How to Spot Bad Weed

Those pushing for nationwide legalization of cannabis hope that the industry will become a fully realized and regulated market, as opposed to the patchwork of more or less restrictive local regulations and the piles of old weed in mylar bags that some find today.

Unless you live in a region where weeds are grown or where it is safe to grow your own, finding the best and freshest buds can be an endless adventure. Even if you do and rely on legit shops, quality and price don’t always match. To give you the tools and know-how, you need to have a good experience before you enter the store, which is why we asked some strong cannabis hitters for their tips and tricks on sorting the good weed from the bad.

Weed Browser’s Point of View: Look at Harvest Date

Writing about weeds isn’t just about testing strains and checking growth – you have to tell the truth, which in a tight-knit industry can change fate in an instant. Emerald Cup judge and columnist Jimi Devine is known as a true “heat seeker” – “warmth” is a code word for great cannabis, and has spent years building industry confidence, political coverage, and hands-on dispensary work.

“True hyper-elite cannabis, most of us will not have the opportunity to experience it in life,” Devine wrote in an email. “The best place for great marijuana is when it disappears from the shelves after about 60 days. After that, it’s hard to be “hot” in most commercial settings.”

His advice to consumers is to consider the harvest date. For those who want warmth but have low purchasing power, Devine suggests opting for “light deps”, i.e. outdoor cannabis cultivation devoid of light to trigger the flowering process rather than allowing it to flower on its own, a process that yields more high scores. quality weed at a lower price .

Color and smell tests

Someone in the dispensary chooses what goes on the shelves, but who chooses what goes off the field and goes into the bag? It is the job of the purchasing specialist to make them the perfect people to ask about buying a good item.

Former marijuana and organic vegetable cultivator Rachel Smith has made great strides in branded marijuana, and her most recent job has been collecting (and marketing) for California’s top 20 marijuana brands.

What is the main difference between consumer shopping and a buyer doing it on a large scale for work? The stakes — and yet, according to Smith, experience is closely linked. “One feeds the other,” she said. “Internal quality control is extremely important to ensure consistency for the consumer. My main goal when creating a product line is to package and sell a stable product at a fair price. One bad experience will lead a customer to a competitor’s product.”

When choosing a product for a client, Smith knows what to look for. “First, and most importantly, cannabis flowers must pass a smell test,” she said. “Bosks should be tangy and fresh, and you don’t have to squeeze or grind them to release the aromatic terpenes. If there is a big nose, then I go ahead with a visual inspection. The buds should be bright in color and have a dense concentration of trichomes. The growths should be beautifully groomed, without extra leaves and stems.

Look for signs of mold, mildew, and other signs of a poor quality or unsafe product. “Bosses [should] not contain seeds or male flowers, which will affect the effectiveness of cannabinoids and may indicate other problems with the growing methods used,” she said.

Before they hit the shelves, the buds still have to pass a lab test, where they are checked for cannabinoid and terpene content, as well as pesticides or microbes. These are all things you can’t see, but they can greatly affect your experience, so shopping in stores is the best way to avoid unsafe weed supplements.

Smith said if in doubt, ask the budtender . “Brands that pride themselves on quality usually ensure that retailers have a chance to try their product so they can talk about its value,” she said. “Budtenders also hear customer feedback and can evaluate repeat purchases. Choose a retailer with competent and knowledgeable staff to help you make a purchase you won’t regret.”

The best weed sometimes comes in a basic package

John Kay co-founded the Burb canna company, which sells canna to customers in Canada, where the nationwide market is quite different from the patchwork market in the United States.

“There is no batch marketing in Canada, so the only thing that matters is the quality of the flowers,” Kay wrote in an email. “In a way, all brands are on an equal footing because of the restrictions, and the quality of the colors is what drives the sell-through. No flashes, no tricks.”

This means that cool design just isn’t part of the game in the north. “Growers in Canada also grow to huge federal requirements, so you get an industry that has some of the purest and most beautiful colors that are tested in highly controlled labs,” he added.

Because Canada is one of the few federally legal cannabis markets in the world, Kay says, “There’s a plus for consumers in Canada: they get pure, artisanal, floral products from growers and brands that understand this.”

Once the US government comes together, we hope brands will follow suit. Reliable cannabis markets help consumers get the best product and the best prices, so do your best to show your support for local regulatory changes if you want to keep cannabis retail stores in your state warm.