How to Know if Your Cannabis is Good Quality

How to Evaluate Weed Quality

Learning how to evaluate weed quality can be an important skill for those who medicate with cannabis - especially those new to it.

Determining if your weed is good quality takes some knowledge. That’s why we are going to share some tips on what you should look for. We say look for, because a lot of what goes into knowing if your weed is good comes down to its appearance.

So, let’s begin by answering a question those who are new to medicating with cannabis, might be wondering.

What Does Weed Look Like?

Cannabis is a green and leafy plant. Perhaps the most recognizable part of the plant is its leaves. The green leaves grow in clusters that fan out. Each leaf will have five to seven appendages known as “fingers.” The appearance of the plant itself, will depend on if it is an indica or sativa strain of cannabis.

Sativa plants originated in warm and humid climates. As a result, sativas tend to grow taller and a bit lanky. This tall and spread-out physical structure helps them absorb less humidity from the air.

On the other hand, indicas originated in cold northern climates. As a result, they tend to grow shorter and denser.

The leaves of each type of plant will also look different. Sativas will have narrower leaves, with longer and thinner flower buds. Indicas have broader leaves and more compact flower buds.

What Part of The Plant Is Rich in THC?

Although cannabis leaves are the most recognizable part of the plant, they are not what contain the psychoactive compound known as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

It’s the plant’s flowers, or buds, that are rich in cannabinoids like THC and CBD. And it’s the appearance and smell of these buds that can help you answer the question, “how do I know if my weed is good quality?”

What Do You Look for in Good Weed?

Let’s start with one of the easiest ways to gauge the quality of your cannabis - its scent. Premium cannabis flower will tend to have a pungent aroma. In case you are wondering, it’s the terpenes found in cannabis that give each strain its unique scent.

What Are Terpenes?

Terpenes are highly aromatic compounds that are naturally produced in plants like jasmine, rosemary, lavender, and cannabis. In nature, terpenes help to protect plants from animal grazing and infectious germs. They also help to attract pollinators.

Terpenes are bioactive and depending on their concentration and how a person uses them, can offer potential health benefits. Click here to learn more about the potential health benefits of terpenes - and how to identify them when no lab report is provided.

The Sweet Scent of Quality Weed

If you open your container of cannabis and notice a pleasant aroma, that’s a good sign you have some quality weed. The different scents that quality cannabis can give off include fruity, flowery, earthy, and spicy. Hints of blueberry or citrus can also be good signs of quality weed.

If your bud smells sweet and fruity there’s a good chance it could be a sativa strain - which is thought to provide uplifting and euphoric highs that promote creativity and energy.

If it has more of a musty or skunky aroma, then it might be an indica - which is thought to provide a more sedative, body highs that promote relaxation and pain relief.

Learn more about the differences between indica and sativa strains.

Poor quality buds, on the other hand, will have little to no smell. If you open your cannabis container and don’t smell anything, or it smells like dry hay, then it’s possible you received bad weed. Not only will this type of weed provide a poor cannabis experience but it could also rob you of the potential health benefits of terpenes.

What Does Good Weed Look Like?

Alright, now that we’ve addressed what good weed should smell like, let’s examine what good weed should look like.

When you think of commonly used slang terms for cannabis, a few that might come to mind include grass, weed, and trees. What do all these terms have in common? They are mostly green in color. The same applies to quality cannabis.

What Color is Good Weed?

Quality cannabis flower should be green in color. It can be light green or bright green, but it should be green.

Quality cannabis will often have little orange strands, known as pistils. These hair-like strands will be white in color early in the flowering period and will turn a deep orange color once the buds are ready to be harvested.

Good weed will also have a shiny look to it. If your weed is yellow or brown, or if it has a dull look to it, then you may have stumbled upon some poor-quality weed.

Another sign of poor-quality weed is a dull gray or white powdery appearance. This could be an indication that you have mold in your weed. If you think this might be the case, give it a quick sniff. If it smells like mildew or hay, you may have moldy weed.

Smoking or vaping moldy weed can be dangerous to your health. So, if you suspect mold in your weed, it’s best to toss it and get some quality bud. Learn more about how to identify mold in cannabis products.

Is “Crystally Weed” a Sign of High Quality?

Another sign of quality cannabis is the appearance of small crystals on the surface of the flower, or buds. These crystals are known as trichomes, and they’re rich in terpenes and cannabinoids like THC and CBD.

Learn how cannabinoids and terpenes can work together in our guide to the entourage effect.

Trichomes give weed a frosty appearance and will shine like small crystals.

So, if your weed has a “crystally” appearance, that’s a sign that you’ve come across some potent weed that is rich in cannabinoids and terpenes. Poor quality marijuana, on the other hand, will not have these crystals on its buds.

Hand Trimmed vs. Machine Trimmed

Quality cannabis will be grown with care and will most often be hand trimmed. By taking the time to trim flower buds by hand, cultivators can make sure you receive whole flower buds. This can help to ensure the trichomes on the buds are not disturbed.

Machine trimming cannabis flower instead of trimming it by hand, could be a sign the cultivator rushed through the trimming, drying, and curing process - which can degrade weed flavor and quality.

Some signs of machine trimmed flower include excessive leaves and flower buds that are not whole.

What Does Bad Weed Look Like?

If you take a look at your cannabis and it is mostly brown or yellow - then it’s likely it came from an unhealthy cannabis plant. The same applies if you have weed that looks white.

Basically, if your cannabis is any color other than green, that’s a sign you may have received some bad weed.

Another sign of poor-quality weed is the appearance of seeds. Cannabis flower with seeds never reaches full potency and maturity - because the resources required to do so are depleted by reproductive efforts.

Seeds will not only ruin the flavor of your weed, but they can also combust under heat. Seeds will also add to the weight of your bud. Meaning you’re paying for the weight of the seeds. The same goes for an abundance of stems in your bud.

Seeds and stems can both produce toxins and carcinogens that can be harmful to the lungs and airways.

Is Fluffy Weed Good or Bad?

In addition to smelling and looking at your bud to determine quality, you can also gauge its quality by how it feels when you squeeze it.

Although fluffy bud might look nice, not all fluffy flower is created equally. Here’s how to tell if your fluffy weed is good or bad. Give it a gentle squeeze.

If it offers little resistance and crumbles easily, that’s a sign the plants were grown in suboptimal conditions. But if your bud feels dense to the touch and springs back to its original shape when you squeeze it, that’s a sign you’ve come across some high-quality weed.

How to Ensure You Get Quality Weed

One of the best ways to ensure you enjoy quality cannabis is to purchase it from a well-respected medical cannabis dispensary. But finding the right way to medicate involves a lot more than deciding if you want an indica, sativa, or hybrid strain.

You really want to find the right mix of terpenes and cannabinoids for your endocannabinoid system. By doing so you can unlock a unique cannabis experience - along with a wide range of potential health benefits.

Premium Quality Cannabis and Compassionate Care

Is What Sets Bloom Apart

Stop by a Bloom dispensary in Ohio or Maryland, and our budtenders can help you find quality cannabis products that are right for you.