The reality of purchasing online Cannabis is not always sunny and you could end up spending your hard-earned money on low quality Cannabis that turns out to be worse than you could ever imagine. If you want to avoid buying a bad product, it’s important to become an expert at telling the difference between good and bad Cannabis. Here is a guide on how to know the difference before you smoke it, as well as after.
Colour
This is one of the things that should come to your mind first when discussing the difference between good and bad product. Good quality cannabis flower should be rich in green colour and, depending on the particular strain, you may also see shades of purple, orange, yellow, blue, or red. However, be cautious if you see brown coloured flower that looks like it’s too dry. Cannabis shouldn’t look like this and it may contain chemicals, mold, and pesticides;
How to Identify Mould
The most simple way to check for mould in your Cannabis flower is by looking thoroughly at it. You will notice webbing or dust within; break the bud apart and look closely from the stem to the outside of the flower. If you notice a dustiness, dark spots, mis-coloured areas, or slime, it is likely Mould. Identifying mould on weed is not an easy process and takes some time to learn. Unless the cannabis mould is incredibly obvious, you will have to train yourself to notice.
The Smell
Well-grown, quality cannabis buds should have a pungent, identifiable smell — that skunky aroma that ranges from slightly sweet to earthy to diesel-like — indicating high terpene content. Alternatively, inferior buds often lack any smell or smell similarly to hay or alfalfa, a sure sign of poorly grown and/or cured cannabis.For reference, rich scents like coffee and chocolate are typically indicative of an indica strain, while bright, acidic citrus notes are generally characteristic of a sativa. Hybrid strains will likely contain components of both.
Trichomes
The goal of properly grown cannabis is to produce buds densely packed with ripe trichomes, the visible crystals on the surface of the buds. This is because trichomes are where the cannabinoids and terpenes are stored.
Trichome density is relatively easy to spot with the naked eye; i.e. how ‘frosty’ is the bud? Quality buds will be covered in trichomes that sparkle like crystals, whereas poor quality buds will lack trichome coverage.
The colour of the trichome head is the easiest way to determine trichome ripeness. Ideally, the trichome heads should be milky white, possibly with a hint of amber. If the trichome heads are clear, the plant was harvested prematurely, and if all the heads are amber, the plant was harvested after peak ripeness.
The Burn
The only way to test the cleanliness of your flower with the method of reading your cannabis ash is to light up a joint. When the ash exposes itself, take a close look at the color. If you notice that the ash is black or dark gray, that’s indicative of unwanted substances and mineral content in the cannabis you’re smoking. However, if your weed ash is light gray or almost as white as the rolling paper, the cannabis is considerably clean.
If you do find dark grey to burned black ash, there’s a good chance the cannabis flower was not properly flushed and/or cured well. With leftover undesirable sugars and minerals due to inefficient curing, you will experience a throat-burning feeling to match the dark-colored ash. Having said that, the color of your cannabis ash shouldn’t be the only detail you observe if you enjoy smoking weed.
Taste
After reviewing all of the other attributes of your bud, the taste test completes the process. Tasting your buds—and feeling the effect thereafter—is the one true way of knowing what cannabis quality you’re dealing with.
There are two main factors to consider when taking those first few hits: flavour and smoothness. Combined, both of these variables allow cannabis lovers to make an obvious distinction between low, medium, and premium-quality cannabis. If you can sample some flowers you’re considering buying, let each inhalation settle on your tongue for a moment. Medium and high-quality flowers will leave obvious flavours of fruit, flowers, skunk, fuel, berries, or sweetness behind. In contrast, low-quality weed will be relatively flavourless, even hay-like in taste. The smoothness of the smoke testifies to how well-cured the flowers are. Premium-quality buds, cured for the perfect amount of time, will produce a buttery smooth smoke. Low-quality weed will leave a harsh burning in the throat and give rise to a violent coughing fit
All in all there is a lot to consider when purchasing Cannabis, both online and in store. With more insight into the plant itself, you can begin to spot the subtle differences in Cannabis strains. As well as what makes top quality flower, top quality. You will be happy at the end of this rabbit hole.
Is my Cannabis Good Quality?
Is my Cannabis Good Quality
The reality of purchasing online Cannabis is not always sunny and you could end up spending your hard-earned money on low quality Cannabis that turns out to be worse than you could ever imagine. If you want to avoid buying a bad product, it’s important to become an expert at telling the difference between good and bad Cannabis. Here is a guide on how to know the difference before you smoke it, as well as after.
Colour
This is one of the things that should come to your mind first when discussing the difference between good and bad product. Good quality cannabis flower should be rich in green colour and, depending on the particular strain, you may also see shades of purple, orange, yellow, blue, or red. However, be cautious if you see brown coloured flower that looks like it’s too dry. Cannabis shouldn’t look like this and it may contain chemicals, mold, and pesticides;
How to Identify Mould
The most simple way to check for mould in your Cannabis flower is by looking thoroughly at it. You will notice webbing or dust within; break the bud apart and look closely from the stem to the outside of the flower. If you notice a dustiness, dark spots, mis-coloured areas, or slime, it is likely Mould. Identifying mould on weed is not an easy process and takes some time to learn. Unless the cannabis mould is incredibly obvious, you will have to train yourself to notice.
The Smell
Well-grown, quality cannabis buds should have a pungent, identifiable smell — that skunky aroma that ranges from slightly sweet to earthy to diesel-like — indicating high terpene content. Alternatively, inferior buds often lack any smell or smell similarly to hay or alfalfa, a sure sign of poorly grown and/or cured cannabis.For reference, rich scents like coffee and chocolate are typically indicative of an indica strain, while bright, acidic citrus notes are generally characteristic of a sativa. Hybrid strains will likely contain components of both.
Trichomes
The goal of properly grown cannabis is to produce buds densely packed with ripe trichomes, the visible crystals on the surface of the buds. This is because trichomes are where the cannabinoids and terpenes are stored.
Trichome density is relatively easy to spot with the naked eye; i.e. how ‘frosty’ is the bud? Quality buds will be covered in trichomes that sparkle like crystals, whereas poor quality buds will lack trichome coverage.
The colour of the trichome head is the easiest way to determine trichome ripeness. Ideally, the trichome heads should be milky white, possibly with a hint of amber. If the trichome heads are clear, the plant was harvested prematurely, and if all the heads are amber, the plant was harvested after peak ripeness.
The Burn
The only way to test the cleanliness of your flower with the method of reading your cannabis ash is to light up a joint. When the ash exposes itself, take a close look at the color. If you notice that the ash is black or dark gray, that’s indicative of unwanted substances and mineral content in the cannabis you’re smoking. However, if your weed ash is light gray or almost as white as the rolling paper, the cannabis is considerably clean.
If you do find dark grey to burned black ash, there’s a good chance the cannabis flower was not properly flushed and/or cured well. With leftover undesirable sugars and minerals due to inefficient curing, you will experience a throat-burning feeling to match the dark-colored ash. Having said that, the color of your cannabis ash shouldn’t be the only detail you observe if you enjoy smoking weed.
Taste
After reviewing all of the other attributes of your bud, the taste test completes the process. Tasting your buds—and feeling the effect thereafter—is the one true way of knowing what cannabis quality you’re dealing with.
There are two main factors to consider when taking those first few hits: flavour and smoothness. Combined, both of these variables allow cannabis lovers to make an obvious distinction between low, medium, and premium-quality cannabis. If you can sample some flowers you’re considering buying, let each inhalation settle on your tongue for a moment. Medium and high-quality flowers will leave obvious flavours of fruit, flowers, skunk, fuel, berries, or sweetness behind. In contrast, low-quality weed will be relatively flavourless, even hay-like in taste. The smoothness of the smoke testifies to how well-cured the flowers are. Premium-quality buds, cured for the perfect amount of time, will produce a buttery smooth smoke. Low-quality weed will leave a harsh burning in the throat and give rise to a violent coughing fit
All in all there is a lot to consider when purchasing Cannabis, both online and in store. With more insight into the plant itself, you can begin to spot the subtle differences in Cannabis strains. As well as what makes top quality flower, top quality. You will be happy at the end of this rabbit hole.
Related