THCA Small Buds

Small buds are whole flower that grew lower on the plant, where there was less light, so they finished smaller and denser. Same plants, same harvest, same cure, same batch testing as the full size buds. They are graded by size, not by quality, and that is the whole reason they cost less.

28g to 1 LBFour weights
Whole budsNot shake or trim
BatchLab tested
<0.3%Delta-9 THC

The short version

  • Smalls are graded by size, not by quality. Same plant, same batch, same testing as the full size flower.
  • Once it is ground, the difference largely disappears. What you give up is how it looks in the jar.
  • Four weights, from an ounce up to a full pound.
  • The cultivation label matters more than the strain name. It is written next to every strain on the listing.
  • USA grown, lab tested by batch, hemp compliant under the 2018 Farm Bill.

What makes a bud a small

A cannabis plant does not produce one uniform bud. The flower nearest the top gets the most light and grows the largest. Everything lower down gets less, so it finishes smaller and tighter.

Those lower buds are the smalls. They came off the same plant on the same day, went through the same cure, and were tested in the same batch. Nothing about them is a lower grade of product. They are simply a smaller size of it.

Once ground, most of the difference goes. What you are giving up is the look of a jar of large flower, and that look is most of what you pay for when you buy full size.

Smalls are not shake and they are not trim

This is the thing worth being clear about, because all three get sold in bulk and the prices look similar. Shake is the loose material that falls off during handling. Trim is the leaf cut away from the bud. Smalls are whole, intact buds. If a listing anywhere is vague about which of the three it is selling, that vagueness is the answer.

Smalls and mediums

Some strains on the listing are marked [Mediums]. Mediums sit between smalls and full size. Same plant, same batch, same testing, slightly larger bud.

If you are grinding, the distinction barely matters. If you want the jar to look fuller, mediums do that for a little more.

Read the cultivation label, not the strain name

Every strain on the listing carries how it was grown, in brackets after the name. That label tells you more about what turns up than the strain name does.

The cultivation labels currently on this listing.
Label How it was grown What to expect
Light Dep Grown using sunlight with the light cycle controlled by covering the crop Sun grown, harvested on a managed schedule. The value end
Light Assist A greenhouse using sunlight with supplementary lighting added The extra light usually means denser, tighter buds
Indoor Grown entirely under lights, in a fully controlled room The most consistent and the most expensive to produce

Strains rotate as harvests come in, and so do the labels against them. The selector on the listing above is the live record of what is in stock and how it was grown.

The four weights

What each weight works out as in grams.
Weight Grams
28 grams An ounce
1/4 LB 112 grams
1/2 LB 225 grams
1 LB 450 grams

Cost per gram falls as the weight rises, and most of that drop arrives early. The step from an ounce to a quarter pound usually saves more per gram than the step from a half pound to a pound.

One thing to watch when you compare. Price varies by strain as well as by weight on this listing, so an ounce of one strain and an ounce of another are not the same price. Compare cost per gram within a single strain, not across two. Take the price of the pack, divide by the grams, and the number you get is the only one that means anything.

Buy the weight you will actually finish

The most common complaint about buying in bulk is that it dries out before it is used, and that one is avoidable.

Flower degrades through exposure to air, warmth and light. A sealed pound in a cool dark cupboard holds for months. The same pound opened daily on a kitchen counter does not.

If you are buying a pound, break it down when it arrives. Portion it into smaller airtight jars, glass rather than plastic, add a humidity pack rated 58 to 62 percent to each, and open only the jar you are working through.

Buying smalls for the first time

Take a quarter pound of one strain rather than a pound of something you have not tried. Most of the saving per gram is already there at a quarter, and you will finish it while it is still at its best.

Where smalls sit against the rest of the Kingdom

Smalls are the middle of the range on price. Below them sits clearance flower, which is where the lowest cost per gram on the site lives. Above them sit the full size indoor and exotic and greenhouse collections.

If you would rather not grind at all, the pre-rolls are rolled with indoor flower and come ready to use.

Frequently asked questions

What are THCA small buds?

Whole flower that grew lower on the plant where there was less light, so it finished smaller and denser. Same plant, same harvest, same cure and same batch lab testing as the full size buds. They are graded by size rather than by quality.

Are small buds shake or trim?

No. Shake is the loose material that falls off during handling, and trim is the leaf cut away from the bud. Smalls are whole, intact buds. They are just smaller.

How do smalls compare to full size buds?

Once ground, very little difference. Before grinding, full size buds look better in the jar. That difference in appearance is most of what you pay for when you buy full size.

What is the difference between smalls and mediums?

Size, and nothing else. Mediums sit between smalls and full size buds. Same plant, same batch, same testing. Some strains on the listing are marked as mediums.

What weights can I buy?

Four. 28 grams, a quarter pound at 112 grams, a half pound at 225 grams and a full pound at 450 grams. Not every strain is available in every weight at any given moment, so the selector on the listing above shows what can be ordered right now.

What do the cultivation labels mean?

Light Dep is grown using sunlight with the light cycle controlled by covering the crop. Light Assist is a greenhouse using sunlight with supplementary lighting added, which usually means denser buds. Indoor is grown entirely under lights in a controlled room. The labels on the listing change as harvests come in.

Is a bigger weight cheaper per gram?

Yes, and most of the saving arrives early. The step from an ounce to a quarter pound usually saves more per gram than the step from a half pound to a pound. Compare within one strain though, because prices differ by strain as well as by weight.

How should I store a bulk order?

Break it down on arrival into smaller airtight jars, glass rather than plastic, with a 58 to 62 percent humidity pack in each. Keep them cool and dark and open only the one you are using.

Are THCA small buds hemp compliant?

Yes. Everything THCA King sells is hemp grown under the 2018 Farm Bill and contains no more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC. Every batch is lab tested and the results are published on the Certificates of Analysis page.

Will THCA small buds show up on a drug test?

Assume yes. Standard tests look for THC metabolites and do not distinguish hemp derived from anything else. If you are tested for work or any other reason, do not use it.

All THCA King products are hemp derived and compliant with the 2018 Farm Bill, containing no more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC. Lab results for every batch are available on the Certificates of Analysis page.

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