Cannabis is a fast-moving environment, and if you pay close enough attention to all the various slang terms people use and how they talk about them, you can get a good idea of their age. Today, you’ll be able to tell mine, because we are talking about mids weed, baby! Back in my day — I’m not that old — mids were the jam! While they were never considered the best of the best, few of us had access to better quality flowers due to legal reasons. Plus, when many of us were used to smoking brick weed, mids’ comfortable midpoint — in both potency and affordability — was pretty much all we could handle.
Mids Defined: Navigating the Cannabis Quality Spectrum
Mids sit comfortably in quality, potency, etc. between top-shelf cannabis and bottom-shelf weed — hence the name. Now, both top-shelf weed and the lower kinds (often called brick or dirt weed), don’t look like what they used to. If you’re in a legal state, mids today would be considered the cream of the crop just a few years back, especially if you’re in an illegal state.
Regardless, mids provide a beautiful starting point for those new to cannabis but want to know what this plant can really do and why so many love it. Newcomers, in particular, will find mids pack a decent pungent aroma, look visually appealing, and likely find they need to be cautious with large dosages due to decent delta-9 THC percentages (oh and, this is how delta9 THC affects your body).
The Evolution of Mids Quality
I mentioned above that the mids today were definitely not the mids of yesteryear. OK, I think I’m just purposely using old vocabulary now. Your mids today, in both quality and quantity, would blow the cerebral lid of your average hippy from the 70s. Before the 90s, on average the THC content was less than 2%. Some estimates have THC content a little higher in the 70s at 3-4%. Regardless, today, your average flower is 17–28% THC and there is a lot more of it, i.e., no more stems and seeds that take up half the bag.
Cultivation Advancements
When I started growing cannabis about a decade ago, the big goal was nabbing 1 gram of flower per watt of light. Today, thanks to lighting tech and research that is finally teaching cultivators to stop doing weird bro science things because cannabis is a plant like any other, the goal now is surpassing 2 grams per watt. Doubling our flower production in just 10 years is impressive, but taking our THC content from 2% up to 22.5% on average in 30 years is absurd!
Impact of legalization
The rise in cannabis’ increase in THC content is directly thanks to advances in tech and research. However, much of that wouldn’t have happened if states in the U.S. hadn’t started legalizing it for medical and recreational use. In fact, the rise in potency over the last 30 years falls fairly in line with more and more states legalizing cannabis. With California being the first in 1996. Along with opening the doors to better research and control over selective breeding practices, legalization also increases market demand, which Ouroboros itself back into the pressure to increase THC potency through tech advancements, etc.
Identifying Mids Weed: A Connoisseur’s Guide
Identifying mid weed can be tricky if you don’t know what to look for, which can be tricky since what was considered mid in the past, would be considered bottom-shelf in many places now. So here is what I consider to be mid weed today. In 5-10 years, this definition may not work thanks to flower quality improving across the board.
Potency – Depending on where you’re buying from, THC potency is going to range between 10-20%. 20% may seem high, and it is for a newbie, but top-quality flowers are pushing 30%+ THC. In fact, due to the potency drop that occurs when moving from the top of a cannabis plant to the bottom, you can harvest top-shelf, mids, and larfy bottom-shelf buds all from the same plant.
Appearance – Mids are unlikely to sparkle like top-shelf weed due to the use of trimming machines that, while making quick work of the trimming process, knock off much of the outside trichomes vs. hand trimming. However, mid buds should not be deformed; the buds should stay pulp and dense enough that they barely give when gently pushed. Mids shouldn’t be wet to the touch, in fact, they probably err on the dryer side. Similar to the above, we can have a single plant that produces various qualities. In this case, that might happen if we dry some of our buds out too fast.
The Pros and Cons of Opting for Mids
In many cases, mids are great for those newer to cannabis or struggle with the stronger potency of top-shelf cannabis, which, as we are about to see, can be scenario-based.
Pros
- Value for Money: Compared to top-shelf weed, mids are definitely a more affordable option and potentially a better value if you don’t care much about aroma and flavor, which increases the cost.
- Suitable for Casual & Social Use: While you can always lower your dosage, high-potency cannabis is a dangerous game for casual users and when hanging out with a group of friends as you’ll likely be paying less attention to how much you’re consuming.
- Availability: We saw several ways above how a top-shelf plant can produce mid-tier flowers. In fact, it’s not always the easiest to avoid this from occurring, but it is much easier to prevent the quality from going lower. As a result, mids cannabis is widely available in many dispensaries and markets.
Cons
- Inconsistency in Potency: While easier to find, there are more not-so-honest companies selling mids, so always make sure your mids come with a certificate of analysis (COA).
- Limited Therapeutic Benefits: Those that need high THC for its therapeutic benefits may find limited benefits from mids.
- Potential for Harsher Smoke: While the less aromatic quality of mids doesn’t bother me, I definitely find they tend to produce a harsher smoke depending on the practices that led to the flower being a mid. You may need to shop around for a brand that only labels their mids “mids” due to lower potency and density that naturally occurs and not because they majorly messed up a growing practice.
Who Prefers Mids? A Look at Consumer Trends
Without a doubt, mids provide a great starting point for beginners. As well, they are often the casual user’s preferred choice thanks to their lower potency and less complex aroma that avoids cost-increasing nuances that only very experienced users can pick up. However, there are times when mids are a great option for anyone.
Mids are an excellent choice for social gatherings — especially if partaking with others who may have lower tolerances. They keep the conversions rolling and allow people to sober up more before leaving. While I highly advise against combining alcohol and cannabis, mids are definitely a preferred choice if you do. Combining cannabis and alcohol can lead to one feeling more intoxicated due to both drugs affecting cognitive function, coordination, and perception. As well, due to the way both are metabolized, there is a potential chance they can directly increase the potency of the other.
Mids – The Rational Choice for the Everyday Smoker
Great for beginners, casual users, and social situations, mids are an excellent option for many consumers — especially when you can get them from reputable brands. A good mid-shelf flower is simply less intense than top-shelf. Poor mid-shelf flower tends to grind up poorly in grinders, produce a harsher smoke/vape, and have a higher moisture content that puts it at greater risk of mold and mildew.
Nicholas McKenzie - Cannabis Research Specialist
Nicholas has spent the last ten years teaching gardeners, businesses, and enthusiasts how to succeed in the exciting and ever-changing world of cannabis. Whether he’s in the field getting his hands dirty or in the lab studying cannabinoids and their uses, Nicholas is passionate about bringing well-researched, factual, and concise information to an industry that very much needs it.
