Same here!.. 3 weeks in, and we did a heavy defol today, and will hit it again tomorrow, then let them recover for a week or so, and check it again.Some growers keep defoliating/pruning right until they harvest. So no issue there, if you want to clean them up a little, go right ahead.
I usually prune my plants pretty hard in veg then again 3 weeks into flower, once stretch is complete, my reasons are always the same, creating better air flow and opening up spots for light penetration.