Sitting at a table with fellow students was Swami Chaitanya and Kevin Jodrey, both deeply knowledgeable about cannabis, pressing us to tease out the aromas of the bud we were discussing. They were detailing their own process of savouring cannabis. Swami shared what aromas he could detect, Kevin kept using the term jar-jumping terpenes, I was wondering if this was real life.
Swami and Kevin were just two of the members of the Ganjier Council present that day and the following days, members whose expertise in some cases spanned generations. They were there to guide the current cluster of students through their 2 days of training and final exam. A tour to a decades old cannabis farm high in the mountains became the place to talk about the challenges of outdoor growing, demands of legalization, stories of DEA raids and discussions of terroir. Our group was small, less than 10 students, who had all completed hours of online programming before making the long trip to Humboldt, California. There were learners from the Virgin Islands, a young man from Germany, people from all over the States and myself from Canada. We were from all walks of life but united in our passion for cannabis and a thirst to learn.
I was eager to meet these legends of cannabis in person, my fellow students who I’d only ever met online and to learn the nuances of using the Systematic Assessment Protocol (SAP) - the Ganjier tool designed to assess cannabis quality as objectively as possible. The SAP divides an assessment into four categories, Appearance, Aroma, Flavour and Experience. As you move through the tool, each category is scored individually and then a total of all four to give a final grade out of a scale of 100. The aim is to systematize the scoring process to assess the quality of a cannabis sample, much like the wine industry has a systematic means to evaluate good wine. I look for those scoring stickers on wine bottles, maybe one day they’ll have stickers like that on cannabis jars.
Currently, I’m the sole female Canadian Certified Ganjier, which is a fun distinction, but you don’t need to be a Certified Ganjier or a cannabis sommelier to appreciate good weed yourself. The amazing thing about cannabis is how complex it is and finding what you like is a worthwhile adventure. For me, trichome rich, terpene heavy buds wins out any day over high THC flower. I want to stick my nose in the jar and take in those aromas. I love to take a dry hit on a joint or dry-herb vaporizer and taste that first impression before I light up. Having a close look at the weed with a scope reveals good deal about what you’re about to consume too. You can pick up a scope for $10 online, grab a note book and jot down what you notice about the cultivars you’re trying. Slow down and appreciate the process and you’ll begin to find what cannabis brings your body into homeostasis or which strain makes you happiest, from one connoisseur to another.
