Feeling that I can share some of my cannabis experience with your visitors, I will. Cannabits has been my cannabis provider almost from it's beginning. When I am traveling about I like to visit the local dispensaries for a new pipe or other supplies, and sometimes give into temptation to purchase a cannabis product or two, knowing from history that the products will be mediocre at best compared to my homegrown or Cannabits. I have noticed a big decline in the quality of retail dispensary flower over the past decade.
All cannabis is not the same. Just like vegetables in the market, visual appearance of cannabis at time of purchase can give a good indication of desirability. For this profile I imaged four varieties of balanced hybrid buds side by side, picked randomly from bag. Two from a retail dispensary and two from Cannabits. The buds at the bottom of image are Cannabits sourced, Sausalito on left and Miracle Alien Cookies. The buds at the top of image are from the dispo.
Focusing on appearance because many times our choice must be made only by visual examination, sometimes I remember to bring a magnifier for a better look and enjoy the clerks reaction. At a quick glance the unaided eye may not see differences until looking closer. Enlarging the image a little, at the surface of the bud I am looking for red hairs called Stigmas emerging from seedless ovum pods called Bracts. Also looking for swollen resin heads with mushroom top called Trichomes. Trichomes emerge early with flowering and are present for the life cycle, it is not until near the end of life as the seed develops that the trichomes will swell and form a rounded bulb top, especially noted on the sensi plant that has been denied pollination.
The Bracts will contain the greatest density of trichomes. The more we see the better, this is what I want to see in therapeutic cannabis because mature flower contains more of the good cookies. Maturity is crucial to the therapeutic value of cannabis because the compounds do not fully develop until later stages. The state of the resin heads show maturity.
On the top two of the samples I see a few red hairs, there are developing trichomes that are thin without bulb tip, inner single bud leaves show very few trichomes. Based on visual inspection I would consider this immature cannabis, and would guess it's smell to be similar to barn straw; because the cannabinoids, terpens, and flavonoids have not developed. On the bottom two samples the dark color is abundant stigma. Also, I see the inner bud sugar leaves are encrusted, and the top of trichomes is mushroomed when looking laterally, what I want to see in therapeutic cannabis.
The buds at the bottom of image are Cannabits sourced, Sausalito on left and Miracle Alien Cookies. The buds at the top of image are from the dispo. I hope that you see the differences clearly and can choose the flower you prefer.
The difference in these plants is the way they were grown and harvested and cured. Big Cannabis has industrialized its operations for maximum profit, at the cost of quality product. Our options have become limited if we want quality products, one is to grow your own, another is to find a farmer and support them. With this bit of experienced based knowledge I hope you will make your own good choices.
Happy Toking, Harett :))
