

Remember all those coloring books you went through as a kid? Nothing was more fun and satisfying than breaking out the crayons and adding bright colors to a pre-drawn design. While those simple designs you loved as a kid might be a bit too easy now, there are hundreds of adult coloring books designed to feed your creative side without taxing your mind. There are even several cannabis-themed coloring books available!

Play with Legos

Lego kits are a great hands-on way to occupy your mind when you’re high. They’re available at almost every drug store, toy store, and big-box retailer and range from incredibly simple to maddeningly difficult. Before your next smoke sesh, stock up on a few kits and keep your hands and your mind moving. By the end of your high, you’ll have the satisfaction of seeing how much you’ve accomplished. Best of all, there’s a kit for almost every interest from basic architecture to complex space ships inspired by your favorite sci-fi shows.

Decorate Your Gear

Why not be practical while you’re creative and decorate your smoking accessories? This will help you keep track of which gear is yours when friends bring their own over and pile it on the coffee table. All you need is a bit of craft glue, glitter, puff paint, and some imagination. The possibilities are endless. Write your name on your gear bag with neon puff paint. Cover the top of your grinder with a light layer of craft glue and sprinkle a hefty amount of glitter on the top.

Decorate Cookies

What better way to enjoy a creative high than decorating delicious sugar cookies? For this craft, you’ll want to stock up on icing or make your own ahead of time. Add food coloring to make several brightly colored options and get to work. As a general rule, bake the cookies before you’re stoned and let them cool completely. Otherwise, the icing will melt off the cookie before you get the chance to take your first bite.

No matter what crafty or creative idea you decide to try, it’s guaranteed to be more fun when you’re high. Before sitting down and letting your imagination run wild, stop by Altitude Dispensary and pick up some fresh bud to get the most out of each hit. Our budtenders will help you find the perfect strain to bolster your creativity and let you keep an active mind while crafting. Check out our current menus and stop by one of our three convenient locations today.  

There are few things more iconic in the cannabis world than the perfectly rolled joint. They’re easy to carry, fast to make, and deliver a hit of your favorite strain anytime the craving strikes. Unlike pipes and bongs, they never need cleaning and the rolling papers are affordable for every budget. While you can buy pre-rolled joints at the best dispensary in Denver, learning to roll your own can be the perfect way to showcase your skills and simplify your smoke sessions. Rolling the perfect joint can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. We’ve put together a simple guide to help you create perfect joints every time.

First Steps First

Before you can roll anything, you’ll need to find the right rolling papers. Contrary to popular belief, rolling papers meant for tobacco and those meant for marijuana are different. Cannabis rolling papers are thinner, helping to contain the loose bud and create that pinched perfection everyone expects.

Grind the Weed

It’s a common newbie mistake thinking you can roll a joint with some barely broken up bud. When the bud is still intact, it burns differently and you won’t get as strong of a hit with each puff. For best results, use a dedicated grinder. However, if you’re looking to save money, you can grind or chop the weed with a sharp knife or scissors. Regardless of the method you use, make sure you get an even grind, but don’t overgrind. The finer the grind, the less flavor the joint will have.

Prepare the Paper

The rolling paper is the key to a good joint. Pull a single sheet out of the pack and crease it down the middle lengthwise. Make sure the glue side is facing up so you’ll have a way to seal off the joint. If you want to use a filter, place the rolled filter paper at one end of the joint. Then, carefully load the ground weed into the creased section of the paper. It’s easiest if you load it with your fingers rather than tapping directly out of the grinder. Take care not to overfill the joint as you won’t be able to create a tight seal if it’s too full.

Getting the Right Roll

Rolling the paper takes a bit of practice, but it’s simple enough. Once the paper is loaded, pinch the two sides of the paper together. This will create a slight tube around the flower. Then, rub your fingers up and down, sliding the sides of the paper together. This helps compress the flower and forms the shape of the joint. Once it’s evenly spread and compacted, tuck the glue-free edge of the paper around the weed. Then, use your fingers to roll the joint up into a completed cylinder. Once the bottom paper covers the weed, lick the glue strip and roll the rest of the way. Use a pen to pack down the end of the joint and twist the remaining paper around the end and voila!

For more tips or to stock up on rolling papers and supplies, stop by Altitude Dispensary today.