Terpenes or THC? Retailers share the secret to buying the best weed
Buyers know what makes good weed. Canadian cannabis users are moving away from high-THC strains and asking educated questions to get the best product every time.
While high THC potency still dominates demand, customers choose their weed based on other qualities. According to retailers across Canada, they ask for freshness and flavor profiles.
There is also increased interest in low-THC and high-CBD options. It doesn’t hurt that newer, higher quality products are getting onto the shelves.
Watch out for ditchweed, consumers are getting better educated about what makes a good flower.
Good weed doesn’t always have to be highly effective
Once upon a time, people didn’t care about cannabis unless it was above 20% THC. These days, retail store owners are seeing a big shift from the high THC crew to those looking for a 1: 1 balance or even high CBD strains.
Sasha Soeterik, co-owner of Flower Pot, a cannabis retailer in the west end of Toronto, says she sees a move away from what she calls the “bro” culture of focusing on the buds with the highest levels of THC available .
“I don’t think everyone is looking for the ultra high, except for those who really get into this THC-rich weed culture. But what I see is that more and more people are asking for balanced cannabis, ”says Soeterik.
“It’s not the majority, but I would say that around 10-15% of my customers ask for high-CBD joints. There really isn’t enough choice for something with THC and CBD. “
Ryan Roch, the owner of Lake City Cannabis near Calgary, agrees that consumers are starting to lose their focus on THC as the be-all and end-all of the weed.
“We’re seeing a shift where they’re almost done [THC]“Says Roch. “[Customers] are looking for something that is of better quality as it is not always the best option and we are seeing this shift in ideology. “
The development of the average “cannabis user”
A big part of this shift, Roch says, is that retailers like him are taking the time to talk to their customers and help them discover new products.
“You want the best quality,” says Roch. “Some ask about terpenes. People come in and look at the menu, but now they ask us more often what is the best that we would recommend. “
This trust is not taken lightly by Roch, who ensures that its budtenders have the information they need to help customers.
Consumers aren’t just asking the same old questions, either. Roch says it’s more of a conversation, they want to know what’s new and what’s good. They even ask about genetics, cannabinoid levels, and terpenes.
According to Andrea Dobbs, co-owner of The Village Bloomery in Vancouver, microphones are also becoming increasingly popular with customers.
“[Customers] Talk about the cannabis they buy and ask us where it comes from, ”she says. “They ask about the quality, the humidity, the smell, the terpenes. It’s about quality. “
Although she says mid-sized, affordable products continue to make up a large portion of her sales, there is growing interest and demand for higher quality products.
“The bread-and-butter products like Pure Sunfarms sell by themselves. I don’t even have to talk about it, people ask about it because it’s pretty good weed at a pretty good price. It’s decent and everyone is very happy with it. “
High terpene sells even if the customer doesn’t know why
There’s still a divide between consumers looking for the highest levels of THC and those looking for the packaging date and other quality factors, says Ariel Gliinter, director of business development at The Joint, a retailer with locations in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
While terpenes are often hotly debated in the industry, Gliinter says that consumers are not necessarily educated about what they are, but still tend towards high terpene strains because of their taste and aroma.
“Terpenes are definitely bigger than people think. We’re seeing higher sales of high terpene products, regardless of whether they are marketed that way or not, ”says Gliinter. “Even if consumers aren’t aware of it, they sell better.”
People want weed that smells so good that you can practically taste it – regardless of whether consumers know that terpenes and flavanoids have these properties.
Ginter explains how old, dry flowers are no longer good enough. He shares that customers have realized that THC doesn’t mean much when the packaging date is old.
“All consumers are better informed and learn after they have tried more products what to look for, even if they do not know that it is, for example, the terpenes.”
David Brown
David Brown has been working in and writing about the cannabis industry in Canada since 2012. He was previously the editor-in-chief and communications director of Lift Cannabis and Lift News, senior policy advisor for the cannabis legalization division of Health Canada, and is the founder of StratCann Services Inc.
View article by David Brown
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