I wouldn't do much sampling, that half gram you pulled off will probably be like 1.5 to 2 grams once they fill up, and much much more potent. DO you have a microscope or jewlers loop to check the trichomes? If you don't I would urge you to start looking for one as this is the best way to really control how the smoke will turn out in effects wize.
If you do not allready know about how the color of trichomes work I might as well say it now, I'm sure someone will learn from it. Up untill near harvest the trichomes, what many people call chrystals, will be clear. This indicates that the THC is not well developed. When nearing harvest they will begin to turn milky. If you harvest when the trichomes are mostly milky you get what would be concidered a more energetic and social high, if you wait, they will get amber. This is what you want for meds, it will be much more knock out. really plant your butt. And if you wait longer then you will actually miss the window, so trichomes may actually EXPLODE, and thc is synthesized into some other stuff. so that is what you want. But strain is obviously the main thing, they determine what window of range you have for the effects. This is the main thing that you can do. ANd With overall smoking...well drying and curring are very important!