The Quality-vs-Yield Tradeoff (and the Myths)
More light makes more grams, not stronger flower. Potency is largely genetic. Knowing what light, spectrum, and additives can and can't buy you is how you stop wasting money.
A huge amount of money in this industry is wasted chasing quality levers that don't move — because they feel like they should. The peer-reviewed data is clarifying and occasionally deflating. Knowing where the returns actually are is a competitive advantage, because most of your competitors are still buying the myths.
In controlled trials, cannabis yield rose almost linearly with light from ~120 up to ~1,800 PPFD — a 4.5× yield increase (116 → 519 g/m²) — while cannabinoid % stayed flat across every light level. More light buys more grams of the same-strength flower, not stronger flower. Potency is largely genetically fixed. Total cannabinoid yield rises only because there's more biomass to multiply the fixed percentage against.
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