Defining Quality in Cannabis
The commercial cannabis market is expanding at lightning speeds. This once controversial and illegal field is bursting out of the shadows into a medicinally helpful and recreationally enjoyed space.
And people are excited!
But as we transition into the commercial era of cannabis cultivation, we find ourselves contemplating quality. What are the metrics of flower quality? Who defines these measurements? How do they help the consumer?
IS THC KING?
Cannabis flower has a long history of being assessed by look and smell. But the commercial market mandated lab testing, which brought THC percentage to the scorecard.
Interestingly, THC broke out as a quality marker. As the THC percentage climbed, people focused less on the look and smell. The only challenge is that THC percentage isn’t a singular marker of quality.
But this isn’t the first time we have seen this sort of grading scale. Once upon a time, the craft beer industry was in a VERY similar position. People were drawn to high ABV (Alcohol by Volume) percentages. You might find someone ordering a craft beer with a 14% ABV simply because it had an unusually high percentage.
Eventually, the market evolved and consumers focused on quality markers that made more sense: What kind of beer was it? Who made it? What ingredients did they use? What was the story of the company?
Just as the craft beer industry developed in their understanding of what makes a good beer, the cannabis market is ripe for its own evolution.
A NEW DEFINITION OF QUALITY
Ultimately, quality isn’t where cannabis is grown. Quality isn’t the THC percentage. Quality isn’t what it looks like. Quality isn’t what it smells like.
Quality is the total profile of the flower, which ultimately depends on its cannabinoid and terpene percentages. While the visual and sniff inspections can lead someone in the right direction, a quick check of the cannabinoids and terpenes allow consumers to define the anticipated experience with more accuracy.
Essentially, the total profile of the flower allows for the Entourage Effect. This is the effect someone will feel that is a direct result of the specific cannabinoid and terpene ratios in that individual strain. And with hundreds and hundreds of strains, that means we have a lot of room to explore which strain is best for each person and for each desired effect.
Do you want more focus? Perhaps energy? How about less anxiety? Or maybe some help sleeping? Cannabinoid and terpene profiles are what will get you there … not look and smell. And solely considering the THC percentage definitely won’t tell you what you want to know.
AN ABUNDANCE OF OPTIONS
How will you choose your flower? It’s surprising just how many cultivators do not publish their cannabinoid or terpene profiles. As a consumer, you need to ask for it! Demand it! And take note of it!
At Grasshopper Farms, we focus on strains with incredible cannabinoid and terpene profiles. In fact, our first harvest delivered 17 different strains, offering something for everyone with a variety of flavors, aromas, and experience profiles. (You should really take a look at our product page at https://grasshopperfarms.com/product.) We also provide a Certificate of Analysis for each strain so we can be completely transparent with our customers.
In the end, we focus on quality because we focus on you.
