Cannabis more colloquially known as green or grass or even green grass, got its slang name from its color, green! But, upon closer inspection, cannabis is a rainbow of colors. Do the colors actually represent something? What can we learn from the intricate array of colors in dry herbs?

Here are 5 things, you can learn for examining your sweet, sweet herbs.

Fruitiness

Some cannabis can appear purple and blue as opposed to its traditional green exterior. When you see blue and purple this tells you that the cannabis is slightly more on the fruity side of things. The reason for the blue-y color is because of the presence of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are found in fruits such as raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.

Anthocyanins found is this particular strain will give it a “Fruity” Flavor

Maturity

You can’t exactly narrow down how mature your strain is just by looking at it, but if you look closely and find small orange hairs, then your weed is fully mature and most likely at its peak. Not all strains of cannabis are harvested at the same time, so this is a good tip to remember next time you purchase.

Potency

Much like checking the color of your strain for the maturity, you can’t check how much THC is in your strain. The actual color cannot tell you how much THC is in the strain, however, the trichome crystals can. If your cannabis has tons of small, white crystals on it, that means it has more THC in it.

Trichrome Crystals on a Cannabis Strain

Closeup of Trichromes on Cannabis

Freshness

If your cannabis has a strong and vibrant color, this indicates that your strain is at peak freshness. More faded colors indicate that it’s probably lost some of its flavor and strength.

Aesthetic

While there isn’t a whole lot you can learn from the color of your weed, ultimately you can learn how aesthetically pleasing it is. How a purple or blue your strain is, is way cooler (and Instagrammable) than your run-of-the-mill green ones; how that hint of red coursing through the green, reminds you of Christmas; or lastly how the deep blue dancing through your strain reminds you of your ex-lovers’ eyes – I’m getting distracted – all in all, there are small but significant indications of what the colors of your weed actually mean.