Oso Rojo Hot Sauce

Grab a three-pack of delicious hot sauces from Denver’s Oso Rojo Hot Sauce, which you can build to your tastes from a selection of a six total. We recommend the Habanero Jellyfish, Habanero Mustard and Orange Ginger. $21 per three-pack. osorojohotsauce.com/s/order — Lily O’Neill

B Fresh Gear

Some of the freshest gear in Colorado these days is also some of the most retro. B Fresh Gear, which was founded in Denver in 2012, sells 1980s- and ‘90s-style windbreakers, fanny packs, sunglasses, visors and other apparel emblazoned with loud graphic designs, neon colors and an early digital feel. One of the coolest items: a wide-ribbed corduroy hat with an 8-bit Tecmo graphic of an NFL quarterback dressed in orange and wearing No. 7 on his jersey. The hat puts a new-old spin on the nostalgic glory days of John Elway and the Denver Broncos. $33. bfreshgear.com — Jonathan Shikes

Casa Bonita Sopaipilla Scented Candle

When Casa Bonita reopened in May, it came with a new gift shop offering some creative and quirky souvenirs. One of the most popular is an all-soy, 8-ounce custom-made candle produced in Denver by Wooly Wax to mimic the aromas and flavors of the restaurant’s most famous dish: the honey-covered sopaipillas. Scents of honey, caramelized sugar, citrus and cinnamon mingle together in a way that will make you close your eyes and imagine Black Bart’s Cave. $28. shop.casabonitadenver.com

Joy Bombs

These Joybiles cannabis products look and taste exactly like Skittles and each candy has a manageable 2.5 mg of THC. They are also sold in smaller packages sometimes so they are extra cute. $20-$27 per 40 pack (total of 100 mg THC per package) at dozens of Colorado recreational and medical dispensary locations. joyibles.com/joy-bombs — Tiney Ricciardi

Tingly Crisp from Pho King Rapidos

If you’re a fan of chili oil — that lightly textured, spicy and often nutty addition that melds with Korean, Vietnamese, Thai and other live-giving foods, share the flavor of Pho King Rapidos’s Tingly Crisp. As the name promises, the $14 bottle of handmade hot sauce is perfect for Asian and Latin food, full of tang and bright personality but not overpowering. Bonus: It’s vegan, relying on sichuan peppercorn, lemongrass, thai chili, red chili flake, garlic, onion, brown sugar and salt for its profile. Visit pkr-denver.com (the main site) or bit.ly/3SI4ldl (the ordering link). — John Wenzel

Uncle Tim’s Cocktails

Toast the craft-distilling aficionado in your life with a sample pack of pre-batched tipples from Uncle Tim’s Cocktails. The Denver company sells so-called “series” of miniature libations, such as the Negroni and Manhattan, which feature true-to-form classic recipes along with original takes. The Negroni series, for example, includes a classic rendition, a white Negroni and a Boulevardier, all ready to drink over ice. Each series includes three, 100 ml bottles for $30. Uncle Tim’s Cocktails is also debuting an Old Fashioned series in November just in time for the holidays. If you want to try before you buy, head to Uncle Tim’s tasting room at 1150 S. Lipan St. in Denver. Bottled cocktails, including sampler series, are also available for purchase at uncletimscocktails.com. — Tiney Ricciardi

Indie bookstore gift cards

For the readers in your family or friendship circle, a gift card to Denver’s Tattered Cover Book Store (make that a digital card) or any one of dozens of independent bookstores across Colorado will fit nicely in that stocking. Check out this list of some of them to help you choose (bit.ly/40DXdR0), and read up on local authors, book reviews and more Colorado literary news at denverpost.com/things-to-do/books. Various gift-card values available. tatteredcover.com — Barbara Ellis

“Iron Flame” and more Colorado fiction

It’s easy to find Colorado authors making national headlines these days, such as fantasy-lit megastar Rebecca Yarros, who has a new book out called “Iron Flame.” It’s also high time to introduce yourself to even more of our New York Times best sellers and buzzy, critically acclaimed titles (some just now in paperback). That includes national award winners Kali Fajardo-Anstine (“Woman of Light”), Vauhini Vara (“This Is Salvaged”) and Mario Acevedo (genre anthologies, “Cats in Quarantine”), as well as classics from Coloradans Kent Haruf (“Our Souls at Night”) and John Williams (“Stoner” and the recently adapted “Butcher’s Crossing”). $15-$35 at local retailers. — John Wenzel

Colorado Wildflower Seed Mix

There’s nothing like wildflower season in Colorado. Catching a meadow or forest trail in full bloom is truly a breathtaking moment. But these moments can be fleeting, which is why it’s also fun to plant your own. Boulder’s BBB Seed has been operating for nearly 40 years and sells wildflower seed mixes that you can buy online or in small and mostly independent retail stores around the state. Each mix includes annuals and perennials designed to grow in our climate, like blue flax, purple coneflower, Shasta daisies, baby blue-eyes and blue columbines. $6-$42. bbbseed.com/product/colorado-wildflower-mix — Jonathan Shikes

Vinyl Me Please, please?

Based in Denver, the fast-growing Vinyl Me Please makes and annually sells dozens of reissued, all-time classic titles as well as new albums and critical darlings from tons of musical genres, ranging from Dolly Parton and Stevie Wonder to Taylor Swift, OutKast, and Caroline Rose. While a double LP won’t necessarily fit in a stocking, a gift card ($10-$500) or subscription to its high-end, record-of-the-month club (starting at $128 for three months) certainly will. It’s sure to thrill your resident audiophile, especially if you pair it with a portable, rechargeable turntable from Denver-based Victrola ($60 and up). vinylmeplease.com or victrola.com — John Wenzel

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The idea for a cannabis-focused spa and salon came from owner and CEO Rebecca Marroquin’s own experience using infused topicals to treat pain. In 2011, Marroquin was preparing to finish school and become a massage therapist when she was involved in a car crash that broke her neck.

Marroquin began using Mary Jane’s Medicinals‘ lotions and salves infused with cannabinoids like cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to help with her neck pain. Four months after the incident, she was back on track to graduate.

“It didn’t stop me,” she said. “I have to get massages myself once every three months. I use topicals regularly, so I feel great.”

When the business opens next spring, Pure Elevations, at 185 S. Santa Fe Drive, will offer massages alongside body treatments such as scrubs and wraps. It will also be a hair studio specializing in African-American techniques like braiding, as well as fashion coloring.

Currently, Colorado’s marijuana laws restrict any hospitality business’ ability to use or sell THC topicals because of limits on how much weed consumers can purchase per day. Massages, specifically, are hindered by a requirement for video surveillance in consumption areas, Marroquin said.

However, the state’s Marijuana Enforcement Division is considering new rules specific to marijuana hospitality that would both increase the daily consumer sales limits and exempt topicals from those limits altogether. The new rules also explicitly address spas to clarify video surveillance would not be required in massage rooms. The new regulations, which are expected to go into effect Jan. 8, would make it possible for customers to receive THC and CBD massages.

Marroquin also plans to build an Amsterdam-inspired coffee shop and dispensary counter at Pure Elevations where clients can purchase her favorite topicals alongside other smokeable and edible marijuana products. Those items are for use in the business’ outdoor consumption courtyard where customers will be able to chill, use the Wi-Fi, or order food for delivery. Additional plans include having space for a food truck to park near the courtyard.

If this concept sounds different than others coming to Denver, that’s on purpose. Marroquin wants to change the perception that cannabis is only for those who fit the stoner archetype and illuminate locals to its health benefits.

“A lot of the community doesn’t know about the benefits of marijuana, and how it can help them with emotional support or pain,” she said. “My idea is to educate our community about the benefits and to give them access to this medicine to make it more socially acceptable.”

Pure Elevations is currently under construction in anticipation of opening in April 2024. Keep up with the progress on Instagram at @pure.elevationsdenver.

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Coloradans have likely heard much about psychedelics in the last year since voters chose to legalize and decriminalize certain drugs at the ballot box in November 2022.

The Natural Medicine Health Act legalized psilocybin and psilocin, which are compounds found in “magic mushrooms,” for use in therapeutic settings. Bolstered by new research that suggests psychedelics can be effective tools to treat mental health, the measure paved the way for so-called “healing centers” where locals aged 21 and up will soon be able to have a journey under the supervision of a licensed professional.

The newly minted law also removed criminal penalties for the personal possession, use, cultivation and sharing of psilocybin and psilocin, as well as ibogaine, mescaline, and DMT.

While Colorado regulators figure out exactly how to roll out a brand-new industry around psychedelic-assisted therapy — the latest board meeting takes place Oct. 20 — it’s worth noting that experimentation has long been happening underground as a growing number of Americans have sought to improve their mental health.

For thousands of years prior, indigenous cultures have also used substances like psilocybin and peyote for spiritual and religious ceremonies.

As research in the space continues to be conducted and published, more states in the U.S. are considering following in the footsteps of Colorado and Oregon where psilocybin is now legal.

The Denver Post will continue to cover developments in psychedelics policy, science and culture to keep locals informed about the emerging sector. As part of that effort, our reporters also want to know what burning questions readers have.

What’s on your mind as it relates to psychedelics in Colorado, or in general? We’ll do our best to touch base as we investigate your areas of interest.

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Woodson would know. In addition to opening Denver’s first legal marijuana tour bus company, The Cannabis Experience, she’s the founder of The Color of Cannabis, an organization that advocates for BIPOC representation in the industry. One of the pillars of her work is a 10-week course that supports social equity business applicants — people of color and other marginalized groups that were disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs — and helps them bring their ideas to life.

Last year, while scouting potential brick-and-mortar locations with one of her class graduates, Woodson found a creative solution to one of the challenges facing cannabis entrepreneurs: A 10,000-square-foot warehouse in Montbello where multiple product manufacturers could share the space and, importantly, the rent.

“What’s so nice about this facility is it was built out for a larger multi-state [edibles manufacturer], so they really put a lot of money and effort into it,” Woodson said. “The property was fully licensed already in the city so we knew it would work.”

Now, four new businesses are preparing to start cooking edibles and making concentrates under their one shared roof. It’s not a place that customers can visit or buy anything, though marijuana enthusiasts can expect to see these products in dispensaries by late this year or early 2024.

The Color of Cannabis also relocated its headquarters there, and two additional spaces are still available for rent.

This opportunity makes starting a new business more affordable than it otherwise would be, said Riccardo Russell, co-owner and lab manager at Monstera Melts, which makes concentrates.

“I’d have to work four jobs to really make it happen any other way. It’s my little hobby and now I can take my dream to market,” he said. “It’s really cool.”

Desiree Duran, CEO of La Vida Dulce edibles, echoed that sentiment. “If it wasn’t for [Sarah], I don’t know if we’d be doing this,” she said. “We can’t shell out $10,000 for a building. The way it’s structured, we’re able to share the cost of the building.”

Woodson hopes this model can be recreated throughout Colorado to empower more social equity licensees to get into this industry. Social equity, as defined by Colorado statue, includes individuals whose income is less than 50% of the state median or who have a cannabis-related conviction in their record or a family member’s record.

Though Denver has made new cannabis business licenses available exclusively to social equity applicants until 2027, the financial burdens associated with securing locations and licensure still keep many from cashing in.

“Economics make a huge difference and the way I’ve always been able to tap into that is through business ownership,” Woodson said. “It’s really part of my calling is to help others to help establish economic freedom.”

Here’s what’s to come from social equity collaborators C’est La Vie Coffee, La Vida Dulce, Monstera Melts and Strain 16. Most of these businesses are in the process of getting licensed and anticipate selling their products by late this year or early 2024.

C’est La Vie Coffee

Nicholas Goodwin knows the therapeutic benefits of cannabis firsthand. In 2016, the Colorado Springs resident was involved in a car accident that left him injured and in need of multiple back surgeries — and with a subsequent opioid addiction.

A year later, Goodwin kicked his dependence on opioids with the help of THC and CBD, which he’d also seen provide relief to his family members battling cancer. That’s when Goodwin decided to venture into the cannabis space in hopes of helping others like him.

“My first passion was coffee, and I was like, how can I marry the two together?” Goodwin said.

The answer is C’est La Vie Coffee, a forthcoming line of cannabis-infused coffee that offers two buzzes from one brew. Goodwin started experimenting with recipes about seven years ago and developed a proprietary emulsification process to create single-origin and bean blends he plans to sell in coffee pods, similar to K-Cups.

Goodwin chose that format because it provides more accurate dosing for consumers.

“They’re all microdosed to exact specifications of 10 milligrams, or I can do it down 5 milligrams or I can do a 1-to-1 (THC to CBD ratio). I can go all the way up to 25 milligrams,” Goodwin said. “So I can pinpoint my dosage in K-Cups carefully and precisely.”

Plus, it makes sense with more people working from home post-pandemic, he added. Eventually, he plans to expand offerings to include infused teas and one day even a hospitality lounge where guests can imbibe his products onsite.

La Vida Dulce

La Vida Dulce means “the sweet life” in Spanish, and the company’s name is a harbinger of what’s to come from the panaderia-inspired edibles manufacturer.

Cousins Desiree Duran, CEO, and Christina Villagomez, COO, are self-described new cannabis converts who realized the substance’s medicinal potential after using it to deal with pain. In Duran’s case, it also helped her relinquish her dependence on opioids.

After trying to start a marijuana delivery service in 2021, the duo pivoted to baking edibles with help from their partners, Dijonn Duran and Chris Marquez, who had more experience with marijuana.

They plan to differentiate themselves from other edibles on the market by embracing their Hispanic heritage. Villagomez serves as the head baker, making delicacies like champurradas, spiced hot chocolate cookies, and biscochito, a shortbread cookie, as well as Mexican candies infused with THC.

Growing up, marijuana was a taboo subject in her household, Desiree Duran said. Through La Vida Dulce, she hopes to inspire the Hispanic community and add representation to the industry.

“We don’t really have a presence in this industry, especially women,” she said. “We definitely want to make an impact, we want to open the gates for more people to come and let them know you can do this.”

Monstera Melts

Upon moving to Colorado in 2012, Riccardo Russell worked for several cannabis companies in a variety of roles, including trimming. But his passion lies in extraction and making concentrates.

Russell’s manufacturing skills will be on display when his company Monstera Melts debuts with products such as water or bubble hash, live rosin, budder and sugar wax.

Monstera Melts specializes in solventless extraction, meaning Russell does not use additives like butane to extract oils and trichomes from the marijuana plant. Instead, he uses cold filtered water and ice to separate the plant matter from the good stuff he uses to craft concentrates. That method offers a “natural vibe” that appeals to customers and maintains the flavor profile of individual strains, Russell said.

While many solventless extracts are currently available on the market, Russell aims to differentiate his with the quality to suit connoisseurs cannabis consumers — something he says other concentrates lack.

“We’re going to be more of a small-batch company. We’ll have limited drops at a few dispensaries, but we’re hoping it will be hype enough to sell out immediately,” much like limited-release beers used to excite connoisseur drinkers, Russell said.

Monstera Melts — named for another of Russell’s favorite plants — hopes to expand into edibles and other products in the future, he said.

Strain 16

Jamana Jamison’s foray into cannabis edibles began with a cancer diagnosis. In 2014, her sister, Jamiece, was diagnosed with breast cancer and commenced a treatment regimen that included chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and a variety of medications to mitigate the symptoms.

Medical marijuana was available in Illinois where the Jamison sisters lived, but Jamiece didn’t want to smoke it in a leased apartment. So Jamana began infusing it into condiments like butter and jam that could accompany her sister’s meals.

That parlayed into Jamana hosting infused dinners for family and friends. One night, she developed beverages that wowed guests, including her brother Chrisean, who became her biggest cannabis cheerleader.

Strain 16’s specialty is flavored lemonade made using fresh fruit juices and a nanoemulsion process that infuses them with THC. When the line debuts it will include three recipes — strawberry lemonade, mango lemonade, and pineapple lemonade — sold in 12-ounce vessels, each with 30 to 50 milligrams of THC. Jamison also plans to sell 4-ounce “pocket shots” with 10 milligrams of THC.

The drinks are both approachable and delicious — two things Jamison believes separate hers from others on the market. While they’ll first be available in dispensaries, she hopes to make them available in hospitality lounges for people who want an alternative to combustible weed products.

Jamison’s sister has been in remission for six years, however, her brother unexpectedly passed away in 2022. Jamison considered quitting the business altogether after that, but decided to push forward “to keep his memory going,” she said.

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