Lower strength varieties

We get to do things semi-legally here soon, so I'm trying to find out varieties to grow. I hadn't smoked any pot for about 35 years, and I must admit that I found the generally available stuff to be way too strong. I repeat, waaaaaay too strong. It seems like when pot prohibition ends, all we'll have is the equivalent of grain alcohol or 151 proof rum. I don't see how this stuff can be considered for something social. I was thinking that a little smoke after work, like a couple beers or drinks, would be easier on the waistline and more like the light alcohol buzz. Not this stuff.....


So, as I look at seed varieties, they all have THC levels at 15% or greater. I think the stuff I smoked long ago (ahem, I never inhaled), was like 2-3%. I understand the need to maximize and optimize hemp growing, but lower dose varieties seem to be a hole in the spectrum. I think that better flavors, scent, and milder affect to the throat are great ideas and worth pursuing. I'm sure all these characteristics of pot smoking will get lots of attention once it becomes legal, but what's available now?

Could you please point me to seed banks that are offering seeds that have lower THC levels.

Thanks

btw.....Congrats today to the folks in Washington state.

Orange bud is a nice medium to mild smoke.

Skunk red hair is melow as hell not grown it in years personaly (YEARS) as I found it built up quick (but i am a day-night med user).
Very easy to grow aswell..


Theirs a good few autos you might want to try as their very low in THC thanks to the hemp inbred (yes i would say comercial hemp)

Swiss miss, Low THC comercial strain..


You asked a question most dont know as their looking for the strongest not average...

They also say in 80s Skunk-Hash was lower quality as it was rushed.

GardenM said:

We get to do things semi-legally here soon, so I'm trying to find out varieties to grow. I hadn't smoked any pot for about 35 years, and I must admit that I found the generally available stuff to be way too strong. I repeat, waaaaaay too strong. It seems like when pot prohibition ends, all we'll have is the equivalent of grain alcohol or 151 proof rum. I don't see how this stuff can be considered for something social. I was thinking that a little smoke after work, like a couple beers or drinks, would be easier on the waistline and more like the light alcohol buzz. Not this stuff.....


So, as I look at seed varieties, they all have THC levels at 15% or greater. I think the stuff I smoked long ago (ahem, I never inhaled), was like 2-3%. I understand the need to maximize and optimize hemp growing, but lower dose varieties seem to be a hole in the spectrum. I think that better flavors, scent, and milder affect to the throat are great ideas and worth pursuing. I'm sure all these characteristics of pot smoking will get lots of attention once it becomes legal, but what's available now?

Could you please point me to seed banks that are offering seeds that have lower THC levels.

Click to expand...

First of all, just because lots of strains CLAIM to be over 15% THC, doesn't make it actually true. Some of them have just pulled those numbers out of their butts, and the actual strains are typically less potent. Pretty much EVERY ceed bank is going to have some strains of lower potency in their respective catalogs, though for obvious reasons, 95%+ of buyers want the opposite, so low potency strains aren't going to be advertised as such.

Next, how you grow a strain is a major factor in determining potency. A less meticulous manicure leaving a little leaf on the bud will leave them less potent, and if you were smoking in the 1960s, you'd be accustomed to poorly manicured leafy buds. Harvesting early (or late) can make buds less potent. Even on the same plant, lower buds are typically quite a bit less potent than the top colas. So even with a "super potent" strain, you can always reduce potency as a grower, if you're so inclined.

More succinctly, if you're so inclined, its a lot easier to make your weed weak than strong!

Of course you can always just smoke less (ie roll a "pinner" joint instead of a normal one, or smoke out of a small bowl instead of a large one), but I definitely "get" that its harder to control dosages with the super strong stuff.

Super strong weed is one of the reasons they typically mix it with tobacco in Europe. (Its also because that's how they generally smoke hash, which is still more prevalent in parts of Europe). So if you're willing to smoke a little tobacco mixed in with your weed, that's another option.

I can't personally recommend any strains by name that are weak, but if you're interested in something maybe a little more "old school" look down at my sig for a grow report and review of Mexican "schwagg" ceeds grown out to maturity. I wouldn't call this "weak", but it certainly isn't "strong" either. I'd call it moderate, and for me one normal joint was the perfect dose.

try dutch passions skunk 1 listed as only 8 percent thc

have grown several Nirvana short riders. it's a nice easy high. i belive it's in the 8-10% range. i can smoke it in public with no paranoria. GL

maybe try harvesting your crop a little earlier? starts out mellow and gets stronger generally? but they are all different!

Try Dutch Passion's Orange Bud, TH Seed's Sage and Sour or Greenhouse Seed's The church. I'd rate them a 5 or six on a 10 point scale. If your plan is to smoke every evening you will build a tolerance after a while, even if you roll just one joint a night. I'm an evening smoker myself, when its time to shut down for the day I roll one and that's it.

The three I listed should keep you pretty happy, the best yielder of the bunch is the Sage n Sour and it's easy to grow and if you get in the mood to get really ripped it will take you there by smoking more.

The weakest of the three is the Orange Bud and it tends to be tall and lanky, decent yield.

The Church is close to Sage n Sour in most respects, yield is slightly lower.

One other to consider for you is Big Bud, it's known for heavy yields but mild potency.

El Nino from GHS..

Blue mystic- by Nirvana. its got a great buzz, mix of indica and sativa, not something you would smoke if you REALLY want to get baked, but it flowers fast, has somewhat low odor in flower and the cured bud smells a bit like NL and blueberry mixed, berry smells can be stronger on some of the rarer phenotypes. good yield too, cheap seeds from nirvana. i abused the shit out of blue mystic and i'd say most plants are very well suited to deal with - Movement Stress, Heat Stress, Malnutrition and even badmouthing. When i say abused,i mean i was supercropping in flower, moving them around and training them and not a single Banana or Ball showed up on my plants in a grow tent that was around 90+ degrees on a daily basis, tough plants. its main vice is that Blue Mystic can get rootbound easily and once it does, feeding it becomes a pain in the ass, so minimum of 5gal pots for growing indoors.

I'll be growing outside.
Back in the day, we were worried more about seeds and stems versus "leaf". The thought of buds just was a rumor.
Your comment about harvesting earlier sounds interesting. Are all of the leaves except those near the buds useless? If the leaves are still usable, I could just give away most of the buds that are too strong. Is earlier harvesting prone to more mold/rot?
Lastly, are the auto-flowering varieties typically lower THC content?

sounds like you want a high cbd low thc strain. may as well benefit from the cbd.

I also see you're in colorado and can point you to a shop with just what you're looking for . I was sitting here right now contemplating buying the last pack the shop has. 303seeds.com
The snow goddess .

although I guess you aren't carded so no shops for you until 2014.

GardenM said:

I'll be growing outside.

Click to expand...

OK. If so, you need to make sure the strain you choose finishes before winter comes in your area.

Back in the day, we were worried more about seeds and stems versus "leaf". The thought of buds just was a rumor.

Click to expand...

I get it. See this thread here for some nostalgia (maybe):

https://www.rollitup.org/seed-strain-reviews/526096-screw-good-ol-days.html

Your comment about harvesting earlier sounds interesting. Are all of the leaves except those near the buds useless? If the leaves are still usable, I could just give away most of the buds that are too strong. Is earlier harvesting prone to more mold/rot?

Click to expand...

Well, yes and no.

If we're talking about leaves, the ones near the buds may contain an appreciable amount of resin, and be satisfactory to smoke (though not as potent as the buds, obviously).

Leaves *without resin* from the fast growing tops of plants will contain some amount of THC, enough to get you high. But this is basically a desperation move, because the leaves are still low in THC and obviously cutting off all the growing tips isn't exactly "good" for the plant. Also, not only is there not that much of this sort of fast-growing material on any given plant, but leaves in general simply aren't as flavorful as buds. As you know, buds are the plants flowers, and they contain all the nice scents and flavors. So even though you "can" do this, I'd say you're better off not doing it.

On giving away your buds because they're too strong. . .you haven't even grown them yet! You can't really expect that your very first grow as a novice is going to create top-shelf high-potency buds like the expensive medical stuff. While that "could" happen, even if you start with a good strain you'll probably not realize its full potential during your first ever grow. Buds can always be used to cook with too, giving you another alternative use. Also, I think once you start smoking them, you'll quickly adapt to the higher potency, both in terms of having some tolerance, but also just in not "hoovering" the stuff down the way you had to with schwagg from the 1960s.

Again, if you had to, you can always "dilute" your buds by just adding in some leaf for smoking.

Earlier harvesting is *LESS* prone to mold, which typically happens outdoors in the fall when it becomes rainy/humid and temperatures drop.

My suggestion is that if you're not interested in high potency, you can entirely disregard potency as a selection criterion in picking a strain. Concentrate on something that is a tough plant with decent yield, and easy to grow outdoors. Any of the "skunk" strains should work well for this, and a plus here is that ceeds for them should be relatively inexpensive, too.

Lastly, are the auto-flowering varieties typically lower THC content?

Click to expand...

Yes, typically lower THC, at least compared to many of the more potent regular ones.

They're also typically smaller plants with lower yield, so consider that as well. These are plants than can do OK in a relatively small pot on a balcony, for example.

Lastly, when planted outside these autos are expected to finish in a set time (eg 75 days after the seed sprouts), rather that at a certain calendar date like a conventional plant. This potentially lets you get more than one harvest in a year. For example you can plant seeds in March, and potentially have smokable buds by the end of July. I think for someone who is a new grower who is limited to one plant at a time outdoors, something like this could be advantageous.

I am sure you need a no paranoia strain not a weak one. Maple Leaf Indica and Grandaddy purps are 2 I use for a no noid buzz.

Neither are weak but if you go easy, like 1 to 3 puffs off a joint, they are perfect. If I go a little heavy, just 20 minutes of 'bakedness' and then a mellow high.

You need to control how much you smoke not worry about strong strains, other than keep to ones that do not make you feel out of control. Do not take lung busting hits and take them 1 at a time till you get a good dose figured out.

btw I smoked the Mexican leafy 'lids' back in the 70's so I know all about that.

anything from greehouse