There is a common belief that burning a cannabis flower into white ash represents that it has been correctly grown and cultivated. Similarly, some cannabis enthusiasts are known to believe that “holding in the hit” is what will help you experience the euphoric effect associated with cannabis while “coughing it out” prevents you from experiencing the intended effects of the product. The truth is there’s no evidence to support that belief, research suggests.
Researchers have concluded that coughing out the vapor won’t save you from feeling the effects of the cannabis strain. Now that such a long-accepted belief has been proven false with research, how much weight does the white ash belief hold when it comes to the quality of the cannabis strain?
Is there really something better about a cannabis flower that burns into white ash than a strain that burns into black ash – or is the ash debate just another myth?
In this blog, we will examine the research and surveys conducted by various cannabis growers, consumers, and experts to find out if this is fact or fiction!
The Common Theories Affiliated with White Ash
The team at Leafly, reached out to common consumers and growers of cannabis to find out what they think about the “ash debate”. Amongst the many responses, they found there were categories of responses:
- A great percentage of people believed “flushing” to be a reason behind cannabis flowers burning into white ash and accepted it to be a reflection of top-notch quality cannabis.
- Another group of people perceived that the presence of excessive moisture in a cannabis flower causes it to burn as black ash.
- The third group of people surveyed weren’t really sure about the entire situation.
So according to the Leafly research, most people believe that a bud that’s been properly grown and flushed with water during the last days before harvest always gives off white ash when burned and is a reflection of top-notch quality. While some from the group also believed that as long as a cannabis flower is capable of giving you the right high, it’s good—no matter if it burns off as white ash or black ash.
What’s The Controversy with Flushing?
Although there are a lot of different thoughts over the significance of white ash in the reflection of a good quality cannabis flower, there tends to be a much wider consensus regarding the significance of flushing—a common practice of the cannabis growers meant to increase the quality of cannabis flower.
This practice involves indoor cannabis growers flushing their plants with water in place of a nutrient mix during the last ten days before harvest. Scientists refer to this process as a catalytic approach and compare it to the fasting approach of human beings. It is meant to force the stored nutrients inside cannabis plants, if any, to be consumed entirely and prevent them from ripening.
Though the experts tend to be in the support of the flushing process, they also highlight that cannabis flowers that have been overly flushed are not likely to burn properly down to white ash even after they’ve been thoroughly dried and cured.
But what does the research conclude about flushing?
There’s very limited research in support of the flushing concept and most of the research that has been done disregards the effectiveness of it in removing any significant nutrient amount from the cannabis buds.
Why Doesn’t Over-Flushed Cannabis Burn into White Ash?
Though most of the cannabis growers tend to flush their plants before harvesting, others continue to wonder if the flowers that burn down to black ash are an outcome of them being too flushed and wet with water content.
Despite saying that he can taste the difference between a non-flushed and flushed cannabis flower, the researcher Wurzer states that “black ash is a sign of incomplete combustion”, he further adds, “I’m not aware of a plausible explanation that a cause of poor combustion would be a poor flush.”
However, he stated there could be a few possible reasons a poor flush would affect the taste of a cannabis plant and lead to poor combustion like too much moisture in the flower (as is the case with a poor dry and cure), a poorly rolled joint, or a really resinous flower. But he ultimately concluded that taste—not ash color—is a better indicator of quality cannabis.
Final Thoughts
To sum it up, there is no definitive evidence or research available that confirms the theory that a cannabis plant that burns down to white ash is of better quality than that of a cannabis flower that burns down to black ash. There are many more factors that determine whether a cannabis flower is of good quality or not. A cannabis strain and product that meets your individual needs and fits your lifestyle is a top-notch quality product for you without a doubt!
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