Welcome to our world of organic, small-batch, craft cannabis! A place where we grow in small rooms with expert growers tending to the unique needs of individual strains. Where out of the ordinary flavour profiles take first seat over mono-cropped plants. Where the great outdoors can still be a place to grow great cannabis. And, where organic cannabis is a commitment to quality, not just a selling tool. You’ve entered the world of GOOD BUDS, so it’s time we gave you a road map to weed.
A cannabis plant has over 483 unique compounds that affect your enjoyment, and we are not going to be able to talk about them all. Even if it’s just grinding the tip of the bud, let’s work our way down what makes a plant really pop and see how those microscopic details are where a strain’s true potential shines.
1 - Sativa vs. Indica
Well most people know the difference between sativa and indica at this point, it’s still good to always start with the basics. From a looks perspective, indicas tend to be short and wide, while sativas tend to be much taller and thin. Which means, growing sativas and indicas together in a giant cement room is never going to work out great.
While the main differences in plants rest in the cannabinoids, knowing the difference between sativa and indica strains is a great starting point for figuring out how your day is going to go.
If you are in a more social mood, or need to be out and about, sativa strains are probably best. Indica is my go to weed when I want to sit back and relax and feel my cares melt away. A nice indica and a comfortable bed of grass, and I’ll be sleeping well into the afternoon.
Don’t forget about hybrids. A lot of smokers tend to avoid a nice hybrid because they want to get giggly with a sativa, or chill with an indica. But hybrids are a great way to get the best of both worlds and find a strain that feels tailored to how your body reacts. A lot more research is needed, but once you find a hybrid strain that suits you, you’ll be smiling puff after puff.
Tyler Rumi, CEO
“We focus on highlighting more distinct quality marks like the flavour, nug density, cure, stickiness and effect, since these are more meaningful to the experience than THC."
2 - THC, CBD, Or Both?
I feel kind of bad for all of the other cannabinoids that make up cannabis. THCA, CBN, CBC, and our favorite, CBG and hundreds of other components come together to make strains unique. But, everyone wants to focus on the big two, so, we might as well start there.
THC is well know for giving cannabis its psychoactive traits. High THC strains are going to have a very cerebral feeling, and most likely leave you laughing and content. However, many a new smoker has made the mistake of asking for the highest THC content strain and spent the night waiting for the dog to stop looking at them funny.
CBD is, for the most part, the non-psychoactive part of the bud. For me, if I want to just chill and relax after a hard day, but my parents are coming over for dinner with their best friend Father Thomas, I’ll take a few drops of pure CBD tincture. I feel at ease, without having to worry about how my voice must sound squeaky with potatoes in my mouth.
One of the greatest things to come out of legalization is properly analyzed strains. Having growers that use independent labs to test the quantities of CBD and THC is a huge benefit for consumers. You can get to know what mix suits your personality and lifestyle the best, and find stains that match that. Once you have lab tested cannabis, you can avoid the guesswork and using sativa or indica as a starting point. CBG (Cannabigerol) is another cannabinoid that is being studied for its medicinal properties and relationship benefits. You can read about this here.
3 - Smell The Terpenes
Now we get into the true joy of small-batch, craft cannabis. They are often overlooked by new smokers, but for the true cannabis connoisseur there is so much value in strains curated by master growers who understand the importance of terpenes.
Terpenes are the aromatic oils that give different strains their smells and colour. When you open that new bag and take a giant whiff of that citrusy pine that makes your mouth salivate like a dog with a bell, you have terpenes to thank. There are well over a hundred different terpenes, and they control the taste of the cannabis.
Small-batch methods, and a great master grower, harness the environment necessary to take full advantage of these terpenes, optimizing the taste of the strain. Keep the Sapphire OG smelling dank and cheesy, and that Mango Taffie God tasting like fresh picked, well, mangoes.
And if the smell and flavour of your cannabis doesn’t impress you enough, read up on the entourage effect. To simplify it, the entourage effect is how the profile of any given terpene can change the effect of other compounds within the plant. For the true connoisseur, terpene research provides more in depth and exciting ways to understand and tweak the effects of cannabis.
4 - Trichomes
Trichomes are where all those delicious terpenes and cannabinoids are kept. They look like little white hairs, or crystals, that cover the bud in a beautiful snowy dust. These microscopic resin glands pack all the punch of the cannabis plant, and are the base of extracts.
As important as trichomes are, many people don’t realize that they are incredibly fragile. Craft cannabis companies employ expert growers who treat the plant with extra care throughout the entire grow process, simply because they want to keep all those trichomes safe. Large machine trimmers lose a ton of trichomes before the buds are even put in the jar. When it comes to cannabis, handle with care.
5 - Pistil
The pistil is important to mention because it’s not important. Pistil refers to those red or orange hairs that grow all over the bud. Newer smokers love to comment on these hairs and how nice and red their Congolese looks. But what do these hairs contribute to the quality of the cannabis? Nothing. They do absolutely nothing.