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Trying to choose the perfect green can leave you dazed, which is why we asked Zachary York, director of inventory and purchasing for Denver-based Lightshade dispensaries and a certified Ganjier (basically a cannabis sommelier), how to pick prime herb.
1. Indicas aren’t necessarily relaxing, and sativas aren’t always energizing. In fact, the classification has so little bearing on your high that York calls it “bro science.”
2. A higher price could reflect higher quality, but not always. You’re better off trusting your eyes: A big bud and plenty of perky stigmas (aka hairs) indicate the plant is full of the fun stuff.
3. Your sense of smell is your best tool. Does the flower have an earthy, floral, fruity, or sweet bouquet? It’s probably good. Moldy, stale, or chemical-heavy? Pass on that grass.
4. Once your nose grows more sophisticated, try to pinpoint individual terpenes, the essential oils that affect the experience. A whiff of lavender, for example, suggests the presence of calming linalool, while stimulating limonene smells of citrus.
5. Explosive THC levels (above 25 percent) don’t mean a better high since weed in the teens can devote that extra energy toward developing full-bodied terpenes. It’s like this: Everclear gets you drunk, but a craft whiskey is a more enjoyable experience.