Connoisseurship Resources
Resources for the Cannabis enthusiast
Understanding Cannabis Connoisseurship: A Ganjier's Perspective
Legacy
Understanding the SAP: Systematic Assessment Protocol
What the Entourage Effect means to you
Defining Craft Cannabis: Quality versus Quantity
Understanding Cannabis Terpene Wheels
Understanding Cannabis Connoisseurship:
A Ganjier's Perspective
A connoisseur is an expert who understands the details, techniques, and principles of an art/science of an industry and is competent as a critical judge in the quality of the products produced from said industry. They enjoy products in their chosen field with discrimination and appreciation of subtleties far and above the layman, and are respected judges of the nuances of quality possible for a given product. You can find connoisseurs working as craftsmen in an industry, working for companies to improve their product quality or even as critics working to improve the marketplace and/or the consumer community.
The most famous connoisseur class, known as Sommeliers, specialize in wine quality and they work to improve the quality of the wine industry. Indeed we can see many parallel experts in other industries like the Cheesemongers (cheese), Chocolatiers (chocolate), Cicarones (beer), Aficionado/Catador (cigars), Q Graders/Coffee Cuppers (coffee) and more. In essence, every epicurean product has the potential for passionate experts to specialize in and pursue connoisseurship in that industry.
Cannabis connoisseurship is about a true passionate pursuit for the highest quality cannabis possible. In the same way a Sommelier hunts for the finest wines, so too does a Ganjier (cannabis expert) pursue the finest cannabis products. These products can be in the form of flower or hash and produced from a variety of different environments but will always be graded by the discerning eye of the cannabis expert.
Indeed cannabis has all of the epicurean qualities that humans appreciate in the things they consume. Connoisseurship in any industry focuses around the terroir of the agricultural product and the subsequent flavor and aroma nuances that derive from said terroir. The finest wines and most complex coffee beans hail from specific regions of the world and impart distinct flavor/aroma profiles that are desirable to the human palate above and beyond the market average. In short, they embody characteristics that make their product “special” within their own industry. Cannabis is no different and arguably offers the richest and deepest degrees of quality known to man.
Cannabis is capable of producing one of the most robust and diverse collections of terpenes on the planet and as such is capable of achieving a very wide range of aromas/flavors. It is not uncommon to find cannabis that smells distinctly like oranges, or blueberries, or soap, or diesel fuel, or skunky dank, or banana cream etc with an almost infinite amount of combinations therein. Cannabis aromas and flavors have the potential to be both distinct and highly complex/layered making cannabis one of the most interesting experiences for those of us in pursuit of deep/complex sensory experience. Truly fine cannabis has multiple layers of flavor/aroma that are distinct to individual genetics and regional terroir but also contains an added dimension that no other product contains; the experience.
The chemical experience of a product is typically not considered when it comes to expert quality. In fact, whether you get drunk from very good wine or very cheap wine, drunk is drunk. When you drink extremely fine coffee or the most readily available drip coffee, caffeinated is caffeinated. As such, the experience of the chemical components of these products is generally neglected and just the flavor/aroma is evaluated and graded. With cannabis, the experience of the high and the entourage of hundreds of cannabinoids and terpenes yields a vast array of headspaces in addition to flavor and aroma points. The high from cannabis varies from profile to profile, region to region and it's this dimension of quality that makes cannabis connoisseurship so special.
In addition to the near infinite possibilities of aroma and flavor combinations, cannabis also offers very distinct headspaces that are produced from a variety of high quality cannabis sources. There is a common understanding that some cannabis can be quite sedative while others are more energizing, but deeper than that, there are places that cannabis can take you that are euphoric, nostalgic, focused, creative, connected, introspective, outgoing, calming and more. Cannabis connoisseurship is about finding and exploring these headspaces while appreciating the highest quality flavors and aromas known to humans.
If you are passionate about cannabis and interested in pursuing cannabis connoisseurship then you must understand the variety of flavors, aromas, and headspaces cannabis can produce, with respect to their degree of quality. Remember that fine wine is not determined by its alcohol content nor is craft beer, amazing coffee is not judged by the amount of caffeine in each cup nor is excellent cheese determined by casein content. Cannabis quality is not determined by the amount of THC within the plant but rather by its depth of flavor, nuance of aroma and uniqueness of headspace.
Taking the time to refine your palate and learn about how quality is produced is essential to your journey in cannabis connoisseurship. Learn about where in the world has established cannabis terroir, how different cultivation systems and techniques produce different qualities of cannabis and ultimately strive to understand how quality is developed and where one can find it for purchase. Our mission at the Maryland Cannabis Reserve is to help you on your quest as the Maryland Cannabis terroir and marketplace continue to evolve.
Understanding the SAP :
Systematic Assessment Protocol
The systematic assessment protocol, aka SAP, is the process by which Ganjiers evaluate and grade cannabis quality. It is a set of data points used to evaluate the quality of the appearance, aroma, flavor and experience of cannabis flower/concentrates to ultimately form a trusted grading system based on quality. Each of these four main categories are scored and the total overall grade is calculated from a composite of these scores. Every Ganjier in the world uses the SAP to evaluate cannabis thus creating the beginnings of a standardized grading process for our international industry.
The Ganjier community is relatively new so the systematic protocol will continue to evolve over the years but it currently serves as THE quality standard for cannabis products around the world. Cannabis has many characteristics to consider, some directly related to product quality while others are important on a subjective level. The SAP takes into consideration both objective and subjective quality points and only scores aspects that are objectively quantifiable.
For example, the SAP notes unique physical characteristics of a sample as “common, uncommon, and rare” to document features of the appearance but does not assign a point value because the structure of the bud, whether common or rare, does not indicate a better or worse consumption experience. However appearance features like the maturity of the flower, its trim, cure, and tactile qualities are all graded on a 10 point scale because these are factors that directly influence the overall quality of the final product.
It is the objective scores from the various quality points within the appearance, aroma, flavor, and experience categories that ultimately serve to form a numbered grade. A grade is given on a scale of 1-100, including decimal spaces. Everything from the intensity/complexity of the aroma, to the maturity of the flower/quality of the cure to one’s overall experience is documented, scored and graded to indicate the quality of a specific product.
Scores below 70 do not qualify as smoking flower so we can effectively think about the smoking quality tiers as starting at 70.1+. The majority of commercially grown smoking flower ranges between the 75pt - 85pt range with about 15% in the 85.1pt - 90pt range. There are some specific genetics and “craftier” systems that can produce some 90.1pt - 95pt range but the percentage in the market is still negligible. The 95pt+ smoking flower exists only from the rarest of stashes grown in the most robust terroirs by the most attentive growers, but ultimately represents the quality that The Maryland Cannabis Reserve seeks to find. The SAP is the tool of the Ganjier to find what we seek and it is from this system and our own certified Ganjiers that the Maryland Cannabis Reserve derives its grading system.
We at the Reserve think of SAP scores in a similar light to school grades i.e. A+/A-, B+/B-, C+/C- etc. Generally speaking we delineate quality tiers within these grades and hope to see a world where price points correlate to quality grades. For now, we must continue to sample and evaluate products so that we all may learn to determine quality for ourselves, regardless of what it costs on the market. It follows for us that the highest graded cannabis should fetch the highest prices on the market while the lowest graded products fetch the sales prices. It also follows that there are noticeable and measurable leaps in quality tiers from B- to B+ to A to A+ and that overtime the price points will stabilize around grades such that general grades correspond to general pricing tiers.
The Maryland Cannabis Reserve is part of the world’s first attempt to meaningfully standardize cannabis quality with consumer price points in a way that is fair, trusted, and objective. What follows below is our first attempt to walk the path that the wine industry paved before us.
Our grading system is based on the Ganjier systematic assessment protocol (SAP), performed by certified in-house Ganjiers, and representative of the Maryland marketplace relative to the rest of the world. Our price points are based on the Maryland market and will change over time as national/international markets legalize and economic factors stabilize nationwide. We acknowledge that every market has different economics due to a host of variables and that what is representative in Maryland is not necessarily representative of another state, and vice versa.
This SAP grading protocol is recognized by the Ganjier community while the market valuations of these grades are solely the opinion of The Maryland Cannabis Reserve. We reserve the right to change our mind as things grow.
A+ Grade 95.1+
Superlative
Of the highest quality, exceptionally rare, often unique to a region, cultivator or both, worth beyond top market value, often not for sale
A Grade 90.1 - 95
Great
Top shelf, great cannabis, hard to find in most markets, flavorful, aromatic, effective, cured and stored appropriately
Top market value
$50 - $60 per eighth
B+ Grade 85.1 - 90
Good
Mid shelf, good cannabis, uncommon and desirable in most markets, generally flavorful and aromatic but typically lacking proper curing, maturation, or storage
Economic market value
$40 - $50 per eighth
B Grade 80.1 - 85
Acceptable
Bottom shelf, acceptable cannabis but not especially desired, most common product on the market, effective but not particularly enjoyable
Value products
$30 - $40 per eighth
C+ Grade 75.1 - 80
Spliff Weed
Lowest quality possible, dry low quality smoke, harsh and generally scoring low in all evaluation categories, hardly effective, benefits from the addition of tobacco
Sale/bargain bin product
$20 - $30 per eighth
C Grade < 75
Tawdry
Not considered smoking flower, don’t buy it, if you find yourself with some, make gummies with it
Defining Craft Cannabis:
Quality versus Quantity
Almost all types of epicurean commodities have two very distinct types of markets that coexist and support one another, commercial scale and artisanal craft. We see examples of this every day in the market across various industries. We can find a $15 box of wine and a $1500 bottle of wine, a $7 six pack of beer and a $30 four pack of beer, a $2 cigar and a $200 cigar and so much more. It is a normal part of our economic system to divide our products into these two main categories of craft versus commercial. Both sides of the industry are structural pillars to the industry overall, both supporting one another's goals while remaining distinct.
In short we can describe these two styles of industry as commercial - “producing the largest quantity of acceptable product for the cheapest price point possible” and craft - “producing the highest quality product possible, regardless of price point”. Now there are very few companies that go all in on one style versus another, more often than not, companies try to find a middle ground of producing the most of the highest quality they can achieve. But in short, these two styles of production form the pillars of industry that we see over and over again in wine, cheese, beer, tobacco, chocolate, coffee, and more.
But how do we do that with Cannabis? Does the Cannabis industry have these two pillars and how do we differentiate the two?
Well the truth is that so far, no, we do not have these two pillars as the Cannabis industry is not fully formed, even in the states with the longest amount of legalization. This is to be expected given that our product underwent decades of prohibition and stigma that even now, hold us back from our full potential. Due to the nature of legalization and the barriers of entry that regulations put on us, very little thought is placed into what craft cannabis even is, let alone how to build industry around the concept. Well, we at the Maryland Cannabis Reserve and the Ganjier community at large are doing our best to define and evaluate the craft industry so that the cannabis industry can truly flourish and begin the historical path that wine took so many years ago.
Now as it stands, the vast majority of Cannabis production would fall under the category of commercial (making the most possible) or optimized (making the best we can at the largest scale) and indeed these systems can produce effective, affordable medicine as well as very good quality products. We have genetics and cultivators who thrive in commercial scale systems but most of these companies will never achieve a true craft label for their cannabis products operating in such systems.
In our opinion, to achieve craft cannabis one must demonstrate an understanding of where cannabis quality comes from and then grow from a system that allows for cannabis to achieve its full potential. Cannabis quality, like all agricultural products, derives its quality/potential from its terroir, which is to say from the complete natural environment from which it is produced. In short, Cannabis needs a complete/healthy soil ecosystem, the full spectrum of the sun, daily interaction with micro/macro biology, a full climate system, and daily attentive care. In this way the Cannabis has all the epigenetic opportunity to express all of its genetic potential.
Let’s be very clear about something. Good coffee is not defined by how much caffeine is in a cup, fine wine and craft beer are not defined by how much alcohol content they possess and the world's best chocolate is not defined by how much sugar is in each bite! Why then do people think that good cannabis is based on how much THC is present?
The answer is commercial marketing. When it comes to marketing, commercial cannabis companies over-emphasize high thc % as a major selling point because the average consumer looks at cannabis like they do alcohol, typically deciding that they want to get as high as possible for the least amount of money. This is a totally valid consumer strategy provided that the consumer knows that they are buying a budweiser/franzia quality and more importantly, that they pay a budweiser/franzia price for it.
The best quality cannabis is produced in living soil under full sun which is to say that the best quality cannabis has daily interaction with hundreds of species of soil microbes and insects as well as access to the full spectrum light of the sun. The plant is the maestro of its environment, soliciting niche nutrients and attracting or repelling specific organisms in a way that is optimal for that genetic in that environment. The plant does this by utilizing a whole host of techniques however the most relevant technique in regards to quality to us would be its resin production.
It is in the resin where all the magic happens. Neatly packed away in the head of a trichome is a viscous resin packed full of cannabinoids, terpenes, and secondary metabolites that form the highs, aromas, and flavors we seek. The greater the diversity and concentration of these compounds, the higher the potential quality of the product. There are of course post harvest procedures and techniques required to ensure a final, high quality product but to even access that tier, you must access the diversity of nature.
I will note that just because something is grown in full sun with living soil does not mean that the ending flower is automatically good. Attempts at craft growing can fail for as many reasons as you can think of, but, if you are able to tap into the natural diversity of the world and ride the season to its end with skill and care, then you will have the potential to access the tier of “Craft Cannabis”.
What the Entourage Effect means to you
Hopefully the concept of the “entourage effect” has become common knowledge to you, but just in case you have not heard the term before, the entourage effect refers to the cumulative effect of all of the synergistic components in cannabis that create the breadth of the cannabis experience (aroma/flavor/effects). Cannabis produces literally hundreds of different compounds that affect different symptoms and systems to create different headspaces, profiles, and effects that are unique to the cannabis plant. In short, it is not a single compound we appreciate in cannabis, but rather the synergy of a variety of compounds around the heroic THC molecule for which the cannabis plant is known.
Unlike most epicurean products, cannabis has dimensions to the experience beyond that of the main 5 senses. Indeed fine wine, craft beer, renowned coffee, and legendary cheeses are all judged for similar qualities that cannabis is judged for, but despite sharing some of the same molecular qualities impacting taste and aroma, cannabis stands uniquely out by tapping into deeper sensations of experience than just our eyes/ears/nose/mouths are capable of. There are depths to headspaces, different headspaces for different cultivars, better and worse symptom relief and so much more that cannabis offers us beyond anything wine, cheese, or beer could deliver.
This is due largely in part to the entourage effect between the main molecular components of our beloved plant, cannabinoids and terpenes, and the near infinite combinations they occur in. Cannabinoids are compounds (almost) uniquely produced by the cannabis plant that stimulate our endogenous cannabinoid system whereas terpenes are volatile hydrocarbons that affect (in the context of cannabis) our more traditional gustatory and olfactory systems. It is the combination of these compounds that contribute the bulk of the aromatic, flavor and physiological effects cannabis offers us and how we as humans come to judge the quality of the cannabis we personally enjoy.
What is most important to understand about the entourage effect and cannabis’s various biochemical components is that you yourself are a unique set of biochemistry and neurology. To truly understand cannabis’s potential one must first get to know one’s own self. You can read lots of data on a terpene like linalool and devour every study done on THC but at the end of the day you need to have the experiential knowledge that comes with observing your own reactions to your cannabis products. It has never been safer or more informative to experiment with a wide variety of cannabis and I suggest everyone takes the time to try a variety of terpene/cannabinoid profiles to see how you react to different sets of circumstances.
As you take note of which profiles produce the highs you really enjoy, what terpene combinations reliably soothe particular symptoms, learn to associate smells with the flavors/effects you seek and generally take advantage of the data provided by testing labs, you will gain the ability to consistently, consciously purchase the cannabis you desire, whatever that desire may be. Some people look for niche headspaces for working or relaxation, some seek specific symptom relief, while some seek particular flavors and aromas etc. but all of the above rely upon understanding the entourage effect and how it relates to your personal biology. Simply taking notes in a journal will provide a large amount of data that you can work from as you delve into the minutia of cannabis use.
For the sake of example, I will use a simple example that is based on a common misunderstanding. Two very general categories for cannabis are “uplifting” and “sedative” colloquially thought of as the general “sativa” and “indica” effect respectively. Many labor under the delusion that indica genetics are inherently drowsy/stoney smokes while sativa genetics are inherently euphoric/clear headed. Indeed many genetics perform exactly as such, reinforcing the low information consumers idea that indica/sativa is a thing. The reality is that indica/sativa refer to the plants evolutionary morphology wherein indicas thrive in more temperate and moderate environments and sativas thrive in equatorial tropical environments. In short, it essentially refers to how near or far away from the equator the original landrace evolved.
Today the reality is that almost everything is some form of hybrid and they are most often grown in a controlled, indoor environment. Why does this matter you ask? Well when it comes to resin production, its evolutionary purpose is NOT to make us high, but rather to act as the chemical signaling action for the plant to interact in the world. Various terpenes attract and repel things, protect against UV light and regulate leaf temperature, help nurture or kill various microbes etc. and the end result is a terpene profile that suits the needs of that plant in its environment specific to the circumstances of its growth. There are inherent genetic predispositions as well as common traits from common ancestors from common environments that contribute to the generalities we observe in the market. These generalities were only useful in a legacy market with minimal access to testing information and today, serve only to benefit someone like a breeder, not a consumer.
Today we know better. We know that “indica”/“sativa” refer to a general class of effects that are largely dictated by 9 of the most common terpenes found in cannabis; myrcene, caryophyllene, limonene, linalool, terpinolene, humulene, alpha pinene, beta pinene, and ocimene. These 9 terpenes are the ones most commonly found (or more aptly, most commonly tested for) in the cannabis plant and it is the combination of these terpenes, in relation to literally hundreds of others cannabis is capable of producing, that create the consumption effects. Arm yourself with the experiential knowledge and the modern testing data available and you will be able to shop more consistently and consciously moving forward, you might also begin to appreciate the real and the rare that pops up in a sea of similar genetics grown in similar systems.
Legacy
As states continue to legalize and our country moves closer to a fully realized, federally legal marketplace, it is important that we maintain respect and appreciation for the roots of our industry. Prohibition was a very dark time in our industry's history and it was not so long ago that lovers of cannabis were demonized, criminalized, and punished with extreme prejudice. At The Maryland Cannabis Reserve we do not forget the shoulders we stand on to be here and as we look into the future, it is with a deep consideration for our heroes who paved the way the way for us.
Our mission is to cultivate cannabis culture and refine cannabis quality however, our chosen guiding principle comes not from our mission, but from solidarity with the legacy of this industry. It is our contention that there is no such thing as bad weed, the only bad weed is no weed. Even the lowest quality cannabis is still medicinal, and even now, there are places where there is no access to cannabis legally.
We will never forget the black market outlaws, direct action protestors, renegade chemists and devoted guerrilla growers who built the knowledge base and infrastructure for our industry to flourish.
Our industry's vast future was secured in the not so distant past by humans who risked life limb, family and freedom.
Respect and Solidarity.
Understanding Cannabis Terpene Wheels
Flavor wheels are tools that have been used in a variety of gustatory and olfactory based industries as a way to visualize the various nuances of taste and aroma that exist in the finer products of the world. In cannabis we look to examples of modern terpene wheels to try to begin to express the diverse nuances cannabis is capable of.
There are 5 main aroma categories by which we evaluate cannabis aroma and for which a terpene wheel can help expand on. They are fruit, fuel, floral, earth, and sweet. The range of cannabis profiles starts from one of these 5 categories and expands to varying degrees of specificity, depending on the degree of complexity present.
Indeed high quality cannabis, like any other fine epicurean product, presents layers and nuances beyond a generic “fruity” or “gassy” aroma. In fact, the complexity of an aroma is one of the finest quality indicators in our space and one way you can judge good, better, best cannabis.
Good cannabis has a distinct aroma that falls into a defined category but without much specificity i.e. “This cultivar smells fruity”.
Better cannabis has a distinct and generally specific aroma that largely falls into a well defined category i.e. “This cultivar smells like berry fruits”.
The best cannabis has distinct and specifically identifiable aromas that are layered into one another i.e. “This cultivar smells like blueberries and raspberries, with notes of diesel and moss”.
In this example, good smells fruity, better smells like berry fruit, and best smells like blueberries and raspberries. You can mark this quality with your own senses and register the depth, intensity, complexity, and specificity of an aroma.
Our terpene wheels help us to visualize and put words to the aromas we can experience in cannabis. A cultivar can smell fruity, like berry fruit, or distinctly like blueberries depending on the quality of the end product. Similarly examples can be found in other aroma houses like “smells fuely, smells like industrial products, or smells like diesel fuel” or “smells floraly, smells like garden flowers, or smells like roses and lavender”.
Our olfactory system is a powerful sense that connects directly to our memories. Our sense of smell serves as one of the best tools for both identifying quality and experiencing quality within cannabis. A terpene wheel can help trigger memories and unlock descriptive words that help you identify the truly complex and nuanced cultivars that exist and we encourage you to use these tools to help you explore the industry and expand your palate.