Opinions on high anthocyanin strains

I'm curious if anyone has any first hand experiences or thoughts on anthocyanin and the effects. From what I've seen most exclusively purple-red flowers have a different effects and flavors from the norm. I grew a Gelato og that was a dark purple and tasted great, but it was not a really that potent. I've heard that anthocyanin is produced in high levels as a defense mechanism in cannabis plants and others. Ive also read that this trait is mainly just an asthetic attribute, they generally lack potency vs regular green genetics. Don't get me wrong there are some known genetics that have both, but I often wonder. Any thoughts?
 

Trichitect

Canna-bacchus incarnate
Anthocyanins are produced by the plant to protect itself from cold temperatures. They break down very quickly from heat, so you probably don't get any "effect" from smoking. Also, they're not psychoactive, but could have antioxidant properties. I'm guessing that eating fresh leaves or juiced leaves would deliver the most without degrading it.
The plant definitely has to use energy and resources to produce them, some of which is probably diverted from making terpenes & cannabinoids. It makes sense to me that strains that produce high amounts have slightly less potential for high potency. I've noticed that some of the deep purple strains that I've grown didn't hit quite as hard, but they usually have great flavor.
 
This always gets me thinking and draws my thoughts back to market produce. Little while back at the farmers market they had tri-colored string beans, purple, yellow, and green. The purple ones turned instantly back to green once they touched the boiling water. All in all they taste the same, except the yellow version had more of a dull, flavor most likely due to lesser chlorophyll content.
 

Psychobilly

🧀Muenster
Honestly, a green bud can technically have more Cannabinoids than one that is purple or black or whatever other colors that may show up, but feeding for cold climates would likely rectify that where they'd have the same. For me it's not really a choice anyway, as my outdoor here in Michigan is going to see cold weather every time. Might look super pretty, and have bag appeal, but at the end of the day, it's just the plant reacting to stimuli really. Just like in the North, when temps start getting colder, and the Trees start turning beautiful colors before the leaf matter falls off.

Now, one thing about cold, is that, even though the plant changes, and colors can appear, I've also seen clones of the same plant grown in a warm tent VS being outside in the cold, and though the outside was more colorful, the resin production seems to have been upped too. Apparently resin is a lot like weather proofing for a Cannabis plant, which, kind of makes sense, as it's water proof, and can block cold air from penetrating to where potential seeds might be forming. Even if there are no seeds. I first saw this myself when my in law got clones of Detroit Lemonade a few years ago. The indoor clones were not EVER cold, and didn't get any colors or anything like that, and though they were sticky, they never quite got to that level that the ones outside did. The outside ones were ridiculous with resin production, and were just covered in it. I didn't take any scientific measurements or something like that, but just from looking at them, you could see the differences pretty clearly.

I will say, that I've seen plenty of colored plants that weren't cold either. LED lights seems to be able to bring those out at times too. My experience on that end though, is pretty limited, so, your mileage may vary. I simply don't have that level of indoor tent experience to say it's a fact.
 
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