First thing first, all cannabis plants are dried and cured after being harvested. The most common method is hanging the branches upside down, allowing all the desired plant materials to run down the buds and collect at the tips, leaving nothing for waste.
Dry cannabis has gotten a bad reputation as being old or a cheap “dirt” version of higher quality sticky buds. This is not always true. A drier bud might simply mean the plants were left hanging too long or they contain a lower number of trichomes (the small hairs that make the buds sticky), or the curing process went on a bit too long, or that particular bud is approaching the end of its shelf life, or, hey, maybe that’s just how that specific strain is.
Despite popular belief, dry bud isn’t “bad.” Are you limited to what you can use it for? I guess that depends on how creative you can get. Dry bud grinds down super fine compared to stickier bud, which makes it not so great for rolling blunts, but great for making edibles! Plus, if you prefer smoking out of glass anyways, dry bud shouldn’t phase you. Remember, it’s the terpenes and genetic makeup of the bud that matters.
Everyone loves a nice, juicy, sticky bud. Seemingly oozing with THC, these sticky buds are the most sought out strains on the market today. But it’s a common misconception that all sticky weed is good weed. Your bud is likely going to be sticky for one of two reasons. It’s either really great flower that was given the utmost care, or production was rushed. If your weed is sticky because it’s lower quality, it can simply be outright unsafe to smoke.
Where the dry buds lack trichomes, the sticky buds have an overabundance. The long, beautiful hairs collect THC and create a dense, tacky covering on the buds. Naturally, buds that have been bred to have extremely high THC contents are generally very, very sticky. But keep in mind, shopping for flower based on THC percentage is kind of like shopping for wine based on how pretty you think the label is.
At the end of the day, it’s the terpene profile of the bud that’s going to “do it” for you. Of course, we all have our preferences, but that doesn’t mean the opposite of yours is worse/better. Now get out there and Light’1 Up!
