It’s about time cannabis consumers become more educated on the products they purchase, and for most, that’s nothing more than the dried flowers. We always enjoy taking your seshes to new heights, and the best way to do that is to help you understand if the cannabis you’re inhaling is of good quality.

Below, we’ve listed a few tips for how you can tell the difference between premium and low-quality cannabis and a few product recommendations to help you become a true connoisseur.

When tearing open your package of dried flowers, the first thing you want to look at are the buds themselves. A good indicator that you’re about to smoke premium weed is if you’re impressed by the visual presentation and the many intricately-blended colors. You should also have a clear view of the shimmering trichomes on premium weed.

If your weed is low quality, chances are the appearance is rather plain-looking and bland. The green foliage might appear pale or discolored, and there might be a little too many seeds and stems for your liking.

Something else about the bud’s visual appearance that you should be on the lookout for is if the flower looks neat, clean, and tidy, meaning the buds were trimmed well and offer a visual experience to back up the psychoactive experience. If your bud isn’t compact and has loose leaves hanging off, it’s most likely poor quality.

Now that you’ve gotten past the visual test, carefully grab the bud and lightly squeeze it for the subsequent examination. Premium flower will not be dry; it will be somewhat spongy, bouncy, and a tad sticky. And sticky only means sticky, not wet, as this could be an early sign of mold. If your flower is crispy, dry, snaps easily, and feels light in weight, the flower likely isn’t good quality.

The last test calls for some sniffing. This is one of the easiest ways to tell if your flower is of premium quality. Simply go in for a close whiff, and if you flinch with surprise, you’re in for a treat. The aroma of a premium bud should be powerful, distinct, and earthy. The more pungent your weed is, the better quality it is. With low-quality herb, there’s no surprise flinches at all; you might even have to lean in closer with confusion when you don’t smell much. Poor quality buds won’t give off a pleasing smell, and sometimes, no smell at all.