Cannabis Grading: A Consumer's Guide to Quality

Have you ever received a fresh package of cannabis in the mail, only to find it dry and stale with almost no scent of terpenes? What a disappointment!

How can one avoid situations like this? What if there were a quality guide to follow when mail ordering marijuana online?

Quality is important when selecting cannabis flower to get the benefits one seeks. There are a few ways to measure quality, and it can be confusing. Traditionally, the letter "A" is associated with greatness, and for some it may suggest a high-quality product.

In terms of quality, though, great is not the case with "grade A" cannabis. Cannabis graded with a single "A" is recommended for vaping, not for smoking, and it is considered low quality.

How Does the Cannabis Grading System Work?

If "grade A" cannabis is of low quality, how does one identify good or even excellent quality products? While there are nuances from source to source when it comes to the grading system, let's take a look at consistency. This is especially important for those who cannot see their products up close and in person because they buy marijuana online in Canada.

• What is the cannabis grading system? Is it universal?
• What makes cannabis Grade A or Grade AAAA, and what makes them different?
• What reliable resources are out there?
• Can you grade cannabis at home?
• In what other ways can the quality of marijuana be determined?

Let’s take a look at how anyone consuming cannabis can gauge the quality of the product they choose.

What Is the Cannabis Grading System?

The cannabis grading system is a way to measure quality from "Grade A" through "Grade AAAA+." It is fairly recognized amongst cannabis connoisseurs. This grading system is helpful because the price is sometimes, but not always, an accurate reflection of quality.

Fortunately, it's illegal to grow marijuana using certain pesticides in Canada. Still, it's best to err on the side of caution when inhaling cannabis into your body. Whether you choose a cannabis strain for recreational or wellness purposes, it’s important to know what you are ingesting.

When you mail order marijuana online, you can use this cannabis grading system for sativa, indica, and hybrid strains of flower.

What Determines the Grade of a Cannabis Strain?

Several factors determine the grade of a cannabis strain. The more obvious factors include:

• The physical appearance of buds
• How it smokes
• Scent or “nose” of the strain, which indicates terpene content
• Trichomes
• Moisture content (MC)
• Flavour

When it comes to quality, some other considerations are the packaging date, the colour of the ashes, and how the cannabis was cultivated, such as indoors or outdoors or organically grown.

What Are Reliable Resources Out There For Grading Cannabis?

With a variety of preferences in the world of cannabis, how is this grading system universal? Are there systems for grading that are reliable? If you type “cannabis grading” into a Google search, you will discover there is an overwhelming amount of information on the topic.

For the seasoned cannabis user, weeding through this information may not be challenging since they may be unsure of what they seek. For a newer cannabis user, that may not be the case.

If not all resources offer the same information, where does one look? First off, wherever you buy marijuana online in Canada, be sure to look at product information. If you can’t find that information, it can never hurt to ask.

How Does One Grade Cannabis When Mail Ordering Marijuana Online?

Fortunately, some online dispensaries display the grade under the product description. The indica referenced in the link is "Grade AAAA". It's a top-quality product in every aspect. If you are ever unsure about what the rating means, you can certainly ask your online budtender through the website's contact form.

Once you receive your package in the mail, there are some other ways you can cross-reference this product information.

We want to make this simple for you. Here is an online tool, which is a free resource from CannaReps. It is easy to use and allows you to grade your cannabis at home while learning how to look for what you most enjoy.

The online tool will also help you know what questions to ask when you buy marijuana online in Canada.

Grading Cannabis At Home: It is possible!
To sum up, it is indeed possible to grade cannabis at home, even for a novice consumer. Whether you mail order marijuana online or pick it up in person, you can learn a fair bit about the product you choose with both the grading system and tools we all have: observation, curiosity, and a desire to learn.