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The Smart Shoppers’ Guide to Buying Marijuana Flower at a Dispensary
What To Look For When Shopping For Marijuana Flower
Though numerous ways of consuming marijuana have been introduced over the last few years, nothing can beat the fresh experience of smoking marijuana flower.
Recent data from Headset Analytics shows that marijuana flower is still the number 1 product in the US legal cannabis market. This should not be surprising given that flower is the least processed form of marijuana out there, making it more affordable and accessible especially to newbies or purists. But even seasoned cannabis enthusiasts find many reasons to love flower: with such a wide array of strain choices these days, you can customize your high in just about any way or flavor you want. Find the Best Smoke Shops Near Me with the directory that make it easy.
Even if you have an interest in other cannabis consumer goods and edibles, the experience of smoking flower will always be special on its own. Having said that, here are the things you should be looking for when shopping for marijuana flower at a dispensary:
Effects: Any cannabis dispensary will carry dozens or even hundreds of different cannabis strains. Each strain will have its own effects which can usually be categorized into a few: uplifting, sedating, or a little bit of both depending on how much you smoke. Let the budtender know about the effects you are looking to achieve. A sedating strain will be best if you need a little help going to bed, while an energizing strain will be ideal for daytime use.
You should also research the medicinal effects of cannabis strains carefully especially if you are prone to anxiety and paranoia, which is common among high THC strains. In addition, cannabis strains are also known for specific physical effects which may include headaches and hunger among others.
Potency: Understanding the potency of THC or CBD in the flower you are buying is an important factor. You can’t tell how potent a flower is just by looking at it, but cannabis sold in legal dispensaries will have a display of its strength on the packaging or the glass jar. Generally, anything above 20-25% THC is considered very strong and has potent psychoactive properties, while those who are new to THC are advised to start with strains below 18% THC.
On the other hand, there are consumers who are interested in buying high CBD flower. CBD strains are ideal for those struggling with anxiety and paranoia, or who simply want a relaxing time without the racing mental effects associated with energizing THC strains.
For a more balanced effect, you can also check out the THC:CBD ratios. Some strains have a higher CBD content to help counter the THC, resulting in a deliciously balanced high.
Size: Bigger buds usually mean better quality, but this isn’t always the case. Various cannabis strains will produce buds of different shapes and sizes. For example, indica plants tend to produce smaller but denser buds, and sativas tend to be fluffier and less dense.
Small flower buds are generally considered lower quality, though the same harvest can result in both small and large nugs. Some growers filter out the smaller nugs which go into pre-rolls, while the large nugs rake in more cash when they are sold as cannabis flower. Some dispensaries and brands may sell smaller nugs at a discounted price, so look out for these deals if you’re up for a bargain.
Color: Using your senses will also go a long way in helping you source quality flower – which oftentimes also has a higher price point. Color is a great place to start: premium flower should be various shades of green, and sometimes with a tinge of purple, orange, or yellow in its hairs. While color doesn’t indicate good weed, you should avoid buds that look like they have been bleached or have irregularly saturated colors because this can indicate that they haven’t been stored properly. It could also be that strains are naturally lightly colored, such as the famed Acapulco Gold, which really does have light buds. Knowing is half the battle!
In addition, stay away from buds that are brownish or yellow because these are considered lower quality and tend to be cheaper. However, if you are looking to buy weed in bulk with the intention of decarboxylating them or turning them into edibles later on, then it’s perfectly acceptable to buy flower of lesser quality. One doesn’t waste top-shelf weed by decarbing them and turning them into edibles.
Smell: Your nose can tell you so much about cannabis flower. They all smell so different and it will be an olfactory journey unlike any other. Some strains smell spicy, musky, or like gasoline (but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing!) while others will smell like a fruit or flower garden, have strong pineapple or citrus smells, or even smell like flowers thanks to its aromatic compounds.
Popularity: It never hurts to ask your budtender which strains have been flying off the shelves lately. They can share useful insider knowledge on the good stuff that’s popular in your area, perhaps because certain growers can make terrific yields of a certain strain. If there’s a strain that’s popular, you can always give it a try to see if you like it. You never know: you might just find your new favorite by having an open mind!
Price: Last but not least, there’s also the price to consider. There’s weed at the low and high end of the spectrum, but for many consumers, the mid-range buds are where quality and price meet perfectly. Good quality weed does not always have to cost so much. Sometimes, lower priced flower can also produce an excellent high. Bottom shelf cannabis still works well for people who are on a tight budget.
Conclusion
There are many factors to consider when shopping for marijuana flower. Use these tips the next time you head to a dispensary to experiment with bud at home.
New Mexico regulators fined a cannabis operator nearly $300,000 and revoked its license after the company allegedly created fake reports in the state’s traceability software.
The New Mexico Cannabis Control Division (CCD) accused marijuana manufacturer and retailer Golden Roots of 11 violations, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Golden Roots operates the The Cannabis Revolution Dispensary.
The majority of the violations are related to the Albuquerque company’s improper use of BioTrack, which has been New Mexico’s track-and-trace vendor since 2015.
The CCD alleges Golden Roots reported marijuana production only two months after it had received its vertically integrated license, according to Albuquerque Business First.
Because cannabis takes longer than two months to be cultivated, the CCD was suspicious of the report.
After inspecting the company’s premises, the CCD alleged Golden Roots reported cultivation, transportation and sales in BioTrack but wasn’t able to provide officers who inspected the site evidence that the operator was cultivating cannabis.
In April, the CCD revoked Golden Roots’ license and issued a $10,000 fine, according to the news outlet.
The company requested a hearing, which the regulator scheduled for Sept. 1.
At the hearing, the CCD testified that the company’s dried-cannabis weights in BioTrack were suspicious because they didn’t seem to accurately reflect how much weight marijuana loses as it dries.
Company employees also poorly accounted for why they were making adjustments in the system of up to 24 pounds of cannabis, making comments such as “bad” or “mistake” in the software, Albuquerque Business First reported.
Golden Roots was fined $298,972.05 – the amount regulators allege the company made selling products that weren’t properly accounted for in BioTrack.
The CCD has been cracking down on cannabis operators accused of selling products procured from out-of-state or not grown legally:
- Regulators alleged in August that Albuquerque dispensary Sawmill Sweet Leaf sold out-of-state products and didn’t have a license for extraction.
- Paradise Exotics Distro lost its license in July after regulators alleged the company sold products made in California.
Golden Roots was the first alleged rulebreaker in New Mexico to be asked to pay a large fine.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/new-mexico-cannabis-operator-fined-loses-license-for-alleged-biotrack-fraud/
Four marijuana companies, including a multistate operator, have filed a lawsuit against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in which they allege the federal MJ prohibition under the Controlled Substances Act is no longer constitutional.
According to the complaint, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, retailer Canna Provisions, Treevit delivery service CEO Gyasi Sellers, cultivator Wiseacre Farm and MSO Verano Holdings Corp. are all harmed by “the federal government’s unconstitutional ban on cultivating, manufacturing, distributing, or possessing intrastate marijuana.”
Verano is headquartered in Chicago but has operations in Massachusetts; the other three operators are based in Massachusetts.
The lawsuit seeks a ruling that the “Controlled Substances Act is unconstitutional as applied to the intrastate cultivation, manufacture, possession, and distribution of marijuana pursuant to state law.”
The companies want the case to go before the U.S. Supreme Court.
They hired prominent law firm Boies Schiller Flexner to represent them.
The New York-based firm’s principal is David Boies, whose former clients include Microsoft, former presidential candidate Al Gore and Elizabeth Holmes’ disgraced startup Theranos.
Similar challenges to the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) have failed.
One such challenge led to a landmark Supreme Court decision in 2005.
In Gonzalez vs. Raich, the highest court in the United States ruled in a 6-3 decision that the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution gave Congress the power to outlaw marijuana federally, even though state laws allow the cultivation and sale of cannabis.
In the 18 years since that ruling, 23 states and the District of Columbia have legalized adult-use marijuana and the federal government has allowed a multibillion-dollar cannabis industry to thrive.
Since both Congress and the U.S. Department of Justice, currently headed by Garland, have declined to intervene in state-licensed marijuana markets, the key facts that led to the Supreme Court’s 2005 ruling “no longer apply,” Boies said in a statement Thursday.
“The Supreme Court has since made clear that the federal government lacks the authority to regulate purely intrastate commerce,” Boies said.
“Moreover, the facts on which those precedents are based are no longer true.”
Verano President Darren Weiss said in a statement the company is “prepared to bring this case all the way to the Supreme Court in order to align federal law with how Congress has acted for years.”
While the Biden administration’s push to reschedule marijuana would help solve marijuana operators’ federal tax woes, neither rescheduling nor modest Congressional reforms such as the SAFER Banking Act “solve the fundamental issue,” Weiss added.
“The application of the CSA to lawful state-run cannabis business is an unconstitutional overreach on state sovereignty that has led to decades of harm, failed businesses, lost jobs, and unsafe working conditions.”
Alabama regulators are targeting Dec. 1 to award the first batch of medical cannabis business licenses after the agency’s first two attempts were scrapped because of scoring errors and litigation.
The first licenses will be awarded to individual cultivators, delivery providers, processors, dispensaries and state testing labs, according to the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC).
Then, on Dec. 12, the AMCC will award licenses for vertically integrated operations, a designation set primarily for multistate operators.
Licenses are expected to be handed out 28 days after they have been awarded, so MMJ production could begin in early January, according to the Alabama Daily News.
That means MMJ products could be available for patients around early March, an AMCC spokesperson told the media outlet.
Regulators initially awarded 21 business licenses in June, only to void them after applicants alleged inconsistencies with how the applications were scored.
Then, in August, the state awarded 24 different licenses – 19 went to June recipients – only to reverse themselves again and scratch those licenses after spurned applicants filed lawsuits.
A state judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Chicago-based MSO Verano Holdings Corp., but another lawsuit is pending.
Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/alabama-plans-to-award-medical-cannabis-licenses-dec-1/
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