What is Cannabis PGR?

In recent years, the cannabis industry has witnessed the emergence of a type of compact and hard buds, with less resin and aroma than natural flowers. When grinded with a grinder, they leave tiny pieces that are also very hard. If you have ever come across this type of buds, it is possible that they were PGR cannabis, i.e. cannabis treated with chemicals to increase the flowering yield, but at the cost of lower product quality and with dubious safety for the consumer. Find out what PGR cannabis is and why natural and high quality CBD flowers are preferable.

What is cannabis PGR?

PGR cannabis refers to cannabis buds or flowers that have been treated with plant growth regulators (PGRs). These chemicals, widely used in gardening, are sprayed on the cannabis plant or mixed into the irrigation water to improve the size and density of the buds. Although the use of PGRs has immediate benefits in terms of production, their use in cannabis flowering raises questions about the quality of the final product.

The buds treated with PGR are usually very rounded, compact and with an irregular trichome distribution.
They have an extravagant appearance, but little amount of resin, aroma and potency. — The buds treated with PGR are usually very rounded, compact and with an irregular trichome distribution. They have an extravagant appearance, but little amount of resin, aroma and potency.

So far, cannabis flower breeding techniques have been based on genetic improvement and selection, optimization of cultivation techniques and more optimal handling and preservation systems. But, in recent years, it has been observed the use of these chemicals, flowering growth regulators or PGRs, which produce large buds.

It is not always easy to identify cannabis with PGR by appearance, because there are many factors that can influence the shape, color or aroma of the buds, including cultivation, processing or even the trimming and cleaning process. Generally speaking, the buds are very rounded, compact, and sometimes with an irregular distribution of trichomes. An extravagant appearance that contrasts with low resin quantity, aroma and potency.

Types of PGR

There are different types of PGRs applicable to cannabis. Some are used to stimulate rooting or control vegetative growth, but today we will focus on PGRs that are specifically applied to flowering.

Flowering PGRs are substances that interfere with the plant’s natural hormones, causing faster growth. In the cannabis plant, they produce larger and denser buds. However, this forced growth often has a negative impact on the quality of the cannabis, reducing trichome production and affecting cannabinoid and terpene levels.

There are natural PGRs (many plants and algae produce PGRs) and others of synthetic origin. The latter are the most widely used in agriculture and also in cannabis, and their use is controversial.

Cannabis controversy with PGR

The use of PGRs in cannabis flowering is controversial due to the potential health risks to the cannabis consumer from inhaling these substances. Specifically, certain types of PGRs used in flowering, such as paclobutrazol and daminozide, are linked to risks of cancer and liver toxicity. However, there are no obvious or characteristic symptoms of smoking these substances, so the end consumer cannot know if he or she is being exposed to these compounds.

In addition, these substances produce low quality buds by reducing the production of trichomes and resin, which results in lower CBD, THC (in psychoactive cannabis strains), potency and aroma of the cannabis.

How to identify cannabis with PGR?

More and more cannabis consumers are aware of these practices and are opting for organic and PGR-free cannabis buds. To this end, it is important to recognize the distinguishing characteristics of cannabis with PGRs:

1- Cogollos densos, pesados, compactos y artificialmente redondeados

La forma o aspecto general del cannabis con PGR es más compacta, con apariencia como de rocas; con cogollos muy densos, apretados y pesados. Además, las flores suelen tener un aspecto artificialmente redondeado. Algunos describen que algunos cogollos PGR son duros como una piedra, hasta el punto de que cuesta deformarlos cuando se aprietan con los dedos. Otra característica es la presencia abundante de pistilos anaranjados largos que, aunque no siempre es distintivo, en conjunto puede ser un signo más de que nos encontramos ante cannabis con tratamiento PGR.

2- Poca densidad de tricomas, o densidad irregular

Uno de los signos más reveladores es la poca densidad de cogollos de las flores, que se puede apreciar con una lupa de relojero. Los tricomas son las glándulas productoras de resina que contienen los cannabinoides y terpenos. El cannabis con PGR presenta cogollos con pocos tricomas, lo cual resulta en una apariencia del cogollo menos brillante, con menos cristales de resina, y poco aroma.

3- Coloración marronosa o anaranjada

La coloración de los cogollos puede variar dependiendo de muchos factores, algunos no relacionados directamente con el cultivo, como sería el proceso de secado, curado y con el propio almacenamiento. Por tanto, si bien el color no es 100% distintivo de cannabis con PGR, una coloración marronosa puede darnos una pista de que ese cogollo, por la razón que sea, no es de buena calidad.

4- Cannabis con poco aroma y poca potencia

Los cogollos con PGR presentan un aroma poco intenso y menor potencia, debido a la menor densidad de tricomas comentada anteriormente, lo cual repercute en menor concentración de cannabinoides y terpenos.

Difficulties in the Identification of PGR Treated Cannabis

To conclude this point, it is important to say that the identification of PGR-treated cannabis is not an exact science, and can sometimes be difficult to identify. The only way to know 100% if cannabis has been treated with PGR is by residue analysis, in specialized laboratories.

Cannabis is a plant that presents a wide variability in its characteristics, both in appearance (color and shape), as well as in aromas and cannabinoid composition. These characteristics can be influenced by various factors, such as genetics, growing conditions, storage, or the proper curing and drying process.

In addition, the shredding and cleaning process makes them look more or less compact. All these variables can cause differences in the appearance, density, texture, aroma and quality of the cannabis, which makes it very difficult to distinguish between PGR treated and untreated products just by a photo or by the appearance of the buds.

Differences between natural cannabis and PGR

Differences between PGR and Natural Cannabis

¿Es necesario el uso de PGR para cultivar cannabis?

No es necesario utilizar reguladores de crecimiento sintéticos para cultivar cannabis. Durante la mayor parte de la historia, el cannabis se ha cultivado sin estos productos químicos artificiales. Un gran ejemplo es el maestro Jorge Cervantes, un referente destacado en el cultivo de cannabis, quien ha compartido numerosos métodos ecológicos y sostenibles que mejoran la calidad y salud de las plantas sin aditivos sintéticos. Muchos cultivadores preferimos utilizar estos métodos orgánicos, que excluyen el uso de PGR sintéticos, enfocándose en la selección genética adecuada y técnicas de cultivo óptimas para conseguir cultivos exitosos.

At Cannactiva, we offer you only natural cannabis of the best quality: