Most people who consume cannabis do so casually. They might enjoy a joint after the kids go to bed or at a concert. They want quality products and a quality experience that is worth the money they’re spending. They aren’t experts, and they shouldn’t need to be. But without a standard and very simple system to evaluate cannabis, we are asking all consumers to become cannabis experts if they want to ensure they aren’t tossing their money down the drain on the wrong experience.
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How we currently quantify cannabis isn’t considerate to casual consumers, and in many ways, it also does a disservice to the cannabis connoisseur. Cannabis is largely judged by potency, or the concentration of THC. While some consumers are looking for high-potency products, many aren’t, and potency alone is a deficient and one-dimensional way to analyze such a complex plant.
Just like your experience with a glass of wine can’t solely be determined by its alcohol content, cannabis flower or edibles can’t just be determined by their THC content. Aroma, effects, appearance, and taste, along with potency and terpenes, all play significant roles in determining cannabis quality and can’t be overlooked.
Cannabis is also uniquely tricky for consumers to judge and understand because each state has its own unique market, rules, and available products. You can buy a bottle of Kendall-Jackson in any state and know you’re going to have the same experience, but that standard doesn’t hold true in cannabis.
If someone is traveling or has moved states, they’ll enter a dispensary and be confronted with a range of brands they’ve never heard of before. Most people don’t have the time to take out their phones and research every brand and product. But a standard rating system will do that work for them.
Wine critic Robert McDowell Parker Jr. has popularized a 100-point wine ranking system, or “Wine Score.” While not perfect, the scale is easy to understand and helps simplify purchasing decisions around a complex product. Consumers familiar with the system can walk into liquor stores nationwide and feel confident with their purchase without having to crack open The World Atlas of Wine.
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I created the Cannaleptic Rating to ensure cannabis consumers get the experience they want every time they purchase cannabis. Also on a 100-point scale, the Cannaleptic Rating integrates quantitative testing results with qualitative consumer responses and utilizes a proprietary algorithm to generate a Cannaleptic score. The score is currently available for popular brands across New York State, like Florist Farms, Foy, Heavy Hitters, Jaunty, Soft Power Sweets, and Umamii, and new brands are approaching me to get their Cannaleptic score because they understand this benefit to consumers.
Robert McDowell Parker Jr. launched his Wine Score in the 1970s, and fifty years later, it’s the gold standard. In 50 years, I hope someone will say the same thing about Cannaleptic Rating.
*This article was submitted by a guest contributor. The author is solely responsible for the content.