Marijuana is different colors – does that affect its effects?

Once you start using marijuana, you start to learn that it is a complex plant with a lot going on. Seasoned cannabis users know what they like and how they can get different results with the plant depending on factors like strain, terpenes, and simply knowing what is going on in their body.

While marijuana is primarily green, it comes in many different shades, ranging from lime colored buds to bright purple buds. Where do these come from and why is there so much variability? Plants have thousands of compounds that affect their shape and color. Temperature, harvest time, and other factors have a major impact on plant color.

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Photo by Esteban Lopez via Unsplash

Most plants are green due to chlorophyll, the main compound responsible for absorbing sunlight and completing the photosynthetic process. The cannabis plant falls into this spectrum. Varieties with dark hues like purple, red, blue, and pink are generally high in anthocyanins, a compound that occurs once the plant ripens. These types of plants tend to have a stronger smell and are also very noticeable, which is why they are so popular, especially the purple ones.

Colors like orange and yellow are created by carotenoids found in vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins. These chemicals are typically found in plants grown in alkaline soils.

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While the colors in marijuana make plants more attractive on a visual level, and potentially affect their smell or feel, the drug’s effects are generally not altered.

When consumed, these different colors can give your body some of the benefits (like vitamins) these chemicals are known for and possibly even increase the entourage effect of cannabis.