Why is marijuana different colors?

As soon as you start using marijuana, you begin to learn that it is a complex plant with a lot going on. Experienced cannabis users know what they like and how to get different results from the plant depending on factors like strain, terpenes, and simply knowing what’s going on in their body.

While marijuana is primarily green, there are many different hues ranging from lime green flowers to bright purple flowers. Where do these come from and why are there such big differences? Plants have thousands of compounds that affect their shape and color. Temperature, harvest time and other factors have a major impact on the color of the plant.

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Photo by Esteban Lopez via Unsplash

Most plants are green because of chlorophyll, the main compound responsible for absorbing sunlight and completing the photosynthetic process. The cannabis plant falls within this spectrum. Strains with dark hues like purple, red, blue, and pink are generally high in anthocyanins, a compound that appears when the plant is mature. These types of plants have a stronger smell and are also a real eye-catcher, which is why they are so popular, especially the purple ones.

Colors like orange and yellow are created by carotenoids found in vegetables like squash, sweet potatoes, and squashes. These chemicals are typically found in plants that grow in alkaline soil.

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While the colors in marijuana make the plants more visually appealing and may affect the way they smell or feel, the effects of the drug are generally not altered.

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