How exact can you realistically be when asking for budtender advice?

[HighTonePlaces]

Hello all, and thanks for having me.

I have smoked a lot over the years but, thanks to living under the smoke-what-you-can-get prohibition of the UK, I actually know very little.

When I visited Amsterdam a few times in my younger days I was too puppy-like to really care about being overly discerning about my smoke choices. Super skunk and I was happy.

I'm going to The Hague (probably) in a few months and I plan on going to a few coffeeshops - Cremers, Dizzy Duck, Freak Bros... but what I want to know is how exact can I be about the kind of weed experience I want when asking the budtenders advice?

Can I say I am after a bright, creative, daytime sativa-ish smoke which also limits anxiety and the munchies? And also an Indica-ish smoke for bedtime, full of interesting thoughts and relaxation?

Or is that too precise?

Do budtenders generally respond to questions like that or should I just try my best to research it before I go and know what I want when I walk in?

Please help a poor old novice.

[Marduk]

Most likely too precise for most shops/budtenders. NL-Coffeshops aren't medical marijuana dispensaries. They are basically tolerated dealers who sell black market product to tourists and locals who just want to get stoned.


You can be happy if you get a budtender that knows more about his product than a rough guesstimate of "inidca=more of a stone, sativa=more of a high".
That's one of the main reasons (besides bud-quality) that shops like "Utopia" or "Paradox" are favoured here, because the people behind the counter usually have at least some knowledge of what they are selling and can try to point you into certain directions.

That being said, different strains work different for different people. There are several reasons for that.

[TwoCanucks]

actually I don't think it is too much to ask a budtender for a daytime sativa or hyrid that wont cause anxiety but is uplifting...that should be day one budtender knowledge. as for a nighttime indica, id think almost any budtender in a half decent establishment will just show you the top end indica. ive asked these questions many times, its really hit or miss, but for the most part ive been given sound advice in Amsterdam. absolutely you wont get the same attention to detail as a dispensary, but cant have 6-12 strains on a menu and not be able to answer those two questions, even my old dealer could

[Marduk]

that should be day one budtender knowledge.

Well, "should"...
Even in Voyagers one of the budtenders once couldn't answer some similar questions of mine. He could discern between stronger/weaker and indica/sativa and that was all he was able or willing to tell me. His answer to my specific request was basically "Take one of the weaker Indicas". Duh!

Never been to The Hague. Maybe it's different there.
In my experience, you have to find out for yourself which strains tend to do what. In general and esp. to you. So informing yourself beforehands PLUS asking the budtender PLUS buying a small quantity (0.5g or so) to smoke a testjoint.

i.e. I know I basically love Chocolope for it's summerlike, happy/sunny high. So I will try to find one in a trusted shop, ask the budtender about the batch's quality and test it. The effects will vary, but they tend to be in some range of typical Chocolpe effects.

But with every modern strain having dozens of phenotypes, it really gets hard to keep track or a definite answer.

[HighTonePlaces]

Thanks folks.

I had a feeling it would not be straightforward, but you have given me an insight into common experiences, which is what I was after.

It seems like the best bet is to arm myself with as much info as I can and then just give it a go. If I happen upon a budtender with a good knowledge base, fantastic, and if not I'll be able to ask a few questions and make an educated guess.

What I have been thinking about doing before I go is having a look at the most recent menus for the shops that'll be nearby, and then researching the strains to find out what could be suitable. Then later, with a good idea of what it all means I can ask about the batch quality on the spot.

It would be interesting to know if anybody has come across knowledgeable budtenders in The Hague who can make reccommendations like these.


Marduk - is it fair to say that if I was to venture up to Amsterdam that I could get some good, knowledgable advice from Utopia and Paradox? Or do you think it is still too much to expect even there?

[OneHighMofo]

I think Marduk hit the nail on the head here. strains work differently in individuals. That's as far as the answer to the question can go to my mind.

My advice would not to get bogged down in the unhelpfully simplified and scientifically incorrect sativa vs indica nonsense and ask your budtender for the effects you're seeking. It will be hit and miss - for reasons stated above and by others in this thread but could give you a steer in the right direction.

Have fun and report back please - we love a good travelogue

[Kermit]

Over the years I have grown not to trust the tenders advice, a lot point to the top end all the time, I like to ask them what they are smoking and believe it or not I have had two tenders after telling me the shits bangin say they don't smoke???? Wtf get from behind the counter seriously. (Crush/Carmona)

Tbh apart from voyagers and utopia I wouldn't even ask.

[HighTonePlaces]

Thanks chaps.

OHM - yeah, I do tend to overthink stuff a bit to be honest (drives my wife nuts ). It seems pretty impossible, from what you and Marduk have to say, to have any precise idea of how strains are going to work individually with me. Believe it or not, I've only just looked into the whole indica/sativa thing, despite years of smoking, so they are just vague indicators for me rather than having any solid, empirical experience to tie them to. So if I approach it armed with a bit of info, don't stay too wedded to the concepts, and accept it'll be hit and miss it should be fine. Aaah, a travelogue, now that could be interesting... The Clueless Guide to The Hage Top idea my friend!

Kermit - newbie question... a lot point to the top end all the time What do you mean by the top end? Most potent? Because I do know I like to top up regularly as I love the act/ritual of smoking (which will now be vaping), so I am guessing medium strengths will suit me better, but I accept that will also be ballpark. Asking them what they smoke and why, that seems like a good idea, so simple but I hadn't thought of it. And that's also another vote for Utopia if I should head that way. Good to know.

I'll definitely ask the questions and see how it goes and hopefully my experiences will fall into the realm of TwoCanucks post.

[OneHighMofo]

Well you'd easily be forgiven for mistakenly thinking that there's impirical evidence behind the sativa/indica debacle the way people talk about it. Unfortunately there seems to be an army of 'experts' in the cannabis community that believe repeating hearsay is the way to forge oneself a favourable reputation. No surprise that they often tend to be marketing a cannabis related product - I see a pattern.


Apologies kermit for speaking for you - but The top end I believe he's referring to is the price point - and he is indeed correct. They do that all the time. Bastards.
There are often plenty of diamond ladies at the bottom end of the price bracket dependent on your tastes. In my opinion a decent amnesia or super silver haze is an almost sure fire bet for transfer of nose to palette which is always the main criteria of my judgement on 'quality'. You can pick those up for around the €10 mark or less.

Echoing others advice - if you want honest advice from a bud tender. Ingi at utopia is the right lady to talk to.

[HighTonePlaces]

Well you'd easily be forgiven for mistakenly thinking that there's impirical evidence behind the sativa/indica debacle the way people talk about it. Unfortunately there seems to be an army of 'experts' in the cannabis community that believe repeating hearsay is the way to forge oneself a favourable reputation. No surprise that they often tend to be marketing a cannabis related product - I see a pattern.


Apologies kermit for speaking for you - but The top end I believe he's referring to is the price point - and he is indeed correct. They do that all the time. Bastards.
There are often plenty of diamond ladies at the bottom end of the price bracket dependent on your tastes. In my opinion a decent amnesia or super silver haze is an almost sure fire bet for transfer of nose to palette which is always the main criteria of my judgement on 'quality'. You can pick those up for around the €10 mark or less.

Echoing others advice - if you want honest advice from a bud tender. Ingi at utopia is the right lady to talk to.

Many thanks, much food for thought. Top end of course, seems so obvious now. I've had a quick look on Leafly and amnesia and super silver haze certainly seem to offer what I'm after in a daytime smoke, as does Marduk's Chocolope.

[True Playa]

Most budtenders don't give a shit, most know very little and most will just advise you to buy whatever it is they need to sell. My advice to you is to look at examples, familiarise yourself with genetics and don't reply on someone else to choose for you.

[redeyezman]

My advice to my self for my "to be grand return"

1. Get hashes instead of indicas.
2. Ask to see their sativa strains, if to busy or to annoyed to let you compare buds for yourself, just leave.
3. Name of shop means nothing. Service means everything.


SSH was my top smoke. Shoulda got a nice hash to offset it tho. Next time...

[HighTonePlaces]

Most budtenders don't give a shit, most know very little and most will just advise you to buy whatever it is they need to sell. My advice to you is to look at examples, familiarise yourself with genetics and don't reply on someone else to choose for you.

Thanks True Playa. It's a real shame that budtenders don't generally seem to give much of a service. I suppose I had a vision of a load of obsessive, knowledgeable enthusiasts who were happy to be working in the area they loved and were keen to pass on experience and knowledge. There was a certain idealistic comfort in that naivety . But at least I now know what to expect.

I have read a little about genetics, and I get that each plant is the product of inherent and environmental variables. I understand that plants have a sort of spectrum of possibility regarding the characteristics they will eventually display, rather than a definitive, fixed point they will all head for like clones.

What I don't get is how that will help me when I'm looking at a coffeeshop menu. It seems that, until I make a choice, buy some weed, test it for myself and see how it works with me, I'll be a bit in the dark. The only thing that can throw a little, generalised light into that dark is researching some strains and the advice of others. I don't want others to choose for me, I just want some ideas and opinions to help me make an informed choice.

[HighTonePlaces]

My advice to my self for my "to be grand return"

1. Get hashes instead of indicas.
2. Ask to see their sativa strains, if to busy or to annoyed to let you compare buds for yourself, just leave.
3. Name of shop means nothing. Service means everything.


SSH was my top smoke. Shoulda got a nice hash to offset it tho. Next time...

I'm a bit wary of hash as I'll be using a portable vaporizer (probably a Flowermate) and they seem more suited to weed, less messy/cloggy. Did the indicas you tried not hit the right spot?

I've got to admit that I've got a low threshold for crap customer service. If I can be pleasant and friendly then it shouldn't be too hard for the retailer to roughly manage the same. I've seen too much bad service in guitar shops over the years.

What should I be looking for when comparing the buds? Sorry if that's a massively complex question. I had this down as my next area of research so a nudge in the right direction would be much appreciated. Many thanks redeyezman.

[Vapors]

Download an app called leafy, it will help with genetics and effects to a certain degree. As others have said, different people will have different effects.