Do Clear Trichomes Get You High?
The whole point of growing marijuana plants is to end up with a huge pile of buds for you to smoke or turn into edibles, maybe even some hash. Unless, of course, you just like the look of a weed plant growing in your home, but if you’re growing to harvest big buds so you can get high, then you’ve come to the right place!
Clear trichomes will get you high. Trichomes at any stage of their life cycle will get you high. There is a difference on what kind of high you will feel between harvesting when trichomes are clear, milky, or amber in color. The longer you let the buds grow, the more the trichomes will grow as well.
I have read a lot of great discussions online about when to harvest weed plants based on the color of the trichomes. It is important to understand that it’s when you cut the buds off the plant that dictates the kind of high you experience. I know this from my own experience and from what other growers have reported.
I would never just harvest my plants once I see trichomes. You should let the plants grow for as long as possible. That way, you are going to get way more bud when everything is dried and cured.
In this article, I’ll talk more about the different stages of trichome life and the high you get. I’ll explain at a very high level what the purpose of trichomes are on weed plants and some other interesting tidbits that should give you the confidence to make the right decision on when you should cut down your weed plants based on the color of the trichomes.
So, if you’re ready to learn more, then let’s begin…
What are Trichomes and What’s Their Purpose in Marijuana?
Trichomes are small little outgrowths that appear on marijuana plants primarily around the flowers or buds. They do appear throughout the marijuana plant. However, they are more concentrated around the bud.
Trichomes can be identified as crystal-like formations. When touched, you will find that they’re very sticky. But before we get into all of that, you should know that there are actually three types of trichomes that can be found on marijuana plants.
They are named bulbous, capitate sessile, and capitate stalked trichomes which are the bigger ones most marijuana growers are familiar with seeing. The first two listed are very small compared to the capitate stalked trichome.
All three types of trichomes produce cannabinoids terpenes and flavonoids. Cannabinoids are active compounds found in the trichomes. You might be familiar with some of their scientific abbreviations such as THCA, THC, CBDA, CBD to name a few.
This might be surprising to some that the trichomes not only cannabinoids in them, but they’re also a form of defense for marijuana plants. The stickiness of the trichomes helps stop bugs and pests from eating the buds, as they end up getting stuck and dying.
As much as I or others enjoy the fragrant aroma of marijuana, that too is a form of defense. The strong ‘skunky’ smell will definitely be a deterrent for some critters. Not me, though, I thoroughly enjoy it!
cloudy marijuana trichomes.
The Difference Between Clear and Cloudy Trichomes
When the trichomes start to form, they are clear in color and as they age, they turn cloudy (or a milky color) and then amber.
The main difference between clear, cloudy, or amber coloring is when they are clear there is less THC and the high you get will be more mild than if you were to wait a few more weeks in flowering before harvesting.
Rule-of-thumb is to wait for the color to start going amber then harvest, although lately in marijuana forums I have been reading some growers that prefer to wait until the trichomes are amber in color.
I feel every grower will have a different preference on when they harvest and that will only come until they have had a few harvests under their belts.
One important thing to note is if you wait too long to cut the buds down for drying and curing, the quality will start to lower. It’s all about the timing when harvesting and your trichomes really do let you know where they are at in the process by displaying the different colors.
How Do You Check the Color of Trichomes?
Personally, I take a picture with my cell phone and enlarge the picture afterwards to have a look. This is probably all you will need to identify the color, however, if you don’t have access to a cell phone camera, the keep reading this section.
I know some growers have microscope-type devices they use similar to a Jewelers microscope. Actually, after saying that, I’m guessing that’s exactly what they’re using.
I haven’t checked, however, I’m sure there are apps you can download for your phone that work the same as a jeweller’s microscope. Trichomes are very small, you just need to find a way to zoom in on them to determine what color they are.
How Long into Flower, is it Okay to Harvest?
Unless you grow the same strain under the same conditions each and every time, the time for harvesting will differ.
In general, I would wait at least 6 weeks from when you first identified you had buds growing before you consider harvesting. Some plants take a couple of months and some are sooner than 6 weeks. However, to help you out, I want you to think 6 weeks.
The best and most reliable way, however, is to watch those trichomes and wait for them to get cloudy (milky) for at least a week or two. Unless you want that really strong couch-lock-type high, then wait for the trichomes to turn amber.
That said, you could harvest your weed a week after the trichomes started. Only problem with that is the buds will be very small, which means the yield will also be very small. Buds get very large if you give them the time to grow. Off topic, but make sure to fertilize your flowering marijuana plants.
Conclusion
Just a quick conclusion here to go over the important takeaways in this article:
- Most important takeaway is that clear trichomes will indeed get you high. As well, the longer you let the plant grow, the stronger the high should be.
- When watching trichomes there are 3 colors (is clear a color?) to be aware of. Clear is how the trichomes will be at first, then they turn cloudy (or milky) and then amber.
- Letting your trichomes go too far into the amber growing phase might affect the quality of your buds and high. The buds will be stronger tasting and the high will also be stronger. But, if you like that, then it’s just fine.
- There’s a tipping point where letting the buds go too long can actually degrade the THC you end up with. It’s a fine balancing act if you wait right till the end to harvest.
And that’s pretty much it! Just remember to keep an eye on the color of the trichomes and adjust as needed for each time you grow marijuana. Regarding when you should harvest for the best possible high, let those trichomes get cloudy and maybe even a bit amber. If you can’t wait that long though, don’t worry because clear trichomes will get you high.
Hopefully, this article has been of help to you. Thanks for reading and good luck with your growth!
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