What determines the potency of different strains? I was on one site and they have the THC % listed, but I am not sure if it is only that. What are some of the high potency strains?
This is a common question. It allllllll depends on the best grower/grow room, not the strain. Though genetics do help.
See, I read in several places that growing had 10% to do with it and 90% was the strain and then other places say the exact opposite. I saw on one of the seed sites that gives the contents of THC and other factors per brand name, so it must have something to do with it.
THC seems to be the biggest selling point, coz that's what all the seed banks advertise. That said, there are a large number of other cannabinoids which also have physical and psychoactive effects. Personally I've not come accross any sort of reliable info on anything other than THC and CBD. Best thing to ask yourself is: do I like couchlock or head high? If it's the former go for an indica, and if the latter try a sativa or an indica/sativa mix. I personally selected AK48 which is an indica.sativa mix with mostly indica traits. According to Attitude seeds it has a whopping 22% THC content, short flowering height and time, high yield and is pretty noob friendly. I know I didn't answer ur question, but hope I helped in some way. Take it easy dude.
That is a very complicated question that doesn't really have a concrete answer. The effect of any given bud can be wide ranging when trying to compare one person's experience to another. For example, I grow some strains in my garden that I personally have no interest in smoking. But certain patients love them. So, the difference is really based on the brain chemistry of the user. The main psychoactive component is THC, but it is not the only one. Other cannabinoids interact with each other in unknown ways. Also, terpenes, flavonoids, etc. interact in unknown ways to produce different effects. For example, you can smoke two strains that have the same THC and CBD content, and get considerably different highs. So, these other cannabinoids and molecules probably account for this. With the eighty some cannabinoids identified, and all the terpenes, flavonoids, and other molecules interacting, you can see that there are infinite combinations that can result in different highs. As far as breeders stamping THC percentage on a seed pack... this is a marketing ploy. Because this substance is not regulated by any quality control mechanisms, breeders can make any claims they want too. It is just like the "herbal supplements" that are not regulated by the FDA. They can say whatever they want. Caveat Emptor. I don't know anyone who took Extenz and woke up with huge cock. Yet, some football coach is on TV telling me to buy this shit. I digress. Genetics are just as important, if not more so, than the growing environment. You can stick a hemp plant in the best grow room in the country, and it will still be hemp. I've learned which strains I like through trial and error. That is pretty much the only way to do it.