How To Tell PGR Cannabis: Visual Signs Of Toxic Marijuana
People are talking about Plant Growth Regulators (PGR) being used to grow cannabis (marijuana, weed, etc.) faster, but there are a lot of negative side-effects that come with this.
Unfortunately, the Australian recreational marijuana market is flooded with PGR and harmful chemical-laced bud that is so abundant, people are starting to refuse organic weed.
So we know that cannabis is good, but PGRs are bad, so how can you tell if your weed bud has been laced with PGR?
To have the “cannabis eye” means you can tell whether or not your marijuana bud has been grown organically or with PGRs, basically plant steroids.
The most common sign of PGR weed is the different high. PGR marijuana gives you a chemical high that will leave you feeling drained.
There are a few easy telltale signs of cannabis plants grown with Plant Growth Regulators (PGR) that include:
- Visual: Rock hard dense bud (flower, herb, etc.)
- Red hairs (pistils)
- Moist/Wet
- Lack of crystals found on the leaf
- Low THC that affects the high
- Harsh chemical taste
- A fast-acting chemical high that may cause lethargy (low energy and motivation) and headaches
It is actually natural for cannabis to hair those red hairs (pistils), but they are a common feature in rock-hard PGR laced weed bud.
You can, however, tell that the cannabis is laced with PGR due to the pistils excessive amount of red or brown hairs being visually different from trichomes. These pistils are non-psychoactive.
How Can You Visually Spot PGR Weed
The best and main way to tell of PGR marijuana bud is to look for the visual signs. We are going to provide a few examples of PGR and non-PGR dried cannabis flowers below.
When looking at the difference between PGR laced and non-PGR laced cannabis bud, you can see a few obvious physical traits come with PGR weed.
The PGR bud is rock-hard, even visually you can see the high density. Definitely not a healthy looking bud.
The PGR bud is also a more brown, red, and green colour. These are more famous for their red hairs that replace the trichomes.
The non-PGR bud is fluffier, lighter, and has a brighter green colour. When looking closer, you can see a distinct lack of crystals.
Summary: How Can You Tell PGR Cannabis?
Cannabis cultivated with Plant Growth Regulators is toxic and harmful. PGRs are basically steroids and help grow dense, heavier cannabis faster, but the result is less THC and more harmful chemicals.
Due to Australia’s marijuana market being flooded with PGR cannabis, everyone is looking for how to tell PGR bud.
You can tell PGR bud visually with these telltale signs:
- Lack of crystals
- Brown/Red colour
- Most bud
- Dense and heavy bud
You can tell PGR cannabis by taste and high with these traits:
- Harsh chemical taste
- Fast-acting chemical high
- Low THC high
- When broken by scissors or a grinder, it emits little to no smell
If you are concerned about your cannabis and want to know how you can tell its PGR or non-PGR, then watch out for the rock-hard red/brown bud with little resin/crystals and no dank smells emitting from the grounded up herb.
Read more about why PGRs are in your weed at HighTimes.com here.
Are there any other examples or signs of PGR that we are missing? Let us know down in the comments!
The Research, Science & Evidence
The visual effects of Growth Regulators - Skin Color - American Journal.
ModernCanna’s guide to Plant Growth Regulators (PGR) and cannabis products - ModernCanna.com.
The visual effect of Plant Growth Regulators.
Does PGRs in cannabis cause cancer? Online Conversation.
The effects of Plant Growth Regulators - PGR - LIBS.uga.edu.
James King
James is an experienced writer and legal cannabis advocate in Australia. He answers all the questions about business, legalisation and medicinal cannabis.
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