What to Look for When Shopping for Cannabis Flower

By: Brittney Graham

Walking into a dispensary for your first time or any time rather, can be a nerve-wracking experience. This is due in part that Oklahoma still has a very new and budding cannabis industry. This means that there is less educational information or informed individuals than other states that have had their go at this for a lot longer than us. The cannabis community here is making strides in this department but for those of us needing medicinal flower now it can be frustrating.

So, what do you do when stop by your local dispensary and the budtender does not know much about the cannabis flower? Regardless of the knowledge of the dispensary staff, it is important for us patients to know what we are looking for when it comes to quality medical flower. That being said, here are four things that someone can look for when making their next dispensary flower purchase.

Trichomes

The little hair like frosty crystals that can be seen on cannabis buds are called trichomes. The actual definition is, “Fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists.” Trichomes actually produce the hundreds of known cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids that make the cannabis strains potent, unique, and obviously quite effective. Now, there are three types of trichomes on a cannabis plant, however you will only need to focus on one since they are the only ones that can be seen with the naked eye as you sit at the dispensary counter.

These are called capitate-stalked trichomes range anywhere between 50-100 micrometers wide which is why they can be seen without a magnified glass. Their structure consists of a stalk compromised of epidermal and hypodermic cells that build up to a basal cell which attaches to a large gland head. This head is important as it serves as the epicenter for cannabinoid and terpenoid synthesis. Thus, if you can see crystals on the bud you are looking at with the naked eye that is a great sign of the cannabinoid and terpene content in that flower. If you can’t see anything like what is being described, then it’s a good indicator the potency will be on the lower scale.

Moisture

This step is not as technical as the first one. When it comes to moisture, the flower should be spongy and not completely dry. It should not be turning into dust in your hand or can knock someone’s eyes out if you were to throw it at them. The stems should be able to snap; however, you really should not be dealing with stems when purchasing from a medical dispensary. You must be sure that the flower is not damp either, this can create mold while you store it in a jar before use. And who wants to smoke mold as medicine? Not us.

Color

Although coloring can be reliant on breeding and strain, it is actually a tell-tale sign of how well the curing process went. For instance, light to dark green with orange hairs means that the curing process went well. A darker brownish color might mean that the flower was not flushed properly and that will be most evident in the ash once consumed. If the ash is dark that means, there are still growing nutrients in the plant. Obviously seeing the ash wouldn’t happen as you pick out your flower at a shop. However, pay attention to the color, is it a vibrant green or does it seem a little sickly? I like to think of it like picking out produce at the grocery store, I am not going to buy the tomato that is light brown almost molding, am I? Exactly.

Smell

The freshest flower usually has the strongest aroma, while flower that has been aged or mishandled tend to have a grassy musty smell. I attribute this smell to almost a tea like smell and this is NOT GOOD. This means the flower has not been dried or cured properly. Find out what terpenes are supposed to be present in the strain you are looking at. Do you get a hint of any of those smells? If not, it is a good indicator to move on to another brand of flower at that shop.

Next time you take a journey to a dispensary, keep these points in mind when you are looking at or discussing the cannabis flower available with the budtender. It is always important to stay informed on what we are putting into our bodies, as well as what we are purchasing and where. Armed with this information you will be able to make informed decisions about your medical marijuana consumption and may even find hidden gems you never knew of before!