Table of Contents
- About the Cannabis Grading System
- The Cannabis Grading System: From A to AAAA Cannabis
- Is AAAA Weed Worth It?
- What Determines Which Cannabis is Graded AAAA Quality Weed?
- Buying Graded and AAAA Weed Online
As more and more cannabis products become available from commercial farms, craft growers, brands, and online dispensaries, there’s bound to be a range in not only variety of cannabis products but quality. But is AAAA weed always the way to go, is there a Cannabis Grading System, and is it reliable?
About the Cannabis Grading System
With so many options on the market, how can consumers determine the quality of their weed? In Canada, it often comes down to the grading system.
As the cannabis industry started to expand as the legalization of growing spread, the 1990s saw a development of a grading system to determine flower and plant quality for cannabis strains. It started out as an A to AAA system but eventually expanded the grades to include AAAA and above.
While the cannabis grading system is somewhat subjective, consumers can generally use the system that ranges from A to Quad AAAA weed (and sometimes 5A+) products.
How the Cannabis Grading System Works
Based on a range of characteristics, the quality of the cannabis used in the product is determined and categorized within the lettered system.
Although imperfect, the cannabis quality grading system allows consumers to assess the products they’re buying based on a variety of factors. It’s more of a jumping-off point in terms of choosing your perfect cannabis product. In addition to measuring quality, the system also provides general knowledge about the cannabis product’s:
- effects
- flavour profile
- aromas
- potency
- CBD and THC content
- overall experience
When browsing an online cannabis dispensary, shoppers will see the A-AAAA rating appear next to the product information. This article explains the different levels of the graded system and how cannabis strains really earn their place in the lettered hierarchy.
Why Dispensaries Use Grading for Cannabis
So, why bother rating weed when savvy consumers already know which strains and brands will get them where they want to go? The grading system offers a more accurate indication of the cannabis products’ quality.
Other names for varying levels of weed quality include terms like “dirt weed”, “endo”, “quads”, “brick”, “chronic”, and “regs”. The problem is that these terms don’t always communicate effectively between retailer and consumer the actual quality of the product.
Some dispensaries, however, prefer to stick to a grading based on THC and CBD content. Pricing might reflect potency rather than overall quality. The A to AAAA weed grading system, on the other hand, looks at more than just how high. You get a more detailed categorization of the strain and product’s characteristics.
The Cannabis Grading System: From A to AAAA Cannabis
The cannabis grading system that’s generally accepted by dispensaries and growers for consumer knowledge follows lettered tiers between A and AAAA. This is then followed by AAAA++ (and beyond).
AAAA Grade Weed Quality
Sure, it’s at the top of the scale, but what is AAAA weed? Also known as “true quads”, the quadruple A weed is usually as high as the grading system goes. Some strains, however, have shimmied into a 5A rating, sometimes called AAAA+.
As for your average dispensary, Quad weed is about as high quality as it gets – and it doesn’t disappoint. The AAAA quality weed will meet consumers’ expectations in terms of potency, overall effect, experience, and profiles.
The Best AAAA Weed Vancouver and Canada Have to Offer
These days, shops will carry a variety of quad strains, and consumers have different potency levels and flavour profiles to choose from. Here are a few great options to try to sample AAAA mail order weed.
- Skookum Tins Strawberry Jerry – A quadruple A organic craft cannabis strain. This Sativa dominant strain is grown in living soil and is considered a premier product. The flowers are grown and produced in British Columbia and offer sweet notes with feelings of euphoria and giddy effects.
- Oso Fuego Tins Organic Gas Mark – This AAAA weed is an organic craft cannabis strain grown in BC. The Indica-dominant flower is a potent hybrid that combines the aromas of fresh cherries with pungent, sour gas. The effects are uplifting euphoria with full-body tingles resulting in a calm, relaxing state.
- Craft Series LSO Mint Chocolate Chip – This AAAA craft cannabis strain is made from a hybrid plant and comes in sustainable dark amber glass jars. The craft series is grown locally in organic living soil, and this strain offers a cerebral head rush followed by a sedating full-body stone.
AAA Grade Weed
When the grading system first found its way into the cannabis industry, triple-A was the best of the best. AAA graded cannabis strains (or “trips”) are still considered to be within the level of high quality. Consumers may notice a slightly weaker potency with a lower profile coming from the THC and CBD content.
It may not be the best currently available on the market, but AAA-grade weed is still up there with the top-ranking strains and will satisfy the needs and wants of most cannabis consumers. This middle-tier range of strains is also the most readily available and can be found at almost every dispensary or shop that sells cannabis products.
- Cake Batter – This indica dominant hybrid is a AAA graded weed strain that offers relaxing feelings of euphoria and a body high, complete with giggles.
- Meat Breath – This triple-A hybrid strain offers aromas of spicy citrus mixed with diesel. Effects could offer that surge of creativity you’ve been searching for along with a focused, uplifting sensation of balance.
AA Grade Weed
For consumers looking for quality weed on a budget, AA graded strains (also known as “dubs”) are the sweet spot. Dispensaries will sometimes carry fewer options in this range, opting more for the AAA and quad strains. AA weed, however, is comparable to home-grown weed. It’s not at the top of the grading scale, but it’s also not at the bottom.
- San Fernando Valley OG – AA graded hybrid weed strain with a unique aroma of pine and ginger. Consumers enjoy the hazy, relaxing body high.
- Death Bubba – This indica-dominant strain is a relative of Bubba Kush and offers a relaxing body high that can help increase appetite.
A Grade Weed
Weed strains falling into the A category have been few and far between for a while in the cannabis growing industry. But with more small growers and organic farms taking the place of commercial growers, farmers can get the most out of every batch by labelling some run-off as A graded strains.
This means that you aren’t always getting a lower quality weed just because it’s a single-A. It just didn’t meet certain standards of organic, small-batch, and living soil growers.
Another upside is that there are plenty of budget buds available at lower costs – but still grown by master growers at local, organic and living soil-focused farms. That’s like getting the best of both worlds – quality and budget.
- Bubba Kush – This strain is available in small nugs. The indica-dominant, single A cannabis strain is earthy and sweet, grown in small batches in Vancouver by a master grower. It’s an economical option for those looking to shop on a budget but keep it local.
Is AAAA Weed Worth It?
Being at the top tier of the grading system, consumers probably assume that quad AAAA weed is automatically the best. The fact is that it all depends on the range of characteristics they’re looking for. And, of course, which level of weed price tag fits their budget.
In that case, there are plenty of perfectly acceptable AAA weed and AA weed options for those not wishing to pay a premium for the quad quality and above.
For first-time consumers (or those on a budget), the difference between the top tiers of the grading system may not be super evident on the first puff, anyway. That said, when you get into the quad-level and above, there’s a noticeable upgrade in flavour profiles and aromas due to the denser profile of terpenes and trichomes.
What Determines Which Cannabis is Graded AAAA Quality Weed?
In order to determine which tier a cannabis strain will be placed into, a variety of factors and characteristics are considered. The system allows us to look at specific qualities and attributes of a strain and categorize it accordingly.
Some of the factors considered when grading cannabis strains include:
- Terpene Profiles
- Trichome Density
- Flavour Profiles
- Effects
- Aromas
- Trim (Based on care and knowledge of the grower)
- Flower Structure
- Pesticide vs Organic Growth
When really getting into detail to determine the grading of a strain, dispensaries can also choose to inspect the burn of the plant as well as the ash colour.
For example, the lightness of the ash puts strains into a higher-quality ranking, while darker ash equates to lower quality. Likewise, if the plant burns evenly and smoothly, it can also be considered of higher quality.
Buying Graded and AAAA Weed Online
With the direction of the cannabis industry, with more organic options and small-batch craft growers, consumers are becoming accustomed to being savvy about their weed purchases. We’re far from the days of taking whatever you can get and calling it a day.
Cannabis consumers want to know exactly what they’re buying and what they can expect from the individual strain.
That’s what makes the graded system for cannabis quality so interesting. The A to 4A+ system tells consumers more about what they’re getting – from quality to aromas to flavour profiles and possible effects.
Sources:
Cannabis Tech – Is There a Cannabis Grading System?
The Chronic Beaver – The Weed Grading System Canada
Grass Chief: Cannabis Grading System
The Pot Advisor: Weed Grading System
Cana Wholesalers: Cannabis & Weed Grade System from A to AAAAA
