Is It Worth Paying Extra for Purple Weed?

Westword

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Dear Stoner: Is purple weed worth it? Like, should I be paying more for it or seeking it out? Is there anything different about purple cannabis, other than its color?
Terry Tokes

Dear Terry: Think of purple weed as pink Himalayan sea salt. People will gladly spend more money on it as a vibrant, natural alternative to boring ol' table salt, and some Himalayan salt fanatics even say it has special minerals that bring added health benefits. Maybe eating Himalayan sea salt in every meal of your life really would make a difference — but at the end of the day, you're just paying extra for something pink, and we need to get our iodine from somewhere.

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Some strains are naturally purple and just happen to carry grape flavors, but having one characteristic doesn't guarantee the other.

Jacqueline Collins

Anthocyanins are the compounds responsible for the purple, blue and red hues in cannabis buds. Although they do supposedly carry some antioxidants, they're not going to make much of a difference in the smell, flavor or effect of a strain. Some beloved strains are purple naturally and have distinct flavors that make them timeless, like Grape Ape or Purple Kush, but most purple buds you see in dispensaries were purposely stressed out by growers to ensure more anthocyanins and bag appeal. That doesn't mean it's bad weed, but it's not guaranteed to be grape-tastic, either.

Send questions to [email protected].