Wow, so much to unpack here and so hard to do on mobile!
Thank you, I agree wholeheartedly. I too used to like the "harder hitting" stuff back in the day that would make me cough uncontrollably, thinking it meant potency. Back then, all indoor looked and smelled the same to me, I couldn't distinguish the difference between any strains I bought, but didn't care because it would just be sold as indoor. Now I can taste and smell differences in all the strains I grow. I've spoken to some dudes who sell, and they told me that people want what they are used to, and if the weed is smooth and the high is long lasting, they won't be convinced because the look of the buds and feel of the smoke is not what they are used to.
I would, though, like to test out their drying methods just to see how it's done and if I can replicate their results for nostalgia's sake.