What to Look for When Buying Cannabis “Flower”
Do you have questions about purchasing cannabis flower?
We are here to help you gain knowledge so you have the skills to make better decisions when it comes to purchasing cannabis flower.
People new to the world of medical cannabis often have important questions about buying cannabis flower.
The most common questions we have come across include:
- Which strain should I buy?
- What’s the difference between Indicas, Hybrids, and Sativas?
- What strains will affect my symptoms, ailments and disorders?
- What effects can I expect from different strains?
- What are the signs of quality cannabis? and What are the red flags?
Unfortunately, due to the state of our current cannabis laws around the world, the bud-tender behind the counter or the customer service representative from the medical cannabis company may not be able to answer some of these questions without risking legal ramifications.
This being the case, many of you will need to find out the answers for yourself. This is where Kanteeva can help!
Thankfully, as a medical cannabis patient you have access to resources and articles like this, written specifically to inform you and to streamline your medical cannabis education.
Which Strain should I Buy? What’s the Difference between Indicas, Hybrids, and Sativas?
When it comes to the medical cannabis industry, some of the most common questions asked by newcomers are about the difference between specific strains and the significance of strain names.
All names, even our personal names, are “made up,” BUT they all convey a meaning, nuance, or history.
The name “Fredriksson,” gives us clues to the history, origin and genetic lineage of the name. Fredriksson is Scandinavian, therefore we can attribute things like possible height, hair color, race, religion, etc. based on the characteristics associated with that specific last name.
If you are a history buff you can take it one step further and assume that the father of Fredriksson was named Fredrik and is most likely of Icelandic descent due to the naming style. The same naming method applies to cannabis strains, especially within the traditional and clandestine cannabis culture that created the old school strains that you are familiar with today. For example, if “Fredrikkson” was a cannabis strain you could make the assumption that it is most likely a very old cannabis strain that traces its lineage from Scandinavia because of the naming system that Iceland still uses.
The same technique holds true for naming cannabis strains: “Blue Dream” gives us clues about its heritage that allow us to make accurate guesses about the appearance, flower structure, aroma profile, and effects.
Blue Dream’s parent strains are “Blueberry,” an Indica Dominant strain, and “Haze,” a Sativa Dominant strain. Blue Dream’s indica lineage induces calmness, and a dream like relaxation, while its sativa lineage adds a euphoric and uplifting cerebral high. Blue Dream also has a sweet berry aroma similar to its Blueberry lineage. Genetic lineage and the specific effects of each strain are the biggest two factors when it comes to naming strains and understanding what characteristics you should expect to experience.
We cannot know for sure what Fredriksson looks or acts like without meeting him! We also can not know for sure exactly what Blue Dream looks, smells, or acts like, but the naming system used for cannabis strains gives us a very good insight into what characteristics to expect.
The cannabis strain that you purchase for your individual treatment should be determined by which effects you want to experience. Different cannabis strains have different medical benefits.
The easiest way to determine which strains will cause the effects that you desire is by determining what category the strain falls under:
- Sativa: energetic, uplifting, focused and productive
- Helpful mnemonic device is Sativa: Cerebral
- Helpful mnemonic device is Sativa: Cerebral
- Indica: relaxing, pain-relieving, sleepy/lethargic and calming
- Helpful mnemonic device is Indica: In da couch
- Helpful mnemonic device is Indica: In da couch
- Hybrid: Somewhere in the middle, balancing the effects between Indica and Sativa
To learn more about strains, we invite you to visit our article “What is a Strain?” or visit the Kanteeva Strain Directory.
Which Strains will affect My Ailments and/or Symptoms? What Effects should I Expect?
Once you have determined what sort of effects you are looking for in regards to a Sativa, Indica, or Hybrid cannabis strain, the research portion of your experience begins!
If you are looking for a high energy sativa with effects of mental clarity and focus Durban Poison or Chocolope are good choices.
If you want to experience a mellow and euphoric high, but still want to remain functional enough to attend a social gathering or to simply enjoy relaxing at home, try a hybrid strain like Girl Scout Cookies or Blue Dream.
If you need a powerfully sedative Indica to put you to sleep fast or to help manage your symptoms of chronic pain at night Bubba Kush or Hindu Kush could be great options.
Always keep in mind that every human’s endocannabinoid system is different and unique, just like your fingerprints. Finding the “right” strains is process of trial and error. If Blue Dream is too sedative of a hybrid for you do not call it quits on hybrids altogether, instead investigate different hybrids and find the strain, or stains, that give you your desired effects.
We are now in the age of personalized medicine, and medical cannabis is no different.
What are the Signs of Quality Flower and What are the Red Flags?
Here at Kanteeva we use the acronym S.T.A.T.S. to help medical cannabis patients purchase high quality cannabis flower.
S.T.A.T.S stands for:
- Sight
- Touch
- Aroma
- Taste
- Sensation
Each category breaks down what characteristics to look for when selecting quality cannabis flower, as well as what the red flags are.
Sight
When choosing cannabis flower you are looking for characteristics like quality and content of trichomes, color, structure, size and how the flower was manicured.
Trichome Quality and Content
This is determined by the amount and the color of trichomes found on the cannabis flower. Exceptional cannabis should have a light coating of amber hued crystal trichomes that covers, or “frosts,” the entire flower. It is these trichomes that provide the cannabis flower with its potency and flavour profile.
A trichome is a tiny translucent gland that develops on the cannabis flower and they contain the majority of terpenes and cannabinoids that create the effects experienced from consuming cannabis
Color
Vibrant shades of orange, green and purple are strong indicators of a healthy and well grown cannabis plant. Depending on the specific strain, the pistils, or hairs, found on the cannabis flower can be dark red, vibrant orange, or even bright yellow.
When the cannabis flower is smoked the leftover ash should be white or a very light shade of grey; this demonstrates that there are no residual nutrients or impurities leftover in the plant matter.
A cannabis flower with a dull or faded green color and white pistils generally signifies a poorly nourished plant. Any cannabis flower that burns leaving black ash behind has been incorrectly flushed before harvesting and may still have trace amounts of fertilizer or nutrients left over from the cultivation of the plant.
Size
The size and shape of cannabis flowers comes down to personal preference, though the flowers of different cannabis strains will have distinct characteristics depending on its genetic lineage.
Some patients enjoy getting their entire purchase in one or two large flowers, while others prefer smaller flowers. The selection of size and shape is entirely a personal preference and has no impact on the quality of the cannabis flower.
Manicured
Well groomed cannabis should be free of leaves and have the appropriate flower structure for the specific strain. Excess leaves or stems left in cannabis flower can cause it to burn poorly. Do not be afraid to trim off any remaining stem or leaves from the cannabis flower prior to smoking it.
Red Flags
The presence of powdery mold or mildew is something that can be easily identified by a close visual inspection or under a blacklight. Checking for mold on a cannabis flower is very similar to the way you would check a loaf of bread for moud if you suspected that it was old or improperly stored. A spot of white or powdery dust on a cannabis flower is a blatant sign of mold or mildew, so inspect carefully.
Grey mold or “bud rot” is also an important red flag to look for, and is most commonly caused by exposure to too much moisture at some point during flowering, harvesting, drying, curing or storage prior to being purchased. It begins in the stem, moves inside of the flower, and then spreads outwards, making it very difficult to detect in its early stages.
The “bud rot” will first appear white and wispy, but will quickly turn grey and then black as the flower continues to deteriorate, becoming mushy and slimy. Grey mould, or “bud rot,” spreads extremely quickly and can easily wipe out an entire harvest if it goes unnoticed.
If seeds are found within the harvested cannabis flower it is another red flag.
The presence of seeds inside the cannabis flower means that the plants was left for too long in the flowering stage of its life cycle and as a result “went to seed” before it was harvested. Seeds that are smoked POP like the sound popcorn makes and can give you a scare if you are not expecting it! In some cases, seeds can also destroy the joint or bowl in which they are being smoked.
If you find any of these in your cannabis flower, take it back immediately to wherever you purchased it from:
Seeds are a quality control issue, but mould is a safety issue!
Touch
When it comes to touching quality cannabis there are just a few quick things to look for.
Give the Cannabis Flower a Light Squeeze. Does it Bounce Back or Remain Compacted?
- If it bounces back then it has been properly cured, if it remains compacted then your bud has likely not been properly dried and cured.
- If it is brittle and breaks apart easily, it is likely too dry due to improper drying or curing
Does the Cannabis Flower have a Sticky Resinous Feel to it?
- If it feels moist it may not have been cured properly.
- Proper curing of cannabis flowers ensures that all of the excess nutrients, sugars and starches have been used up by the plant before being stored so none of these remain in the dried product.
Does the Stem Break when You Bend it?
- An audible snap lets you know that the bud was dried and cured properly.
- When your cannabis is too dry it means that the terpenes have begun to break down, damaging the overall flavour of the flower. Also, as the overdried plant matter is smoked it becomes harsher and burns at a much quicker rate than cannabis flower that has been cured properly. The overall potency of the cannabinoids in the cannabis flower decreases over time as a result of oxidation; the drier the flower, the more degraded the cannabinoids will become. An example of this is how THC degrades into the cannabinoid CBN.
Is the Flower Tight between Your Fingers when You Squeeze it?
- Loose flower is a common indicator of poor quality.
- If the flower is tight then you know that it was grown and trimmed well, and properly cured. If the flower is loose then this is an indication that the cannabis plant did not receive enough light or the proper amount of nutrients during cultivation. The flowers of indica strains will be much denser than the flowers from sativas strains so just because a flower is not a “dense nugget” doesn’t mean its of poor quality.
Aroma
Much like a sommelier and wine, a discerning nose can help determine the difference between low and high quality cannabis flower. High quality cannabis flower will generally have a distinct smell that is evocative of other scents that you have previously smelled and enjoyed. Flowers, fruit, fuel, forests, earth, citrus, cheese and sugary sweet are all examples of some of the most common cannabis aroma profiles.
These scents are indicative of a well grown cannabis plant with a well developed terpene profile.
If no potent aromas present themselves when you first open the container that the cannabis is stored in, first consider busting up a small amount of the flower as this will often release any scents that are hidden in the flower.
Poor quality cannabis flower will often have a musty scent similar to wet grass or hay. The smell of mold or old socks are also signs of poorly grown cannabis. It is very uncommon to find scentless cannabis, if you do it usually means that the cannabis was grown or stored poorly and contains a negligible amount or terpenes.
Taste
Well cultivated cannabis will often taste almost exactly as it smells. Sometimes mild notes of the aroma profile that is present in the dried cannabis flower manifest fully when the flower is smoked. Quality cannabis flower should be smooth on the throat, both on the inhale and exhale.
Burning sensations that are harsh in the nose or throat are indicators of poor quality cannabis.
Sensation
Cannabis causes noticeable and similar effects when consumed. These effects differ depending on the individual, the specific cannabis strain and the type of cannabis product that is used. Often these effects manifest as enhanced sensory experiences that manipulate not only our own senses, but how we perceive time and space as well. It is these enhanced sensory experiences that give us strange sensations and discernible feelings of being lifted or “high.”
Generally, these effects fall into the following categories:
- Euphoric
- Sedated
- Energetic
- Relaxed
- Hungry
- Focused
- Creative
We will all experience cannabis differently so please be careful and remember to speak with your healthcare provider before starting any type of cannabis therapy.
We Want to Hear From You
Now that you know what to look for when purchasing cannabis flower, please do not settle for anything less.
Finding the best quality flower possible is important for your medical cannabis therapy and we hope now you can confidently do this!
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