You are talking about auxiliary branches, lateral buds, etc. Lots of different names for them. Removing fan leaves wont allow them to automatically go from auxiliary branches to primary branches. The only way they do that is to cut off the flow of auxins that are created in the apical meristem either by topping, fimming, or lst'ing. Auxins aren't created in fan leaves, so removing fan leaves isn't going to allow more lat branching.
I have no clue whats really going on in those pictures because the first one is so small. And even if I could see what was going on, its only two plants. That doesn't mean anything when it comes to a scientific study. Two plants are too small of a sample size.
Just go with what mother nature intended. She put those fan leaves there for a reason. More fan leaves=more growth=greater chance of reproducing, and well MJ's main goal in life is to reproduce, so I think she knows what she's doing without us convincing ourselves we've outsmarted mother nature by coming up with some cockey mamie idea to boost yield.