time it's felt "worth it." now i'm talking like a pinch of a nug, not enough to make a big difference in final weight (not that i really even care i grow for myself only, so any bud at all is worthwhile lol) the first two times it's been a dull short high... this time.. whoa look out.. i got the spins it's still about 4 weeks from finish i'd say.. and i'm talking ghetto style 5 second at a time microwave quick dry not caring about taste, only to check readiness.. where i am there's hardly a such thing as first frost.. my goal is to manage to get something at least vegging again before i chop this one... (and actually dry/cure right)
Don't recommend the microwave-dry method, or any other that relies on heat. Enough heat to dry the weed will also start vaporizing the THC, just like a vaporizer does. If you want to sample early, pick a few lower popcorn buds & let them air dry. Usually takes a couple of days, then you'll know you're getting all she has for now, with more to come.
if I was you, I would stop using that technique to test if it is ready or not, the microwave for one thing, is going to zap the hell out of it and it really wouldnt give you much information. Invest 20 dollars and get your self a nice magnifying glass, pay attention to the pistil colors and look closely at the trichome heads. If you read through the past posts and look at some of the stickies, there are a lot of magnified pictures that show you what to look for and will teach you when and how to harvest properly.
If your 4 weeks out you have a pretty immature plant. You will be amazed at how big it will get towards the end. The majority of the weight is in about the last 2 weeks. If your doing to do that invest in a vaporizer..much better then the microwave method. You can vape fresh bud that has been torn up in it. Might take a little while to get going but results will be better.