Trichomes: A Closer Look at Cannabis

Written By Ginja Club

Have you ever scrolled through your Instagram feed and seen a picture like this?

 
 

Beautiful, I know. These images are so mesmerizing they inspired me to spend a ton of money and time in an attempt to reproduce them. Needless to say, I have a long way to go.

So what are these majestic capsules that seem to hold the universe inside them?

Trichomes.

You’ve probably heard the term before, you might even be a trichome expert, but if you haven’t don’t worry you are not alone. Trichomes, although popularized through cannabis, can be found on many different plant species. Defined by Leafly as “fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists.”, trichomes come in many different forms and serve various functions. For the purpose of time and sanity, let’s just focus on cannabis trichomes.

Cannabis trichomes (also known as resin glands) are tiny, hair-like protrusions capped with a globular head. Although trichomes are generally invisible to the naked eye, due to their semi-translucent nature they tend to reflect light and thus give buds their unique “frosty” look. They are found all over the above-ground cannabis plant and form in minimal amounts during the vegetative stage. Trichome production levels peak during the flowering stage, producing the majority of cannabinoids and terpenes in the plant’s lifecycle. The primary function of trichomes (for the purpose of the plant) is to serve as a defense mechanism against pests, predators, and environmental factors. By producing bitter-tasting resin and strong aromas, they become unpalatable to most predators. They also protect the vulnerable cannabis plant from UV rays and fungal growth.

Embed Block
Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

Then why are trichomes so important for consumers?

Everything a cultivator or extractor does in their growing or manufacturing process is done in an effort to capture these trichomes. They are the production factory and storage of the oh-so-valuable cannabinoids (THC, CBD, CBN), terpenes, and essential oils. Trichomes begin producing significant levels of these substances during the blooming stage. The combination of these compounds gives marijuana its noted psychological and physiological effects. In short, they produce the main ingredients that make cannabis, let’s say.. unique.

Trichomes can also function as a cue for cultivators. The color of these microscopic heads will change from clear translucent to milky white and lastly to amber which represents the life cycle of the flower respectively. Although the time for maturation can be strain-specific; monitoring the change in trichome color is the main method used for determining ripeness. Some growers believe that the ideal time to harvest the buds is when there is a specific ratio of clear to cloudy trichome heads.

The colors of the resin glands are also said to foreshadow what kind of high you can expect. For example:

Only Clear Trichomes (immature): Because clear trichomes are immature, there are very few cannabinoids to benefit from. Smoking buds that primarily contain these glands give a faint, uncomfortable high.

Mixed Clear and Cloudy Trichomes (semi-mature): This is when the trichomes are starting to reach maturity. Smoking buds with this mixture of trichomes produce a more energetic and paranoid high. This is due to the fact that the full cannabinoid and terpene profile is lacking, resulting in a higher THC/CBD ratio.

Cloudy Trichomes (mature): Cloudy trichomes indicate peak ripeness. These buds produce the classic cannabis high with all the therapeutic effects. At this stage, most growers decide to harvest their flowers before they start turning to an amber hue.

Mixed Cloudy and Amber Trichomes: As trichomes turn amber, THC begins to degrade and CBN levels increase. This produces a naturally more sedative high. Because there are still significant levels of THC and terpenes you can also expect similar therapeutic efficacy.

Amber Trichomes: When most or all of the trichomes turn amber, the plant is past harvesting. Smoking this bud is of little therapeutic use and the outcome is a lazy, unproductive high.

The best mixture of trichomes? I would say mostly milky with traces of clear and amber to get the full chemical profile.

Trichomes are as delicate as they are beautiful. Liable to degradation by light, heat, physical touch, and even time. It is extremely important for proper trimming, handling, and processing of the product throughout the supply chain. The best way to preserve trichomes is through extraction. There are a myriad of ways to extract resin glands and if you are truly interested you can read my other blog “Of course, I know what shatter is..”. Ultimately, the extraction process helps to isolate and preserve these precious trichomes.

There are three main types of trichomes that can be found on a cannabis plant, all of which produce varying levels of cannabinoids, terpenes, and essential oils.

Bulbous Trichome: Extremely small (10–15 micrometers) glandular protrusions. They protect the plant against UV rays and are compromised of both a stalk and cap. These trichomes are found sparsely throughout the surface of the cannabis plant.

Capitate Sessile Trichome: Slightly larger (25–100 micrometers) and more abundant than bulbous trichomes. These trichomes have shorter stalks and larger, more bulbous caps. According to MaximumYield these glands are precursors to the more precious capitate-stalked trichome.

Capitate-Stalked Trichome: The largest and most dense of these trichomes. These magnificent microstructures range anywhere from 50–500 micrometers and are the only trichomes visible to the naked eye. Capitate-Stalked Trichomes are what growers look to when monitoring plant maturity and they also produce the most amount of resin (mixture of cannabinoids, terpenes, and oils).

Overall it’s a slightly complicated process. Increased trichome expression doesn’t necessarily translate to a higher level of cannabinoids; some trichomes may produce more resin than others. Rather, it’s the genetics and growing conditions which will contribute a larger role in the end product and the overall psychoactive and physiological effects. So the next time you pull out that frosty nug and admire its beauty and addictive smell, remember that trichomes are its life source. More importantly, it takes a lot of time, care, and attention to produce these alluring flowers; so glory to the growers!

My love and passion for the cannabis plant have allowed me to explore different avenues and niches. Capturing the beauty of these flowers has become an obsession for me and although hesitantly, I decided to share some of these photos with you. If you would to see more content of this kind you can follow us on instagram @ginja.club.

Ginja Club
Previous

Hashish: The Art of Cannabis
Next

A Joint