Your list can get pretty long when you think of things that go with purple. Rain, lilacs, grapes, eggplant, amethysts … but nowhere in that list would you likely come up with cannabis.
But purple weed plants are a real thing, and it’s more common than you might think.
What in the world turns cannabis plants purple, and is it safe to consume the weed from these buds? We’ll give you all the details you need to know about purple weed right here.
Details You Need To Know About Purple Weed
1. Cannabis & Other Plants Aren’t Always Green
Since we were little kids, we were taught that plant stems and leaves were green. It makes sense as we get older and learns about photosynthesis and chlorophyll, the processes that plants use for nutrition to “feed” themselves.
But some plants have a compound in them called “anthocyanin.” Break the word down, and you see “cyan,” a form of greenish-blue. The presence of anthocyanin causes cannabis buds to turn various shades on the purple spectrum, including red and blue. The actual color of the bud depends on how much anthocyanin is in the plant.
It may sound scary, but anthocyanins are in many vegetables and fruits you already eat, like grapes, tomatoes, eggplant, and any other plant with a red/blue coloring.
2. Understanding Anthocyanins In Cannabis
So how do anthocyanins change the makeup of your favorite strain of weed? These water-soluble compounds don’t always turn the bud purple.
Much of the coloring depends on the number of anthocyanins and the conditions of the plant’s growth. As we mentioned, plants get their green color from the chlorophyll inside them.
The colder the temperature, the more chlorophyll breaks down in the plant, and the anthocyanins are able to show through when they would have otherwise been blocked. The ultimate result can be a new hue with slightly red tinges, or it can be as dark as black.
The cool thing is that if you grow your own plants and want to make your buds a certain color, you can manipulate the temperature to get it to happen. As long as the plant’s genetics tend to have a large number of anthocyanins in them, you should get some vivid shades.
3. Anthocyanins Have Health Benefits
Aside from the unique, rich colors, there are other reasons cannabis growers prefer purple weed. Anthocyanins may have properties that enrich the nutrients in a plant and provide health benefits in high demand by manufacturers in the health and wellness (H&W) industries.
These compounds are in the group of phytochemicals called flavonoids. You’ll find them in coffee, tea, nuts, coffee, and more favorite foods.
Herbal medicines with anthocyanin have been around for centuries in many cultures. They’ve been helpful in treating colds, infections, high blood pressure, and liver disorders, among other conditions.
Today, flavonoids are famous in the health and wellness community because of their many benefits. They’re part of the pharmaceutical, medical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries. The competitive nature of H&W means people are willing to pay good money for products with flavonoids in them, like purple weed.
Cannabis was already revolutionizing each of these areas. The news of anthocyanins in the plants has made them even more sought-after.
4. The Jury Is Still Out On Whether Purple Weed Is Better
Researchers have studied purple cannabis for decades, and we know that some strains have more anthocyanins than others.
Their names are often a dead giveaway: Purple Haze, Purple Kush, Purple Trainwreck, and Purple Cheese are some examples. But anything with a color attached to it, like Fruity Pebbles and Strawberry Bliss, usually means the cannabis bud was colorful and, therefore, high in anthocyanins.
Still, the color doesn’t automatically make the strain better than your typical green bud. There are research-backed benefits because of the flavonoids. However, there’s no evidence that the brighter colors mean stronger psychoactive effects.
If you’re willing to pay extra because of the hues in the plant, just know that the only thing you’re guaranteed to get is a pretty batch of cannabis. Some users swear that the exotic hues are stronger than any other weed they’ve had before, but there’s no consistent proof.
Conclusion:
The next time you see purple weed, don’t be shocked or assume there’s something wrong with your batch. Enjoy the extra flavonoids, and try out a new strain, as people have for thousands of years before you!