The Leafly Buyer’s Guide provides a curated editorial list of top cannabis product picks on the market now, chosen by local experts in each region.
1) Quality Concentrates: Space Oddity
(Courtesy of Quality Concentrates)
Based in: Los Angeles
Want to make the finest cannabis concentrates in the state of California? For Quality Concentrates, that process starts with growing your own crops, to ensure you’re always working with the freshest and highest-quality material possible. From there, all of their concentrates—like their Space Oddity Shatter—are made in a state-of-the-art laboratory utilizing biotech stainless steel hydrocarbon extractors under strict clinical conditions.
Three places to find it: Highway 99 Collective in Bakersfield; 420 Central in Santa Ana; Buddha Company in Los Angeles
2) Gold Coast Extracts: Lemon Walker OG
(Courtesy of Gold Coast Extracts)
Based in: Los Angeles
There’s little public information available about Gold Coast Extracts, a legendary collective of Los Angeles based extract artists, but then again you don’t need a publicist (or even publicity) when you’ve been dominating the cannabis awards scene for as long as these guys. Their concentrates made from Lemon Walker OG—a cross of Lemon Skunk and Skywalker OG (Skywalker x OG Kush)—especially capture the strain’s “bright notes of citrus” and “pungent, slightly fruity undertone.”
Three places to find it: Apothecary in Los Angeles; Green Cross of Torrence in Torrence; Universal Collective in Studio City
3) Los Angeles Refinery: Cannabis-Derived Terpenes
(Courtesy of Los Angeles Refinery)
Based in: Los Angeles
Founded in 2014 by experienced local extract artists, Los Angeles Refinery is a producer of craft cannabis concentrates with a focus on preserving a full terpene profile while achieving the highest cannabinoid content possible. In addition to their own award-winning extracts and vape pens, they also offer cannabis-derived terpenes isolated from selected strains like Granddaddy Purple, Cherry Pie, and Clementine.
Three places to find it: OC3 – Orange County Cannabis Club in Santa Ana; Apothecary in Los Angeles; Calhemp Wellness in Inglewood
4) Raw Garden: Sauce
(Courtesy of Raw Garden)
Based in: Santa Barbara County
With a goal of “creating clean and accessible cannabis products for the masses,” the team at Raw Garden merges copious expertise in organic agriculture and biotechnology to create a superior line of concentrates extracted from their own in-house flowers. They’re best known and best loved for their Sauce, which retains a rich terpene profile extracted from single source Clean Green Certified fresh frozen flowers.
Three places to find it: OC3 – Orange County Cannabis Club in Santa Ana; BARC in Beverley Hills; Golden State Greens Point Loma in San Diego
5) Hitman Farms: Live Resin Nug Run
(Courtesy of Hitman Farms)
Based in: Los Angeles
The Hitman cannabis empire includes major plays in the functional art glass world (i.e. really fancy bongs for dabbing), the flower and concentrate game,and the cannabis event space. They’ve even got their own coffeeshop in Los Angeles with on-site consumption. Check out Hitman’s Live Resin Nug Run for a connoisseur level example of live resin’s true potential.
Three places to find it: BARC in Beverley Hills; La Brea Collective in Los Angeles; Zen Healing in West Hollywood
6) Dr. Zodiak’s:Moonrock
(Courtesy of Dr. Zodiak’s)
Based in: Los Angeles
Touted as “the strongest bud in the galaxy,” the Original Moonrock is a high quality bud that’s been infused with rosin (64% THC) and then rolled in kief until it shines like the moon. While “moonrock” has become a generic term, these particular concentrate-soaked, crystal-coated joints come with an endorsement from rapper Kurupt, who is widely credited with popularizing the process.
Three places to find it: Apothecary in Los Angeles; Bud Man (Delivery) in Orange County; City of Hope in Northeridge
7)Varavo: Sour Tsunami Full Spectrum Concentrate
(Courtesy of Varavo)
Based in: Los Angeles
With a mission focused on quality, consistency and social responsibility, Varavo’s full line of edibles and concentrates starts with fresh flowers from trusted growers. Then, using the latest CO2 extraction and distillation technology, they produce cannabis oils with a full spectrum of the cannabis plant including its terpenes. Their Sour Tsunami Full Spectrum Concentrate delivers a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD, ideal for those seeking high cannabinoid doses without getting too high.
Three places to find it: WHTC in Studio City; Captain Jack’s in San Bernardino; Buddha Company in Los Angeles
8) The Clear: Honey Buckets
(Courtesy of The Clear)
Based in: Southern California
A 100% solvent-free cannabis concentrate, The Clear is a translucent oil that’s up to 96% THC, plus all-natural terpenes that have been reintroduced to give it one of 17 different flavors. Ask for a Honey Bucket if you want The Clear in dabble form. It’s also effective in oral and transdermal applications.
Three places to find it: Greenwolf in Los Angeles; AHHSWEHO in West Hollywood; From the Earth in Santa Ana
9) Paper Planes: THCA Terp Sugar
(Courtesy of Paper Planes)
Based in: Southern California
Although they came up on older, less refined methods of butane extraction, the team at Paper Planes now uses only top-of-the-line equipment like a Cascade Tek vacuum oven and an Emotek Closed Loop Extraction system—the only tri-certified closed loop system on the market. Their THCA Terp Sugar is a crystalline extraction seasoned with just enough terpenes to get the full profile of the cannabis strain.
Three places to find it: HHTC in Hollywood Hills; Green Gold Cultivators in San Andreas; Golden State Green Point Loma in San Diego
10) Beboe: Rose-Gold Vape Pens
(Courtesy of Beboe)GREA
Based in: Los Angeles
Founded by a celebrity tattoo artist and a fashion industry impresario, Beboe brings an air of luxury and exclusivity to cannabis that’s designed to attract brand-conscious affluent consumers. Their Rose-Gold Vape Pens come in indica and sativa and contain 0.5 grams (about 120 hits).
Three places to find it: Bud Man (Delivery) in Orange County; Buds & Roses in Los Angeles; Long Beach Green Room in Long Beach
Lead image by Julia Sumpter/Leafly
