When I first started shopping at the cannabis dispensary, I wasn’t sure how to tell the top quality flower from sub par strains.
- I noticed that I enjoyed the flavor and effects of certain brands more than others.
After wasting my money purchasing several strains of flower that I didn’t like at all, I decided to educate myself. I learned that the labels of indica, sativa and hybrid are more about the plant’s origin than the effects it provides. While most people consider indicas relaxing and sativas energizing, there are a lot of factors that influence the experience. I now know that the color of the flower is important. The weed should be a bright green hue, possibly with flecks of blue and purple. I look for vivid orange hairs or pistils that let me know the bud was cultivated at peak maturity. If the pistils are white, the plant was harvested too early. If they are gray or brown, the plant is old. There should also be an abundance of mushroom-shaped, tiny crystals covering the bud. These are the trichomes that contain the cannabinoids and terpenes. The more trichomes there are, the more potent the weed. The bed should be dense and thick but neither sticky or crumbly. The smell should be pungent. Cannabis should not smell like hay or be musty in any way. I watch for any signs of webs, mold or bugs. For the most part, the packaged flower at legal dispensaries is properly grown, harvested and labeled. The label provides important information such as THC and CBD levels.