Nothing is more disappointing than arriving home to find that the weed you just bought isn’t of the best quality. But rest assured, this doesn’t have to happen to you a second time. Did you know that in 5 steps you can easily recognize good weed by using your senses?

Ps. At Coffeeshop The Border Amsterdam we only sell quality weed. No need to worry. However, if you’re in another city or on vacation, then the following information is extremely valuable.

Step 1: Smell the weed

You can in fact recognize well-grown cannabis first of all by the recognizable pungent smell of weed. In general, the stronger the scent of weed, the better its quality. So don’t be afraid to simply open the bag and smell it first.

Do you immediately recognize slightly sweet, fruity, sour or even citrusy aromas? Then you are probably looking at a good quality product.

If you find it difficult to recognize a scent or if the weed smells more like grass or hay, then you had better not buy this weed. In that case you are dealing with mouldy weed that has not been dried properly, or cannabis that has not been harvested in the correct manner.

Step 2: Recognizing green colour and bud rot

What does good weed look like? After you’ve sniffed the weed, it’s time to take a look at the buds. In truth, you can recognize good weed by the colours of the buds.

If the buds have a nice green colour, then you are dealing with weed that has been properly grown. This is the colour you are looking for.

Are there more brown, yellow, or red tones in the buds? Then you are working with old weed, or weed that has bud rot in it. It is not advisable to buy this top rot weed. 

Step 3: Airy or compact structure

After looking at the colour of the buds, you are next to look at the structure of the weed. If you chose an indica cannabis strain, it should have as many dense and compact buds as possible. When the weed has airy buds, this is often a sign that the weed was not grown correctly.

If you choose a sativa cannabis strain, the buds will be more airy. As long as these are fairly packed, you are dealing with a fine product. 

The structure of the weed is also determined by the moisture content. You want the weed to feel crunchy and easy to crumble. If the weed feels damp, you may be dealing with moldy cannabis. If the weed feels too dry and is easy to crumble into powder, this too is not a good sign.

Step 4: Do you see trichomes?

The most reliable way to recognize good weed is to check the buds for trichomes. Well-grown weed is full of trichomes that have a milky colour. Trichomes are the resin glands on the female buds that are responsible for producing resin and cannabinoids.

When there are enough trichomes on the buds, it means that the weed has been given enough time to optimally develop the active substances you desire in your weed, such as THC concentration and CBD concentration. Trichomes are not easy to see with the naked eye, but with a magnifying glass you can easily recognize the trichomes in your weed.

Step 5: Time for a joint

If the weed has passed the smell and appearance tests, in all likelihood you are dealing with a quality product and you are ready for the final step. Rolling a joint and smoking your cannabis. Only by smoking the weed will you find out if you have purchased good quality cannabis.

During the smoke test, pay attention to the taste of the joint. Your joint should have a spicy or coffee-like taste if you have bought an indica strain. If you have chosen a sativa then it should have a more acidic citrus-like taste. If you taste a musty grassy flavor, then you are dealing with weed that has not been properly dried or is too fresh. In that case it is advisable to purchase better weed.

Examples of bad weed

Have you performed the above 5 steps? Then you may already have an idea of whether you’re dealing with good or bad weed. But when you first purchase cannabis from a new provider, it’s important to recognize bad weed at a glance.

Bad weed can come in different forms. For example, you may be dealing with cannabis that exhibits the following characteristics:

  • Brown colour
  • Crumbly and dry
  • Visible mould or seeds, also called bud rot
  • Musty smell
  • Weaker effects

Knowledge regarding these characteristics is important, not only when buying new weed, but also when inspecting your own. Maybe you went on vacation, or forgot you had some weed left in your jacket pocket. If you don’t know exactly how old the weed is, you can check the cannabis for the above characteristics. Learn more about extending the shelf life of your weed here.

Buy quality weed at The Border Coffeeshop in Amsterdam

If you still can’t quite manage to recognize good weed, walk into our coffeeshop in Amsterdam to check out a number of cannabis varieties. Our staff will gladly help you pick out weed that not only smells good and looks good, but will also pass the smoke test. We are currently open from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. (but please note that this may change again). Will we see you in our coffee shop soon?