You may or may not have heard of the term “Reggie weed” on your travels. For reference, it’s pronounced “reg” as in, ‘short for regular’, and not “reg” as in, short for ‘Reginald’. And it’s ‘Reggie’ as in ‘leggy’, so it’s not to be pronounced “reggae”. Glad we could clear that up. Anyway, there is a bit of a debate over what Reggie weed is and whether or not you should be smoking Reggie. We’re here to answer both questions and shed some light on the subject.
What Is Reggie Weed?
In some circles, Reggie weed refers to good-old ‘regular’ weed. It’s certainly not good, but there’s a very high chance it’s old. Maybe at some time in your stoner journey, you’ve been handed a bag of seriously subpar smoke; you know the kind – brown, stubby, dry-looking and devoid of the pleasant terpene-laden smell that turns your eyes red at first sniff. That’s Reggie weed, and it is not what you want. If you only read this much of the article, your main takeaway should be that smoking Reggie is a no-go.
If you're new to the term 'Reggie weed', it'll be reassuring to know that unless you're a complete newbie who has never encountered any sort of cannabis before, Reggie weed is pretty easy to detect. Good weed is green, maybe with some flecks of vibrant colour through it – oranges, purples – you know the deal. It’s frosty, ideally pretty dank-scented, and if the cultivator knows their onions, you can smell those killer terpenes, too. Reggie weed, on the other hand, is brown or yellow, dry, and lacks any pleasant scent. It will be devoid of resin and overly loose, airy, and shrivelled in appearance.
Rather than the finest buds grown with patience and tender, loving care, Reggie weed is most likely a quick flip by someone looking to make a fast buck or a botched grow that the grower refused to throw away. But throw away they should, and so should you. You see, when you smoke Reggie weed, you truthfully have no idea just what you’re inhaling. Your lungs will not thank you.
Can You Get High On Reggie Weed?
As with all cannabis, it comes down to your tolerance level. A relative newcomer (think: grandma) may get something of a buzz from Reggie, but if you’re a smoker of any stripe, you will struggle to get anything more than a bad cough and a sore head. That said, some people get on fine with Reggie and, dare we say, prefer it for its low potency.
Then there’s the old adage “any old port in a storm” – if times are hard and it’s the only thing you can get your hands on, you may be tempted just to roll up a Reggie and get something resembling a buzz. But you probably shouldn’t.
Why Smoking Reggie Is Bad
Going back to the earlier point about Reggie potentially being a botched grow that the grower refused to throw away, there are a few things to unpack in that situation that will perfectly illustrate why you should take a completely different kind of pass when it comes to Reggie weed.
First, when you inspect a bag of Reggie weed, you’ll see that the colour is far from any lush green. It’s likely to be brown, and in case you don’t know what brown buds indicate, here’s a quick list which should put you off Reggie weed in a hurry:
Mold
Brown buds can denote that cannabis is riddled with mold. Take a quick smell test to see what you’re dealing with. Reggie weed does not pack the sumptuous terpene profile of high-quality cannabis. There’ll be barely a trace of lemons, spices, floral notes or any of the beautiful fuel-like aromas you’d expect from a good batch of weed. Instead, you’ll either find a faint smell of old lawn clippings or, if it is moldy, there will be a scent akin to cat urine. No, thank you.
Old
Brown buds don’t always spell mold, but you should always inspect for it. A bag of brown nugs can also indicate that you have some ancient cannabis on your hands. It might not be moldy, but it sure ain’t fresh. When cannabis reaches a certain age, it goes through oxidization, which causes colour change. It’s a plant, after all, and brown plants tend to be old, lifeless plants. Smoking brown weed will be extremely harsh on the lungs and low in potency.
Shouldn't Be Sold
The brown can also indicate that the plants died before harvest. As discussed, rather than chalk it up to bad luck (or most likely lousy practice), the cultivator decided to cheekily cash in regardless. The reasons for avoiding smoking Reggie weed don’t stop there. If this results from careless growing (and let’s face it, how can you tell if it’s not?), there’s every chance the cultivator didn’t bother to flush the plants, either. This means you’re inhaling harsh chemicals that shouldn’t be anywhere near your lungs.
An inexperienced or out-of-practice pothead will likely endure a coughing fit from good quality product, but if you find yourself coughing, hacking, wheezing, and spluttering after one draw of Reggie weed, it’s because it’s severely low-grade cannabis that’s honestly not fit for consumption. Ask yourself – is it worth the lung damage for such a small amount of THC?
Hint: the answer is always ‘no’.
Reggie weed also typically contains seeds and stalks – a sure indicator of a highly unprofessional operation. Nobody wants to see that, and separating everything into ‘smokeable’ and ‘non-smokeable’ piles is a chore that’s really not worth the trouble. Make one pile – ‘non-smokeable’ – and carry it straight to the trash.
Smoking Reggie Weed: Conclusion
If you're luck enough to be a cultivator of your own 'erb, you shouldn't find yourself anywhere near Reggie weed. If you're not a cultivator, and you're struggling for a hook-up - maybe your favorite dispensary closed down or you're out of town for a few days, or stranded somehwere and in dire need of a smoke - you may find yourself in the unenviable position of being offered some reggie weed. Now that you know exacty what it is, you can confidently assert that you will not be smoking Reggie. Health comes first, and only the best bud should be anywhere near your lungs. Always buy your seeds from a trusted seed bank like Seedsman.
