Cannabis is not colourful in the most traditional of senses, but the buds can contain bright bursts of colour which give the dense green bush a lot of life. Strains come in all colours and sizes: from the slightly blue ‘Blue Dream‘ to the burning orange pistils of Sour Diesel or almost pure White Widow who’s colour is almost completely washed out by its layer of trichomes. Out of all of these colours, our very favourite is purple.

Purple buds are majestic. They are some of the most beautiful buds around and always draw a lot of interest. For years, many have suggested that this colour is iconic to an indica strain, but that isn’t strictly true. So, Why does weed turn purple?

Dude, why is my Cannabis Purple?

There are some strains which grow to become a particularly dark colour which gives them the appearance of almost purple. In some cases, some of the buds grow so dark that they look almost black. This gives the impression that the buds are really dense (much like an Indica strain) they may hold the secrets to sleepy or slow experiences.

In fact, the sativa strain can also produce purple buds, and the change in colour has a lot to do with what is in the plant, and how it was grown.

The reason for this dark pigment is due to Anthocyanins. You can find these in just about any fruit or vegetable which appears red, blue, purple or black. So tomatoes, cherries, strawberries, blueberries and the list goes on. In most cases, the colour of the Anthocyanins depends on the plant’s PH levels, but are also influenced by light and temperature (mostly cold weather – where Indica’s Live). Although environmental triggers may cause the brilliant purple colour, the strain must already be predisposed to this change.

Which Cannabis Strains are Purple?

You may be surprised to know that there are a few. The most well know purple cannabis strains are Granddaddy Purple (and it’s children Purple Urkle and Big Bid), Purple Punch & Blackberry Kush.

Granddaddy Purple is a particularly famous Indica strain and is part of the heritage of some of the worlds most well known Sunday night treats. It is an Indica and does have a relaxing effect and you may also become sleepy after consuming the plant. This could be the reason why the colour purple has become widely associated with many indica strains.

All of the strains mentioned above have some kind of sedative effect and for most people, you wil end up asleep. However, there are a couple of strains which present as purple but can cause a happy and active high.

Tropicana Cookies/ Sherbert is a bright purple strain which does not follow the traditional idea that purple cannabis will put you to sleep. So be careful choosing Tropicana Cookies when you fancy a curl up on a rug!

So, Will Purple Cannabis Put Me To Sleep?

In short, not necessarily. While the colour purple is often associated with a sleepy indica, there are cases where it is not the case at all. Cannabis is complicated, and it seems that it doesn’t like to have labels. The most important part of understanding the strain effect is by researching the strain itself and understanding the active cannabinoids & terpenes first. Strain knowledge is paramount.