When you’re purchasing cannabis, knowing what you’re looking at is very important. There are countless numbers of strains being produced and with more and more states now legalizing the recreational and medical use of cannabis, the pool can become a little muddy. There’s a lot to remember if you want to make sure you’re getting the best bud for your dollar.
How does it look?
Even if you’re not a regular buyer, being able to determine cannabis quality through sight isn’t difficult. Just like any flower or plant, if the bud is brown and not a green color, it’s dry. This could also point to it being of a lower grade as well. There isn’t just the coloration on the leaves though, you should also be looking at the color of the THC crystals. This may be a better tell than the color and you should be looking for more crystals than less. The more crystals that the plant has, the more potent it will be.
How strong does it smell?
When you crack the bag of cannabis open, the smell that comes from it should be strong and overwhelming. This is one of most popular ways to test bud quality, as the skunky smell simply can’t be denied and is a sure pointer to stronger bud. If you smell something more like hay, grass clippings or mold, you should probably avoid buying it.
How does the weed feel in your hands?
Another strong way to determine cannabis quality is to feel it with your hands. This means that when you’re done cracking the buds open and moving them around there should be a certain stickiness to your fingers. The THC crystals that cover the leaves are extremely sticky and resinous. This means that the better you bud is, the stickier your hands will be after handling it-hence the nickname “the sticky”.
How easy is it to separate the weed bud from the stems?
If you’re having problems breaking the buds away from the stem, there might be an issue with the quality of your bud. If the weed buds seem to clump up and mush into the stem, this might mean that the cannabis wasn’t left to dry long enough. They also may have been crushed during shipment and this can affect the taste and overall ease of smoking. This affects the amount that you can crumble the bud, resulting in joints that will not stay lit…which is just no fun.
What’s it’s moisture level?
If you need to test bud quality even further, looking at how much moisture the cannabis leaves are holding will be a good clue. The moisture level is very important, as cannabis can dry out easily in plastic bags and is best kept in a glass container. If the buds have dried out, they’ll be crumbly and this will affect the quality of the smoking experience. If they haven’t been dried out fully, this could lead to the buds becoming moldy in the bag.