BEAR Labs is a Los Angeles concentrate and vape brand that started in the San Fernando Valley in 2014 and produces through Big Oil Co., a licensed volatile solvent extraction manufacturer. The name stands for Botanical Extractions And Research Labs. At the 2026 California Cannabis Awards, BEAR Labs collaborations took gold, silver and bronze in concentrates.
The lineup covers live resin, live rosin, cured resin, all-in-one vapes and edibles. Its award entries are built with partner farms and carry both names, as in BEAR Labs x Sierra Botanicals.
Legacy roots and a licensed lab
BEAR Labs describes itself as a legacy concentrate and vape brand with deep roots in the California cannabis industry, focused on value at a fair price. A December 2023 Budist review traced the brand to 2014 in the San Fernando Valley and described a crew with more than 50 years of collective cannabis experience.
The licensed chapter runs through Big Oil Co. Kyle Alcazar and John Lafata started Big Oil in 2017 as a white-label manufacturing and consulting company. Alcazar is co-founder and CFO, and Lafata heads extraction. In 2019, Big Oil partnered with BEAR Labs' Andrey Baranchik and Julian Yepremian and opened an extraction facility of its own.
The BEAR Labs site is published by Big Oil Co and lists license CDPH-10003553, a Type 7 volatile solvent extraction license. Its contact form takes white-label inquiries alongside retailer requests. "California is proof of concept – if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere," Alcazar told BackboneIQ. He was just as blunt about the job: "There's no cheat sheet for being a manufacturer in the legal cannabis market."
Tiers, textures and Tier 1 collabs
BEAR Labs grades its concentrates by tier. The GMO Live Rosin Budder, a Chem D and GSC cross, carries a Tier 3 label, while collaboration releases such as Papaya Punch and Lemon Pie Hoe carry the Tier 1 name. Other product cards on the site include Banana Papaya live rosin budder and Royal Dutch live resin budder.
Rainbow Beltz Tier 1 Live Rosin is a Zkittlez and Moonbow cross bred by Archive Seed Bank and Purple City Genetics. Budist scored it 94 points in December 2023 and credited Big Oil Co as the producer.
Carts, jars and 100mg edibles
The Weedmaps catalog shows how wide the menu runs. Cartridges and vapes include Yellow Zushi, Lemon Pie Hoe, Papayahuasca, Zuzpenderz, Tangie Haze, Gush Mintz, Kushnana, Maria and a Rainbow Beltz x Dulce de Uva release. Jars cover Jelly Papaya live resin badder, Banana Fire OG and Gasburger live resin, Banana Cream x Jealousy, Gas Plant and Lemon Up cured resin, Black Triangle OG cured and Garlic Peaches rosin.
Pricing sticks to the fair-price pitch. Weedmaps menus show cured resin jars from $14 to $20 and live resin from $18 to $26. Edibles come in 100mg THC packs, including Tangieberto, Tropicana Cherries and Madd Fruit. The company backs the line with a freshness guarantee, eco-friendly packaging and a sustainable manufacturing pledge.
Gold, silver and bronze at the 2026 State Fair
BEAR Labs collected three medals at the 2026 California Cannabis Awards, held at the California State Fair on July 18, 2026. All three came in concentrates, and all three were farm collaborations.
Papaya Punch Tier 1 Live Resin, made with Sierra Botanicals, won gold in solvent live resin. Lemon Pie Hoe Tier 1 Live Resin Budder, made with Tychee Farms, took bronze in the same category.
The third medal came from the solventless side. Banana Split x Orange Ztrawburst Pioca, a four-way release with Blue River Terps, Canyon Creek Family Farms and Tychee Farms, won silver in live rosin. Gold in that category went to Master Makers x Canyon Creek Family Farms for Grapefruit Starburst Live Rosin, which put Canyon Creek material behind the top two finishers. Budist published the full medal list in July 2026.
On the road in September 2026
BEAR Labs works the retail floor in person with in-store PAD events. Its September 2026 calendar lists stops at Golden State Greens, Puff N Dash Broadway and Fairmount, Catalyst OC3 and Catalyst San Diego, Cakehouse Encinitas, STIIIZY Encinitas and National City, and Off The Charts in Lemon Grove. The same calendar has the brand at the Sundial anniversary in Woodland on September 26, 2026.
The official merch store at merch.getbearlabs.com sells organic ribbed tees at $32.50, ribbed beanies, cotton bucket hats, $12 dab mats, shaker pint glasses and utility crossbody bags.
Weedmaps listed more than 20 dispensaries carrying BEAR Labs in September 2026. Wholesale buyers and collaborators reach sales through julian@bigoilco.com, and the brand posts on Instagram as @bearlabsofficial.
For adults 21 and over.