Beez0404 don't you think if that plant didn't need those leaves it would let them die off and new ones come in??
I think some plants are fed like kings/queens while in veg and if it's a longer veg period the plants tend to get very bushy. Does a plant know what to do to help itself when it's infested with spider mites or aphids? Skunks mother plant has probably 20x more leaves then your plants in the photos you've shown me. If your plants can grow and produce product with a handful of leaves why does his plant need 20x more leaves to produce?