If you know how to check the quality of weed before you buy it, you’re way more likely to go home with a bag of quality buds than a dud. In this article, we’ve covered all the things that make up a good quality bud. We’ve also included what you should avoid if you’re looking for good quality. After reading this article, you shouldn’t get stuck with a bad bag ever again!
There’s something so shameful about getting ripped off with a less than a quality bag of weed. And if you’re the person who is supplying the weed to the smoking circle, it’s double embarrassing – especially if they are a very enthusiastic group of stoners. But what’s a person to do? Sometimes you’re so desperate for a joint, you’ll take what you can get, right? Wrong! We live in the modern age of marijuana, friends, where you don’t have to settle for a crappy bag.
So how do you check the quality of your weed? Well, there’s no scientific method to checking out the weed in your bag before you buy it. But it doesn’t matter. There are certain things you should definitely look out for and things you should most definitely avoid. We’re going to help you identify those things so that you can be confident about what you’re delivering when you walk away from your supplier and into your smoking circle.
Here is the exhaustive way of checking your bag of weed when you get it, in the order that you should do it.
1. Open the bag and smell
To be honest, if it’s a great bag of weed, you’re not even going to need to open it to be able to smell what’s inside. If it’s great, you should be able to smell it from a mile away. When you open it, the fruity, dank smell of weed should assault the hair follicles in your nose. Ideally, your mouth should start to water – now that’s the sign of a quality bag of weed.
If you open the bag and stick your nose in it and it smells like freshly cut grass, you should politely decline the bag. The smell of weed should not remind you of hay or mowing the lawn.
What you’re obviously not looking for either, is a mouldy smell. That’s a sign that the weed has gone bad, which is something to look out for as well.
If it doesn’t smell potent, that’s not a good sign either. An excellent quality bud will reek of marijuana.
2. Take out a nug and have a look
Now it’s time for the visual inspection. When you take out the nug, inspect it. Is it a lovely, bright green colour? Well, it should be. Not every bud will be the same shade of green, but it should be vibrant and colourful. The colour of the bud should definitely not be brown. Brown weed means that it’s dried out or was not cured properly. There are sometimes other colours in weed, such as purple or orange, but it should be green upon first glance.
During the visual inspection, have a look at the trichome formation on the bud itself. If you don’t really see delicious-looking crystals all over your weed, then you’re probably not holding anything special. But if it’s basically reflecting the sunlight because of how many trichomes there are, that’s a keeper. You should also take note of the colour of the trichomes (if your vision is that good). Cloudy crystals are the win, whereas clear crystals have not been given enough time to develop.
It’s also worth looking inside the bag itself. Are there lots of stems and seeds? That’s not what makes up for a quality joint, so you don’t want to be seeing lots of that in a bag of weed. Plus, it adds weight to the bag, and you don’t really get to smoke it. So if a coffeeshop hands you a bag full of seeds and stems, give it back or ask for a colossal discount.
3. Have a feel around
Remember those trichomes, THC crystals that we were talking about before? You should be able to feel them, too. And the way you feel them is by looking for stickiness. In general, the stickier, the better. If the buds are sticky to touch, it suggests that they are covered in THC crystals. Yes – this is a very good sign indeed.
But you should also have a feel around for the density of the buds too. The buds should be easy to break apart, and they should feel somewhat fluffy. If they look like they have been packed down or are stiff like clay, you’re probably touching weed that’s years old.
Finally, buds should not crumble into dust when you touch them. They should contain a moderate level of moisture. Too much means that it wasn’t dried properly, but the taste and effect will also be compromised if it’s too dry.
4. Taste it
If you’re with a really old school dealer, he should let you taste a little. A small pipe, bong or joint at your dealer’s house will help you seal the deal. One of the most essential characteristics of weed is how it feels when you’re smoking it, from the taste to the harshness to the overall effect. And if it’s no good, then don’t forget that you’re free to go and search for some quality bud. This is especially true if you live in a cannabis-friendly country.
If you’re lucky enough to be in Amsterdam, you could buy a small amount first, try it in the coffeeshop using a vaporizer, and if you like it, buy more. You can buy up to 5 grams, as that’s the legal limit.
5. Learn and move on
Don’t go hating on your dealer if he supplies you with something sub-par. The unfortunate reality is that sometimes you’ll be blessed with the best bag of weed you’ve ever smoked, while other times you’ll get ripped off. That’s no reason to go starting wars with your dealer. Just never go shopping there again.
Weed is for sharing
Finally, don’t forget that good weed is for enjoying with company. There’s nothing worse than someone who hogs all the good weed to themselves while their friends go dry.
So now you know how to check the quality of your weed. And if you find a bag that ticks all of the boxes, make sure you share it with your friends!