Shopping For Cannabis
Shopping for cannabis can be a daunting task because the newborn legal industry does not have protocol in place like the more mature legal alcohol industry has had for centuries. If you are a beer drinker, you can buy your favorite brand of beer at any store and receive the same, fresh product. The same is not true for cannabis retailers who are expected to maintain the quality once a grow delivers the product to the retail location. Beer distributors take charge over all distribution points, including sanitizing the lines at each pub where the beer travels from keg to mug. Alcohol companies do not rely on their retailers to even rotate beer inventory. This is how beer producers ensure that customers can walk into any gas station or pub to buy a beer and it’s guaranteed to be fresh. Some of our sponsors have been transitioning to pre packaged glass jars this year, in order to maintain quality to the end consumer.
I was motivated to write this article after receiving messages from readers who complained about products from cannabis growers that we trust and love. At first, I thought this was just a matter of personal opinion, but now I realize there is more to it. We are not smoking the same cannabis because each batch may have been stored differently by each retailer. Retailers may put the name of the strain and producer on the deli menu, but there is no way for customers or dispensary agents to distinguish between new or old inventory from each brand. Sometimes customers only know the strain and this can be confusing because each grower may have a different cut of the strain. Each producer will grow differently and end up with a different product even though the strain name is the same.
Generally, a smaller dispensary will have less foot traffic and sell less cannabis. Locations like Nova dispensary, in Mesa, and Superior Dispensary, in Phoenix, do an excellent job of consistently sourcing small batches of fresh cannabis flowers. Larger dispensaries who have lots of foot traffic should have fresh batches of flowers because they go through so much product, however, this is not always true because some corporate locations may buy too much flower at once and let it sit on store shelves with a Boveda humidity pack. The corporation is simply trying to get the best price and sell the most cannabis. They will not always prioritize things like proper storage and freshness. Unfortunately, this reflects poorly on cannabis producers who grow the best product they can and then deliver to retailers who do not handle the flowers with proper care.
Fact: Decarboxylation can happen naturally in regular sunlight. At just above room temperature, about 10-20% of THCa can convert to THC in a few weeks. Once the transfer from THCa to THC happens, THC begins degrading into other byproducts. Degradation can happen to cannabis flowers and cannabis oils while sitting on the shelf in jars that are exposed to light and air repeatedly.
Cannabis producers are managing quality through the distribution chain by using pre packaged jars that are labeled with the harvest date. Customers and dispensary agents can track the freshness of products more reliably with less interference. Companies like Grow Sciences have taken the matter of quality into their own hands by only releasing vacuum sealed glass jars. This ensures that patients receive the freshest product possible. Mohave Cannabis is now serving their Mohave Reserve eighths in pre-packed jars. Shango Cannabis is another of our sponsors who is transitioning away from the deli-style sale to consumers.
One way that we can find out which dispensaries serve the freshest cannabis is by conducting random third party testing for flowers on store shelves. Testing is going to be required for growers but there is no random testing done on bulk cannabis at the point of sale. The flowers in deli jars may have been harvested twelve weeks or twelve months ago, who knows!
Boot The Snoot!
The most tried and trusted way to shop for cannabis today is to smell it, right? Not anymore. Dispensaries currently prohibit customers from smelling cannabis flowers because of Covid-19 safety. This takes away the number one indicator that customers use to sniff out quality cannabis. Since patients are not allowed to smell the flower, there is no way to judge the freshness of even the most beautiful looking deli jar.
Do You Even Lift, Bro?
Judging the quality of cannabis extracts can be tricky based on looks alone. Some extracts contain high percentages of THC and nothing else, like a weightlifter at the gym who just works on arms. All you see is raging biceps (THC) but the leg muscles (Terps/Cannabinoids) are weak and undeveloped. Color remediation (CRC) techniques for extracts have allowed some extractors to cover up poor starting materials by washing the cannabis until there is basically nothing left, good or bad. Cannabis extracts like this will lack flavor and the high may only last a few minutes, or worse, make you feel drowsy. One way to measure quality without taste testing a cannabis extract is to get a full lab report on ALL present cannabinoids and terpenes. A robust terpene profile usually indicates a quality cannabis product. Do not shop for cannabis extracts by looks alone.
Artificial vs. Botanical vs. Cannabis Terpenes
Natural occurring terpenes are found in fruits like mangoes and are used in cannabis vape cartridges. Artificial terpenes are made from oils to taste like any desired flavor such as cotton candy or Wild Cherry. Naturally occurring terpenes are wonderful but cannabis derived terpenes are the most desirable to me because of the strain specific flavors and effects. Broad Spectrum Extraction helps ensure a quality product that guarantees more of the terpenes and cannabinoids extracted from the actual cannabis plant.
Cannabis Extract Abbreviations:
Liquid Solvent Extraction (EHO, BHO, Supercritical CO2): Products like shatter, batter and crumble all start with the same liquid solvent extraction process. The letter abbreviation seen on packaging indicates which solvent the cannabis was processed with. Crumble is only different from shatter or batter because of the texture. Shatter is similar to a pane of glass but crumble may seem very dry and crumbly or sticky. Batter is usually more of a whipped or frosting like texture. Either way, all are considered cannabis wax and they are economical in price. Great for dabbing or adding to flowers.
Full Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO): Live Resins and distillates will fall into this category. However, distillate is processed to create a long lasting product that is sometimes almost purely THC, while Live Resin is always meant to retain the terpenes and cannabinoids from the plant. Live Resin is ideally made from flowers that are flash frozen within hours of harvest. Distillate and Live Resin may be used for edibles or dabbing. If a dab of distillate doesn’t smell strong and doesn’t produce a great high then do not settle for putting it in your edibles. There is no shortcut to a long lasting high and whether using distillate or live resin, the best edible effects come from more broad spectrum cannabis extracts. Presence of terpenes and cannabinoids are equally important as THC.
Rick Simpson Oil (RSO): This type of oil is rich in THC and other cannabinoids from the plant and is used primarily for taking orally or topically. RSO is not intended for dabbing or vaping. The main difference between FECO and RSO is the solvent used. RSO is usually made using isopropyl alcohol while FECO is processed with ethanol. LIke FECO, RSO retains as much spectrum of cannabinoids in the oil as possible.
Color Remediation Column (CRC): This is a process that washes the cannabis by removing chlorophyll, fats and lipids from the plant material. The process is good in theory but it gets a shifty reputation from extractors who use the process to make products look better than they are. Color remediation is good for removing inert plant material from the final extraction, however, some cannabis producers rely on color remediation like putting “lipstick on a pig”. Dabbers are turned off by extracts that look clean but taste like sidewalk chalk. The rule of thumb is that if you trust the ingredients then you can trust the process. Follow @dred_pirate for trusted information regarding these cannabis extraction techniques. According to Dred, starting materials play a big part in ending quality. Some producers don’t have this luxury and are forced to process poorly handled cannabis material to meet production quotas. They have no choice but to use more adsorbents to remove stringent, decaying plant matter. So basically: Quality in, Quality out!
Solventless Cannabis Extractions:
Hash: Refined for centuries in many parts of the world, the simplicity of removing trichomes from the cannabis plant is a tradition that has surged in recent times with new technologies and ideas. However, new hash makers are still rooted deeply in the natural traditions of generations before them. Today’s hash connoisseurs appreciate a variety of colors, textures and shades meant to produce broad spectrum medicinal effects in the body. Hash is simply made by rubbing cannabis through a series of screens, which filter out plant matter naturally, eventually leaving behind beautiful trichomes that can be smoked directly. Another method is to wash mesh bags of cannabis in an ice bath and agitate the trichomes until they break off. Once the water is dried then the trichomes are all that is left. American cannasseurs have been asking, “Where is the hash? And hopefully federal legalization will bring more premium hash producers to the United States. Follow @milahashqueen for more information on this beautiful art.
Rosin: Created by applying heat and pressure to cannabis flowers or hash. These extracts are known for maintaining the flavor and effectiveness of the plant it’s made from. This is the purest form of dabbing possible, which includes zero additives throughout the process. Live Hash Rosin is pressed from hash that was made from freshly frozen flowers. Rosin can be pressed at home by patients and there are even small presses and bag kits for those just interested in dabbling with the squishy art. We recommend following @rakkems to watch his solventless methods create THCa diamonds and other miraculous extractions. Grow Sciences is using these advanced techniques to create solventless diamonds in very small batches. This type of extraction always favors quality over quantity and will cost a premium price as well.
Cannabis shopping involves not only finding the best cannabis producers but also seeking out the best dispensary retailers to buy trusted cannabis brands from. We will start collecting data on our Cannabis Cactus app to find out where patients like to shop most and which brands are favored most by patients. Download the Cannabis Cactus app on Apple or Google Play and look for the survey to tell us about which dispensaries and brands you like the most. You may also email personal shopping complaints or praise to Mike@cannabiscactus.com.
Michael Cassini is the founder and editor in chief of The Cannabis Cactus Magazine. He focuses on community relationships with a goal to maintain a culture of love, peace and knowledge in the cannabis industry.