Yeah I hear ya,Tried the dark thing and didn't notice any more differance than waiting thee days...........cept the plants that were in the dark for that 3 days yielded lightly less per plant.
Evidently the research and tests performed by The Stichting Institute of Medical marijuana together with TNO laboratories and the University of Leiden were all totally incorrect. They should have saved a lot of time and money and effort and just asked you.
I am sure that your growing and testing environment was much better controlled than theirs and that you had much higher technology equipment to work with for testing the results of your experimentation, not to mention that it goes without saying that your level of education in such types of research have to far surpass that of anyone and everyone involved in what had to be inaccurate scientific research findings.
I always marvel at how someone will attempt something in their basement or closet or store room or grow tent or garage or attic and then rely totally on their physical sensory capabilities to make a judgment and believe what they think to be the results proves actual scientific research to be wrong.
I also get a real kick out of whenever this topic comes up the part of the findings that clearly state; "some varieties had seen an increase of THC of up to 30%, while CBD and CBN remained the same" is ignored and because someone was incapable of physically sensing any difference in the strain or strains they made their attempt with that the deem it to not work with any strains, even though the findings clearly stated; "some varieties" and not all varieties had an increase up to 30%.
With there being well over 3,000 genetically different known strains there would have to be a degree of variance of results but in every case there would have to be at least some increase in the level of THC. As I previously stated, long before it was a known fact that THC works somewhat like sunscreen and it protects the delicate inner glands of glandular trichome heads, and in the process some amount would degraded every day while under light and that most THC is created during hours of darkness many growers, mostly outdoors growers at the time/era, learned that when they harvested their crop before first light it resulted in increased potency. They did not know the exact reason why but they learned that harvesting early in the day, before light or at first light, resulted in increased potency and harvesting late in the day resulted in decreased potency.
During hours of darkness plants operate off of stored energy, a battery backup sort of system, and 72-hours is about the maximum amount of time a plant can continue it's functions without receiving light. While it still has energy it will continue to perform functions and since the plants are in total darkness the only functions that will be performed are those that are normally performed during hours of darkness. THC production is one of the main functions that occur during hours of darkness while in the flowering stage of growth.
During that period of time there can be no loss of THC due to light degradation because there is no light but THC will be produced in some additional amount.
Something that never makes any sense to me when people either say it does not work, even though it has been scientifically proven to work, or that it is not worth what little someone believed they did gain when they attempted it is this. Consider how much money many of us spend on quality genetics. Think about how much money many of us spend on creating the best possible setup we can, including lighting and in some cases fans and duct work for temperature control and ventilation to draw in fresh air and in some cases CO2 setups and in some cases hydro or aero setups and all that goes with them. Think about how much money some of us spend on overpriced 'designer soils.' Think about how much money some of us spend on what in reality are overpriced fertilizers/nutrients. Think about how much some of us spend on other equipment to test pH and EC. Think about the cost of running such setups, electricity for various pieces of equipment, water if you are on a city/town water system (which also means you are charged additional for sewer charges because they are based the amount of water is used). Some use/run other pieces of equipment like air conditioning units just for their grow areas or dehumidifiers and in some cases humidifiers, which they at some point had to spend money on to purchase them. Then consider the amount of time and effort that is put in between the popping of beans until curing is finished.
All that, and more, is done to attempt to squeeze every last bit of potency out of the genetics we grow. All those expenses, all the time, all the effort to attempt to achieve the best possible final results.
Then something that has been scientifically proven to work, to some degree or another depending on what strain or strains are grown, and it is 100% free, it does not cost a single penny and it takes no effort whatsoever beyond that of manually turning off lights, unplugging them, flipping a switch on a timer or pulling pins off a timer ... that is all ... and in return for spending absolutely nothing and doing as close to nothing as is possible there will be some increase in the level of THC, possibly as high as 30%. Since it is free and almost totally effortless why in the wide, wide world of sports would everyone not do it given all that they do that costs them money and takes time and effort all to achieve the goal of increasing potency?
If someone only ended up with a 2% or a 5% increase in THC considering that it is totally free and as close to being effortless as anything could be wouldn't it be worth the additional 2% or 5% of THC ? What about an increase of maybe 8% or maybe 11%? It would be totally free and nearly effortless, so would it be worth doing or not? What if someone is growing a strain that will see an 18% or 24% or the full 30% increase, wouldn't that be worth it since it would not cost the person one single additional penny and almost no effort at all would be required to get it?
I will never understand the logic and rationale some people rely on where they will gladly pay, and in many cases overpay, for many various different things and will gladly put in so much time and go to such effort all in the quest for maximum potency and then they refuse do do something that is not only free and almost totally effortless but also scientifically proven to work to some degree or another and in some cases to a major degree.
The only answer is because people put more faith in the opinion or belief of what some guy just decided was the case after what he did in his basement or closet or store room or grow tent or garage or attic than they put in the proven results of actual scientific research.
