Knowing the quality of buds?

[5446ThatsMyNumber]

Most of my combusting buddies always seem to think that the freshest, smelliest, jam-your-grinder buds are the best quality. Yet the dispensary I go to has fantastic looking buds, but they are always dry and not really sticky. Now I know that the longer the buds have been on the shelf, the drier and less potent they probably are. But most who vape like their buds dry. So which is better? Have dry buds lost some potency then fresh sticky ones? Are they the same regardless?

 

[2Supra4U]

Properly dried and cured weed is more potent than fresh, sticky weed.

However, depending on the strain...you can have nicely dried and cured bud that is still "sticky Icky" due to the trichome production.

having the weed exposed to light will degrade the potency as well, storing in cool dark places is best.

 

[BL4sT]

After 10 years, i smoked many kind of weed.. most of them i didn't know the strain. In the last year i've had some purple skunk, white widow, a strain of kush.. and, those are far the best weed i smoked. The thing i noticed was the smell. You can't have those buds without a smellyproof bag! And since a while I can't have those kind of strains, and I never tried those in a vape.. any kush in a vape, wow.. it's the top!

 

[HazyDayz]

Fresh sticky bud isnt really ready for vaping (or using in any other way). Some of the compounds we want have not changed structure to become psychoactive until the bud has dried and cured properly. On average, bud's at its best after the drying process which is about a week, then 8 weeks curing in glass jars.

When im checking for high grade bud im looking for a nice initial aroma. When I feel the bud it wants to be dry to the touch, but not crispy dry, more of a spongy texture. That will mean the buds have dried properly and havnt been dried to quickly. I will break the bud to smell as well as I will get the full aroma then, and can make sure there's no lingering smell of chlorophyll left in the bud. Also it needs to be frosty, OBV.

 

[OO]

@OP
quality is subjective.

any objective scales that you have questions about?

is quality in regards to smell, taste, bag appeal, the type of effect?

all of the above are categories of things which people have PREFERENCES towards a type of.
there is no good, better, best, as it's all a matter of opinion.

as for preferences, when i used to combust, i would use sativas, but now that i vape, i can control the actives i get (via temp), and now all bud is good bud.

what i like flavor wise is fruity, a characteristic that sativas and indicas both can have.