What is good weed?

THIGH TIMES IN THE HIGH DESERT by Steve Weiner

HE COOLER NIGHTS have convinced the sun to stay behind the mountains a bit longer in recent mornings and a few aspens have gone yellow already. Autumn is approaching in the high desert and so is the first harvest of regulated cannabis grown under New Mexican sun. I’m hunting for the best strains planted around Taos and it’s been a thrill to visit freshly licensed farms popping up in our community. With seemingly endless variety at dispensaries, I’m looking for flower that stands out from everything else on the shelf. So … what is good weed?

First and foremost, I’m interested in where and how the plants were cultivated. I approach consuming cannabis in a similar way to how I consider what my family will eat, however today’s options are heavily influenced by global supply chains and industrial agriculture. My wife and I do our best to buy food that’s locally grown or raised without chemicals or pesticides from independent farms and markets. The same goes for cannabis, which naturally absorbs what’s in the soil, air, and water — good and bad. This phenomena can even extend to the energy and intentions a grower puts in. Good weed begins with good vibes in the garden.

Next is how a plant’s observable traits, known as phenotypes, are expressed at maturity. The concept of nature and nurture applies to cannabis, too. Genetics provide the range of possibilities for a given strain; however, the growing conditions really affect the shape of the plant and its flowers, smell, taste, color, and trichome content (the frosty resin glands, which contain cannabinoids, terpenes, and an entourage of other compounds that contribute to potency and flavors). Regardless of the strain, a cannabis plant grown in healthy soil under fullspectrum, natural sunlight can produce flowers with a bountiful sensory experience. Good weed is the best representation of itself.

After cannabis is harvested, it is dried to remove excess moisture and cured to preserve cannabinoid and terpene profiles. Moisture can breed harmful bacteria or mold rendering the flower unsafe to consume. An improper cure can degrade the wonderful traits — flavor, nose, frost — that were cultivated, thereby lessening the quality of the flower. Drying and curing take time and requires patience to ensure the good vibes and good traits are locked in. Good weed is cared for beyond the garden.

Before cannabis flower is ready to be sold, its larger leaves are trimmed, either by hand or machine. Trimming can prevent the flower from smelling like fresh cut grass, increase trichome concentration, and “finishes” the look of the buds, which is a personal preference. Though more labor intensive, hand-trimming is more gentle and precise than a machine trim. A good trim — not too much and not too little — makes really good weed show great.

Today, the flower menus at most dispensaries list only three things: strain, percentage of THC and price. To me, it’s simply not enough information to determine whether the weed is good. This means I have to trust the bud-tender knows where the weed came from and how it was grown, two very important details that are often overlooked. Growing weed in the desert actually isn’t that hard, but growing great weed is. It’s high time great New Mexican weed growers got the credit they deserve.

Steve Weiner is the proprietor of Taos Cannabis Co., a craft cannabis shop opening soon in historic downtown Taos. Learn more at taoscannabis. com.