The lower buds don't get very big, but there is a lot of them. I usually end up with at least an oz or 2 of little popcorn nugs. The larf is great for rolling and making hash or edibles. It doesn't look pretty but it sure gets you high as hell. And I don't see the tops packing on as much weight as you loose by lollipoping.
There are a lot of people on both sides of the fence, but I honestly think it's an outdated method. Certain applications of plant training require a level of defoliation, but never that much. I like to lst and pinch and bend the stems in the direction I want them to grow. I use twine slipknots to pull the higher branches down to even out the canopy. Sometimes during my training process I have to pluck one or 2 leafs because they're poking up into my t5.