There’s a large variety of options when choosing the right weed for you. You’ve got the low-grade schwag that no one wants; the top shelf dank that breeds somewhat of a elitist culture, and then you have the middle ground, where most consumers call home: the medium-tier mids. 

What are mids?

Mids are the middle of the road weed that look and smell good, tastes alright, but the effects leave a little bit to be desired in how hard they punch. Still, mids are a great bang for your buck, and the place most cannabis consumers live, despite the commercialized standards of “oh my God, you only smoke the best or don’t smoke at all.”

Who smokes mids?

Everyone smokes mids. If you’re out and catch a party joint, it’s probably going to be a mid. People keep their fire at home to themselves. It’s too expensive not to.

Mids tend to be the most cost-effective way of purchasing cannabis. Unlike schwag, mids are actually pretty good weed. As you become experienced with cannabis, most people move up to dank because their tolerance becomes so high that you’ll need a level of potency that can match. From there, once you go to the top of the mountain, people never really come down, and that’s where the elitism stems. But we all had a mids phase at some point. 

What do mids look and smell like?

The difference between schwag vs mids and top shelf comes down: look, smell, feel, taste, effects, and experience. Schwag just straight up sucks, man. When you compare mids and top shelf, however, the gap tends to be a lot closer.

Mids can look pretty good. Top shelf weed is lauded for having big nugs with vibrant colors and loud aromas. The buds usually have a thick coat of trichomes too, but even with all of these qualifiers, mids still aren’t that far off. Whether it’s mid or top shelf, when fresh, the cannabis strains that produce fluffy buds still have their customary orange hairs all over, and a sticky resin touch. The same is true for those strains with a thick bud structure and an array of different colors. And on the nose, they’ll still smell like whichever dominant aroma tends to come from the specific strain you’re smoking. The difference between mids and top shelf will be in the trichomes, where in mids they are typically less prevalent. 

How do mids taste and feel?     

On the taste side, mids are a coin toss when it comes to flavor. You either get some weed where the aroma translates directly to the smoke, or you get some weed that smells good but then the smoke is empty and flat without flavor. If the former, you’ve found a diamond in the rough, and should hold it close because you never know when those will go out of stock. Mids tend to come from smaller farms that don’t push out products as often as the big dogs.

As far as feelings go, the effects of mids can also be hit or miss. Sometimes you crack open a jar that only costs $30 an 8th but the smell and flavor slap, and the effects get you stoned as hell. Other times, you get some bud that gets you high enough to say “well, yeah, I’m high” but it doesn’t pack a punch worth sharing with anyone you love. 

Are mids good or bad?

Truthfully, if you’re rolling some party joints for a group session, then you should grab some mids because eventually everyone will be so stoned that no one will know the difference. Mids are also a great call for edibles, or any other form of consumption where it’s more about the isolated chemical components, and not the full plant experience.

If you’re a budget-conscious consumer, you’ll typically start by buying mids and over time you’ll find the growers that produce fire weed for the low. Then you’ll laugh at all of us paying $50 for an 8th for weed that sometimes doesn’t really punch either.

If you’re a veteran smoker that can only smoke top shelf, whenever you smoke a mid you’ll probably think, “yeah, I feel it, but I know I could be way higher, so this is some garb.” And it’s true. There are multiple times where I’ve forfeited flavor and effects for price, only to realize that I should’ve just gone with what I already know and love. Like most things in life, it all comes down to personal preference.