Learning with GrassLife: How to Check Your Weed for Mould

Learning with GrassLife: How to Check Your Weed for Mould

Checking your bread or cheese for the presence of mould is simple because it’s so obvious. On the other hand, weed from GrassLife requires a more thorough inspection and isn’t easy to spot, especially if you’re not experienced.

Here’s the long and short of spotting mould on weed.

How to Spot Mould

Mould on weed appears as a gray-white coating. But appearances can be deceiving because you could just as easily mistake the mould for trichomes.

This is where it pays to be a seasoned cannabis consumer. Trichomes, for the uninitiated, are shiny, sticky crystals on the buds and leaves that give GrassLife weed its characteristic aroma. They look like tiny little hairs that seem to sparkle under the light. Mould, by contrast, has a powdery appearance. It also has a distinct odour your nose will easily pick up. Mouldy weed will have a musty smell, slightly similar to hay.

Other signs of mould include a cobweb-like appearance. Spider mites have been known to construct webs that look like mould – and they’re not suitable for smoking.

Smell Tests

Weed comes in a wide range of aromas very specific to the strain, and some of these could tip you off to the presence of mould.

Marijuana that smells like urine or sweat most definitely has mould, which you should avoid. The smell test isn’t very effective, though, because some species of mould do not produce any distinctive odour in the earliest stages of the infestation.

Use a Microscope

If you just happen to have a microscope lying around, you can use it to detect odourless mould (to the untrained nose, anyway) invisible to the naked eye.  These days you can find digital microscopes that get the job done in less than $40.

Under a microscope, the mould will produce hyphae. These are little filaments that do not resemble the structure of trichomes.

Pro tip from GrassLife: Another good idea is to check the local news for any recalls – always check the news for moudly weed.

And finally, get your weed from reputable vendors like GrassLife. Read the reviews. Inspect every batch before smoking it.