Good weed will get you high, but great weed that has resinous nugs will provide you with a well-rounded, terpene-rich experience, which is what most cannabis aficionados are after anyway. Whether you prefer a Sativa, an Indica, or a hybrid cannabis strain, you will definitely want resinous nuggets that will get your cannabis experience to the next level.
But what is sticky weed, and why do some cannabis users prefer it? What is the difference between sticky and dry buds? What does THC content depend on? The answer to those questions and more will be provided in the paragraphs below which will explain why dank, high-quality, sticky buds should become part of your go-to weed stash.
What Is Dry Cannabis?
When we talk about dry cannabis, we refer to the cannabis plants that have been dried and cured after being picked. The drying process involves hanging the branches upside down and waiting until they’re fully dried, after which the THC is collected at the tip of the buds. The curing process, on the other hand, requires further drying of the nugs and results in plants that have a higher cannabinoid potency. Drying and curing enable the prevention of bud rot and mold and a longer shelf life for your cannabis.
While dry buds are perfect for decarbing and making cannabis oil or cannabutter used in weed edibles, it’s often seen as a cheap alternative for higher quality, sticky buds. Buying dry cannabis doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve bought mids or reg weed, since dry weed can also be high-quality. Whether you choose to buy a dry bud or a sticky bud, will depend on your personal taste and preference.
What Is Sticky Cannabis?
When we say sticky weed, we refer to the juicy, sticky buds that suggest you have top-shelf cannabis on your hands. These nuggets filled with THC and resin are the top cannabis products on the market today.
The flowers on the cannabis plant, or cannabis buds as they’re often called, are products of female cannabis plants. Once fully mature, they can turn orange or purple and they contain both the psychoactive and non-psychoactive cannabinoids inside them. So let’s get into all the parts of the cannabis flowers to see which ones make weed sticky.
Pistils and Stigmas
Pistils are part of the female reproductive system of the cannabis plant and they contain tiny hairs (stigmas). The stigmas collect pollen from male plants in order to produce new cannabis seeds. Stigmas are a telltale sign of when the cannabis plant has fully matured and is ready to be harvested. Once the plant is ready for harvesting, they turn dark amber which signals to the cannabis grower that the plant has reached its final growing stage.
Bract and Calyx
The bract contains the female reproductive parts and is covered in resin glands. The calyx, on the other hand, covers the ovule at the flower’s base with a translucent layer.
Trichomes
The cannabis plant produces the flowers which produce the trichomes. The trichomes are the resinous glands that contain flavonoids, cannabinoids (like THC, CBD, and others), and terpenes (like myrcene, pinene, and others), while also giving the cannabis plant a crystal-like appearance. As we’ve said, the trichomes produce resin, which is similar to how other plants produce essential oils, and in the cannabis plant, there are three types of trichomes.
- Bulbous – tiny bulbs located throughout the cannabis plant.
- Capitate-sessile – more abundant than the bulbous trichomes, and they’re located on the underside of sugar leaves or fan leaves.
- Capitate-stalked – mushroom-like trichomes that contain a large trichome head on top, and they’re the most visible on the surface of cannabis flowers.
Cannabinoids
The cannabinoids are chemicals present in the cannabis plant which interact with the cannabinoid receptors in the brain and throughout the body. The most popular ones include:
- THC (tetrahydrocannabinol);
- CBD (cannabidiol);
- CBG (cannabigerol);
- CBN (cannabinol).
Some of these cannabinoids provide psychoactive effects on users, while others provide sedative and anti-inflammatory effects. The cannabinoids are found in the resinous glands in the trichomes of marijuana plants.
What Makes Weed Sticky?
The stickiness of weed comes from the resin-producing trichomes in the flower of cannabis plants. Together with the cannabinoids and terpenes, the cannabis plant provides users with a euphoric effect and also the ability to treat certain medical conditions and ailments.
Sticky weed is great for smoking or making dabs and cannabis oil. Users often buy these higher quality resinous strains to use recreationally as a way to decompress after a stressful day at work, or medicinally to eliminate nausea, stimulate appetite, decrease anxiety, and help with depression.
Which Is Better, Sticky Weed or Dry Weed?
When deciding if you should go for dry or sticky weed, you should first think about what you’ll be using your weed for. Dry weed has a crumbly texture, while sticky weed has a moist texture, so they’re used differently.
Generally, dry strains are less expensive than sticky resinous weed and tend to save you a few bucks in the dispensary. Dry weed is also most suitable for making edibles, as well as cannabutter or cannabis oil.
On the other hand, sticky strains offer a higher-quality buzz and can even satisfy the pickiest cannabis users. However, they’re more expensive.
To make sure you’re not decreasing the quality of the weed by combusting it at high temperatures, it’s best to buy a vaporizer. They provide even combustion and don’t burn the weed more than necessary, which isn’t the case when you’re using bongs, joints, blunts, or pipes. Vaporizers enable you to extract more of the cannabinoids and get a more potent high.
Final Thoughts on Sticky Weed and Dry Weed
To sum things up, if you’re thinking about your next cannabis experience, both sticky weed and dry weed will get you high. The difference between them is the price range and the quality of the weed.
While sticky weed generally has the highest quality you can find on the market, it’s also a pricier option. It’s generally used for medical purposes since it has a lot of therapeutic uses. Its trichomes are bursting with resin, which means you get more cannabinoids as well as terpenes.
Dry weed is a budget-friendly option, which is great when you need to buy weed in higher quantities, like if you’re planning a little get-together. On account of the ability to make it into a powder rather easily, it’s good for making edibles which is why it’s mostly used recreationally.
If the higher price range isn’t a problem for you, you should definitely go for sticky weed – or at least try it, since it’s worth the money. However, if you’re looking for a way to cut down on the costs of your recreational cannabis, you can opt for dry weed. Truth is, you can find high-quality dry weed – and it won’t put a dent in your budget.
