If you've spent any time around cannabis enthusiasts, you've probably heard someone say:
"You have to try craft flower."
On the other hand, plenty of people swear by products from larger cultivation facilities because they're consistent, easy to find, and deliver exactly what they expect every time.
So who's right?
Honestly... both.
Great cannabis can come from a state-of-the-art facility, and great cannabis can come from a small craft grower. The difference isn't simply about size. It's about what the grower is trying to achieve.
At 710.co.za, we love good cannabis. But there's a reason so many enthusiasts get excited when they hear the words small batch, craft, or artisan.
Let's explain why.
Think About Biltong
The easiest way to understand it has nothing to do with cannabis.
It has everything to do with biltong.
Walk into a supermarket and grab a packet off the shelf.
It's good.
It's consistent.
Every packet tastes pretty much the same because it's made to be produced in large quantities, packaged, transported, stored, and sold across countless stores.
Now stop at your favourite butcher.
The biltong hanging there is often made in much smaller batches. The butcher chooses the meat, tweaks the spice mix, keeps an eye on the drying process, and knows exactly when it's ready.
Both will satisfy your craving.
But if quality is the only thing you're judging, most biltong lovers already know which one they're reaching for.
Cannabis works in much the same way.
Big Grows Have a Different Goal
Growing thousands of plants isn't easy.
Large cultivation facilities are incredibly impressive operations. They're designed to produce clean, reliable cannabis on a scale that keeps dispensaries stocked and consumers happy.
Their priorities usually include:
- Consistency
- Efficiency
- Reliable harvests
- Predictable quality
- Scalable production
That means standardised growing conditions, planned harvest schedules, streamlined drying, and processes that can be repeated over and over.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
In fact, some commercial facilities produce fantastic flower.
Without them, quality cannabis wouldn't be nearly as accessible.
Why People Love Craft Cannabis
Now imagine the grower only has a few hundred plants instead of several thousand.
Everything changes.
With fewer plants comes more time.
More time to inspect every cultivar.
More time to notice subtle differences.
More time to wait another day or two before harvesting because one cultivar isn't quite ready yet.
Growing cannabis isn't like baking cookies.
Every cultivar behaves differently.
Some mature faster.
Some produce more resin.
Some need longer curing before they really start showing off what they're capable of.
When you're working on a smaller scale, it's easier to make those adjustments.
That's where craft growers often shine.
Not because they're magically better growers.
Because they have the freedom to obsess over the little details.
Small Details Make a Big Difference
Here's something you'll notice after opening enough jars.
Cannabis isn't just about how it looks.
It's about what happens the second you crack that seal.
Does the room instantly fill with citrus?
Can you smell sweet berries before the flower even leaves the jar?
Does that unmistakable gassy funk make you grin before you've even rolled one?
That's terpene preservation.
And it's something craft growers often spend a lot of time protecting.
Slower drying.
Longer curing.
Gentler handling.
Hand trimming instead of machines.
None of these things automatically create better cannabis.
But together, they often help preserve what made that cultivar special in the first place.
Around the 710 office, we've opened enough jars over the years to know that the flowers people remember usually aren't the ones with the biggest THC number.
They're the ones you can't stop smelling.
THC Isn't the Whole Story
If you've ever bought cannabis based purely on THC percentage, you're not alone.
Almost everyone has.
But after a while, most enthusiasts start paying attention to something else.
Terpenes.
Terpenes are the compounds responsible for the flavours and aromas found in cannabis.
They're why one cultivar smells like fresh lemons while another reminds you of blueberries, diesel, pine forests, or old-school skunk.
They're also surprisingly fragile.
Rush the drying process.
Handle the flower too much.
Store it poorly.
Leave it sitting around for months.
Those beautiful aromas slowly disappear.
That's one reason craft growers often receive so much praise.
They're usually chasing flavour just as much as potency.
The Same Goes for Live Rosin
If flower is the canvas, live rosin is the painting.
Live rosin has nowhere to hide.
There are no added flavourings.
No botanical terpenes.
No shortcuts.
What you taste comes directly from the flower that went into it.
That's why people who make solventless extracts are often incredibly picky about the material they use.
Many craft producers will:
- Freeze fresh flower immediately after harvest.
- Wash smaller batches.
- Separate different micron ranges.
- Press each cultivar differently.
- Prioritise flavour over maximum yield.
It's slower.
Sometimes it's less profitable.
But the end result often speaks for itself.
One dab can tell you everything you need to know about the quality of the starting material.
Bigger Doesn't Always Mean Better Value
Here's another misconception.
People often assume that products from large facilities should always be cheaper.
That's not necessarily true.
Let's go back to the biltong.
That supermarket packet didn't magically appear on the shelf.
It passed through producers, distributors, warehouses, transport companies, retailers, marketing departments, and plenty of other hands before reaching you.
Every stop along the way adds cost.
Now think about buying biltong directly from the butcher who made it.
There are fewer middlemen.
Less logistics.
Less warehousing.
Often less overhead between the person making it and the person buying it.
Cannabis can work exactly the same way.
Large facilities have enormous operating costs.
Huge grow rooms.
Climate control.
Compliance.
Staff.
Packaging.
Distribution.
Warehousing.
Retail markups.
All of those costs become part of the final shelf price.
Craft growers and small-batch extractors often operate with smaller teams and shorter supply chains. When products move closer to directly from the source to the consumer, more of the money can go into producing exceptional cannabis rather than moving it around the country.
That doesn't mean craft is always cheaper.
And it doesn't mean facility-grown products are overpriced.
Sometimes you're paying for convenience.
Sometimes you're paying for branding.
Sometimes you're paying for distribution.
Other times you're paying because someone spent months perfecting a cultivar, carefully curing it, or pressing beautiful live rosin one small batch at a time.
Price tells you very little on its own.
Value is what really matters.
Is Craft Always Better?
No.
There are phenomenal commercial facilities producing flower that would impress almost anyone.
And there are craft growers producing completely average cannabis.
Size doesn't determine quality.
People do.
Experience does.
Genetics do.
Attention to detail does.
The biggest difference usually comes down to priorities.
Large facilities often optimise for consistency and scale.
Craft growers often optimise for flavour and expression.
Neither approach is wrong.
They're simply trying to achieve different things.
Why We Appreciate Craft Cannabis at 710.co.za
At 710.co.za, we've never been obsessed with chasing the biggest THC percentage or the flashiest packaging.
We're far more interested in the things that actually make cannabis memorable.
The smell when you open the jar.
The flavour halfway through the session.
The way a cultivar keeps its own personality instead of tasting like everything else.
That's why you'll see us celebrating proper curing, loud terpene profiles, and growers who genuinely care about the finer details.
We also appreciate well-run commercial facilities that consistently produce quality cannabis. They play an important role in making good products available to more people, and there's plenty of excellent flower coming out of larger operations.
But every now and then, you come across a jar that makes everyone in the room stop what they're doing just to have a smell.
That's the kind of cannabis we get excited about.
Just like great biltong isn't defined by where it's sold, great cannabis isn't defined by the size of the grow.
It's defined by the care, patience, and craftsmanship behind it.
And that's something we'll always appreciate at 710.co.za.
