By Herbert Fuego
Friday, June 2, 2017
Many growers prefer seeds over clones because they allow for earlier quality control.
Shutterstock
Quality control is important no matter the motivation for growing cannabis. As convenient as clones are, you're stuck with the paranoia of buying B-squad genetics and any diseases or pests they might carry. Using seeds brings more environmental control and peace of mind, and they're cheaper in the long run than clones. So why are they so hard to find?
High-quality cannabis seeds aren't as easy to grow and sell as, say, sunflower or pumpkin seeds. The breeding process takes time, according to Ben Holmes, a former cannabis breeder who now specializes in hemp.
"It takes two to three years to develop a seed, to make it sellable," he says of breeding sturdy, potent genetics. "It's tremendously expensive to do it on a large level if you want something good."
Few dispensaries sell and market their own seeds, relying on wholesale suppliers instead. Thanks to the legal boom in business, however, Colorado has more than enough commercial seed breeders to go around — but it's hard to figure out who carries them. After scouring menus and bud bars, we've compiled a list of Denver-area seed breeders and where to find them.
1. The Green Solution
Ten metro locations
If you walk into any Green Solution location, the first thing you'll notice is the selection. So it's no surprise that TGS is a dispensary leader in cannabis home-growing products. Not only does each location sell clones and seeds with TGS genetics, but they also sell male marijuana pollen to use on female plants for crossbreeding. That is NOT recommended for beginners, however. Check out the Green Solution's online ordering option to see what genetics are in stock at the closest store near you.
The Green Solution
It'll take a few months to find out if the Green Solution has Colorado's finest genetics, but at least you can pre-order them online now.
2. The Farm
2801 Iris Avenue, Boulder
303-440-1323
Already known for its secret-stash menu and some of the best budtenders in Colorado, the Farm's line of first-generation seeds is worth checking out for any experimenting home grower. Although the seeds come in a variety pack, which can annoy those used to buying three or six of the same strain, the Farm inbreeds all of its strains to ensure desirable traits and potency. Its website even has a page dedicated to germinating cannabis seeds and growing tips.
3. 14er Holistics
2897 Mapleton Avenue, Boulder
303-539-6525
As seed-breeding programs continue to fall by the wayside, 14er Holistics remains one of the finest dispensaries to do it. The innovative Boulder pot shop has been selling seeds and tinkering with strains since 2009, creating rare and potent strains like Mamboe (Mamba Double Underdawg x Tahoe OG) and Charlotte's Tange (Charlotte's Web x Tangistan Kush). If you're unsure about driving all the way to Boulder for seeds, buy some of 14er's stanky flower to make it more worthwhile.
4. The Bank
The Bank is an offshoot of the Clinic, one of Denver's most esteemed dispensary chains. One visit to a Clinic bud bar and it's easy to tell why, with award-winning takes on Grape God Bud and Tangie. Unfortunately, you can't get those local favorites from the Bank, but it still has interesting strains to choose from with similar genetics. Classics like Bubba Kush, Durban Poison and SAGE are used to produce hybrids like Grape Kush and Lemon Poison. The list of pot shops that sell the Bank's seeds changes regularly, but it's almost always a safe bet to find them at any of the Clinic's four locations or five others listed below.
Sour Bubba sounds like one helluva high – and someone you don't want to run into in a dark alley.
The Bank Facebook Page
The Clinic
2020 South Colorado Boulevard
303-758-9114
4625 East Colfax Avenue
303-333-3644
3460 West 32nd Avenue
303-997-7130
3600 South Wadsworth Boulevard
Lakewood
303-484-8853
Green Man Cannabis
1355 Santa Fe Drive
720-842-4842
7289 East Hampden Avenue
720-382-5950
Kind Love
4380 East Alameda Avenue, Glendale
303-565-3600
Lucy Sky
2394 South Broadway
720-379-7295
2215 East Mississippi Avenue
303-733-5500
Hopefully that doomsday seed bank on a frozen Norwegian island has better cannabis seeds than the sh*t the federal government grows.
Shutterstock
5. 303 Seeds
Founded by medical cannabis breeders in 2010, 303 Seeds is one of the most recognizable breeders in Colorado. Its cuts of Aspen OG, Bio-Diesel and Jabberwocky are some of my personal favorites, and its Jet Fuel phenotypes are a must for any Diesel lover. 303 specializes in strains with high resin production, but it also sells high-CBD strains like Ambulance and Snowpack. Find 303 Seeds at the following locations:
Ballpark Holistic Dispensary
2119 Larimer Street
303-590-9881
Denver Clone Store
4571 Ivy Street
303-951-1480
755 South Federal Boulevard
303-993-5653
Kind Love
4380 East Alameda Avenue
303-565-3600
Life Flower
4966 Leetsdale Drive
720-389-7442
Medicine Man
4750 Nome Street
303-373-0752
1901 South Havana Street, Aurora
303-923-3825
Natural Remedies
1620 Market Street
303-953-0884
RiverRock Wellness
990 West 6th Avenue
303-825-3314
4935 York Street
303-474-4136
The Herbal Center
12005 East 37th Avenue
720-549-4372
The Herbal Cure
985 South Logan Street
303-777-9333
Urban Dispensary
2675 West 38th Avenue
720-389-9179
6. Dutch Girl
Dutch Girl Seeds has quickly sprouted around town thanks to its parent company, CannaPunch, which already widely distributes an array of cannabis drinks, edibles and vaporizers. And it's hit the ground running, offering a selection of dozens of strains, some of which are 100 percent indica or sativa. Up to nine of the same seeds are available, and they also come in variety packs for experiments and passion projects. Don't be surprised if you see more Dutch Girls in dispensaries around town going forward. Here's where you can find Dutch Girl seeds now:
Ballpark Holistic Dispensary
2119 Larimer Street
303-590-9881
Best Colorado Meds
4800 Lamar Street, Wheat Ridge
720-205-5314
B*Good
11450 Cherokee Street, Northglenn
303-254-4200
Diego Pellicer
2949 West Alameda Avenue
720-787-4909
Lodo Wellness Center
1617 Wazee Street
303-534-5020
Lucy Sky Cannabis Boutique
2394 South Broadway
720-379-7295
2215 East Mississippi Drive
303-733-5500
Northern Lights Cannabis Co.
2045 Sheridan Boulevard, Edgewater
303-274-6495
RiverRock Wellness
4935 York Street
303-474-4136
Sacred Seed
5885 East Evans Avenue
303-756-3762
Starbuds
4690 Brighton Boulevard
720-387-8952
Urban Dispensary
2675 West 38th Avenue
720-389-9179
Whole Meds
3450 Brighton Boulevard
303-433-3151
7. Colorado Seed Inc.
If you're a fan of Gupta Kush, a hybrid of Blue Moonshine and Ghost OG Kush named after Dr. Sanjay Gupta, or Nina Limone, a sativa with Super Lemon Haze Genetics, then you'll love Colorado Seed Inc. If you don't, then I don't know what to tell you, as nearly all of its strains are bred from the two. Both were bred in-house by Colorado Seed Inc., which now sells twenty-plus strains at over a dozen metro dispensaries. Because the strains have proprietary genetics, it's worth looking at Colorado Seed Inc.'s website to find out which are most potent, best suited for outdoor growing or easiest on beginners. Find its products at the following dispensaries:
: Who's ready for some Gupta?
Colorado Seed Inc.
Chronic Therapy
10030 West 27th Avenue, Wheat Ridge
303-233-3087
Denver Clone Store
755 South Federal Boulevard
303-993-5653
4571 Ivy Street
303-951-1480
Helping Hands Herbals
1021 Pearl Street, Boulder
720-476-6186
Life Flower
4966 Leetsdale Drive, Glendale
720-389-7442
Medicine Man
4750 Nome Street
303-373-0752
1901 South Havana Street, Aurora
303-923-3825
Mile High Dispensary
1350 South Sheridan Boulevard
303-934-6337
Pure Medical Dispensary
Three Denver locations
Tru Cannabis Mile High
1705 Federal Boulevard
303-455-9333
Wellness Center of the Rockies
6853 Leetsdale Drive
720-941-8872
