PGR VS NON PGR CANNABIS

What Is PGR Cannabis? Identification & Side Effects

PGR weed is increasingly becoming common in many states as more marijuana growers are now adopting chemical methods to improve their yields. If you are an experienced stoner, you can tell the difference between the PGR weed and non-PGR weed. This is not a new topic as it is discussed in different forums.

Have you seen marijuana buds covered by ugly brown hairs? Do they have scents that are familiar to you, or do they smell something else? If you have come across such marijuana buds, then you might have been smoking PGR weed.

PGR weeds, what is it? How do you identify it from other marijuana grown naturally? Do they have any side effects on your health? Continue reading to find out more because that is what this article is all about.

What Is PGR Weed?

PGR Weed or Plant Growth Regulator weed is a marijuana plant whose growth and structure have been modified using plant growth hormones. PGRs are artificial growth hormones used by growers to induce faster growth of plants, control roots, trigger flowering, and alter any other growth characteristics. PGR weed refers to cannabis plants cultivated with these chemicals.

PGRs have practical uses in plant growth for many reasons, but not for consumables. When applied to any plant, the results are remarkable, but the reality is the exact opposite when such plant products are consumed. It causes no harm when used for growing hedges and grass in your lawn.

PGR weeds grow faster and produce high yields, making them beneficial to a farmer but a disaster to the consumer. We will explore its adverse health effects later.

There are many plant growth regulators hormones for growing different plants. But for cannabis, the following are the most common:

  • Paclobutrazol – makes the cannabis plant grow faster and form larger buds.
  • Daminozide (Alar) – increases the overall bud yield
  • ChlormequatChloride – accelerate growth and flowering


The above list consists of the most dominant three weed PGRs. If you are a marijuana grower and against PGRs in weed, then you should explore more. Here is a list of PGR nutrients for cannabis you should avoid for a non-PGR weed:

  • Rock Juice
  • Boonta Bud
  • Rox
  • Mega Bud
  • Bushload
  • Gravity
  • Phosphoload
  • Superbud
  • Dr. Nodes
  • Yield Masta/Sudden Impact

How To Spot PGR Weed

Marijuana smokers are called upon to be on the lookout for PGR weeds and distance themselves from them. This is the only approach that can reduce PGR in weeds. The business is still thriving because consumers do not know how to distinguish PGR cannabis from natural weed.

Once growers lack a market for the paclobutrazol weed or any marijuana grown with any other plant hormone, they will stop this vice. We aim at enlightening the unsuspecting PGR bud consumers so that they can stop buying PGR weed. But can you tell if the flower you are about to buy was grown with chemicals or not?

PGR vs non-PGR weed

PGR weeds are characteristically distinguishable from natural weeds. The buds have different features, and cannabinoid content also varies considerably. PGR in marijuana lead to the following features:

  • PGR buds have little to no scent
  • Buds feel spongey
  • Unusually dense buds with unusual hardness
  • Fewer trichomes/crystals
  • The weight to size ratio of the buds is high
  • Buds have rounded and smooth edges comparable to individual nuggets
  • Orange PGR buds: dense orange hairs on the weed, sometimes red hairs
  • Excessively dense weed
  • THC content much lower than the cannabis strain average
  • Harsh chemical taste
  • Hits much faster and stronger – often associated with headache
  • PGR buds turn dull brown when dried and cured

Identifying PGR cannabis should not be challenging if you are familiar with natural marijuana flowers. Cease from smoking anything suspected for your own sake and enlighten other stoners on your friend’s list.



PGR Weed Side Effects

Plant growth regulators put a smile on the farmers’ faces but send consumers to their graves early. While researchers meant no harm by discovering these artificial plant hormones, unscrupulous farmers have been abusing them for their own selfish gain.

PGR weed is toxic and has many side effects. If you can, then you should avoid them at all costs. Fortunately, we will also tell you how to identify PGR cannabis. Stick to natural weed as much as you can. Farmers should also avoid PGRs in weed. Be concerned more with the well-being of consumers and not what you stand to gain. After all, naturally grown marijuana also gives high yields.

Side effects of PGRs on human health can be divided into two: short-term and long-term. How your body will react to exposure to these growth stimulation chemicals depends on the exposure time.

Short-term Effects (accidental exposure)

You do not necessarily have to consume weed grown with PGRs to get exposed to these toxic chemicals. It is possible to get into contact with plant growth regulators by accident. That short-time exposure will immediately trigger body responses as listed below:

  • Skin and/or eye irritations
  • Respiratory distress
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting, etc.

The signs depend on your immunity and genetic makeup. You might experience one or a combination of the above effects or none when exposed to PGRs.

Long-Term Effects

This is where the regular cannabis consumers belong. Long-term consumption of PGR weed has adverse side effects that can lead to an untimely death in severe cases. Some of the signs you might experience include the following:

  • Lung damage
  • Damage to reproductive health in both men and women
  • Low amino acid levels in the brain
  • Low antioxidant in the brain
  • Prenatal health complications

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