Flower
Category: Cultivation · Level: Beginner
Cannabis flower refers to the harvested, dried, and cured reproductive structures of the female cannabis plant, the primary form sold in dispensaries.
Cannabis flower is the dried and cured bud of the female cannabis plant, the form most people picture when they think of cannabis and still the biggest category in regulated stores. A bud is a cluster of small flowers: calyxes, the hair like pistils that catch pollen, and the small sugar leaves around them, all covered in trichomes, the tiny resin glands that hold almost all of the plant's cannabinoids and terpenes. Unpollinated female plants give seedless flower, called sinsemilla.
From plant to jar: after harvest the branches are dried slowly, typically for one to two weeks at around 60 percent humidity and cool room temperature, then trimmed by hand or machine. The buds are cured in closed containers for two to eight weeks, opened regularly at first, so moisture evens out and the harsh grassy taste of chlorophyll fades. Good drying and curing protect terpenes and prevent mold; rushed flower smells of hay and burns poorly.
Reading a label: in flower almost all THC is present as THCA, which turns into THC when heated, so labels show total THC, calculated as THC plus THCA multiplied by 0.877. Look for a harvest or packaging date, the producer, and test results for potency, microbes, pesticides and heavy metals. Aroma, intact trichomes and a slightly springy texture are better quality signs than color or bag appeal alone. Store flower airtight, dark and cool, because light, heat and air slowly turn THC into the less active CBN.
Also known as
Bud, Nug, Marijuana flower, Cannabis bud
Used in
- Medical
- Recreational
Related terms
- Dispensary: A dispensary is a licensed facility authorized to sell cannabis and cannabis products to consumers.
- Trichome: Trichomes are microscopic, hair-like glands on the cannabis plant's surface that produce and store cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids.
- Terpene: Terpenes are aromatic organic compounds produced by cannabis and many other plants, responsible for distinct flavors and scents, and potentially contributing to therapeutic effects.
- Kief: Kief refers to the loose, powdery trichome crystals that separate from cannabis flower, high in cannabinoids and terpenes.