6 Signs of Top Quality Cannabis Buds - How to Identify Good and Bad Cannabis
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There are more strains and cannabis buds to smoke than ever before, and with so much on offer, it is important to know the difference between good and bad flowers. There is nothing worse than feeling you have made a bad choice and wasted your hard-earned cash, so in this article we cover cannabis buds, what to look for, trichome, aroma, terpenes, bag appeal and much more!
- Appearance
You will be able to see the buds before you get a chance to smell them, so the appearance and bag appeal of the buds is your first impression. Forget about fancy packaging and focus on the flowers themselves.
Top quality
The buds will have a uniform and dazzling appearance, usually dense and shining with trichomes. When handling the buds, they are sticky to the touch and will leave a spot of resin on your fingers. The buds may be bright green, purple, or a mix that has been finely hand-trimmed, and you will instantly want to get your phone out and take photos.
Bad quality
The first thing that will stand out is the dark colour of the buds. Bad-quality cannabis will usually be dark green, slightly yellowing, or even browning with hardly any resin, indicating the flower is very old and potentially moulding. The trim job is probably non-existent, and the calyx development and density of the flower is minimal.
2. Trichome coverage
The number of trichomes on the flower will be a sign of how good the genetics were if the grower did a good job, and how tasty and aromatic the smoking experience will ultimately be. Indoor-grown cannabis buds will always be superior in resin content to outdoor or greenhouse-grown.
Top quality
The buds will be covered from top to bottom with clusters of sandy trichomes, and when you take a photo and zoom in, you will see the extent of the trichome coverage. Even smaller leaves, left on, are plastered with trichomes and can be smoked just fine.
Bad quality
Poorly grown indoor or cheap and cheerful outdoor buds will typically have the least amount of resin on. Running these types of low-quality flowers over a dry screen would reveal almost no resin, and the flower will do nothing in terms of effect or flavour.
3. Aroma
Sometimes even great-looking flowers can end up having almost no aroma or essence. How the buds smell from far away and close up, will be one of the best ways to tell the quality of the flowers.
Top quality
The smell will be so loud and distinctive, that you have to keep the buds in an airtight container and be careful when smoking due to the absolute dank. When you have buds that produce profiles so pungent and complex that it become difficult to describe, then you are on the path of smoking the best.
Bad quality
There will be a disappointing feeling when you break open a bud and find the terpene profile is non-existent. Usually the buds smell of an earthy green musk that gives off the slightest aroma. Avoid any cannabis that has no smell, as you will not get much pleasure from it.
4. The flavour profile
Smoking great-tasting buds is what being a smoker is all about, and how the joint tastes and how memorable it is, plays a huge role. It will also be a reflection of the genetics and how good the grower was behind the flower.
Top quality
The taste of the joint before lighting will get you excited and when lit, the flavour is off the charts and has you licking your lips and nodding your head with approval! The flavour when inhaling and the exhalation will be heavenly and will have you rolling your next joint before you have even finished the current one.
Bad quality
Badly grown, or poor quality buds will have a dull earthy, spicy, hot, and harsh taste which may come across as chemical and salty. There may be the slightest flavour coming through, but very short-lived and not exactly anything to tell your friends about or want to buy the seeds to grow out yourself. The joint ember when burning will have an unpleasant and chemical smell.
5. Ring of oil
The ring of oil that is produced just below the ember of a burning joint will be a sign of the quality of the bud and how resinous and sticky it is. The ring can vary in size from a tiny shiny line to a centimetre-deep oil slick that is wet and shiny.
Top quality
The oil ring will be instant when lighting up a joint of top-quality bud, and will continue to do so until you get to the filter. You will also find that well-flushed and clean cannabis will create an oily joint and will not need relighting for a long time.
Bad quality
You may find there is the slightest spot of oil around the side of the joint when smoking, or no oil ring at all. It does not matter if you put 10g in a giant blunt, you will struggle to get any oil ring, and that is down to the fact the buds are low quality and would have had very little resin to begin with.
6. The price
The very best part of going to a Dutch coffee shop or social club in Barcelona is there will be a level of quality control, and the price is often a good way to determine. Nowadays, with such extension menus, it can even be overwhelming knowing what strain is best for you, and if the price is a true reflection.
Top quality
Be prepared to pay 10 euros and above for good quality flowers that will ensure a great smoking experience. In the last 5 years, there has been an influx and demand for exotic imports from the US that can cost as much as 30–50 euros per gram, so if you want to try the best from the states, then be ready to splash some cash!
Bad quality
If you are paying 2.50 euros - 5.00 euros per gram, do not expect anything special or spectacular at street level, and do not be surprised if the flower was grown outdoors, or badly by an indoor grower. Cheap buds will always be a sign you are getting some commercial street-level garbage that connoisseurs would not even look twice at or outdoor pesticide schwag
My final thoughts
If you are going to become a smoker and a grower, then you need to set a high standard of what you will smoke and the quality of the crops you harvest. Smoking cheap and cheerful outdoor buds won’t give you the same joy and memories as a cup-winning organic bus grown by a professional.
Smoking high-grade buds can become an expensive hobby, which is why many choose to grow at home and strive to become as good as the flowers in Amsterdam or Barcelona. Good luck learning the differences between top quality and bad quality using the 6 signs, and spend your money wisely!
S
Soft Secrets
