For me it’s rarely about the hard numbers and more about the lineage of the strains, the reputation of the growers, and the reviews of other cannabis users. I like to cross reference resources like Wikileaks, Leafly, Weedmaps, and local reviews to narrow in on strains that help me.

If I walk into a store and can talk to the budtender about what I’m looking for in a product and what I’m using it to treat and they recommend a strain or two I already know works for me, I’m much more likely to listen to their other recommendations I haven’t tried than those of someone who doesn’t. Over just the last few months of being a licensed patient in Oklahoma, I’ve found 3 different dispensaries I’ll go to for recommendations because they’ve been consistently on point.

And at all 3 of those independent locations, they tell me not to look at the THC but at the terpene profiles. I find that the presence of Caryophyllene and Limonene and Myrcene are all great indicators that a particular strain will be good for my needs.

If your state has terpene amounts and types listed its probably better to pick based on those. You can find guides with terpene types and purported effects online. When you're researching how to choose flower look for articles that mention entourage effects as these are the interactions between terps and thc. Also, the guys who are really into this stuff talk about type 1 and type 2 flower so there's something else to look up. Take it all with some salt and watch out for people that use science words to replace magic and you'll be on your way. The fun part is trying all the flower and seeing which terps work best for you!

It’s like picking a whiskey based off of the ABV, but sometimes the lower THC can get you higher due to the cannabinoid differences.

Play around and find what gives you the benefits you want.

What sort of effects do you like/are you looking for in cannabis? If you let me know what we're looking for, maybe tell me a little about yourself, I can probably point you in the right direction to start experimenting. Consultation is my favorite part of my job <3

Its MUCH less about numbers and details than it is about the entorage effect. From my understanding, the entorage effect is a change in how you perceive the high depending on what kind of terpenes are present in the strain / phenotype.

For example, a really terpy, stinking strain with low THC% could produce a better high (for you) than a high THC flower with less / unideal (for you) terps. In my experience, THC% has little to no effect on how the bud actually hits, and is just juiced up as marketing lingo.

Put simply, and I know this is vague, but experiment and find what terpenes / flavor profiles you like, you'll find similarities in high between strains that have similar terps (i.e., knowing you really like lemon strains, citrus strains, etc.) Then buy what fits your tastes!

EDIT: I agree with WhiteOakBayou, its about finding the terps for you.

LMAO I totally agree, and very valid point with the medical use, I only use recreationally so I hadnt even thought of that angle.

The consequence is that those lazy buyers are shaping the markets in a lot of states towards producing as much "high for the low" as possible.