You CAN'T identify a strain from a picture

It seems that every day or two we get a new thread in this forum asking us to identify a strain from a picture of some bud the poster acquired. People, there are more than 5,000 named strains for which you can buy seeds and God knows how many others that hobbyist breeders have created for themselves and their friends. Once and for all: It is impossible to identify a particular strain from a picture of dried and cured buds. It's all but impossible to identify a particular strain by looking at a living plant.

The only way to know what strain you are smoking is to have planted the seeds from a packet with that strain's name on it. You can't tell by looks and you can't trust your dealer to know what he's selling unless he is also the grower. And even then, dealers tell you what you want to hear in order to move product.

Exactly. Which is why it's so important, if one really cares that much about obtaining a certain "named" product, that they cultivate a good relationship with the person they're getting it from: a person you really know you can trust. And, as high on the food chain as possible.

That's a bit cynical. I understand of course that there are lots of dealers who are just as you describe but there are just as many, if not more who are knowledgeable, reputable and will most always get you the strain that is correct...

If a person even gets a choice, I know I don't.

The truth is that most dealers are so far down the food chain that they have no way of knowing exactly what they're selling. Somebody produces or imports tons. They sell it to people who buy hundreds of pounds. They sell it to people who buy ten pounds. They sell it to people who buy pounds. They sell it to people who buy ounces. They sell off grams, eighths, quarters, and halves.

Even if your dealer is honest about telling you what you're getting, he only knows what his dealer told him. Unless he's the grower or buys it directly from a grower that can be trusted, it's unlikely that he accurately knows what strain he's selling.

This should be stickied.

Either you didn't really read my post or you need someone to explain it to you...

Oh my god I literally just signed in to say this, and when the page was refreshed yours was there first. Damn you!

Anyways, to further add to this:

The potency/"Wow" factor of weed is not attributed to the name at ALL. The strain determines what kind of high the weed will provide, but it won't provide how good the high will be. I think me and everyone else on this forum can agree that no matter if you pick up a heavy indica, a straight sativa, a combo of the both, white widow, orange kush, or even a no-name strain that nobody has EVER heard of, if it's grown well, it'll be "good shit" no matter what strain or type of weed it is. I prefer sativa, but if i were handed a sack of some great indica I would have no problem with it, bc in the end.. whether it's sativa or indica, I like to get high.. and the only part of getting "high" matters on how it's grown.

I agree with Buzz.

I think that from a picture you can at least have an idea of what potency the bud is, whether it's schwag or good quality bud. However, the only way to really know is to try it.

Please do!!!

Maybe it wont stop those type of questions but at least it will slow them down if it's on top of the Strains and Definitions section...

Thank you for driving home the point that is made in every single one of these threads that come up. Maybe people will get it now. Of course, that requires that they read and understand this thread, which may be asking too much in some cases.

This is very true, I smoke sacks back to back and very rarely come across the exact same shit 2wice...

In my experience the same strains of weed from different plants can differ significantly. Your kids aren't going to be genetically identical to you and niether are individual plants (unless the're clones.) The strains not important just which individual plant it comes from. I just want to know the qualities of the current weed I am purchasing. Not some cheesey brand name.

A picture can absolutely give you a great idea on potency. Not on the name of the strain though. But it's not hard to see what's considered headies, what are generally middies and what is pretty much bottom of the barrel schwag...a high quality picture of any bud would be more than I could ask for to decided whether or not the price will be worth it, you know? Like if i saw somebody saying eighth for 50 i'd be like hell yah! IF it was headies. hell no if it was schwag.

I've gotten weed that looks great but is mediocre and weed that looks like shit but gets you right stoned. I like to sample before I buy.

I would agree that some weed that looks like shit can get you high... but I've never seen GOOD weed that doesn't get you high..

Thank you for this thread!!!!!!! Maybe, just fucking maybe....I can keep my "I can't tell you and either can anyone else" comments to myself for awhile!!!! Of course, the same people too ignorant to realize you can't tell strains by appearences are also likely too dumb to ever read this sticky.....sad but true I'm guessing

I've seen weed that, by APPEARENCES looked awesome, but had a distinct lack of scent, and smoking multipe bowls wouldsn't get you high. However, if I had posted a pic of it, I'm sure there would have been no shortage of compliments. The person puchasing the weed refused to pay for it after discovering it was, by several people's accounts, nothing but pretENDO. It looked dank, but was as wothless as lawn clippings in terms of getting high.

Ahh, I've been patiently waiting for a sticky on this issue. Thanks Buzz!

I think the only kind of bud we can identify by a picture is mids, cause well, its mids. Its still almost impossible to know what kind of weed you have, even if your dealer tells you its a specific strain. Ive gotten bud thats supposedly purple urkle, but when I got it it was still amazing headies, but not the slightest bit of purple was on it.

Sometimes dealers will say they have these amazing rare strains to get a few extra bucks out of you. I dont fall for that shit anymore, and i've learned to actually take the headies im getting and look at it and make sure its legit, before I hand him the money and never get it back.

Just another testament to how you can't tell by a picture or even looking at it in person. According to my best friend, an MMJ grower/provider in Humboldt, legitimate purple urkle is still purple urkle without the appearance of the purple coloring.

If I'm remembering everything correctly...in order to get that coloring, you have to do some specific steps near the end of cultivation that not all growers have mastered. (I think it has something to do with either/both temperature and/or time of harvest, can't remember exactly) It supposedly does not change the potency, just the coloring for marketing purposes. Clubs (people) will pay more because they want to "see" the purple for validation.

strains

Buzzby has it right,and I thank you it's about time we heard a little sanity shalom,