Quality Control, Knowing Your Stuff

By Stoney Tark The cannabis industry is thriving more than ever before, and with so many varieties and with such influence from social media, knowing what you are actually smoking is the difference between buying schwag and top shelf flower. Below are some points on what to consider next time you inspect cannabis flowers from a coffee shop in Amsterdam, social club in Barcelona or Locally. Which category do you fall into and how well do you know your stuff?

Low-Grade Schwag - Cheap and Cheerful

There are levels to everything in life, and low-grade cannabis is undoubtedly bottom. The characteristics of poor quality cannabis can be a leafy trim job, stalky and twiggy flowers, seeded buds, almost no aroma bordering on the smell of dead wood, a dark, old appearance in colour, the size of the buds, bag appeal, and finally the effect. Once smoked the experience will be harsh and most likely a pride-swallowing siege. Low-grade schwag buds are low in THC and have little effect. They will be poorly grown, and the terpenes and trichome production will represent this. The drying out process will be rushed, and if the flower in question is too wet, or so dry it turns to dust within your fingers, then this is usually a sign of a lousy bud. This all sounds characteristic of a nightmare scenario a true connoisseur may face when on holiday, and is prepared to bite the bullet and invest in some homegrown, typically outdoor garbage. The cost may be around five euro, and that is with the dealer making a healthy profit. Expect the ash to be black and the seeds found inside to be worthless also. You can identify low-quality buds immediately and will stand out a mile away jammed in a plastic baggie, or wrap of foil. These are usually all the call signs of a cheap and cheerful dealer, so next time you get served a bag of Schwagnesia Haze, think about the above points!

Medium Grade Cannabis - Cannabis Enthusiast

This is the level of cannabis that 75% of the smokers across the world are used to. When they get stung with some garbage low grade, they try their best to put that experience behind them and bask in the ambiance of the more commercially accepted flowers. Medium grade cannabis can have a good bag appeal, with a neat trim job, impressive aromas and have a decent size of biomass. There are not many downsides to medium grade flowers as the flavours and terps will come through strong; however, they do lack that finesses that the world famous breeders from Europe and California can produce. A big part is down to genetics as well as the grower. The customer will usually be someone who is well indulged in the cannabis scene, yet is not considered an industry person. As far as being picky and hunting for specific flavours or phenotypes, medium grade cannabis can be found in most coffee shops, social clubs and locally. These flowers can usually be purchased for 7 - 10 euro and will cover genetics such as Northern Lights, Skunk, Lemon Skunk, Chocolope, Amnesia, Cheese, Afghan Kush, Critical, White Widow and varieties of commercial sense. As most are used to a flower that is at best an 8/10, when they come across the absolute best of the best, they soon realise that there are levels to genetics, growing, curing, presentation, branding and so much more.

Top Shelf - Connoisseur

What makes the difference between good and great, is not just the genetics, but the grower. There is a reason why the Silver Haze and many other famous strains in Amsterdam were so consistent and dialed in because the growers knew the strains inside out. At the top level, the flowers I speak of are usually grown out dependant on phenotype and grown by a professional grower. A high level of knowledge regarding organics or advanced hydroponics will come into play. The trichome production will be at a maximum with long-standing necks on the glistening trichomes. Calyxes will swell to such a degree there is biomass and small foxtails. Of course, not every strain will be like this structure wise, yet the flower will appear completely developed and fully ripe. The terpenes that are emitted from a dry flower, down to the taste should smell like nothing you have ever experienced before, and the flavour will be a lip licking, wet sensation that coats the mouth with new found feeling. Expect to pay between 15-30 euro a gram in social clubs and coffee shops, but here you will see all of the latest strains such as Cookies, Cherry Pie, Pie Hoe, Chem Cookies, Glue hybrids, Tangie Land and many of the more relevant industry hype strains. The quality will be 10/10 and be often be assured of a curing period before being purchased. Seeds found inside of these flowers are considered a worthy keep! True connoisseurs know precisely what to look for and if the flower in question, stands the test by appearance. Even the way top shelf nugs are handled and served up are advanced. They will often come in branded screw-top jars. Don't get confused with the PGR buds that are flooding in from California for an extortionate price, which is creating a rip off culture on social media platforms. High-grade buds will have been meticulously trimmed and every sugar leaf saved for a priceless bubble run or extraction. Good luck investing in the best, tastiest, organic flowers possible. Always check twice and never be afraid to turn down schwag! Peace Out