Works of fire: America’s best weed for 4th of July 2023

Pack the Yeti Daytrip with some fresh flower, pre-rolls, and hash—the long summer weekends have arrived.

Fireworks this 4th of July commemorate hard-won freedoms old and new. Maryland just started adult-use cannabis sales. Minnesota will soon follow—making it 23 legalization states, and more than 40 medical ones. Dispensaries are opening up in Alabama this year. You can buy “hemp” seeds from Cookies at head shops in all 50 states.

It’s OK to take breaks from the work on a more perfect union, and celebrate our Republic’s gains. Our ganja Golden Age rolls on this Independence Day with these two dozen super-hot strains, carts, edibles, and dabs—from sea to shining sea.

California

Glitter Bomb

Compound Genetics

More people can grow more weed in more places than ever before in modern America this July 4. So plant a pound of Compound Genetics’ easy-to-grow, award-winning Glitter Bomb. The cultivar just took a California State Fair Cannabis Award for some of the most stony weed in the Golden State—taking silver in the THCa category. Total cannabinoids: 41.77%. Sheesh. Glitter Bomb comes from a crop of Grape Gas crosses that includes Purple Milk (below), and GastroPop. Smoke the Glitter Bomb flower for grape-berry-candy-gas terps and sedative hybrid effect that pairs perfect with vibing. See also: CAM Permanent Marker; Ridgeline LANTZ

Strawberry Zkittlez live resin diamonds

Arcata Fire

Winner of five Emerald Cups in May—including 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in rosin carts—Arcata Fire from Humboldt County, does not miss, whether it’s in the solventless category, or the live resin one. Locally owned and vertically operated, the Arcata, CA company works with elite small sungrown farms, using hand-harvested, fresh-frozen flowers in validated strains that are terpy AF. There are no ‘botanical’ or ‘natural’ flavors here from non-cannabis sources. That’s dope because we legalized inhaling weed, not untested chemicals. On shelves this July from Arcata Fire—a First Class Funk solventless cart from Humboldt 36 Farms, Strawberry Zkittlez live resin diamonds, and Blue Dream live resin diamonds from Organic Medicinals in Humboldt County.

Gary-Z infused pre-rolls

Fiore

Ready to smoke joints—aka pre-rolls—really shine all summer long. They travel well, everyone knows how to light them and they can get the whole party lit. Problem is—so many taste like hay. A fresh wave of infused pre-rolls fortifies that poor, ground-up flower with the terpenes and potency of hash. Most exemplary—Fiore brand Gary-Z infused dogwalkers rule the pack. Gary-Z is a hype cross of the all-star strain Gary Payton x Sherb x Z with that sweet candy-gas for the win. The little jar full of juicy joints is ready to be your road dog.

See also: Sluggers infused pre-rolls; Paletas infused blunts

Purple Milk

Sense Cannabis

What happens when you mix red, white and blue? You get purple! Part of Compound Genetics’ Graphic Gas Collection, this is the Purple Milk they don’t tell you about in the movies. Grown perfectly by Sense Cannabis of San Francisco, Purple Milk takes Horchata and adds in the candy aspect of Grape Gas’s flavor along with that purple tinge to the plant. Off the stalk, these buds deliver some almost oversaturated hues with neon green, orange, and purple. These are heavier than a mortar bomb and the high-octane smell will make your ears rings like a Piccolo Pete. The flavor of gassy, grassy, spicy grape will perk you up so you don’t miss any of the fireworks. —Matt Jackson

Banana Cream x Jealousy 

Flight Path

If you want some fire for the 4th, Flight Path’sBanana Cream x Jealousy delivers on quality. The genetics were originally bred by Seed Junky Genetics and produce a relaxed type of high that leaves most consumers feeling happy and carefree. Grown here by Flight Path, its flavor profile is a mix of fruity, nutty, and gassy notes (Jealousy really shines in this one). The high is definitely potent, so save this one for later in the day, that way you can really kick back and enjoy a guilt-free experience. Banana Cream x Jealousy is perfect for passing between the homies and watching some fireworks. —Dante Jordan

Cucumber Serrano Mango gummies

Real Deal Resin

Gummies are the most popular weed edible out there by a long shot. Fresh on the gummy aisle in California dispensaries, Real Deal Resin’s Cucumber Serrano Mango. These gummies smell and look inviting, and squish just right when you bite them. Inspired by the fresh fruit street carts of Mexico and California, you get authentic cucumber and mango flavor with a little bit of heat. That’s fire. Each gummy contains 10 mg THC from the single strain-sourced Lemonhead Z live hash rosin. The high is more nuanced, deeper, and less cloudy than a generic-tasting and feeling THC distillate oil base. Eat just one gummy and wait at least 120 minutes before you tag in another. —David Downs

New York

Blue Sherbet

Fat Nell for NY

As much as I love to try the latest in cannabis genetic innovation, sometimes I yearn for the simpler times. Blue Sherbet (Blue Cookies x Sherbet) may seem out of vogue, but the right hands make all the difference. Women-owned and operated farm Fat Nell shocked me earlier this year with their Purple Punch, a strain I admittedly had written off years ago for just not hitting the way it should. Like that Punch, Fat Nell’s Blue Sherbet shows that you can bring the best out of a strain. That elusive Blueberry aroma is present and accounted for, and despite a relatively lower THC content, it hits with a surprising amount of tingles and super-relaxing vibes. —Amelia Williams

Maryland

Golden Goat

Rythm 

If you manage to nab some of Rythm’s Golden Goat in the first weekend of Maryland’s adult-use sales, I salute you. This has been one of my favorite tropical, sativa-dominant strains that tastes unique and always delivers a happy-go-lucky euphoria, perfect for pairing with Fourth of July barbecues, poolside leisure, and popsicles. Golden Goat is a mix of Island Sweet Skunk, Hawaiian, and Romulan—expect black pepper, pineapples, and a funky sweetness. Few still champion this exotic cultivar, but it continues to nab awards, most recently at 2019’s Commonwealth Cannabis Competition. Rythm does an exceptional job with it. Buds are big, mean, and green with the Goat’s signature abundance of spindly orange hairs and full fuzz of opaque trichomes. —Amelia Williams

Maine

Grapefruit Gelato

Brave Boat Gardens

Syrup, citrus, gas, smiles. Craft growers and processors Brave Boat Gardens fuel the fire that Maine has some of the best weed in the country. This cultivar is also known as First Class Funk, and it leads to mouth-smacking funk. Brave Boat also produces it in pre-roll and live rosin form to mellow out no matter your consumption method. —A.W.

Nevada

Pellegreeno

The Grower Circle

Creamy and dense, this cross of Gary Payton and Cosa Nostra is one of the most flavorful and smoothest-smoking strains anywhere in Sin City. Grown by The Grower Circle, modest caryophyllene, limonene and myrcene counts give it a lemon candy taste with a bit of pine on the way in. Pellegreeno provides a similarly delicious blast of earth and gas on the way out. This sativa’s solid 27.5% THC tally and expansive terp profile make it hit hard and quickly, leaving users feeling euphoric and creative yet relaxed and hungry. The Grower Circle is available in 40 Las Vegas Valley dispensaries, including Jardin, Rise, Essence, The Source, Las Vegas ReLeaf, Cookies, Green Cannabis, Zen Leaf and Sahara Wellness. Also comes as RSO. —Chris Kudialis

Thanks to our newfound freedoms, there’s too much excellent cannabis across the US to cram into one shopping guide. Here’s some more fire we’d try across America.

Oregon

Portland, Oregon is a top weed city in the US, sporting a fireworks barge-worth of flame this July 4.

Garlic Juice fresh press rosin from Kalya at Lemonnade.

Gak Melon five-pack of pre-rolls from Real Eve at Power Plant on Thurman.

Moonglow seeds from Archive at Archive Portland.

Zoap quarter-ounce of flower from Resin Ranchers at Archive Portland.

Washington

Seattle has warmed up and it’s time to get a sunburn with these hot flavors on Puget Sound.

Unicorn Poop x Pineapple Pezz #5 Reserve Flower by Skord at Have a Heart, Skyway.

RS-11 from Torus at Have a Heart, Skyway.

Phetti by Fifty Fold at A Green Today, Seattle.

Colorado

Denver, Colorado ranks as one of America’s first legal weed cities and the selection is unparalleled. Make sure to try:

Golden Goat from Natty Rems at Chronic Therapy.

Piescream #7 from 710 Labs at Mana Supply Co.

Runtz by Harmony Extracts at Lit Dispensary Federal.

Illinois

Chicago’s hot, humid summers go great with some new flavors in this emerging market. Try:

Cadillac Rainbow by Legends Flower brand cannabis Sunnyside Wrigleyville. 

Dirty Squirt by Columbia Care at Dispensary 33.

Strawberry Lemonade gummies by Lost Farm at MedMen.

Missouri

Kansas City celebrates its first summer of legalization with low supplies and classic flavors. Use Leafly order-ahead and pickup to secure your bag.

Durban Poison by The Solid at Fresh Karma.

OG Kush by Gold Rush at The Forest.

Mimosa by Elevate Missouri at Elevate, Kansas City.

And that’s a wrap. As always, the most brilliant fire is the one in your boewl. So whatever you smoke, be proud of it. We’ll have more on the gummies of summer and the best hash of the west for 7/10 on Leafly—so keep that app open.