Testing buds for potency?

Is there anyway to test for potency before harvest? If you take a small bit of bud off of a plant, could this cause a hermie if its not smokable? I don't think it would be a good idea, I just want input from the community.

IMO...it's only an indicator of what it would be at THAT moment as maturity continues and potency changes...I for one never take a test bud, I just wait till it's ALL ready....much more appreciated....

Yes, you can quick-dry a small piece of bud in the microwave to test its ripeness. Just like trimming a single small leaf during flowering, clipping one little bud's stem won't hurt the flowering process. You don't have to worry about hermaphrodites at the very end of flowering.