Most grocery shoppers are well-acquainted with squeezing avocados, knocking on cantaloupes, and sniffing herbs to determine quality. Fortunately, you can apply this sense of discrimination to determine if your bud is high-quality, too.
Your senses can tell you a lot about the bud in front of you, as can some directed research beforehand. In this article, let’s walk through the steps you can take at your local dispensary to determine good bud vs bad bud. Starting with research and ending with a squeeze, Vivi outlines its five-point, foolproof strategy for buying quality flower. All told, these steps should only take a few minutes—and make you look like quite the flower connoisseur while you’re at it.
The steps on this list require you to use your senses. However, you could be in a pitch-black room with gloves on and a bad cold—and you’d still be able to get most of the way toward determining bad bud vs good bud. That’s because a little research goes a long way. First, look up well-regarded, high-quality bud strains. Some strains have benefited massively from years of selective breeding, morphing into genetic juggernauts that boast more desirable terpenoid and cannabinoid profiles. If you need a place to start, check out Leafly’s list of last year’s best-selling and highest-rated strains. (Spoiler: the Gelato family is still on top).
Don’t stop there. While genetics account for a lot, an individual grower still needs to nurture the plant, feed it thoughtfully, and cure it carefully—ideally, using Vivi Cure for a perfect, burp-free cure in just 10 days.. Their stamp on the final product is evident. Research reputable growers/brands in your region to determine who’s well-liked among flower aficionados. Though meandering at times, individual product threads on Reddit are typically helpful here. Do not rely solely on strain types or past product labels to determine potency; always check the label at the dispensary for that batch’s THC/CBD breakdown.
Finally, you can take stock of various designations: “small-batch,” “private reserve,” “craft,” “sun-grown,” etc. Generally, these titles indicate higher quality bud.
Depending on your Googling skills, that first step may take 5 or 10 minutes. This step, and the next three on the list, happen within mere moments—so brace yourself.
Presented with a bud, the first thing to notice is its general makeup, i.e., its ratio of stem to flower. Stems contain minimal cannabinoids and terpenoids, yet must account for a portion of the overall weight of the product. Therefore, you want as little stem as possible.
Some bottom-shelf brands pass off products with far too much stem (inflating their profits by selling what’s typically considered manufacturing waste). At the same time, even top-shelf producers might let a bad batch slide due to human error. Unfortunately, it’s your due diligence to catch good bud vs bad bud on the consumer end.
Next, get up close and personal with the flower if you can. You want to see bud nuggets showcasing vibrant greens, purples, oranges, etc. This vibrancy indicates a low exposure to environmental stressors like UV radiation, low humidity, and oxygenation. Consider the flower’s pistil stigmas—commonly called “hairs” in flower-speak. As this Royal Queen Seeds article details, deep orange pistils indicate that the bud was harvested at the right time when it was ripe and mature.
Zooming in even further (this may take some eye straining), inspect the trichomes, those “crystals” dusting the flower’s surface. The plant’s defense system, these minuscule opaque glands contain much of the bud’s terpenes—chemical compounds that give flower its special aromas, flavors, and potential health benefits. To preserve these trichomes after purchasing, your best bet is to pick up some Vivi humidity packs to prevent terps from evaporating.
Lastly, inspect the flower for mold. If the flower has been stored above the ideal humidity levels for flower, it may harbor mold spores that render the product hazardous to consume. Look for matte, gray-white powdery patches on the bud, discolored stems, or (in some extreme cases) slime. Unlike flower rich in trichomes, moldy flower features inconsistent blotches that lack that characteristic shimmer.
Now the fun part. If the budtender allows it, get your nose in there for a big whiff. But here’s the thing: a strong smell is an indicator that terpenes are evaporating. If the bud you’re looking to buy is packed with Vivi, you can be sure you’re getting the full flavor, potency, and experience intended by the cultivator, but your bud won’t smell as strongly until you’re ready to grind it and enjoy.
Either way, the quality will shine through with big, punchy, pungent aromas. A diesel engine, a pine forest, a cabinet full of spices, a lemonade spritz—the good stuff!
If the product smells muted, chances are it’s either dried out or low quality. And if it smells musty, you might be dealing with latent mold issues. Separately, notes of freshly cut grass or ammonia indicate under-cured or outright uncured bud
Finally, onto pressing matters. Given strict rules around handling at dispensaries, you might have to settle for a gentle squeeze within the baggie. That’s okay. Even through a durable bag, you should get all the information you need.
Ideally, the bud should have a little give. If it cracks and crumbles with slight pressure, it’s too dry. You can revive it for a smoother smoke, but once the trichomes are toast and the terpenes have evaporated, they’re gone, resulting in reduced potency. Conversely, bud that feels spongy or soft has been over-hydrated, one of the main moldy bud symptoms to avoid.
If, by some stroke of luck, you can touch the product without a bag between your fingers and the flower, you should also feel for stickiness. Sticky bud is resinous—a quality that signifies high trichome concentration and indicates an abundance of cannabinoids and terpenes. In other words, high-quality bud.
If these steps seem like a lot of inspection, remember that the process takes roughly 30 seconds—a full minute if you’re new to it. And like searching for the right melon at the grocery store, your efforts will net you a more flavorful take-home product.
Once home, don’t forget to store your stash correctly in a tightly sealed container with minimal UV exposure and a Vivi 2-way humidity control pack.