will pruning late into flowering hurt the plant?

I have a small 1' - 1.5' plant that is 4.5 weeks into flowering. I chopped the buds off a couple lower branches and now they are just branches sticking out with no buds on them. How much would it set me back if i cut off the two bottom branches? they are pretty thick.

they wont grow back at all and the plant will be stunned for about a week or so maybe a bit earlier..

ur better off leaving them instead of stunnin the thing