What to Look For When Buying Marijuana (It’s Not THC)

Go to a licensed cannabis dispensary on a convalescent state and you will find – weed can get quite expensive. Eighths can range from a reasonable $ 30 to $ 80 before taxes are even included.

Many consumers feel they need to get their money’s worth and, much like with alcohol, they looked at the THC levels to see if the sticker price was worth it. The demand for buds tested at 30% THC or more has grown so strong that Breeders are often unable to sell their relatively under-tested flowers to retailers.

Photo by mikroman6 / Getty Images

But as it turns out, THC is nowhere near the best indicator of a flower’s potency, let alone its overall quality. The THC level is a static result in a living organism that changes with its surroundings and should never be the determining factor. Here’s what else to look for when buying marijuana.

Check the mounting and packaging information

The days when growers brought fresh pounds of cannabis in sacks of turkey to the pharmacy’s back door are sadly over. Industry regulations require inventory tracking, lab testing, compliant packaging and distribution to get all the buds from the garden to the shelves, which all takes time.

RELATED: Why You Should Smell Your Weed Before You Buy it

It is unfortunate, but far from unusual, for cannabis to be sold six months after being grown. Exposure to light and oxygen will lower THC levels and convert it to the more sedating and less psychoactive cannabinoid CBN, which is great if you are sleep deprived but not much else.

Ask about terpenes

More and more companies are now offering terpene profiles in addition to cannabinoid content, which is a win for consumers. Terpenes are aromatic compounds found in cannabis and countless other plants that are responsible for that “wet” smell, but in cannabis they converge with cannabinoids in what is called the entourage effect to express the effect of a particular strain.

RELATED: This is Why Cannabis Terpenes Are So Important

The earthy, rocky OG Kush, for example, has a very different terpene profile than the tangy Super Lemon Haze, and the two make for different highs. Low terpene levels can indicate poor growing practices or an aged product that high THC levels cannot compensate for. Your budget tender or pharmacy representative may also have more information.

Research the brand

Wine grown in Napa Valley will taste different than wine grown in Martha’s Vineyard, and so is cannabis. Location, genetics, and growing methods can mean that two versions of the same strain have almost nothing in common other than name.

Photo by nattrass / Getty Images

A company that specializes in outdoor growing doesn’t offer the same experience as an indoor growing brand, and larger companies can White label partnership with smaller growers their plants instead of growing their own.

See it up close if you can

Cannabis is a visual plant, just browse Instagram or browse cannabis magazines. These images are usually the crème de la crème and can be used as a reference for what you see in stores, provided the pandemic guidelines allow you to view and sniff samples.

RELATED: The Worst Strains of Marijuana Ever – And How to Choose the Best

Fresh cannabis not only smells fresh, it looks fresh too. The colors of the leaves and pistils are vivid, not brownish, the crystal-like trichomes should still be white and the bud should even have a slightly wet appearance. Under no circumstances should stems or seeds be mixed in.

The healing power of cannabis is a group benefit that THC alone cannot and should not provide. The sheer range of cannabis effects and properties makes it popular around the world, and it requires looking at the sum of its parts, not the numbers.