Many countries in the world are legalizing the consumption and cultivation of cannabis. Pressure is growing every day for countries that are yet to legalize the cultivation, consumption, and sale of cannabis. In unlegalized countries, consumers are forced to search for ways of acquiring their weed illegally. The weed users do not have a guarantee of the quality weed they purchase. However, the most effective and protective technique of ensuring you are served with high-quality cannabis is to learn basic knowledge of evaluating cannabis. With better knowledge and experience, you will distinguish between quality weed and lousy weed. Below are five tips you can use to evaluate the quality of weed.
The smell of your weed
The first step before paying for your marijuana should be smelling the weed. The smell can communicate a lot about the quality of your cannabis. Healthy grown weed buds should have a pungent smell that is easily identifiable. Quality weed has a skunky aroma that ranges from sweet, earthy to diesel-like smell. In contrast, bad quality weed has no odor, thus enabling a knowledgeable person to distinguish between the two qualities. You should avoid purchasing buds with no smell since they will not give you any benefits.
The color
Good weed buds are green with a wide range of undertones and accent colors, although the shades can vary slightly. Some shades can be dark, while others can have light colors. However, brown shades are of low quality and should not be accepted. Some sellers will sell shades that ultimately do not resemble the product of nature, such as reddish and yellowish products. The color of cannabis is influenced by the climatic conditions of the growing region. According to the South Lake Tahoe dispensary, cannabis grown in unfavorable conditions, such as direct sunshine, does not give the expected vaping experience and quality smoking.
Bud structure
When comparing the structure of your cannabis, you should consider the common strains such as Sativa and indica. Indica strains always have a better structure than other strains since they are narrow, dense thus containing better quality. However, the Sativa strain is much fluffier and light. Hybrid strains such as Gelato 41 have structural combinations of Sativa and Indica strains.
You should always select a cannabis strain with a more closed structure. These structures contain a better experience and higher quality. Checking the structure does not require you to be an expert since you only have to observe.
Trimming technique used
After harvesting cannabis buds, trimming should be done to remove the bud’s leaves. High-quality weed buds should be tightly trimmed using hands rather than using machines. Machines tend to mangle buds and disrupt fragile trichomes. Therefore, you should avoid purchasing machine-trimmed buds or buds containing excessive leaves.
Some growers prefer using machines to maximize their time and profits, which harms the quality of the weed. Poor trimming buds are a sign of speeding the growing process. The purpose of properly growing weed is to ensure the production of densely packed trichomes. Trichomes are the visible crystals evident in the buds that store the terpenes and cannabinoids. Quality buds contain trichomes with sparkle-like crystals, while poor quality does not have the trichome coverage.
Prematurely harvested buds do not contain trichomes, especially the Sativa strain, which takes longer to flower. Premature harvesting cases are more common in countries where the cultivation and consumption of weed are legalized. You can easily recognize if the trichome is ripe by checking the color of the trichome head. Mature trichomes have a milky white with a hint of amber.
Pests and Molds
Quality buds should be free from any pests and molds. In areas where cannabis is still not legal, some sellers tend to have poor storage of their products. Additionally, cannabis purchased from the unregulated market has poor quality due to molds and pests.
Molds are white, powdered mildew or grey, fuzzy compound on the cannabis bud. The color can depend on the fungal pest attacking the bud. Moreover, insects such as thrips, gnats, and mites can leave their eggs and fecal matter on the buds, thus affecting the quality.
It is essential to learn techniques of accessing the quality of the cannabis buds before purchasing. You can detect the quality by checking on the smell, color, structure, trimming, and molds on the buds. Purchasing high-quality cannabis guarantees a high vaping experience.
