What Are Cannabis Colas?

No, they are not beverages.

Rachel Abela

You might have toured a cannabis grow-op or facility and heard the term “colas.”

Maybe you pictured a fizzy beverage the staff would hand out after your tour.

In reality, cannabis colas are something entirely different. It’s a specific part of the plant that we users are very familiar with.

Let’s sharpen your canna knowledge with some new terminology to impress your grower friends.

What Is A Cannabis Cola?

Colas are all over the cannabis plant. Only during a specific stage of growth, that is.

I’ll give you a hint: they’re sticky, dank, and probably in your secret stash right now.

Yes, cannabis colas are nothing more than your precious buds. More specifically, it’s the area of the cannabis plant where flowers are densely growing together.

When referring to one cola instead of a group of colas, growers are usually referring to the main cola on top of the plant.

This cola is usually larger than the rest and can also have more than one “main cola” growing beside it.

When Do Colas Grow?

There are four main stages of growth for cannabis plants;

Germination
Seedling stage
Vegetative stage
Flowering stage

Because colas are buds, aka flowers, they present themselves during the flowering stage, the most important phase of growth for plants.

When colas are fully grown, growers will remove them from the plant and either hand or machine-trim them. This gets rid of the loose outside leaves, focussing on the terpene-packed cannabinoid-heavy colas.

This prepares the colas for packaging and also ensures that only the densest and most potent colas make it to the consumer.

It’s essential for growers to handle their colas with care. After all, they contain crucial plant properties like

Terpenes
THC
CBD
Trichomes

Photo by Cannafornia

How Can You Recognize A Cola?

Recognizing a cola is simple. All you need is to understand these three anatomical terms;

Pistils
Trichomes
Calyxes

Near the base of the cola, there are leaves called calyxes. They are usually bundled together right underneath the bud in a teardrop shape.

Because calyxes offer a distinct shape of their own, they’re responsible for giving colas their own unique shape.

Moving over to the cola itself, it will contain pistils and trichomes. Pistils are small, wire-like hairs, and they change colors as the plant matures. The darker the pistils, the more potent the colas are, meaning the plant is almost ready for harvest.

Finally, trichomes are microscopic white hairs that are even smaller than pistils. As a plant matures, trichomes will turn from transparent into a frosty and milky color, indicating they’re ready for harvest.

These tiny teenie prongs are used to create resin, which is also incredibly potent and can contain high THC contents.

Now that you know a little more about colas, maybe you’d like to start growing plants of your own. You could just use your knowledge to impress your grower friends, but why not become a grower yourself?

Check out our guide on setting up your first home grow. Looking to move operations outside? Take a look at our guide for growing weed outdoors.