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.