Purple Cannabis

What Does Purple Cannabis Mean?

Purple cannabis is a cannabis plant with a purple hue or tinge. The compound responsible for the coloring of purple buds is called an anthocyanin, which is part of the flavonoid family. It is the same compound that makes blueberries blue.

The color exhibited by purple varieties of cannabis is not always a deep purple like one would expect, and can sometimes vary from a dark green to bluish to even black depending on pH.

Read: Purple Weed: What's So Special About Purple Cannabis?

Maximum Yield Explains Purple Cannabis

Anthocyanins are water soluble pigments found in many plants, and depending on pH, their phenotypic expression can vary anywhere from purple to red to dark blue or black.

A combination of genetics, chemical, and environmental factors all contribute to the purple coloring of a cannabis plant. For example, pH levels must be either neutral or slightly acidic, as more alkaline soil makes anthocyanins unavailable to plants. However, it's not possible to induce purple coloring in a plant without a genetic predisposition to purpling.

The process that turns cannabis plants purple can be compared to leaves changing color in the fall. As chlorophyll (the compound responsible for plant's green coloring) recedes near the end of its growth cycle, the purple hues that are typically masked by the green begin to appear. The calyx, pistils, and leaves all have the ability to turn purple. The curing process also encourages the elimination of chlorophyll in harvested flowers, further revealing purple hues.

Some popular purple strains include Granddaddy Purple, Purple Urkle, Grape Ape, and Purple Kush.