Flower

Flower is the dried, cured, trimmed female cannabis inflorescence sold for smoking or vaporization — the most widely consumed form of cannabis worldwide. Botanically, it is a compound raceme composed of bracts, calyces, stigmas, ovaries, and sugar leaves, with the majority of cannabinoid- and terpene-producing trichomes borne on the bracts rather than on true petals. California Revenue & Taxation Code §34012 defines "cannabis flowers" as "flowers of the plant Cannabis sativa L. that have been harvested, dried, trimmed or untrimmed, and cured, and prior to any processing." Regulated flower must pass a standardized battery of laboratory tests: potency (THC/THCA, CBD/CBDA), moisture and water activity (ASTM D8196/D8197 target 0.55–0.65 aw), microbials, mycotoxins, pesticides, and heavy metals. Common synonyms include bud, nug, nugget, cola (the main terminal inflorescence), pot, and herb. ⚠️ "Flower" is botanically imprecise — the trichome-bearing structures are bracts and calyces, not true petals — but the term is entrenched across industry, regulatory, and consumer usage. → See also: Bud, Nug, Shake, Kief