It depends. Its always better for the plant if you wait till the buds are ripe - but if you are dry you can smoke leaves and get a mild buzz. I am in that spot and I h ave been smoking the leaves of my Ak47 whenever I see a need to trim - or whenever my wife insist. They get us really stoned , cant imagine what the finished product will look like. Also if you top for bushiness, the growing shoots are more potent. But, if you have a choice, leave them alone - it will pay off big when you harvest.