If you’re new to the wonderful world of all things cannabis, it might be difficult to tell whether or not what you’re smoking is the good stuff. It’s important to know what you’re buying, and more importantly, what you’re inhaling. This article will help you tell the good stuff from the bad, so you can make sure you only smoke the highest quality kush. 

Good vs Bad Buds 

Learning how to check the quality of cannabis requires experience. If you don’t have an eye for quality products just yet, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. There are several factors involved when assessing the quality of a bud. The simplest advice we can give you, is to use most of your senses. Good bud will be different to touch, taste and smell. Again, it’s all about experience. 

Always Buy the Best Product 

If you can afford it, we recommend always buy your weed from a reliable dispensary. These buds might be a little more expensive, but the high you get will be totally worth the premium. The buds sold in dispensaries are usually cleaner and quality tested. In comparison, the stuff your shady street corner drug dealer will sell you might be cheaper, but you can’t be sure you’re getting the good stuff, no matter how much he promises you he’s got the best green in town. 

The Different Qualities of Cannabis 

You can usually categorize weed into three different levels of quality. Knowing these three levels should make it easier for you to discern what tier of quality the stuff you’ve been smoking falls into. 

High Quality 

When we say high quality, we’re talking nothing more than the top-shelf stuff. In any dispensary you go to, the highest quality stuff is usually featured in its own separate section, where everyone can see it. High quality buds are bright green and sticky, and they smell great too. Like we said before, this stuff will never come cheap, but it’ll always be the best high you can get. The more experience connoisseurs of cannabis will always be able to spot this stuff from a mile away. 

Medium Quality  

Medium quality weed is the most common quality weed on the market. If you’ve smoked before, chances are this is the stuff you’ve smoked. At any dispensary you visit, the medium quality stuff is probably the most economically friendly. You won’t bust your wallet on this bud, but it’s also not the best bang for your buck. 

Low Quality Weed 

The quickest tell of low-quality weed is that it’ll look like popcorn, and as it crumbles into flakes it’ll resemble sea weed more than one consistent bud. This stuff just isn’t great to look at, and you should be able to tell that it’s low quality at first glance. Low quality weed will be dry, with a dull brownish green coloration, and smell weak, if not downright bad. Worst of all, this stuff won’t have a high THC level, so you won’t even get a good enough buzz going. 

How To Check Weed Before You Buy It?

The first thing you want to look for when buying weed is the appearance and color. High quality weed comes in a variety of vibrant colors, but the low-quality stuff will look dull and lifeless. Next, you should look at the trim of the bud. The good stuff will look clean, like a flower ready to bloom. Lower quality weed will have gross looking twigs and plant matter sticking out of it. Put a bud in each hand; high quality weed will always feel a bit heavier, more robust. In comparison, low quality weed will feel light and flaky. 

Next, look for mold on any bud before you smoke it. Low quality bud can often be covered in mold that you might not detect on first glance. You definitely don’t want to be smoking moldy marijuana, it can leave you feeling incredibly sick. 

This last tip for checking the quality of your weed might sound a little technical, but it’s an important one to learn. First, you’ll need magnifying glass, but a small microscope, or a loupe would be more effective. Put your bud under the lense and look at the white spores of resin coating it. These are known as trichomes. Cannabinoids are held within each trichome. The trichome are what give your bud that good kush smell, and determine the quality of your high. The more trichomes your bud has, the higher quality it is. 

Other Measures of Quality 

We’ve already talked about the standard factors of quality most people should look for when looking for the best buds to smoke. There are how ever a few other factors that cannabis connoisseurs like to take into account. 

Is the bud ethically cultivated? Ethically cultivated cannabis is usually healthier to smoke, as it contains fewer unnatural chemicals such as synthetic fertilizers. If you ask your local dispensary, they should tell you which buds are organic and which ones aren’t. Regularly nhaling synthetic chemicals over a long period of time can lead to a host of health complications.

It also might help to know the practices of major cannabis companies. There are many companies who blatantly get away with unsafe production practices. Companies that just want to grow the most buds to make the highest profits are probably using chemicals that you shouldn’t be inhaling. 

The Bottom Line  

Hopefully, reading this taught you something new about how to check the quality of cannabis. At the end of the day, the beauty of the bud is in the eye of the beholder. It’s up to you to discover the best high for you. Do your research before you try a new bud, but also; don’t be afraid to experiment. Just because a certain product works for your friend, doesn’t mean it’s the ideal high for you. 

As always, you can stay up to date with our website to get the latest news and information about all things cannabis.