Denver was one of the first states to legalize adult-use cannabis in 2012, which means Colorado cannabusinesses have played an important role in testing and refining the legal industry’s efforts around marketing, product selection, discounts, promotions, and ultimately, figuring out what drives dispensary sales in a tourist-friendly metropolis. In 2022, Denver took in more than $9.4 billion from its 36 million visitors, many of whom hopped off the plane and searched for a dispensary to visit before they returned home.
To help us determine Denver’s best dispensaries, we searched popular review platforms like Google, Leafly, Weedmaps, and Yelp, accounting for the total review score, number of reviews, and strong marks repeated across multiple review sites. Our final list includes eight of the top consumer-rated dispensaries in the Mile High City, catering to loyal locals as well as tourists on a mission to uncover an unforgettable, Instagrammable, and quintessentially Colorado cannabis experience. While this list is helpful for consumers, dispensary owners in any market should pay close attention to the retailers who’ve clearly excelled at connecting with people in ways that motivate them to share their positive shopping experiences in the form of powerful world of mouth marketing.
Independent retailer
- Leafly: 4.9 (762 reviews)
- Weedmaps: 4.8 (865 reviews)
Family-owned and independently operated, Callie’s Cannabis Shoppe brings a charming touch of mom and pop to Denver’s weed scene. Callie’s won Westword’s best new dispensary award in 2022 for having a wide variety of high-quality cannabis products like flower, cartridges, concentrates, and a creative variety of ingestibles that tend to keep locals coming back for more.
Although Callie’s has two other locations in Northglenn and RiNo, the dispensary hasn’t let its successful expansion hinder its reputation for excellent and personable customer service. The retailer takes pride in its Cheers bar-like environment, which encourages consumers to regularly explore the specials at a dispensary where everybody knows your name.
Independent retailer
- Leafly: 4.9 (374 reviews)
- Weedmaps: 4.9 (290 reviews)
- Google 4.7 (650 reviews)
Featured in Leafly, High Times, Forbes, Inc., Vice, and Now This, Fox Cannabis is nationally recognized for the incredible flower offered at great prices. The dispensary services both the adult-use and medical communities with a staff that’s passionate about patient care—a breath of fresh air in an industry that tends to cast medical patients aside.
Fox Cannabis is conveniently located right off the I-70 and I-25 connection, making it a prime pit stop for regulars and tourists alike. The location is also constantly upgrading its offerings to match Denver’s ever-changing regulations and continued industry growth. The team is currently working on expanding its lines of edibles, concentrates, and flower to keep up with their customers’ evolving needs.
Independent retailer
- Weedmaps: 4.9 (326 reviews)
- Leafly: 4.9 (189 reviews)
- Google: 4.8 (651 reviews)
- Yelp: 4.8 (101 reviews)
Located in Denver’s ultra-hip Historic Baker District, Herban Underground offers medical and adult-use products to consumers who just finished a thrift haul at the Ten Penny Store or want to unwind after a meal at The Hornet.
The building’s classic architecture and centralized location are reasons enough for the shop to attract customers. However, Herban Underground is largely revered for its show grow, a windowed room that allows consumers to check out the goods as they’re being cultivated, cured, and packaged for sale.
A hot spot for Denver tourists, Herban Underground is also known for its friendly and helpful staff, clean facilities, low prices, and weekly promotions that make those sweet prices all the more saccharine.
Independent retailer
- Leafly: 4.9 (602 reviews)
- Google: 4.8 (1,149 reviews)
- Yelp: 4.6 (84 reviews)
L’Eagle Services won the Denver Department of Health and Environment’s first certified green business designation for a cannabis company in 2016. The award is given for eco-friendly efforts across business management, energy efficiency, water conservation, resource management and transportation.
With high-quality, organically cultivated offerings marketed toward the cannabis connoisseur, Denver consumers flock to L’Eagle for products that are 100 percent synthetic pesticide-free, long-cured, and in-house tested with protocols that exceed the state’s testing requirements. This includes flower, edibles, concentrates, and their iconic full-melt, water-based hashish. The dispensary also is known for its carefully cultivated clones, which are brought to life on site by a team of professional farmers with over 70 unique strains available.
Independent retailer
- Weedmaps: 4.9 (1,784 reviews)
- Leafly: 4.9 (1,255 reviews)
With locations in Denver, Aurora, and Federal Heights, Lightshade is designed to make first-timers feel just as welcome as long-time connoisseurs. The chain commits itself to cannabis education, community support, and philanthropy. For consumers who like to make sure their spent dollar always gives back, Lightshade is an ideal destination.
Denver consumers mention their excitement about the dispensary for its loyalty program, the Lightshade Society. Members earn points for store credit with each purchase, enjoy access to exclusive deals and content, and are consistently privy to sponsored giveaways and contests.
Independent retailer
- Google: 4.9 (1,154 reviews)
- Yelp: 4.7 (154 reviews)
Simply Pure is incredibly well-known both in Denver and the national cannabis and CBD space. Owned by husband-and-wife military veterans Wanda James and Scott Durrah, Simply Pure is the first Black-owned dispensary in the city, and was initially launched as one of the most successful edible companies in the country.
Settled in the heart of the Highland, Denver, the calm and approachable dispensary gets tons of tourist foot traffic. As a result, newcomers and Simply Pure loyalists alike can pop in and explore flower, tinctures, pre-rolls, and the brand’s famous edibles with a side of cannabis education, which the staff prides itself on.
Independent retailer
- Google: 4.8 (843 reviews)
- Yelp: 4.6 (312 reviews)
Known for having “Denver’s largest edible selection,” The Giving Tree of Denver is small, family-owned, and dedicated to high-quality flower and edibles. The dispensary has been servicing the community for over 13 years, equipping locals and visitors with in-house grown flower that is 100 percent chemical- and pesticide-free.
The Giving Tree of Denver opened as a medical shop but remains dedicated to the prescribed sector of the industry. Reviewers acknowledge the team for helping patients understand how to obtain their medical cards and subsequently supplying them with the products they need for wellness.
Independent retailer
- Leafly: 4.8 (1,722 reviews)
- Weedmaps: 4.8 (1,252 reviews)
Westword democratically christened The Joint “The Best Dispensary for a New Cannabis User” of 2023, and Denver locals couldn’t be less surprised.
Originally founded as At Home Remedies in 2009, OG consumers grew fed up with the shop’s limited selection and slow customer service. But new owners breathed new life into the solid location in 2015, renaming it The Joint and dedicating themselves to offering high-quality flower, concentrates, edibles, topicals, and accessories paired with excellent and expedited customer service.
Beyond the Westword title, The Joint made the 2020 “Best of Weedmaps” list, likely due to their customer loyalty. The dispensary offers VIP status to dedicated consumers; between that exclusivity and their regular weekly deals, customers will always be made to feel like a big shot when they step inside.
