Reefer’s Digest 1: The Whole Salad
If you ask any budtender what most customers ask first, they’ll tell you that in this line of work, you’re bound to hear the same question over and over again: “What has the highest THC percentage?”
It’s become the modern day measure of strength, but anybody who really smokes knows that it’s not about that. Cannabis has so many different compounds in it that change how the high feels, in fact, THC is just one of about a hundred-and-twenty cannabinoids. Between those and the terpenes, there are more than three-hundred compounds that affect the smoking experience. Doesn’t it seem silly to just focus on one of them?
The Fruit Salad Problem
Your ganja is like a fruit salad. It can be complex, balanced, flavourful. When you only chase the highest THC, it’s like sitting in front of this delectable fruit salad and only eating the grapes because someone told you when you were in high school that grapes are the sweetest. Sure, they taste nice, but you’ve lost the plot my friend. The strawberries, kiwis, pineapple, apple, orange, that’s what puts the whole thing together. That’s what happens when you only chase the THC, you’re not eating a fruit salad, you’re just eating grapes.
The Entourage Effect: The Whole Salad
At some point in the late 90’s, two researchers, Shimon Ben-Shabat and Raphael Mechoulam formally recognised the way cannabinoids and terpenes work together to shape the high. The THC gets you high, but the terpenes and minor cannabinoids determine what kind of high you’re getting, hazy or clear, calm or alert, long or short. But don’t just take my word for it, here are three examples that should paint the full picture:
Strain 1: GMO (Indica Dominant) - THC: 22% - Dominant Terpenes: Caryophyllene & Myrcene
Strain 2: Super Lemon Haze (Sativa) - THC: 22% - Dominant Terpenes: Limonene & Pinene
Comparison: Here we have two strains with the same THC percentage, but with vastly different effects. With the GMO, the flavour profile is this incredibly earthy, almost coffee-like taste. This is because of it’s dominant terpenes, which do play more of a role than just affecting the flavour. Myrcene slows neural activity and actually enhances THC absorption, and caryophyllene makes you feel soothed and grounded. By putting them together you wind up with a heavy and calm body high, the perfect melt-into-the-couch kind. Super Lemon Haze, despite having the exact same THC percentage, offers a completely different experience. The dominant terpenes in this strain, limonene and pinene, provide you with a flower that tastes like lemon candy. It’s super citrusy, with hints of pine and lemon peel. When these tasty terps join together, they sharpen focus and boost serotonin levels in the body. Steering the THC towards an energising head high.
Strain 1: Durban Poison (Sativa) - THC: 21% - Dominant Terpenes: Terpinolene, Ocimene, & Pinene
Strain 2: Strawberry Cough (Sativa) - THC: 21% - Dominant Terpenes: Pinene, Myrcene, & Caryophyllene
Comparison: Now we are comparing two sativa strains with the same THC percentage. Most people would put the two into the exact same category of weed, but if you break it down you’ll find that Durban Poison tastes of earthy spices, anise, and is incredibly sweet. Strawberry Cough however gives you a more strawberry-esque flavour with hints of pepper and pine. You’ll notice that Strawberry Cough is nice and calming, with a gentle and uplifting high, boosting your creativity. Durban Poison leaves you with an electric, euphoric buzz. These are two sativa strains with the same THC percentage. They would be right next to eachother on a list at the dispensary, but the similarities are few and far between. This is a good example of why not to trust labels alone.
Strain 1: Blueberry - THC: 17% - Dominant Terpenes: Myrcene, Linalool, & Pinene
Strain 2: Cookies Gelato - THC: 29% - Dominant Terpenes: Caryophyllene & Limonene
Comparison: The final comparison is more of a hypothetical between a low THC strain (Blueberry) that has been cured properly and a high THC strain (Cookies Gelato) that hasn’t. Blueberry tastes very floral and earthy, incredibly similar to, well, a blueberry. It puts you into a state of extremely deep relaxation, with a mood lift and a heavy body buzz. The Cookies Gelato has a faint vanilla flavour from over-drying. Due to the low level of terpenes, there is nothing to make proper use of the high THC content. It’s like having a really nice car with no gas in the tank; it looks great, but you’re not really going anywhere. So all you get is a quick cerebral pop that fades almost fast as it came on. The balanced terpene blend from the Blueberry guides the THC smoothly, creating a full spectrum chemical reaction bound to get you where you need to go. In this case, I would absolutely take the lower THC strain.
Why This Happens
These terpenes, such as Myrcene, Pinene, Caryophyllene, and Linalool, don’t just smell good. Some of these terps can help the THC get past the brain-blood barrier more efficiently. Others guide the responses of your neurotransmitters. That’s exactly why the same THC content can feel completely different, because what’s around the THC is the determining factor in how your body uses it. It is, in fact, the “chemical fingerprint” of the strain, that determines it’s power, not the THC.
Where the Myth Came From
The reason many folks ask for high THC is because of a legal arms race. At some point within the last two decades, THC testing became a big thing in the industry. With the use of different labs, and different machines, results will never be perfectly accurate. In fact, different nugs from the same jar can swing a test by as much as 5%. Eventually, THC became the measure of how valuable the weed was, and growers started sacrificing terpenes for THC. High THC is what was selling, so it became what was advertised. This cycle instilled in more than one generation of potheads that high THC was the way to go, but the truth is, it’s just another marketing scam. The art of terpene preservation, flavour, and feel: the art of balance in marijuana, is all but gone.
How to Judge Your Weed
I’m sure you’re wondering, “If I can’t trust those labels, how do I determine the best way to smoke?” Truth is, you just have to use your senses.
Smell: A strong and layered, or ‘loud’ smell means that the bud has a strong presence of terpenes.
Feel: Sticky bud is a clear indicator of healthy resin glands.
Look: When those crystals dance, your weed is full of those delicious trichomes.
Taste: A full flavour and smooth burn means you’ve got clean cured bud.
These senses together will help you find the perfect weed for you. At some point you will learn to recognise the effects based on how it smells. And if you’re a real pro, you’ll be able to look at a nug and tell how it’s going to smell. The flower speaks for itself.
The Final Puff
In a lovely fruit salad, THC is the sugar, not the flavour. The magic of the cannabis plant is the harmony - the entourage; the grower’s touch. So the next time someone in your rotation pulls out some bud and says “This stuff is gonna be nuts, it’s 35%!”, make sure to ask how it smells. To put it simply, high Thc on bad weed is like really expensive speakers playing a crappy mp3.
If it doesn’t stink, you might as well drink.
