I have been wondering if the dark period is really beneficial, and if so, why? I am having trouble finding a definite answer. This is what an "Ask Ed" article for cannabis culture magazine had to say about the science behind the dark period hypothesis.
In the 1970s, Dr Carleton Turner at the University of Mississippi found that there was a variation in the amount of THC in a sample, depending upon the time that the plant was taken. The most potent point was just before dawn after nighttime darkness.
Then, in 2000, Dr Paul Mahlberg of Indiana University showed that THC was produced extracellularly, on the inside of the glandular membrane, which would allow for its daily recycling.
The idea of using a dark period to increase THC before harvest warrants some investigation. An extended dark period right before harvest might very well increase THC content.
Wouldn't this occur while your buds are drying in a dark place anyway? Just because you chop the stem doesn't mean the chemical reactions come to an immediate stop. I am probably going to give the 24 hr dark period a go anyway. Just hard to believe that this many people have heard of it, but info on how it actually increases THC is so scarce lol.