Purple Hype: Fact or Fiction

[ArcadiaAbsent]

So, I've had similar discussions with friends but I thought I would seek the help of this knowledgeable community to get some insight and answers.

I've grown/smoked some strains that exhibit a purple color or accent or have the purple name even without the color, and I've had plenty of friends and clients who seek out purple color in their buds above all else. There seems to be some strange connotations about the word purple as it pertains to marijuana. Certain growers tell me that all purple varieties do this or that, or have to be grown/fed in a certain way. It seems way to generalized to me, an oversimplification that encompasses a wide range of plants, and quite simply a load of BS.

Personally I've had some great purple bud, but its not a deciding factor in what I grow or purchase. My friend claims he can tell in a blind smoke test what strains are purple and which ones are not. I think he's just on his high horse, and full of smoke.

So what about all of you? What are your experiences pertaining to purple strains, and purple bud? Do you regard it as a fad, hype, a reliable indication of potent plants, worthy of your time and money, or just another interesting characteristic found in some marijuana? Where do you stand when it comes to "purp?"

 

[hellraizer30]

green/purple I cant tell, different strains have different tastes.

 

[SmokeyMcSmokester]

purple strains do have a distinct smell..

 

[hellraizer30]

purple strains do have a distinct smell..

my purple kush and my purple platnium have a grapish fruty smell and taste like nomall pot.
my violater kush smells and tastes the same as the purps.

 

[ArcadiaAbsent]

purple strains do have a distinct smell..

So is the smell is distinct enough to tell them apart from non purple buds without seeing them?

 

[Total Head]

i'm over purple buds. sure i've had some kickass purple strains, but i've had plenty that were nothing special at all. and a lot of stuff being touted as purple isn't even a purple strain, it's just some shit that changed colors. hell i have some rocklock blooming right now and it's full of purple but only because i fucked up and let it get in the low 50's at night. purple weed has become just an easy way to sell based on a visual. real deal purple kush is pretty special, though.

 

[peckham.tel]

i think alot of it is a novelty thing, with being purple thing aswell ia m gonna grow some just because i think it appeals to more people as being different and a bit SPECIAL lol. as mentioned there proberly are a some strains that a bit more special.

 

[SmokeyMcSmokester]

So is the smell is distinct enough to tell them apart from non purple buds without seeing them?

if you put 3 kinds of weed...lets say green crack, og kush, and gdp. they would all have different smells..and i could tell them apart..now the bud doesnt have to be purple to be a "purple" strain...its the genetics/conditions that change color.

but yeah..i could definitely tell the difference...

 

[SmokeyMcSmokester]

when this song came out...i had never seen purple weed before...but then everybody was all about it, and it hasnt died..

[video=youtube;kBtyCtxllP0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBtyCtxllP0[/video]

 

[ArcadiaAbsent]

now the bud doesnt have to be purple to be a "purple" strain...its the genetics/conditions that change color.

I hear what you are saying, take a few distinct strains and a well traveled fan of cannabis can tell the difference in smell. However, this is always the part that makes me scratch my head a bit, the part of your response that I quoted. Shouldn't all "purple" bud share some identifiable and universal characteristic, regardless of it actually being purple? If people (and I know several who do) claim that there is a unique quality about purple bud besides the color, than what is it? It really appears to be a case of priming (psychology term) to me. You see a purple color, or a label that says purple from a dispensary, and your brain is primed to think "exoctic," "special," etc. Its a very interesting element of pot to me, and I'm curious to keep hearing more input from the RIU community.

 

[SmokeyMcSmokester]

I hear what you are saying, take a few distinct strains and a well traveled fan of cannabis can tell the difference in smell. However, this is always the part that makes me scratch my head a bit, the part of your response that I quoted. Shouldn't all "purple" bud share some identifiable and universal characteristic, regardless of it actually being purple? If people (and I know several who do) claim that there is a unique quality about purple bud besides the color, than what is it? It really appears to be a case of priming (psychology term) to me. You see a purple color, or a label that says purple from a dispensary, and your brain is primed to think "exoctic," "special," etc. Its a very interesting element of pot to me, and I'm curious to keep hearing more input from the RIU community.

yes...all purple strains have a distinct smell...whether it be a green "purple" strain or actually have the color purple...my buddy grows outdoor purple in arcata, not one shade of purple in the 60 lbs he pulled...but it had that very distinct grape smell to it.

 

[Dank Budz]

Purple strains have the unique grape/ jolly rancher sweet taste. I could easily tell a green strain from a purple strain without looking just from smell alone even if the purple strain is not a purple color they still have that smell and taste

 

[twenty2]

I'm not sure you can really say all purple bud smells the same. The smell would depend on strain genetics rather than color. I've smoked a few purple strains and none exhibited purple in the same manner. For instance a strain jamacian grape was almost royal purple where pistils are in early development but also had a good amount of bright lime green. I've also gotten purple Jems which was more of a light purple and was 100% all purple. And then there's bud that's seen frost late or just real low temps and has taken a kind of really dark purple hue all over but can sometimes get close to black. Anyway the jamacian smelled like a skunk it was one of those strains that smell up the whole room. The gems smelled more fruity like sweet almost.

 

[SmokeyMcSmokester]

I'm not sure you can really say all purple bud smells the same. The smell would depend on strain genetics rather than color. I've smoked a few purple strains and none exhibited purple in the same manner. For instance a strain jamacian grape was almost royal purple where pistils are in early development but also had a good amount of bright lime green. I've also gotten purple Jems which was more of a light purple and was 100% all purple. And then there's bud that's seen frost late or just real low temps and has taken a kind of really dark purple hue all over but can sometimes get close to black. Anyway the jamacian smelled like a skunk it was one of those strains that smell up the whole room. The gems smelled more fruity like sweet almost.

we're talkin about actual "purple" strains...GDP, Da Purps, Mendo Purps, Purpl Urkl, Purple Kush. They all have a similar smell to them...

 

[Springtucky]

Grandaddy Purp here in my neck of ohio is 550 a friggin bag. It's not grown locally (I'd pay twice that for a solid cutting). Everything else pales in comparison when it comes to taste. It's straight fruity pebbles in dense hard as rock little nuggs that are extremely crystalized. Also one of the "giggliest" strains I've smoked in forever. Not the most potent, but the taste and smell is what these strains are about. Anything close to good GDP - I want a seed link because the taste is to die for, or at 550 a zip it's to knock off an armored truck because im going broke lol.

 

[rainz]

What a load of SHIT you couldnt tell them apart and they are nowhere near all the same. AK47 for instance will grow purple buds but is NOTHING like any others that do, its all a matter of temperature and genetics, if you let the temps get a little lower than usuall and the plant has the means to turn purple then it will. True all purple strains that are not influenced by temps are week imo anyway, ladyweed lol. The most potent strains would always be the ones that stay green, i suppose when strains go purple photosynthesis must slow down because the chlorophyl is reacting and changing colour but thats just a guess i just dont like real purple strains cos they cant touch the others.

 

[Ronjohn7779]

Purple is just a color, I've smoked some bomb ass shit that was purple and I've I've smoked some disappointing ass crap too. Bottom line color isn't a good indication of quality.

 

[Dank Budz]

What a load of SHIT you couldnt tell them apart and they are nowhere near all the same. AK47 for instance will grow purple buds but is NOTHING like any others that do, its all a matter of temperature and genetics, if you let the temps get a little lower than usuall and the plant has the means to turn purple then it will. True all purple strains that are not influenced by temps are week imo anyway, ladyweed lol. The most potent strains would always be the ones that stay green, i suppose when strains go purple photosynthesis must slow down because the chlorophyl is reacting and changing colour but thats just a guess i just dont like real purple strains cos they cant touch the others.

Like someone pointed out earlier were not talking about strains that turn purple under certain conditions true blue actual purple genetics all have that sweet grape smell and taste and yes I could deff tell them apart without looking. I've smoked many many different kinds of purple and no they dont all taste the EXACT same they all have some variation but I could easily still tell the difference without having to look. Besides the odd 1 or 2 purple strains that arent bred for the taste and smell just the color like double purple doja doesnt have a good taste but is some of the most purple bud I have ever seen.

 

[rocpilefsj]

All people need to say is that it is purple this or kush that and everyone seems to eat it up... I will have buddies that will be like "try out this kush" or "check out my purple..." Nine times out of 10 it is not kush or purple anything, people will believe whatever you tell them. Certain true purple strains do have a purpley? taste to them, but not all.

 

[cdogg23]

Purple bud has always been a disappointment to me. I picked up some of gods gift recently and it was ok but i would rather of had some og. I am running some of cali connections blackwater hopefully i find a gem.