Questions about trichomes, potency and harvest time

[Malkosashi88]

Hello 🎃 Last grow, i harvested a plant at 9th week of flowering, it was a bag seed,that looked mature with almost all pistils dark, pumped up buds and nicely developed aroma, but with 90% clear trichomes. I was in a hurry, so i chopped it and let it dry out nicely, before smoking it. I was expecting a buzz, instead of a high, but instead it was a very strong high, with the deep body relaxation, that i believe is typical, for a mature buds. Right now, i’m flowering two plants, one is bag seed, the other Mataro blue by kannabia, and both strains, while far from harvest, are full with cloudy trichomes, like there isn’t really any clear ones. I’ve read, a study that shows that the connection between the color and the thc content is not that simple, but since it’s still an illegal subject in most parts of the world, i think that personal experience is still by far the most valuable source of information on the topic. So what’s your thoughts, based on your experience guys ?
Another thing that i want to discuss with you, is the connection between trichomes preservation and potency. Since, most of the thc is located in the heads of the trichomes, this is from what i,ve read, does this mean that if you press and destroy the trichomes in some way, you will lose potency. I,ve noticed a big difference between the street weed and my own, when looked under micro, and when smoked.
Thanks for your time 🔥

[MeEasy]

While trichome ripeness plays a role in the high you get from the weed the strain is more the deciding factor of what high you get. Indicas are indicas no matter how ripe it is, Don't get me wrong the trichomes are important and does change the amount of thc n cbd. There are many strains that the trichomes won't turn amber. Here's a great article about this subject and will tell you more than I would be able to here........ https://www.growweedeasy.com/harvest
Your second question on destroying the trichomes, there are many strains that don't have as many trichomes as others and are just as potent when you smoke it so there's plenty of thc inside the weed itself. Pressing your weed doesn't change the quality of the thc so as long as you don't lose the trichomes you're going to be fine. I'm sure if pressing it degraded it's quality it wouldn't be as popular, you're just removing the sticky goodness from the plant in order to smoke it separately. I don't press so I'm just going by what I've read, seen, and heard about it

[PeterMatanzas]

since it’s still an illegal subject in most parts of the world, i think that personal experience is still by far the most valuable source of information on the topic. So what’s your thoughts, based on your experience guys ?.... I,ve noticed a big difference between the street weed and my own, when looked under micro, and when smoked. 🔥

@Malkosashi88 I agree, you have to go by personal experience if there's no supporting scientific evidence. There's not enough research and we all know that. If you press on a trichome and it breaks, now there's airborne THC and other cannabinoids. But I don't think you lose that much this way unless you're handling the buds a lot and they fall to the floor, mistreatment like that.

There are complaints about dispensaries (and street weed) where the flower sold has no frost. No frost because the buds were trimmed mechanically, they were trimmed by stuffing the buds in a bag that is then rotated. The bag rotates and that loses sugar leaves. And rotates off frost. There's a helluva lot of trichomes on sugar leaves and this trim method is no good. MeEasy has a good point, it's not just the THC it's all the cannabinoids for the entourage affect (I'm just restating something you already know).

[panalilies]

MeEasy- good thing i havent bought it yet, hand trim will def me the first go then. im at that point where if i dont take T-breaks, i cant get "high". The more stuff to help get high, the better lol

[PeterMatanzas]

panalilies I don't like smoke. I'm 68 and after a lifetime of lung darts, please no smoke. Getting into edibles here, extract cannabis oil from flower and go from there. Ex wife is a chef and she makes the bakery and candies. Flower can be sold or trade along with dry sift hash, and oil products like shatter. Flower goes to family and very close friends *only*; they can get some for their friends, I don't want to know who. Sometimes I use flower for barter, I never pay for Starbucks coffee. I don't use cannabis every day anymore like I used to. I'm not looking for a sharp buzz, the edibles give me energy I kid you not. I just read through that and it's some broken English I wrote.

[panalilies]

PeterMatanzas- Ive tried making my own cannabutter before, it didnt turn out good at all. I smoke a mix of joints/ vape, but got really into flower when my state made rec legal and I started getting to know the name and details of the flower I was smoking (as opposed to what my plug had in stock when I was out). Edibles havent done much for me, but I always chalk that up to my habitual use and how less effective it would be, I plan on making brownies since I have a mom-to-be friend that has stopped smoking since she got pregnant, and this would be my gift to her. I was going to offer bud to anyone that helped invest in the set-up, but the pandemic took a hard hit on all my smoking friends so Ive put 100% into everything made to grow this crop

[Malkosashi88]

MeEasy
I took the point, thanks man. I somewhat feel guilty of not letting at least one branch to continue maturing, to see if there will be any change in color and effect after that.

PeterMatanzas Never thought of that. I live i a country, where weed is completely illegal, so i only have had access to street weed and it’s like you said, it never had any frost on it and no distinct aroma. I’ve used to write notes, when i was still buying, where i wrote general info about the experience, and when i look back up on those notes, since i don’t want to rely only on my memory for obvious reasons 🍁🔥, on the very rare occasions, where the weed had been frosty and with great aroma, it had also added up to my general experience and effect. So this leads me to believe that, as you also mention, even if the loss of actual thc is small, the loss of the other compounds in the heads of the trichomes, makes the weed inferior, even if the effect is still present i had found it “dull” 10/10 times. And generally speaking, i had never smoked weed that smell great and not get roasted 🤠🍁

[MagicMike66]

https://www.alchimiaweb.com/blogen/harvest-marijuana-plants-trichome-ripeness/

This is quite a good read

[Malkosashi88]

MagicMike66 Thanks , man 🔥🍁🏜