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Are “Popcorn” Buds Worth it in Arkansas?

Updated: May 24, 2022



The Arkansas medical marijuana program is a comprehensive program that offers legal access to cannabis for patients registered for a medical marijuana card.


Arkansas dispensaries have a variety of products for patients to choose from, with flower, concentrates, and edibles all available in the Natural State.

Occasionally, you’ll be able to find discounts on medical marijuana in Arkansas, and in some cases, dispensaries will offer discounts for larger volume purchases.

One product that you’ll often find at a discount is popcorn buds, which are smaller, less visually appealing buds that are sold at a lower price. Popcorn buds typically come in 7g bags or jars and are usually sold in 7 gram or higher quantities.

In this article, we’ll cover whether popcorn buds are worth it in Arkansas, and if you should be looking to add them to your shopping list!

What is “Popcorn” Flower?

Popcorn Buds are Smaller, Less Desirable Buds, Often “Trim”

Popcorn buds, or popcorn flower, are larger quantities of undesirable cannabis that are usually sold at a discounted price.

Often, flower like this is sold as “shake”, “trim”, “popcorn”, “minis”, or “smalls”, and while the THC content, terpene profile, and cannabinoids should all be the same as regular flower, there are some things to look out for with popcorn buds.

Especially for cultivators that are trying to use as much leftover material as possible, popcorn nugs can often come with more stems and leaves than traditional flower because they are so much smaller in size, making them more difficult to remove.

More stems or leaves means less flower, and too many stems can heavily alter the taste of cannabis in a negative way.

Popcorn Flower is Usually Offered at a Discounted Price

Although the buds from popcorn flower might be considerably smaller, this may actually be beneficial to some medical marijuana patients.

In addition to the discount available on popcorn flower, smaller buds are also easier to break up or grind. In some cases, popcorn buds might not even need to be ground up to roll into blunts or hemp wraps, some buds are small enough to roll just how they come.

It’s important to make the distinction between actual cannabis trim and popcorn buds, though, because some cultivators may try to pass trim as popcorn flower due to their smaller bud size. If the buds are covered in excessive leafage and there are noticeable lengthy stems, the flower should likely be avoided regardless of whether they’re popcorn buds.

Should You Buy Popcorn Buds in Arkansas?

Real Products Vary, it’s a Toss Up

We tested a range of popcorn buds, and the results were pretty inconclusive.

For starters, there was almost no consistency between products, even from the same cultivators. While one bag of popcorn buds might contain somewhat larger, more attractive buds, other bags from the same cultivator had incredibly small buds and were riddled with stems.

Other cultivators were clearly using trim, or at the very least, flower that looked entirely undesirable.

At the same time, some of the popcorn buds were phenomenal, rivaling a regular 8th from the same brand, and really went the extra mile with quality. It’s entirely reasonable to assume this may just be inefficient quality control, after all, popcorn flower is relatively new to Arkansas.

Regardless, it’s tough to judge the quality because if you are lucky enough to get a good bag, there’s almost no reason not to reach for a bag of smalls flower, but if you’re unlucky…

Well, there’s a lot left to be desired.

Should You Try Popcorn Flower in Arkansas? Yes!

Ultimately, you can’t go wrong with trying out a few batches of popcorn buds. At the very worst you’ll have paid a little less for cannabis that didn’t quite meet the standards, but it’s a pretty good deal all things considered.

Especially if you manage to get a few good batches like we did, some of the popcorn buds were indistinguishable from the same strain in a regular 8th, which can run between $10 - $20 more per 3.5 grams.

We highly recommend trying out Cookies cannabis in their “smalls” category, and if possible, try a few bags. Some of their “smalls” flower was fantastic, while other bags had extremely tiny buds and too many stems, but the discount for 7-gram bags was too good to pass up.

Bold & NSM also offer popcorn buds, though it’s a bit tougher to get ahold of good quality popcorn buds from these two right now.

Popcorn buds are a great option for those on a budget or for patients looking to purchase larger quantities, though if you’re looking for AAA grade cannabis, you’ll need to leave the smalls off the table for now.

Become an Arkansas Marijuana Patient

Arkansas offers legal access to cannabis as a medicine for patients with qualifying conditions. To receive a medical marijuana card in Arkansas, you must first consult in-person with a physician who can recommend you a certification. And now, you can renew your medical marijuana card online from the comfort of your own home today!

Qualifying Arkansas patients can schedule an appointment to renew their medical marijuana card with one of our certified physicians and continue using medical marijuana as an alternative treatment.

We’re dedicated to helping patients every step of the way, feel free to give us a call at 844-249-8714, and we can answer your questions about getting medical marijuana in Arkansas.

Doctors Who Care. Relief You Can Trust.

Helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.

If you have any questions, call us at 844-249-8714, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!

Check out Arkansas Marijuana Card’s Blog to keep up to date on the latest medical marijuana news, tips, and information. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to join the medical marijuana conversation in Arkansas.

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