Hello Calgary! Let’s talk about how our staff choose their flower, and what they look for in a high quality bud. What a high quality flower really comes down to is: dense, aromatic, “dusty”, and moist buds. This can be confusing to find when your local dispensary probably uses terms like: Indica, Hybrid, Sativa, dense, dry, leafy, fluffy, dusty, trichomes, terpenes, and other terms when describing flower. If you don’t understand what your budtender is talking about, these terms can be very confusing. So let’s break it down.

Cannabis is broken into 3 main categories, sativas, indicas and hybrids. Sativas are very uplifting, energizing, and engaging. They provide a “head high” which generally leaves people feeling very focused, foggy, and giggly. People usually use sativas for the daytime, partying and getting cleaning done. They are awesome motivators and can really help keep you going. We would recommend the Pacific OG from Tantalus, because it’s an awesome uplifter with beautiful and high quality buds. However lots of people with anxiety, or who become very overwhelmed easily tend to try and steer away from sativas because they can be very anxiety-inducing. Every strain is very different, so not all of them are going to affect you the same as the last. Indicas are very relaxing, mellow and even tiring. This leaves you with a great “body high” where you feel floaty, heavy or sometimes sleepy. Indicas are great for hanging out around the house, going to bed and laid back hangouts. Lots of people love indicas for their high potency and their relaxing vibe. Indicas can leave people very tired or “Burnt out” and if you’re trying to get things done that can be very difficult for a lot of people. The Indica we would recommend is the Grape cake from Joi, this is one of our nicest flower options we carry at the moment because of its deep purple buds and gorgeous hand trim. If sativas are too uplifting and indicas are too relaxing, a hybrid might be a better fit for you. Hybrids can be a blend of indica and sativa, and can lean in either direction. Sometimes a hybrid will lean more towards sativa and be a bit more uplifting, or sometimes it can be more indica dominant and more relaxing. Hybrids get a bit of both worlds with a head high and a body high. You can feel floaty, relaxed, uplifted and anywhere in between. A sativa dominant hybrid we would recommend is the Secret Garden (rebel sour) from -Ness, it’s sour gassy aroma and light green dense buds will definitely impress. An indica dominant hybrid we would recommend would be the Drew’s pheno (hippie headbanger) is a must! With the lineage, terpenes and seed producer all on display on the back of the package this flower is here to impress. the buds are a light green with bright orange hairs and a very strong gassy aroma. So once you’ve decided between an indica dominant hybrid or sativa dominant hybrid you have to decide what qualities the flower has that are most important to you.

The way your bud looks and feels has a larger role to play in the deciding factor than most people realize. Let’s talk about appearance first. Our staff always look for “frosted” or “dusty” buds. This means that the buds have those little tiny “dust” particles covering it. Those are called trichomes, which are what hold all the great parts of the plant, like terpenes, THC and CBD. Terpenes are part of the trichomes that can have their own individual benefits, this is also where the aroma and flavour come from. More trichomes  = more flavour/ better potency. Our tenders love a frosted bud, but on top of that the density is a huge deciding factor as well. A dense bud it’s only going to barely flatten out if you squish it gently between your thumb and index finger. If it squishes a little and fluffs back up to its original shape it’s a fairly dense bud. Buds that completely flatten or that feel “airy” aren’t bad, you will just have to grind and use more of the flower than if it were more dense. The reason we look for a dense bud is because you have to use less of your flower for a smoother, more flavourful smoke. The density allows for the bud to break up more and use less flower initially to fill your bowl or joint. Aroma is another huge determining factor for how the smoke will be. An aromatic flower will generally mean there’s more terpenes in the flower which as we learned earlier, has a better end result. This can also have a huge effect on the way the flower hits you, as all different terpenes have a different effect. That’s why keeping track of what you’re smoking will show you what kind of terpenes and effects you want, and give you a bit more direction into what you’re looking for. Bud hydration is also very important to the quality of the bud. The humidity preserves trichomes and keeps cannabis in its best state. Keeping the buds too moist can allow for growth of mildew, or mold which you don’t want to be smoking or inhaling. If there is too much moisture in your bag, open it up and allow for the buds to dry. Before doing this ensure that there is no mold growth or mildew smell. 

Qualities you look for in a flower can also be very relative to how you’re smoking. Bong users and many Rollie smokers prefer a more moist dense bud, whereas some Rollie smokers want dryer more crumbly buds. It’s all about preference and these are our tips and tricks on how to make your flower last longer, and give you the best effects. U