Does albino weed really exist?

Imagine white, iridescent flowers with fluffy buds. That’s what albino cannabis might look like. We recently came across a post on Facebook about a strain called «New York White»—a very potent albino cannabis that’s said to grow in the sewers of New York.

Beyond asking who would want to use cannabis that grows in sewers among rats and alligators, we set out to find out whether albino cannabis really existed or if it was just an urban legend.

White Cannabis

What's interesting about this legend of albino weed is the idea that a lack of light causes the plant to produce white buds. Ironically, white cannabis is the result of TOO much light.

The albino cannabis It does exist. But it has nothing to do with a "super-strain" of cannabis that supposedly grows miraculously in the dark or the right variety of seeds.

Cannabis is a green plant that needs light to carry out photosynthesis, which is essential to the life of any green plant. Without light, they cannot produce their own food. And without light, cannabis plants do not magically turn into mushrooms that can live in the dark.

White weed does exist, but it’s not a good sign. These plants have been «bleached» by too much light, which most often happens with LED lighting systems or in poorly ventilated hydroponic setups where the lights were placed too close to the plants. This phenomenon is called apical chlorosis.

Plants that have been bleached in this way tend to have very little, if any, potency. The light has destroyed the trichomes and cannabinoids which contain the plant's therapeutic and recreational properties.

In conclusion, albino weed is a reality. And even though it might add a bit of visual appeal, it’s completely ineffective.