Lean in for a good ol’ whiff of your bud. What do you smell, if anything at all? 

Most of the time, seasoned users and connoisseurs can instantly tell if their weed is good quality by taking the sniff test. But is that an accurate indicator of potency?

It’s not uncommon to think that THC is the only indicator of potent weed. After all, since this is a psychoactive cannabinoid, you’d think that loading up on it would produce a stronger and better high. Well, that’s not always the case. 

Read on for more information about how the smell of your weed relates to its potency and how to tell if your weed is good quality based on its aroma.

Would it surprise you that THC isn’t the only indicator of potent weed? While higher THC levels indicate more of this cannabinoid, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have a better high. It will be strong, but it may increase levels of anxiety and paranoia. 

Overdoing it on THC will get you high, but it’s not the only indicator of potent weed. This is especially true if you’re using cannabis to experience certain effects like energy, sleepiness, focus, etc. In fact, all THC will do is cause a “high,” which doesn’t promote specific effects, only the sensation of feeling stoned.

If you’re looking for a well-rounded high with your desired effects, that’s where terpenes come into play.

Plants like cannabis produce compounds known as terpenes, which can deter pests while the plant is growing. But these compounds also give cannabis strains their unique smell and flavors. 

Think of terpenes as the crew for a stage production. Everything that goes on in the background that the audience doesn’t see, like lighting, the director, makeup artists, and costume designers, are an essential part of the production, which is the entire smoking experience. 

Without the backup crew doing the nitty gritty work, the show wouldn’t go on. So, without terpenes, you’re not likely to get a pleasant, strong, and well-rounded buzz.

Terpenes don’t just bring out unique aromas and flavors in your cannabis, but they also produce an abundance of therapeutic benefits, including:

• Anti-inflammatory
• Pain-relief
• Mood elevation
• Anti-cancer
• Antibacterial
• Antifungal

When used with THC and other cannabinoids like CBD, CBN, CBG, etc., terpenes help produce a natural phenomenon called the entourage effect, where different cannabis compounds work together to produce a more desired, complete, and well-rounded experience. 

Simply put, using THC on its own will make you feel high, but it won’t produce your desired effects like sleep, energy, focus, etc. If you’re looking for those effects, that’s when terpenes are essential. 

Furthermore, if you’re weed emits various aromas like citrus, floral, earthy, gas, spice, etc., it means it’s potent and good quality because it’s loaded with beneficial terpenes. On the other hand, odorless weed lacks terpenes, probably because they’ve deteriorated over time. That’s a straightforward indicator of low-quality weed. 

Although THC concentration is what most consumers look for when buying cannabis, we highly recommend checking out the terpene content of a strain as well.

THC and terpenes work together to produce a unique high from strain to strain. Without terpenes, the experience is a lackluster high that may make you anxious and paranoid. Terpenes bring balance, flavor, aroma, and unique therapeutic benefits to cannabis.

So, a robust aroma is perhaps the most reliable indicator of good quality, potent weed.