Flower 101: Why It's Still the Heart of the Dispensary

Pistil Peaks a new brand we have at L.A. Dulce comes in flower. At L.A. Dulce we carry various brands of flower. Flower is the classic, unprocessed form of cannabis and despite all the new vape carts, gummies, and concentrates on the market, it's still the most popular product we sell. Here's why it's worth getting to know.

What "flower" actually means

Flower is exactly what it sounds like: the dried, cured buds of the cannabis plant. Nothing added, nothing extracted. What you see in the jar is the whole plant in its most natural form, ready to be ground up and smoked in a joint, pipe, or bong, or vaporized in a dry herb device.

Why new customers love it

• It's the most versatile. One eighth of flower can become joints, bowls, or even homemade edibles down the road.

• The price is friendly. Per milligram of THC, flower is usually the best value in the shop.

• You taste the plant. Terpenes-the compounds that give cannabis its smell and flavor-come through more clearly in flower than in most processed products.

• The effect feels balanced. Smoking flower kicks in within minutes and tapers off in an hour or two, making it easier to gauge than edibles.

How to read a flower label

Three things to glance at before you buy: the strain type (indica for chill nights in, sativa for active afternoons, hybrid for a middle ground), the THC percentage (anything from 18% on up is solid; chasing the highest number isn't always the move), and the harvest date. Fresher is better-flower is best within six months of harvest.

Ask about the nose

Don't be shy about asking a budtender to open a jar so you can smell it. Aroma is the single best clue to how a strain will feel. Gassy and pungent, sweet and fruity, piney and sharp-each profile hints at a different experience, and your nose usually knows what your body wants.

Stop by L.A. Dulce and let one of our budtenders walk you through what's fresh on the shelf. The right jar is waiting-you just have to come find it.