quality of mmj since hb1284

[COfluffhead]

what is your opinion on the overall quality of meds since hb1284 passed?

I used to go to dispensaries to buy samples of strains I've always wanted to try, and would often find at least something worthwhile after looking at a dozen or so jars. Ever since private caregivers were no longer allowed to sell their excess meds to dispensaries, I have personally noticed that both the variety and the quality have gone down significantly

is it just me? or do you see the same?

my friends who work at a HUGE growstore in the denver area crack jokes all the time about dispensary owners who don't even know how to root a clone are trying to run a whole warehouse. And constant sob stories about warehouse failure...

also do you ever wonder if the big dogs who were in full support of certain areas of hb1284 are now regretting?

I also know many growers/caregivers who will no longer share their genetics and/or grow knowledge and now feel the need to protect their hard work and genetics

Overall, what are your thoughts? dispensary owners, patients, caregivers...everybody please chime in :hippy:

COfluffhead Reviewed by COfluffhead on 01-20-2011. quality of mmj since hb1284 what is your opinion on the overall quality of meds since hb1284 passed? I used to go to dispensaries to buy samples of strains I've always wanted to try, and would often find at least something worthwhile after looking at a dozen or so jars. Ever since private caregivers were no longer allowed to sell their excess meds to dispensaries, I have personally noticed that both the variety and the quality have gone down significantly is it just me? or do you see the same? my friends who work Rating: 5

[copobo]

it's not just you. what could we expect? I bet about 98% of the suppliers were knocked out of the non-black market trade. Dispensaries are wasting a ton of effort and $$ on regs that they are not spending on getting better.

[COfluffhead]

Pigpen!

[HighPopalorum]

No effect. Prices are way down, but the selection hasn't changed. There's still the same old crap, and there's still good dope to be found.

[quetzal]

The regs have affected different dispensaries in different ways, mostly depending on the resources (finances + expertise) that the dispensary possesses plus their priorities going forward. One dispensary that had outstanding products in 2009 for super cheap I've noticed has now raised prices considerably for what I saw as signficantly inferior stuff, not to mention the change in employee/bud-tender attitudes and knowledge (also inferior now).

On the other hand, the only dispensary I've visited recently surprised me by the quality of genetics and grown/cured product. Obviously a place that had the resources to transition through the regulations while keeping quality up.

But really, quality comes and goes depending on the grower. The negative effects that 2010 as a whole-the year of regulation-brought are more related to rights of individuals in patient/care-giver capacity, the concentration of control/wealth in the MMJ system, and the general re-focusing of priorities toward larger centers. It sets us up nicely for general patient/activist complacency in 2011.

[SoCoMMJ]

I honestly believe that we have not faltered on quality in the transition from being caregivers to the dispensary level. Most things have actually improved due to scale.

More patients and higher plant counts have allowed a much wider range of genetics. We have 50+ mothers now in a 10k sq ft show, where as caregivers we could only wrangle 6-10 strains into the continuous cycle in 700sq ft.

My apprentice grower keeps nute/ph levels and schedule actions much tighter and regimented in the garden than I ever could. This leaves me with more time to prune, evaluate, and inspect the plants intimately. I can check in with every mom, clone, veg, and flowering plant in the facility every single day and dictate change as needed.

Processing on larger scale has also seen improvement and standardization in curing and packaging. When you have full time trimmers on staff, they become very good at what they do. Digital hygrometers, stable temp and humidity in processing areas, as well as multiple QC checks along the way keep the meds tidy.

Maybe we're an exception because we don't use contract growers, but I can honestly say that I haven't seen the huge demise in patient care or product quality that's been predicted. Sometimes bigger can be better. Although I do have to admit that I have a difficult time remembering all the patient's names now . My partner runs the front end so I don't get to interact with patients as much as I did. But she's better with the people side of it than me anyways.

So, I guess it works out to more individuals becoming better experts at their little slice of the whole pie.

Someday we do hope to actually pull a paycheck without having to raise prices to do it

[canaguy27]

Processing on larger scale has also seen improvement and standardization in curing and packaging.

What do you use to cure on a larger scale? I am just curious.

[SoCoMMJ]

What do you use to cure on a larger scale? I am just curious.

We trim onto screens that fit into a giant sized tote converted to dry box. This box has a tiny fan to keep air moving through the box. They run in the dry box for about 24 hours to remove the bulk of the surface moisture, greatly reducing the chance of mold.

When the buds are removed from the screens they get moved either into large tupperware or the black garden trays and are covered to slow the drying and draw out internal moisture from the buds. Buds are turned daily and allowed varying levels of air depending on the moisture content.

After a week or so of slow drying in trays they are sealed in tupperware and burped until the enclosed hygrometer reads between 55%-58% humidity.
At that point, the buds are vacuum sealed into 1/2oz and 1oz jars and continue to cure in the jar until sold. Sealed at a higher humidity will risk molding in the jar, while humidity under 55% will be over dry and prevent the bud from curing.

Since we only sell prepackaged sealed jars, the bud can not over dry in the display case before it reaches the patient.

Hope that helps...curing in Colorado can be tricky due to the extreme lack of humidity, especially in winter.

[canaguy27]

Hope that helps...curing in Colorado can be tricky due to the extreme lack of humidity, especially in winter.

When you have them in the tupperware, do you find that the plastic negatively effects the end product?

[COfluffhead]

I do the initial cure in plastic tupperware, and after everything has cured, I give my patients their share and I put the rest in glass jars