There is no more guess work as research conducted proves cannabis flowers with the “frosty look”, pack the most cannabinoids and terpenes. That frosty look is made up of those little fella’s called Trichomes.
Yeah so what you say? What does that mean for me?
Well for starters it caters to your life enriching cannabis connoisseur, you know the one who only wants the best cannabis experience? They can now track down that one marijuana strain that really gives them that head turning feeling without it becoming a tough mission, identifying the tiny dots is like a try before you buy system.
It means not having to visit one potentially sketchy person working in the black market after another, where, often, none of these people ever seem to be willing to break out the secret stash from the back. C’mon be real, we know they’ve got one! In brief, there used to be a lot of trial and error for this cannabis connoisseur right here.
It’s for this reason and maybe a few others, that we care about the findings of the scientific research that has shown a way of determining the quality of the product, without having to spend all your money on piss-weak bud.
Think of this, the physical properties of a cannabis plant can tell us just how mighty the marijuana is before we ever put in our bongs and smoke it. A study published in the Plant Journal conducted by the University of British Columbia, has confirmed that the crystallised hairs on the cannabis plant known as “Trichomes” are what produces the chemicals that give the plant all of its psychoactive and medical properties.
This means you could conclude that the more trichomes present on the cannabis flower, the more cannabinoids. These snowflake like attributes, act as the defense mechanism to protect the cannabis plant from UV rays and animals. In addition it may also give the plant its pungent aroma, the study finds.
When the manufacturing of the plants are abundant in trichomes, cultivators can be assured of quality. Thus, leading to less waste.
It has been noted that despite its high economic value, our understanding of the biology of the cannabis plant is still in its infancy due to restricted legal access. Trichomes are the biochemical factories of the cannabis plant and this study is the foundation for understanding how they make and store their valuable products.
For years, cannabis experts have focused on three trichomes: Bulbous, Sessile and Stalked. Although scientific research has had a pretty solid understanding on the function of these components for a long time, little has been known, up until now, about their involvement in shaping the potential of this magnificent plant.
To come up with the latest findings, researchers used chemical profiling and microscopic techniques to get to the bottom of internal structures and individual trichomes. What they found was that all three of them emitted different colors when put to the test under ultraviolet light.
“We saw that Stalked Glandular Trichomes have expanded ‘cellular factories’ to make more cannabinoids and fragrant terpenes,” said Sam Livingston, lead author and Ph.D. candidate at UBC Botany. “We also found that they grow from sessile-like precursors and undergo a dramatic shift during development that can be visualized using new microscopy tools.”
As the study points out, this ultraviolet testing method could be used in the cultivation process to monitor trichome maturity and ensure that harvests are conducted at the appropriate times.
Researchers also said that additional discoveries involving trichome DNA could revolutionize cannabis production.
“We found a treasure trove of genes that support the production of cannabinoids and terpenes,” said principal investigator Anne Lacey Samuels, a professor of botany at UBC. “With further investigation, this could be used to produce desirable traits like more productive marijuana strains or strains with specific cannabinoid and terpene profiles using molecular genetics and conventional breeding techniques.”
In the end, a greater understanding of how trichomes work will only serve to create better cannabis products with higher qaulity and less of the unknown for the consumer, the researchers said.
Well there you have it! Stingo and Kush are passing the joint back to you. Now it’s your turn to do more research about plants. Together we can make a stoner’s tomorrow better, today!
Stingo & Kush 
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