Medical marijuana plant that seems to be a favorite entity for everyone. Be it recreational users or the ones with a medical marijuana card Temecula. Whatever might be the reason for your association with cannabis. It will be deemed incomplete if you don’t have the right cannabis strains or buds.
Who would like brick or reggie cannabis buds? When everyone is looking for incredible experiences, great flavors, and calming aromas.
But, for novice users, it can get a bit difficult and tricky to differentiate between what’s good and what’s mid grade. Are you confused as well?
Don’t worry. We are here to help you to explore the world of cannabis consumption with the right strains. Here are some pointers to help you find the best quality or high-grade cannabis strains. But, before that understand a bit about cannabis flower.
Cannabis Flower
Thee are normally dried and cured female cannabis blooms. And are often popularly named as nugs or buds. Two types of buds are usually available in the market. One that contains higher THC content and the other that comes with higher CBD.
Choose what favors your medical condition the best.
Once that is sorted. Go for the primary indicators for differentiating what’s good and bad.
Smell
The highest quality cannabis buds have pleasant aroma. That’s why such flowers are known as “dank”. While some strains might exhibit skunky or piney aroma as well. In the case of marijuana aroma, the stronger the better.
On the other hand, low-grade products smells like musty or mildew. It indicates that the bud has aged or compromised. This is mostly due to wrong storage conditions or because of mishandling issues.
Appearance
Good quality cannabis looks incredible or visually appealing. They are usually available in vibrant colors. Most of the times, quality buds have lime green color with orange or red hair. While some have purple or blue color as well. But, the bad ones often are discolored or have a brownish tinge.
Other than color, look for the volume of trichomes. The more you see them, the more is the potency of the flower. This is exactly opposite in case of low-quality buds. Plus, they show shades of degradation as well.
Feel
Top shelf cannabis buds must be sticky or spongy on touch. Stems should snap easily. However, in the case of lower quality products, you will feel the product too brittle or dry. Not only that, they will often crumble instantly.
Avoid such strains if you wish to use cannabis for medicinal purposes. Also, don’t buy overly wet buds as well. As such buds give invitation to mold or mildew. They will be of no use after sometime. And, why would you go for such buds in the first place?
Structure
Exceptionally cured sativa cannabis flowers are usually light and fluffy. On the contrary, indica ones tend to be denser. On the other hand, poorly grown cannabis strains often produce inferior flowers that are not pleasing to the eyes.
So, whenever you decide to make a trip to any state-licensed dispensary, start asking questions. Understanding the history of your product of choice will help you get the best quality products. Asking the right questions is the key to purchasing good quality products.
- How was your product cultivated?
- How was the cannabis flower grown?
- Where were the seeds sourced from?
- Was it an outdoor or indoor cultivation?
- What are the products available besides this?
- What kind of products will help me better?
- Do you have a favorite strain or product in stock?
- If not, is there any similar strain/product?
Asking these questions will help the budtender recommend you best products as per your medical condition, taste, and other preferences.
But, that’s not all. You need to consider a lot of other factors as well before buying any cannabis strain or product. Here are some tips and tricks to finding quality products for yourself.
Learn About Shelf Categories
When you visit a dispensary, the products are primarily divided into three types. Top, middle, and bottom.
Usually, the bottom one contains lowest quality products. You can either buy middle or top shelf products. Such products will ensure quality and will offer value for your money.
If you can afford high-quality cannabis, then you should always opt for top shelf products. They are high in potency and are cured well.
Trust Your Nose
Surprising?
Well, that’s a fact. Your nose will be one of the most essential tools in deciphering good from bad ones.
FYI.. good strains smell good. It is because quality strains have pleasant and strong aroma. On the other hand, if you find flower smelling musty or foul or damp. Beware of such strains.
Go For Lab Tested Cannabis Products
If you think, you can’t trust your nose. Then, the best way to find good quality products is simple. Go for products that are tested in the laboratory. Such products have minimal or no chances of molds or pathogenic fungus.
Hence, no chances of degradation at all.
Choose Dispensaries That Are Using Tongs or Chopsticks
What do you mean by chopsticks?
Is that required for consuming cannabis? I thought smoking cannabis required roll or a vaporizer.
This is not about consuming cannabis. It is more about how a budtender handles cannabis. As cannabis flowers are sticky and delicate, so any kind of mishandling will break them. Thus, impacting its overall quality.
Don’t Opt For Buds With Seeds or Stems
Seeds are amazing. Only if you are looking for growing cannabis. Otherwise, they will just add weight to your flower. So, you will be practically paying for seeds as well. Not a good idea at all.
Likewise, if any product contains a lot of stems. Then it also confirms the poor quality of that product. Say “No” to such strains or cannabis buds.
Avoid Prepackaged Products With Excess Loose Particles
There are some locations in America that only allow pre-packaged products. So, how can you purchase when you cannot touch, smell, or look for any criteria as mentioned above.
For that, some budtenders do keep in-house samples. But, not always. To differentiate between good and bad ones, see if the package contains a large amount of shake (loose cannabis particles). Presence of such loose particles denote that the cannabis is too dry or low quality.
Don’t Opt For Products From Any Shady Sources
Avoid buying cannabis from any shady dealers. They might say the strain is good. But, you can’t confirm its potency or quality just by mere “words”. Don’t opt for such products or else it might have some adverse effects.
To conclude, I understand all this hunt for finding the best quality strains can be annoying and irritating for you. Especially, if you are a patient looking for relief using cannabis.
But, if you don’t consume good quality strains. Then, it won’t be effective at all. As its therapeutic properties and potency will either be minimum or completely lost. To save yourself from the misery, you can either take the help of a budtender or a medical marijuana specialist for finding good strains for yourself.