Why are hand-trimmed cannabis flowers better than machine-trimmed flowers?

One way to measure the quality of what you ingest is to determine how well your cannabis has been trimmed. Medical marijuana must be properly grown, cared for and processed before consumption. If these steps have been followed, it should be a good sign that the cannabis flowers are of high standards. But is there a difference between flowers that have been trimmed by hand and those that have been trimmed by machine? The answer is clear. Here are three reasons why you should rebel against the machine.

Machine-trimmed cannabis flowers can affect yield, potency and taste

Many growers and bulk processors of cannabis have opted for shortcuts to meet the increasing demand for their product. The biggest shortcut is the use of a trimming machine. Cannabis connoisseurs can immediately tell from a handful of nugs whether they have been trimmed by machine or by hand. But how is this possible?

The answer is simple: machine-trimmed flowers almost always look the same and are usually shaped like a small pine tree. The end result is terrible, not only for yield but especially for potency and taste. The machines trim too much off each nug because they treat them all as one standard size and shape. Unfortunately, this method also cuts away the much-needed trichomes that contain many of the properties the plant was originally grown for.

Although they are all classified as cannabis, each variety is inherently different in size, shape and structure. Trimming machines are not able to assess these differences between varieties. More importantly, these machines cannot distinguish which nuggets are coated with crystallised resin. Basically, the machines take away all the love and hard work that growers have put into the individual varieties and limit the effect for which the plants were originally grown.

Professional trimmers know how to handle the cannabis flowers properly and carefully

To ensure that each cannabis varieties stays true to its origins, they all need to be treated with individual attention and care. Cannabis does not need the roar of engines and the hum of moving blades, but the skilled eye and steady hands of a trained professional.

To successfully process thousands of individual nugs by hand requires a certain level of training, concentration and experience to ensure the appropriate handling and processing of cannabis. Professional trimmers need to know how to hold the nug itself to maintain the integrity of the mould and not scramble the crystallised resin. They also need to be able to immediately assess how much pressure to apply to the nug with their scissors.

Most importantly, a true professional trimmer knows what to trim and what not to trim. Different cannabis varieties secrete their THC-containing natural resin in different areas of the cannabis plant at different densities. Only the trained eye of a professional will know how to trim the flowers properly to get the best possible product.

Hand trimming creates jobs and standardisation without compromising quality

With the increasing automation of the marijuana industry, it is imperative that we as consumers hold our growers and producers to a higher standard. Seeing how well a nug is trimmed is the quickest way to judge the quality of your cannabis.

Trimming is slowly becoming the face of change in the medical marijuana industry, with trimming companies creating jobs, providing honest work, and offering training and education to make more informed patients. Professionally trained trimmers are raising the bar and setting new standards to ensure cannabis is handled with proper care and that patients and consumers alike get the most out of each and every nug.

A hand-trimmed nug is the essence of care and appreciation for an industry that cannot forget where it came from and who it serves, regardless of how far it has come. As the cannabis industry continues to make waves at an unprecedented pace, it is crucial for us to preserve the processes that treat plants with the respect and care they deserve.

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