Slog tipper Jaynie says she bought some pot from North Seattle that was dyed purple:

… after smoking about half of it, we rolled a joint and watched this dark-blue dye bleed into the paper. We did another “test” with water and paper towels. It wasn’t a lot of dye… but it was horrifying.

I boiled it down to just a shitty deal from a guy we aren’t normally connected with. We were screwed, we threw it out, we broke off with the formerly great dealer who sent us to the shit-head – it happens, right? But the more I think about it, the more I think… WHAT THE FUCK?! Is this a new thing people are doing now? Is it just this one guy in North Seattle doing this? Is there “purple” weed out there that people don’t realize is dyed? I have so many questions.

Does Slog have any answers? Some photos of the suspect pot after the jump.

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Hm?

Brend an Kiley has worked as a child actor in New Orleans, as a member of the junior press corps at the 1988 Republican National Convention, and, for one happy April, as a bootlegger’s assistant in Nicaragua....

43 replies on “Dyed Purple Pot?”

  4. Some high quality marijuana varieties (e.g. blueberry) do have a natural blue or purple pigment in them that typically presents when the plant is exposed to low temperatures late in the growth cycle. So don’t be afraid of dope that has blue or purple highlights – it might be really good stuff!

    That said, I’ve never seen natural weed pigment run. So that stuff has probably been dyed to look like a high end variety. Best to toss it.

  5. Eeek, what? Although, as @3 said, it DO look wine-y, don’t it? I’ll smoke it after dropping it in my wine, but yeah. What? That is creepy.

  6. Legalize, tax and REGULATE it. People should not have to deal with shit like this when you can walk into a dispensary and pick up some legit purp

  7. Maybe they did the little trick you learned in science class where you put a piece of celery or a white flower into water with food coloring in it, and it soaks up the water, changing the color of the plant. They may have watered the plants with purple dyed water to make it look like a higher grade product. I would toss it as well.

  15. Oh, fukkin’ a – you are smoking something, as in, inhaling carcinogens into your lungs…and you’re worried about some dye? What, it’s gonna damage your delicate bronchial tissues? Get over it.

    -Former Stoner

  18. Besides genetics (Blueberry, Grape), a cold grow room will also cause the purple color you’re seeing. No reason to worry. Looks like nice ganja to me.

    A buddy of mine just made some glycerin tincture and it’s all kinds of purple. Herbs are og and very kind, it’s just the natural pigmentation of the plant.

  22. @ 20. Actually, this might not be an April Fool’s joke. I got this email a few days ago and only got around to posting it today. No fooling.

  23. Hell, I’d smoke it anyway, but I also eat leftover pizza that hasn’t been refrigerated. (Gosh, those two ideas can’t possibly be related, can they?)

  24. I would have assumed it was food colouring and just baked the pot into brownies. I wouldn’t have thrown it away.

    I mean, think of all the invisible things that could be on the pot you buy. Should you test every batch to see if it’s poisonous? Is that even possible?

    It really sucks that this stuff isn’t legal and regulated.

  25. I’m a retired Cali pot dispensary worker, so let me lay down some info here:

    1) Marijuana can be purple, in fact purple strains are deeply praised and often have a highly sedative effect.

    2) The market for “Purple” is quite large so there are a lot of fakes out there (at least in Cali). We call these “pretendicas” (Indicas being the strain of pot most usually associated with purple)

    3)There are many ways for a pot plant to go purple, but usually indoor growers expose genetically-predisposed purple strains (“Blueberry” “Grandaddy purple” “Purple Kush”) to cold at the end of the grow cycle. Less scrupulous growers will put dye in the roots, or actually dye the buds.

    4) How to avoid being scammed: this was a test I used to teach my patients at the dispensary, take the pot and smell it with your eyes closed. Does it have a deep earthy yet sweet flavor? If you had to put a color to the scent would it be purple? If so it’s a safer bet that the pot is legit. If not pass.

    Must say that’s an impressive dye job, looking at those pictures I would have said it looks pretty legit.

    Hope that helps.

    On a related note, this is a good reason to get a cannabis recommendation from your doctor (or a doctor) if you can. A dispensary makes its name on the quality of its product and is more public than a dealer (there are no YELP reviews for street dealers). Because of this a good dispensary or co-op will make sure their stuff isn’t dyed or manipulated by scrutinizing samples through a quality control process.

  27. I don’t know from weed, but I do know plants. Since the color of the water is purplish red, it suggests to me that it’s anthocyanin – a natural pigment in plants that is usually a response to intense sunlight. This is what turns your red cabbage red and your purple potatoes purple. Someone will have to soak some quality purple bud to see if it bleeds out too. I wouldn’t throw it out either, unless it has a chemical smell…

  32. @31: THC is non-soluble in water, but soaking it would also remove the trichomes which is pure cannabinoids. Of course, if the dealer is the kind of piece of shit that dyes bud, then the chances of it being tumbled for kif before sale is likely.

    Of course, given the level of education about quality buds in this area is so low in the customer base, I suppose a street dealer might as well dump whatever they want into it since judging by a lot of other replies here, it’s perefectly acceptable.

  33. @33 these aren’t the smokers you’re looking for.

    there’s a large base of connoisseurs here in the PNW, they’re just not commenting on slog.

  38. Fucking idiot, even if it is food color BAKE WITH IT.
    THROW IT OUT!?!?!?!?!?!? thats an ounce you dumb ass, seriously, bake with it, you eat dye in everything

  40. @26 Your test for whether or not the purple color is a dye or if it is a natural chemical reaction to the cold by the buds is “Does it smell purple”?

    Sheesh!

  41. Purple buds can be a signal of many things, only one of which is dankness… Coloration can be the result of mineral deficiencies in the soil, or as I suspect in this case: simply food coloring. Additionally, lower quality product is also occasionally put in the freezer after harvest, which can give the plant a purplish tinge (known as freezer purps).

    Generally speaking, unless you trust your source it is best not to base your purchasing decision off of secondary characteristics like coloration, “hairiness/stickiness” or fruity smell. While these can be a sign of certain genetic strains, they’re also easily faked. It’s better to simply consider the density of trichomes (how “crystally” it looks). But honestly, the only real way to know how dank your weed is would be to smoke a smallish bowl with your dealer, and see how high it gets you.

    Additionally, pay attention to the color of the ash as you smoke. If the plant material turns pale gray or white, rather than black, this is a good sign. It means that for a week or two prior to harvest, the grower stopped treatment with fertilizer/pesticides – allowing the plants to flush out the impurities. It should also taste “clean” when you smoke: no bitter chemical aftertaste.

  42. I like the idea of #25: cook it. Especially if you bought a lot of it.
    Also I think purple pot tastes bad and gives me a headache. So much for marketing hype.

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