Most smokers remember a day when they were happy to get whatever strain of weed they could find — but now that marijuana is decriminalized across much of the U.S. and legalized medically and/or recreationally in more than half of all states, stoners can afford to be a bit more discriminating. These days, cannabis lovers can enjoy a large and diverse selection of brands and products, from traditional flower to vape products, concentrates, capsules, edibles and more.

If you don’t want to waste your time trying lower-quality weed products, you don’t have to. Read on for recommendations for the best of the best brands in each product category.

Medical

Since medicinal marijuana has been legalized in more states than recreational weed, there has been more time for medical cannabis brands to grow and develop. While medical marijuana products vary in type — you can find medical bud and pre-rolls as well as edibles, vapes and more — we are separating this category because brands here have claims about their products that other weed brands might not. Specifically, medical cannabis tends to boast a higher quality of product and more controlled experiences, such as less euphoria and paranoia and more pain relief or relaxation. Some medical marijuana brands target specific medical ailments, like menstrual discomfort or arthritis, but here are the best general medical marijuana brands on the market:

• Nature’s Medicines. Starting as a dispensary chain and now producing a line of unique, high-quality strains and concentrates, Nature’s Medicines is gaining national attention for its efficacy.
• Trulieve. Offering flower, vape cartridges and a number of concentrates, Trulieve is an exceedingly accessible medical marijuana brand that places emphasis on safety.
• KIND Concentrates. As the name suggests, KIND Concentrates specializes in concentrates, specifically capsules, vape pens, RSOs and the like, with high percentages of THC.

Flower

To those new to cannabis culture, “flower” (also called bud and nug) is the portion of the marijuana plant that contains the highest percentage of cannabinoids that create the mind and body high stoners (and other marijuana users) seek. While flower is ground up and refined in chemical processes to produce edibles, concentrates and other weed products, you can still purchase flower on its own to smoke in joints, pipes and bongs or to generate your own cannabis creations. However, flower can vary greatly in quality, so until you get a feel for finding the best buds in your local dispensary, you should stick to ordering from these brands:

• Caviar Gold. Marketed as the strongest weed in America, Caviar Gold offers four types of flower, all of them considerably higher quality than anything else in the market.
• Omaha Farms. Recently purchased by marijuana giant MedMen, Omaha Farms is wildly popular for its flower Salad Bowls, which should be widely available soon.

Edibles

Humans have long experimented with baking and cooking cannabis into all forms of food, with the result that the candies, baked goods, crackers and other treats now available tend to be exceptionally refined recipes that taste as good (or better) as anything you can find in a regular grocery store. The world of edibles is huge and truly deserves a post all to itself — after all, how do you compare a chocolate bar with beef jerky? Still, experts agree that you can’t go wrong with the following edible brands:

• Kiva. It’s hard to mention edibles without bringing up Kiva, which was the first widely available edible brand that used professionally trained chefs and chocolatiers to produce high-quality treats.
• Baked Bros. Baked Bros essentially set the industry standard for infused gummies back in 2014 when their Sour Kush Kids won the Cannabis Cup, and they continue to offer the best worms, rings, bears and more on the market.
• LOL Edibles. Specializing in reimagining popular snacks as weedy treats, LOL Edibles offers pitch-perfect THC versions of Froot Loops, Cap’n Crunch, Cheetos and more.
• Kush Nuts. For potheads without a sweet tooth, Kush Nuts produces savory nut mixes seasoned with THC-infused oils. They look and feel fancy, but they’ll definitely get you high.

Vapes

Even amidst the concern about a vape-related lung illness, vaping remains one of the most popular ways to use cannabis. Vapes tend to offer a concentrated hit of CBD and/or THC that creates an immediate effect; plus, they are small and tend to produce less odor than traditional smoking, making them discreet for stoners on the go. Yet, it is becoming ever more obvious that quality is imperative in vape tools and products, so you should stick to these best vape brands:

• Dosist. Setting aside the vape juice for a moment, it should be noted that Dosist produces some of the most attractive vape pens of all time. Perhaps this is why Dosist is becoming one of the fastest growing marijuana businesses in the country.
• Willie’s Reserve. In truth, Willie Nelson offers all kinds of stuff in his line of marijuana products, but his vape cartridges are the cream of the crop.
• Roots. Roots offers another stunningly beautiful vape pen as well as premium vape oil extracted from the highest quality cannabis plants.

You don’t have to settle for whatever weed you can scrounge up from the shady neighborhood dealer. If you try any one of the above brands, you won’t ever be tempted to go back to low-quality skunk; you’ll develop the refined marijuana palette that you deserve.