an increased presence of CBN does not necessarily indicate a decrease in THC abundance and potency
the plant continues to produce new THC resin as the old glands degrade
a mixture of THC and CBD/CBN (quantities depending on strain) can produce a much more balanced and enjoyable high
plus you get more bud quantity
research your genetics, know your needs, and figure out what will feel best for you
An increased amount of amber trichomes
do indicate a decrease in potency.
The development and presence of trichomes is linear.
Yes trichomes are produced all the way throughout the plants life, right until the very end.
But the plant does not "produce new THC resin as the old glands degrade" per se.
The trichomes have to develop from clear to cloudy before the THC is formed from THCA (the precursor acid).
This particular process (ageing & production levels of trichomes
relative to the plants age) is not linear, the plant produces most trichomes before peak harvest, and the production then slows down over time.
On the other hand the ageing of the trichomes themselves is still linear, in the sense that you will start out with clear (precursor cannabinoids) trichomes then get cloudy (fully realized THC), and finally get amber (degraded THC).
This means that if you let say 20% of the trichomes go amber you will have lost potency which you will not be able to regain from 'new' trichomes since they take time to develop and the degradation of trichomes is aligned with the plants life.
Normally you have clear trichomes for a while and when the plant starts to accelerate flowering cloudy trichomes increase as the calyxes fatten up, the pistils recede etc.
If you grow your plant correctly the peak presence of cloudy trichomes and minimum amount of amber trichomes usually aligns with the plants peak harvest.
Amber trichomes are a sign of ageing, they tell you that the plant has aged to it's peak (when the amber trichomes start popping up all over).
If you let the cloudy trichomes degrade you don't gain much in calyx weight or much in new growth, the plant is already at that peak stage and all you're doing is you're letting cloudy trichomes degrade, thereby letting THC degrade into CBN and thus losing 90% potency 'in' each trichome you let degrade.
Sure you can keep doing this, but the new production of trichomes will never catch up to the degradation of current cloudy trichomes.
The amber trichomes will always be ahead of the curb so to speak (because the plant has a limited age, production of new trichomes have slowed down and degradation is in full effect).
First of all, CBD is not present in the same % in most grows as CBN is.
Since CBN is a degradation product and CBD is a cannabinoid developed on part with THC most new growers end up with around 5%-50% CBN depending on how long they let the plant go for, whereas CBD is kept to a 1%-3% at most.
Secondly, CBD is not psychoactive, CBD does not produce a high.
CBD is mainly a muscle relaxant and it's analgesic. Which is why most medical patients prefer strains with high levels of CBD
That is not to say that CBD does not alter the high somewhat but it certainly doesn't alter the high as much as CBN, THC or CBC does.
CBN alters the high mainly by lowering the amount of THC, thereby lowering potency. Which is also why the longer you let weed sit in the sun the lower potency it will have, sunlight reacts with the THC and degrades it, accelerate compared with normal ageing, into CBN.
THC alters the high mainly by potency. THC is also what brings out the particular strains characteristic effects.
And CBC alters the high mainly by producing a sedative effect, although there are questions as to how much since it's usually in low levels like CBD.
Saying that letting your trichomes go amber will lead to more bud quantity is not correct.
Yes the plant packs on weight in the final weeks of flowering but by far most strains calyxes fatten up aligned with peak cloudy trichomes, not peak amber.
Again, amber trichomes are a sign of age and that the process of degradation has begun, it doesn't mean you should let trichomes turn amber but that you should chop chop when the first signs of an 'abundance' (when it starts happened all over the plant, not just localized) of amber trichomes present themselves.
Sure you can let the plants trichomes degrade so you get more CBN, and thus lower potency (if you prefer mild weed) but that is sort of an oxymoron.
Why not just grow a strain 'less powerful' and let it gain it's full potential instead of growing a very 'strong' strain and then bringing it to 70% potency?
