The pistils on a cannabis plant turn brown as a natural part of the flowering process. At first, pistils are white and upright, because they are actively receiving pollen. As the buds mature, these hairs start to dry out and change color from white to orange, red, or brown which indicates that the flower is ripening.
However, pistils can also turn brown earlier due to environmental factors such as heat, light intensity, or physical contact. What really matters for harvest timing are the trichomes, not just the pistil color. Pistils are a general indicator, but trichomes show the actual maturity of cannabinoids