What Is Reggie Weed and Why You Should Stay Away

Reggie Watts? Reggie Bush? Reggie Couz? Reggie Jackson?

It would make sense that “Reggie Weed” might be named after someone famous. The Jack Herer strain is named after one of the world’s most influential marijuana activists. Charlotte’s Web and Rick Simpson Oil were named after patients who benefited from medical cannabis. And we don’t have to tell you who Snoop Dogg OG is named after.

The story behind Reggie weed is much more pedestrian. Reggie (or regs) only stands for “regular,” as in the quality of the marijuana bearing the name.

And even that name is misleading. You’d probably think that “regular” means middle-of-the-road — not primo, not schwag. That’s not the case.

OG stoners had a much more accurate name for Reggie weed: dirt weed. It’s the stuff you don’t smoke unless you have to.

But we’ll talk about it anyway.

Weed Terminology

It would be so much easier if the cannabis world could agree on a grading scale for weed, something like the “A,” “B” and “C” Board of Health scores you see posted when you walk into a restaurant.

In an industry that until recently wasn’t regulated in any way, that’s not a realistic expectation. Instead, we have the weed terminology that’s developed over the last few decades.

Let’s try to come up with a list of equivalents:

• A grade weed: High-quality, top-shelf, dank, chronic, kind bud, loud, fire.
• B-C grade weed: Medium-quality, mid-shelf, mids (short for middle), beaster.
• D-F grade weed: Reggie, regs, ditch weed, dirt weed, ditch weed, brick weed, schwag.

Every stoner community has its own variations, so they might not consider schwag as good as Reggie weed. And some of the names are normally used to describe a more specific quality; dank weed, for instance, usually has a potent smell in addition to its high quality.

But no one will ever confuse chronic or mids with Reggie weed.

Where Reggie Weed Comes From

There used to be a lot more regs around. To be honest, it’s probably what your parents smoked (if they smoked, of course).

Before the astronomical growth of the medical (and now recreational) cannabis market, weed was either raised surreptitiously or imported from countries like Mexico. That’s actually where the slang name “brick weed” came from; Pot was packed into the shape of bricks to be smuggled into America, and it was badly damaged in the process.

Those plants’ quality and their growing conditions were universally poor, leading to crops that were mostly mediocre-to-just-plain-bad. In two words: Reggie weed.

Things have changed. Legal producers can optimize conditions for their growth. Breeders can cultivate higher quality strains, with more and more THC content every year. And with so many users now able to comparison shop at dispensaries, they’re no longer “stuck” with whatever their dealers happen to be selling.

Then why is Reggie weed still on the market?

To start with, not everyone has access to a legal herb. Many people still have to buy what their dealer has in stock, and growing low-quality cannabis is much less expensive than growing legendary chronic.

Those who produce and sell regs usually don’t pay much attention to crucial factors like moisture, fertilizer, light, and temperature. They often just stick plants in the ground (most Reggie weed is grown outside), harvest whatever’s there when it’s ready, and sell it for whatever they can get. There’s also a good chance that Reggie weed comes from fertilized female plants, which produce low-quality crops.

There is one advantage to this low-end flower: it’s a lot cheaper than the top-shelf stuff. But if you have the budget and ability to shop critically for your weed — and don’t want to get stuck with Reggie weed — here’s how to know whether you should pass on what your dealer is selling.

Characteristics of Reggie Weed

So how will I know if I’m stuck with Reggie weed? Here are a few tips for grading your ‘fresh’ bag.

Appearance

One of the first things you should consider is the flower’s appearance. Regs are unlikely to be full of the sticky white trichomes that give weed its potency, flavor, and aroma. They also won’t show the vibrant green (or purple, or orange, or red) colors you’ll see on high-quality weed.

Regs will probably still be green, but it will be dark, dull green. It may even be brown or dull yellow. If there are a lot of seeds, that’s a hint to look somewhere else.

In short, if you don’t get excited by looking at it, it’s probably Reggie weed.

What It Smells Like

A cool thing about weed is the number of different aromas it can have. Reggie weed, though, usually smells bad. It may have a chemical aroma, it may smell like dirt, it may have a “musty” scent like someone just pulled it out of their grandmother’s closet, or it may smell nothing like pot at all.

What It Feels Like

Just as important is what regs don’t feel like. They won’t be sticky with resin, they won’t have dense buds, and they won’t “bounce back” when you squeeze them. Instead, they will feel dry, and will often crumble or break when you touch them.

What It’s Like to Smoke

If some Reggie weed managed to pass your examination, or you didn’t get a chance to check it before a friend packed the pipe, here’s what to expect.

Some people don’t feel much of anything, while others still can get high from regs. But it won’t be a strong high and it won’t last long. This weed isn’t bred for quality or high-THC content, so as the cliché says, you get what you pay for. Caution: low-THC doesn’t always mean high CBD, so it’s not likely to provide much medicinal benefit either.

Reggie weed also won’t have the distinctive flavor of a high-end, well-cultivated strain. It may taste more like dirt, grass (the real stuff that’s in your lawn), or plants, or it may taste like nothing at all.

Why Would Anyone Buy Reggie Weed?

We’ve already mentioned the three most common reasons for resorting to regs.

• You’re throwing a big party and want to save money on the “party favors.”
• It’s all you can afford.
• It’s all your dealer has.

There’s one more reason that weed snobs suggest: it’s a good “starting point” for those who are new to smoking up. That doesn’t make sense to us. Why would anyone want to start with a flower that makes them say “Ugh! Fine, I’ve tried it and I don’t like it!”

Unless you have no other option, the only thing Reggie weed is good for is a punch line — in the stories OG stoners tell about what they smoked in the “good old days.”

What is Reggie Weed: FAQ

Q: Is there any other reason to avoid Reggie weed aside from its poor quality?
A: There are several. Many smokers find that it gives them a headache. And whenever you purchase cheap weed on the street, the risk increases that the bud will be moldy or contaminated with pesticides.

Q: Do you have to check the flower you buy at a dispensary to make sure it’s not Reggie weed?
A: You shouldn’t have to. Dispensaries are state-regulated, and they rarely resort to selling low-end schwag. You may find mids at your local store, but regs are the province of street dealers.