Shopping for buds that will provide a satisfying experience is like selecting a restaurant. You are probably safer choosing more expensive and reputable places, but there are visual and olfactory indicators of the food quality you can’t take for granted. Likewise, knowing what good weed looks like lets you get the best buzz for your money and snag awesome deals when you chance upon some.
The appearance, texture, and smell are the distinguishing factors for assessing the quality, freshness, proper processing, and storage of flower. These are top indicators of the flavor and effects being consistent with the strain’s profile. And though there’s no sure way to gauge that before consumption, identifying better-looking options is a reasonable starting point.
So, what does good weed look like?
The list of criteria for telling premium weed, known as “dank” or “fire,” from subpar-quality products nicknamed “schwag” includes:
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Look. High-grade buds are dense, hand-trimmed, bright-colored, and quick to sport a coating of trichomes. Green with streaks of purple or orange is a point of reference when it comes to an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
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Trichomes. Evaluating a nug’s layer of trichomes, whether with a keen eye or a magnifying glass, is an informative visual hint of its psychoactive and therapeutic potency. High to moderate trichome coverage indicates relevant cultivation, harvesting, and storage to maximize and preserve the terpene and cannabinoid content.
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Texture and feel. Being springy and sticky to the touch indicates optimal moisture and resin content for a smooth, flavorful, and potent smoking experience. Overly dry and crumbly suggests improper curing or storage.
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Smell. Top-shelf buds have a potent aroma that is commonly referred to as loud, dank, or earthy (sometimes diesel or pine). These are all indicative of a rich terpene profile and a higher-quality product.
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Taste. The full-bodied flavor, smooth smoke, and taste – without feeling harsh on the throat – is the final proof of making the right choice when you know what good weed should look like.
This type of bud is cultivated to the highest standards, sourced from reputable retailers and regulated dispensaries, and tested for quality with certificates to prove it.
How does no-good weed look like?
While not as vibrant and aromatic as top-tier flower, buds that rank lower on the cannabis quality scale may still provide a decent experience. Varieties that come from poorer growing environments may have lost some of their flavor and terpenes due to exposure to the elements or improper storage. While not having the bag appeal, smoothness, and full-spectrum effects of the high-end product, this flower offers average potency and therapeutic value that some users find quite satisfactory.
As for the lowest-quality options, these have nothing in common with what good weed looks like. Typically coming from unregulated markets and grown with little to no care, this kind of plant material has a bunch of unfavorable names, such as ditch or dirt weed, catnip, and schwag. It often comes with seeded heads and loose and broken buds, stems, and leaves.
Here are the signs of the lowest-grade weed to watch out for:
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Color: dull, from brownish-green to yellowish and brown
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Texture: brittle, rough, and crumbly
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Trichomes: little to none
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Smell: ranging from weak to unpleasant or offensive, often sour, or resembling hay or compost (musty odors are common, which are telltale signs of bacterial growth)
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Smokeability: poor, with a harsh throat feel that may result from the presence of contaminants or pesticides
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Effects: inconsistent, with low potency and discomfort being the most notable ones (coughing, throat and airway irritation, headaches)
Such weed offers little in terms of psychoactivity or flavor and doesn’t get you pleasantly high, but it may be used for making tinctures or edibles. It is not safe to consume via inhalation methods due to unpredictable effects and health risks.
Factors that determine what good weed looks like
Even when favoring the same strain and buying from a network of dispensaries or retail points, you will likely have variations in quality, flavor, potency, and effects. Any professional grower will tell you that a strain’s profile is defined by its genetic makeup, but a range of factors go into the bud’s appearance:
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Light, soil, and nutrition. Healthy soil and a controlled environment or precise monitoring of nutrients throughout the growing cycle ensure the proper development at the flowering stage.
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Method of cultivation. Outdoor weed has more massive nugs and darker colors but lower trichome density.
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Harvesting, drying, trimming, and curing. Even the best genetics can be compromised by an inadequate harvesting time or lack of expertise in trimming and curing.
Last but not least, it is important that buds are handled, transported, and stored with utmost care before they make it to the consumer. Otherwise, despite being genetically superior and properly cultivated, the flower that would qualify as top-shelf weed can quickly degrade. It is likely to lose some of its flavor, color, texture, or potency when subjected to rigorous handling or overexposed to light or air.
What to look for when choosing your bud
Whether you’re buying in-store or ordering delivery, there are more variables to selecting your nugs than just price and strain information. Whenever possible, take into account the smell and visual cues to the optimal texture, freshness, and terpene preservation.
However, the claims that one can confidently assess weed quality based on these criteria are partly misleading. They can not serve as the sole reliable indicator of premium quality and alignment with your expectations.
No matter what good weed looks like in your (or your budtender’s) opinion, it is insufficient for confidence in its purity and safety. Any cannabis variety may be laden with pesticides or contaminants, and there is no other way of knowing that prior to consumption than relying on the Certificates of Analysis (COA).
Whether you prioritize specific therapeutic effects, cannabinoids, experience consistency, or flavors, you are far better off buying weed backed by COA. Choose suppliers that care to provide these for every strain they offer.
