Lack of potency from newly harvested buds

Hi everyone,

would just like to pick a few brains if I could. Im sure Im not the first person whos eagerly watched his plants go through all the stages until the big day arrives and you harvest and dry your buds till they are dry enough to smoke and you light up that first joint to try and, BIG DISAPPOINTMENT, the potency just isnt there!! and you think of all the months and effort you put into growing the thing. My question is this: why isnt marijuana potent from the word go? after all, the buds could be all crystally from the resin glands but that doesnt seem to make any difference.

Same thing happened with my last plant, big, bushy, frosty as hell. Only the very top bud could be considered anywhere near smokable, the rest I made into hash. Quantity and quality of the buds are determined by your grow, the potency is determined by it's genetics. You got a dud, better luck next time.

Are you sure you flowered it long anough to reach it's full potency? Did you check the trichs with a mag glass? did you cure it after drying? it sounds like you dried it 'till it was dry enough to smoke. These are all importants steps to take. that's my best guess. hope this helps, I feel for you, a long time to be dissapointed.

to me this sounds like an early harvest, I personally don't go by the tricks alone.

If a breeder suggests a 9-10 week let it go another week because somewhere down the line there was some stress that delays the ripeness.

It may look frosty buy if the trichs are clear = no high let them get more milky/amber the worst you could do is get more high.......

There are several things that can affect potency in MJ. Strain, phenotype, environment, ripeness, drying and curing.

1) Starting with quality genetics is paramount. Always purchase seeds from a reputable source and choose a strain which will flourish in your particular growing environment. However, even quality seeds may produce undesirable phenotypes.

2) Controlling temperature is critical. If your plants are too hot during flowering, yield and potency will suffer. Keep temperatures below 29 degrees celsius (lights on) and as much as 10 degrees cooler during dark periods.

3) It is imperative that you do not harvest until the plant is fully ripened. Clear trichomes don't contain any CBD. You must wait until the THC begins to degrade (trichs turn cloudy) before potency will develop.

4) Make sure your bud is good and dry before you begin curing. The stem should snap when force is applied. Proper drying and curing are important for not only aroma and taste, but potency as well.

Sorry to hear about your, "disappointment", but we've all been there at some point, so we feel your pain. Best of luck in the future, friend.

Stick it in a jar, burp every couple of days for 2-3 weeks and then give it a shot.

http://www.marijuanapassion.com/Drying-And-Curing-Marijuana.html

Curing the Marijuana Buds

The last step is to create a way to bring out the full flavor and best smoke from the marijuana buds. This can be done by using an air tight jar or similar. Put the dried buds into the jar loosely (do not compact them) and cover them. It is very important in the early jar-stage to check the buds at least once a day to replace the air, take them out(this helps dry evenly) and put them back in a different order. This should be done for 7 to10 days then it can be done lest often. After 7 days all you need to do is open the jar and check the buds on a daily basis for mold and mildew. If mold and mildew is found in this step. Take the buds with mold or mildew out of the batch (throw away) and put the rest back in a brown bag for a few more days then the jar step can be repeated . this step can take from 2 weeks to 2 months depending on how you want you buds to develop its distinctive characteristics. The longer the better

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What do these nugs look like? Pictures.