A Beginners' Guide to Weed Knowledge

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 06: A bud on a growing marijuana plant is shown at Essence Vegas' 54,000-square-foot marijuana cultivation facility on July 6, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. On July 1, Nevada joined seven other states allowing recreational marijuana use and became the first of four states that voted to legalize recreational sales in November's election to allow dispensaries to sell cannabis for recreational use to anyone over 21. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Sativas are known for motivating and getting you moving around versus vegging out on the couch. The leaves of a sativa are thin and spread apart. They have a higher levels of THC and lower levels of CBD (the chemical that's believed to aid pain relief and anxiety). Creativity flourishes when smoking a sativa and treating depression is a major reason for its use among medical patients.  Sativa strains are likely to get you talking, thinking, and philosophizing. To remember that sativas are typically elevating in their effects keep this phrase in mind, “Sunny Sativa."

Indicas have a higher CBD content and are noted for their calming effects. The leaves are also wider and much closer together than a sativa plant. When you are buying an indica bud you want it to be dense—that’s how you will know just how much of an indica it really is. The more compact the bud, the more indica properties it has. Indicas are helpful with pain relief, insomnia, and eliminating anxiety. It has been known to produce a heavy and relaxing body high. This can be great for muscle tension in athletes or as a way to unwind after a long workday.

Trouble remembering whether an indica is uplifting or couch-locking? Think of it this way: Indica = In Da Couch.

Hybrids are the cherry on top of the cannabis sundae. They can be the perfect combination of energizing and relaxing, depending on the ratio of sativa to indica. Hybrids are created with the intention of maintaining the best qualities from both the sativa and indica parent plant, which often results in super-potent (and super popular) strains.

THC for short, this is the naturally occurring chemical in marijuana which gives you the feeling of being high. THC talks to your brain and signals it to release dopamine (the hormone and neurotransmitter that works with the pleasure and reward hubs.) It’s thought to have been meant as a defense mechanism for the cannabis plant, intended to ward off herbivores and keep the flowers safe. (That sure backfired.)

Those sugary looking crystals all over your weed—those are trichomes. That’s where the THC is hanging out, in the trichomes, all over the stems and leaves.  Up close they look like tiny mushrooms and can be a few different colors. The best scenario is for them to be milky or amber in color when you consume them. Milky trichomes will give you more of a cerebral high and amber colored ones will be more relaxing. If they are clear they aren’t going to be anywhere near as potent.

If you bend a stem and it snaps, you’re good to go.  Otherwise the marijuana is too wet and you really shouldn’t smoke it yet. If you are offered pot that is wet and has been in a sealed bag there might even be mold on it. Conversely, herb that crumbles when you break it up, like powder, is far too dry and will be severe on your throat. Try putting a few leaves of lettuce with your dry nugs as it’s a safe way to add moisture back into them. Be your own advocate and snap a bud before you buy.

If taking a whiff of your cannabis reminds you of a freshly cut lawn, then your weed has not been cured properly. The curing process happens after initial drying and can take weeks. During this time chlorophyll breaks down and the plant turns non-active THC into a potent and very active compound. Because it takes a little extra time, some growers rush the process so be warned: rushing the curing process greatly compromises the power of your pot.

By now we should all be smoking on some good Mary Jane and leaving the brick packed schwag for the birds. You won’t be getting a dime bag of top shelf marijuana any time soon, but you do get what you pay for, don’t you? Top shelf cannabis is going to be truckloads higher in THC, taste better, and produce a very different high than if you’re smoking some reggie. When selecting herb, treat yourself. Let the jokers keep their nickel sacks.

Take a few seconds before you roll up that joint and make sure your green is looking right. This is more prevalent on the black market, no doubt, but mold on marijuana can be spotted on buds bought from dispensaries also. Mold is gross, it’s not going to get you high, and it’s certainly not what you’re paying for. Even worse—it’s dangerous. You can get a lung infection from smoking mold. Scan your nugs cautiously before light that blunt.

If nutrients haven’t been properly flushed from the plant during cultivation, chances are high that burning it will cause sparks to fly, and not in a good way. Sure it seems like a novel effect—it's July 4th and 4/20 all mixed into one. Yippee!—but a badly flushed product will taste bad, smell off, and it's not a good buy. Unfortunately, there is not much of a way to identify this issue until you’re smoking it.

Want to make sure you’re getting the best marijuana and don’t mind maybe looking a little pretentious while doing it?  Get yourself a magnifier. From 60x – 100x you can easily see the color of the trichomes you’re getting, and do a quick check to make sure there is no hidden mold lurking around your potential buds. It’s worth it if you have a few options to choose from. There are several magnifying lenses on the market for under $25. If you shop at a dispensary in Denver, you are likely to see a large magnifier over the counter. If so, use it!