Purple Kush Guide - The Potency Of THC In Cultivated Marijuana

The actual strength of a specific strains of marijuana such as Purple kush and OG kush varies due to numerous aspects besides the variety. A great number of these are related to the purely natural development of the plant. The glands that produce the resin in particular, are the main reason that plant THC potency differs greatly along with the environment that the plants are cultivated in.

Different marijuana strains do have very differing THC levels, although this can also be said for marijuana plants of the same strain. This is no more apparent than when actually inhaling smoke from different strains in a blunt as any experienced cannabis smoker can tell you, the taste is one of the most telling factors of any good weed. Specific plants are better and stronger, this is partly down to the genetics of the plant, with some strains having a larger content level of resin glands than certain other strains.

 A Cannabis Bract

The bracts (the bright part of the foilage which is the plants weapon to attract pollinators such as bees and wasps) of the female flower have the greatest quantity of resin glands and are generally seen as the most potent part of the plant whereas the plants seeds and roots contain none. This is why you will only see buds and the small leaves that are connected to the bud  in your marijuana when you source your weed as the stem and seeds hold no value to getting high. Larger leaves are generally crushed as the THC crystals can form on the leaves by generally falling of the buds themselves and collecting on the them, this also adds to the weight of the weed been bought and can add a "cut" value to the marijuana been bought.

Three factors that have a great bearing on THC content are the growing conditions, i.e soil used, climate etc, the actual genetics of the plant (DNA) and the time of harvesting of the marijuana. Because the female plant has considerably more THC content than their male counterpart, it is generally the feminized seed that is grown and sought after. Although male plants do harvest THC levels it is a lot lower in THC concentration therefore not seen as much use to growers.

As the  marijuana plant develops, its chemical structure alters. Early in the plants development the most prominent chemical in the plant is cannabidiolic acid. This then turns into cannabidiol which then turns into THC when the plant reaches its flowering stage, this is why it is so important to harvest marijuana at the right time to get the most potent weed.

 Potency Levels From Seized Marijuana (1985-2007)

THC potency levels in marijuana generally vary from around 0.5 to 5%, but now with super hybrids and strains been produced, THC levels have been seen as high as 15% - 19%, and this is what seems to be worrying anti-drug groups. Marijuana potency has increases more than 3 times in the past 10 years and is predicted by many experts to get even stronger.