yunk..
there are 3 stages to a cannabis plants life...
seedling
vegging
flowering
seedling and vegging can be a short as 14-20 days.. and flowering is usually50-80 days... and then another 5-14 days for BUD drying... (the stages are controlled by the grower by adjusting light/dark schedules)
NO, it is not ideal to pick buds as you grow.... this is not an orange tree.. or tomato plant... cannabis is more like a crop that you harvest.. like corn..you wait until the entire plant is ready and then you HARVEST..
hope this helps
ilovyeou