What is Craft Cannabis? Cannabis Tiers, What to Look for, and More

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If you want the cream of the crop when it comes to weed, craft cannabis is where it’s at. Craft cannabis is considered luxury-level, top-tier, and artisanal, bound to provide a memorable experience.

But, look, let’s be blunt. Finding legitimate craft cannabis isn’t always as straightforward as it should be. Right now, “craft” is a major buzzword in the world of weed, so, sometimes, it can be hard to track down the best cannabis at the dispensary that truly exemplifies what top-tier cannabis should be.

Luckily, at Inferno, we’re all about growing true craft strains and keeping customers well aware of how to have the best experiences with bud. We’re cannabis enthusiasts and will always be that at heart. Take a closer look at what defines craft cannabis, what to look for when buying flower in Massachusetts, and how to understand cannabis quality tiers below.

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What is craft cannabis?

Asking about craft cannabis can get you a dozen different answers from a dozen different people. The truth is, misconceptions about craft flower run rampant, and it’s partially cultivators and brands to blame. A lot of cultivators will use the phrase “craft flower” because it automatically sets the brand apart in the eyes of a buyer.

However, there is one true definition of craft flower that every consumer should know: flower grown with absolute mindfulness and personalized attention given to the strain and plant, from seed to cure. Craft flower should be clean, have intact trichomes, and be the absolute best example of the strain, from its aromatics to its chemical makeup.

How cultivators achieve the aforementioned qualities is always a matter of debate. Some claim cannabis can only be designated “craft” if it is hand-harvested and trimmed or grown in a specific medium. However, growing practices aside, the most important thing is that each plant gets all the love and attention to become exemplary in form and function. For this reason, true craft growers tend to focus on small-batch grows and creating the best strains.

Is all craft cannabis small batch?

Not necessarily, although small-batch craft cannabis is more common. It is perfectly possible to grow a large batch of craft cannabis if you have a larger grow-op and ample hands on deck to give each plant individualized attention.

Wedding Pie Strain by Inferno Cannabis

What to Look for When Buying Flower in MA

The higher the cannabis quality, the better experience you will have as a cannabis consumer. While most customers know perfectly well that quality is important, what can get tricky is recognizing high-quality cannabis flower when you see it showcased at the dispensary. It gets even more tricky when you start talking about getting the best flower at the best price possible. However, familiarizing yourself with four important points will ensure you end up with the finest green every time.

1. Brand or Cultivator

When it comes to cannabis, knowing the brand and cultivator behind the brand is undeniably valuable. Massachusetts has one of the most fruitful cannabis markets, which means we also have many cultivators, some large and some small. While it would be great to say every cultivator sinks the same care into the weed they grow, that’s just not reality.

Before visiting a dispensary, familiarize yourself with some of the top cultivators and brands. The ones who are transparent about things like growing practices, seed sources, and strain genetics are the ones to look for when you shop. Not to toot our own horn (beep, beep), but you can find a detailed story about every strain we grow at Inferno right on our website.

2. Packaging and Labeling

Good packaging is a big deal when you buy flower. While regulations dictate certain attributes like child safety features and terminology used on the label, the rest is up to the brand. And any good brand will offer packaging that a. protects the quality of its buds and b. gives the customer everything they want to know about the flower inside.

You should see Total Active Cannabinoid (TAC) content and THC content. You should see the strain name and type designation (Indica, Sativa, or Hybrid). You should also be able to identify who grew the flower and where it came from.

3. Customer Reviews and Reputation

What kind of reputation does the brand have? People are passionate about their cannabis, so they will openly share their thoughts about different strains and products on sites like Leafly. You can also get a lot of good details about certain strains and brands by simply asking a budtender about what customers have to say.

4. Bud Quality

The nature of regulated cannabis and all the rules that come along with that means that assessing bud quality is not as easy as it would be in an unregulated market. You have airtight packages due to container laws and to keep weed fresh for longer periods. And, in many cases, the bud nuggets are packed in a UV-resistant container, also for quality, which means little to no visibility.

Once upon a time, buying good green meant smelling, eyeballing, and even touching the buds to evaluate. Most of this is impossible when shopping for cannabis at an MA dispensary.

Occasionally, you may come across a dispensary with buds on display for evaluation, but this isn’t the norm, because, again, every last flower is tightly regulated and must be accounted for. However, some of the best do take the liberty to showcase buds from certain brands in a locked glass case so you can examine the bud, and possibly even take a whiff if the dispensary allows it.

Those same tried-and-true rules apply. If the weed smells nice and fragrant, has a bright color and good trichome coverage, and is well-trimmed and spongy, you’re looking at high-quality cannabis.

Macro of Marijuana Bud from Inferno

What are cannabis pricing tiers?

In general, cannabis is broken down into three quality tiers. Since quality is also a major determinant of price, this usually translates to three cannabis pricing tiers: Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3.

If you pay close attention to dispensary menus in Massachusetts, you will grow to recognize that all brands of flower will fall into three unique price points: cheapest, average, and more expensive. Take a closer look at the three cannabis pricing tiers below.

Tier 1 Weed

Tier 1 weed tends to be the cheapest cannabis on a dispensary menu. The flower that obtains a Tier 1 designation may not be as potent or terpene-rich. It may not always have the most impressive genetics and the buds may not be perfectly manicured or frosted with dense tichome coverage.

While Tier 1 is cheaper and somewhat lower on the desirability scale, there is nothing wrong with Tier 1 bud. For the everyday smoker just looking for a cheap flower with acceptable potency and flavor, Tier 1 is usually just fine.

Tier 2 Weed

Tier 2 is the mid-grade cannabis flower with noteworthy quality, aromatics, and form. There is nothing at all wrong with Tier 2 cannabis; it is often grown by excellent cultivators, potentially in a larger-batch operation, and can be very good bud. You will find a lot of the more widespread strains in this tier in MA because they are so popular they are mass-produced by a lot of growers.

Tier 2 cannabis may not be the most exceptional representation of the strain. It may have some mild flaws in the way of trimming, as these buds are often machine-harvested and trimmed.

Price-wise, Tier 2 weed is usually right down the middle of the road: not the cheapest on the menu, but typically not the most expensive. Due to the pricing and quality, many customers do opt for Tier 2 picks when they shop for cannabis in Massachusetts.

Tier 3 Weed

Oftentimes referred to as “top-shelf”, “high-grade”, or even “luxury”, depending on where you shop, cannabis that falls into the third tier is the best you can buy. This bud has exceptional flower structure, trichome density, flavor and aromatics. Further, these buds are meticulously trimmed and cured in such a way that it is obvious someone gave each one careful attention.

Naturally, true craft cannabis usually falls in the Tier 3 designation because it ticks every box. However, not all craft cannabis is Tier 3, and not all Tier 3 weed is grown with a craft-level approach.

Due to the quality of these buds, they can be a little more expensive than a low or standard-grade flower. However, the added cost is a worthy investment in the end experience due to the overall quality.

Shop for the Best Craft Cannabis in Massachusetts: Inferno

At Inferno, we’re straight-up about everything we do and every plant we grow. When we say we produce some of the best craft flower in MA, we truly mean it.

Every plant gets unyielding attention from the time it’s planted until it leaves our cultivation center on the way to the dispensary. Our small-batch drops are some of the most highly anticipated in the state because it is the real deal.

Looking for Inferno cannabis near you? Be sure to find us by using the Store Locator.

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