Thats called foxtailing and happens on some strains at the end of flowering but it's all smokable.Is it normal for the white widow (top pic in first post) to have bulging bits from buds. Almost looks like a mutation.
yup- those pointy flower clusters are normal, no worries! Okay, leaves and trichome color are the best things to use to judge ripeness,... Clear trich's are immature; cloudy/milky are mature, peak THC levels; amber (not all strains do this equally) is from THC breaking down into CBN, which makes for a more sleepy "narcotic" high,... most folks take into account the Indica: Sativa % in a given cross, (Indi'- more body effect; Sati' more heady, energetic high), then decide what they want from their strain given it's heritage and associated affects... a common take is at nearly all cloudy with 5-15% amber (newest bracts will have clear trichs, white stigmas)....