How to Know High-Quality THCA Flower
As cannabis culture grows and evolves, so does the demand for high-quality products. One of the rising stars in the cannabis world is THCA flower, which offers powerful potential benefits without the psychoactive effects of traditional THC — unless it’s heated. But with popularity comes variety, and not all THCA flower is created equal. Whether you’re a seasoned user or just getting familiar, here’s how to know you’re getting top-shelf THCA flower.
- Understand What THCA Flower Is
Before we proceed to discuss quality, it remains essential to define what THCA flower exactly is. THCA or tetrahydrocannabinolic acid is almost identical to THC but it does not produce psychoactive effects. It is present in raw marijuana and does not become psychoactive THC until it has been subjected to heat such as through smoking, vaporization or baking.
Also, many people consume THCA flower for its medical purposes, while some consume it to avoid the psychoactive effect of THC still found legal in several states where THC is outlawed.
- Inspect the Appearance
Visually, there are some ways one can easily evaluate the quality of the THCA flower as described below. The personnel of LAN and WAN have similar characteristics; however, there are certain traits that are unique to high quality buds which are as follows:
Color: The plants should be sleek green though this may be partnered with purple, orange or pink hues. Weak or greyish- brown coloration may be regarded as signs of age or growth in poor conditions.
Trichome Coverage: Those tiny sparkling crystals on the flower? Countless of these structures exist and are known as trichomes, or ‘the homeschool of cannabis’. It is a cannabinoid produced from the THCA flower and is usually found coating the visible parts of the bud and making them appear as if covered with frost.
Bud structure: Top tier of the THCA flower should be free from leaves and shocks; it appears very dense and hand manicured. Loose, leafy or stemmy buds generally indicate the poor quality of the product.
- Smell It (The Terpene Profile)
Terpenes produce the smell and taste of cannabis, so good quality THCA flower should possess a powerful and pleasant smell. Whatever its bouquet tends to be fruity, deep, woody or stinky, it should be deep and easily discernible.
Untidy or flowers that have undergone poor curing will have a scent that resembles hay, grass or even a moldy scent. The famous phrase, ‘Trust your gut,’ is very true — if something feels wrong, then it most likely is.
- Check for Lab Testing and COAs
When purchasing THCA flower, the best thing that you need is a third-party lab COA, which shows that what is being offered to you contains the right potency of the desired compound. In this case, other reliable growers and dispensaries have documents that contain the following laboratory test results.
- THCA content (typically 15-25%+ in high-grade flower)
- Contaminant testing (free of mold, pesticides, heavy metals)
- Terpene profile
- Total cannabinoid content
If there are no lab results or …