Sativa Infused Flower – The Many Types of Marijuana
If asked the difference between the hemp plant and the cannabis plant, many marijuana consumers can be forgiven if they admit that they don’t really know. The two names have been used interchangeably in culture, and both are only recently becoming legalized again in America. Even more confusing, both produce flowering buds because both are varieties of the species Sativa Infused Flower. Hemp plants produce more CBD whereas cannabis plants produce more THC. All this raises the question: since both plants flower, and with CBD in the spotlight for its many positive effects, is smoking hemp flower a good way to consume the beneficial cannabinoid? Since hemp-derived CBD recently became legal under the 2018 Farm Bill, we thought we’d take a closer look.
Before diving into more detail on hemp flower, it’s important to understand what separates the hemp and cannabis plants. As mentioned above, they are basically cousins within the same species. An easy way to understand this is to look at a Pug and a St. Bernard. Both are the same species capable of interbreeding despite wildly different appearances, and both are probably good dogs who deserve a treat along with some belly scratches. In the same vein, the appearances of hemp and cannabis plants are easy to distinguish. The hemp plant grows skinnier and taller than its cousin marijuana, reaching around 12 feet tall. Hemp is also a hardier plant, easy to grow outdoors with minimal effort. So easy, it’s what gave the plant its name “weed” in the first place. The cannabis plant is similarly easy to grow, but requires careful cultivation to produce quality, potent buds.
Hemp has been known for years to be an “every part of the buffalo” plant. The seeds are a healthy source of protein and essential amino acids that can be eaten whole or ground into hemp milk. The leaves can be juiced, the fibrous stalk can be turned into clothing, rope, paper, and even construction material. The oil from pressed seeds can be used for cooking, soapmaking, or biodiesel fuel. Finally, of course, there’s the CBD, which is what most people are after. Hemp plants contain a much higher concentration of CBD while cannabis plants tend to be higher in THC.
Why smoke CBD flower?
We’re often asked, what’s the point of smoking CBD if it doesn’t get you high? There are many reasons why the “wine of Cannabis” is a welcomed addition to the smoking community. With traditional Cannabis strains becoming increasingly more potent in their THC concentrations, “how high” has become an increasingly debilitating game.
1) The Health Benefits
Using CBD provides many medicinal and health benefits. According to various studies, CBD helps with:
- Stress
- Pain
- Inflammation
- Cramps
- Seizures
- Nausea
- Migraines
To experience the full benefits of CBD, we highly recommend smoking CBD flower, versus ingesting tinctures. Smoking the flower increases its bio-availability in the bloodstream and the speed of absorption. All in all, it is a much more effective way of delivering it to your body.
2) Awareness and Traceability of what you’re Smoking
We at Plant Inspired Future (PIF) are proponents of smoking flower over oils and isolates. Yes, we understand oils are discrete and have emerged on the social scene. But, nature has been providing flowers for millennia and it is the safest way to ensure you are smoking an unadulterated product. All PIF CBD pre-rolls and flowers come with a Certificate of Analysis which lets you know exactly what you are smoking and where it is from.
3) Avoid the negative side effects of being “high”
A CBD joint is the “safe for work” version of joints. CBD does not produce the intoxicating aka “high” effect that traditional THC produces. When smoking CBD flower, you experience the same relaxing and calming body effects of smoking THC flower. It is like smoking an “indica” that doesn’t take away your energy. It also does not produce the temporary side effects of THC, such as:
- Coordination problems
- Dry mouth
- Red eyes
- Slower reaction times
- “Munchies” (keep up with your fitness goals!)
4) A “Healthier” Smoke
A “healthier” smoke is an oxymoron because smoking is inherently not healthy. However, Cannabis is originally a smoking community and all over the world people enjoy smoking. When it comes to smoking cigarettes (tobacco), smoking CBD flower is becoming an increasingly effective tool for helping people quit tobacco. It’s long been documented how difficult quitting smoking tobacco is. Withdrawal effects include headaches, constipation, and so on. Smoking CBD flower not only helps cope with the withdrawal effects, it also psychologically satisfies the smokers’ oral fixation. It’s calming sensation helps relieve the stress and anxiety often cited as a smokers’ main reason for smoking. Many are finding success quitting tobacco and nicotine with CBD.
5) You don’t have to choose
It’s not CBD versus THC, it’s CBD AND THC. What do we mean? There are many reasons why you may choose a CBD joint for recreation instead of a traditional, THC joint. Many factors that come into play include time of day, your plans the rest of the day, and how you want to feel. Simply ask yourself “how high?” If it’s so high that you can touch the sky, then you know what to smoke :). But if you don’t want, or don’t need, or can’t be that high due to your responsibilities, CBD presents itself as an incredible alternative. Socially, you’ll be more in sync with your thoughts and attentive in conversations.
How to Consume CBD Flower
CBD flower is Cannabis sativa flower that contains less than 0.3% THC. There’s a common misconception that hemp and cannabis are different plant species, but the only difference between high-THC cannabis and low-THC hemp is the dominant cannabinoid. Cannabis can, in fact, be bred to be dominant in a few different cannabinoids. The only reason CBD-dominant hemp flower is more common than CBG-dominant flower is that CBD became popular before any of the other non-intoxicating cannabinoids. CBD flower can be grown either indoors or outdoors, but indoor CBD flower offers substantially increased quality and potency. Some indoor CBD flower strains contain upwards of 25% CBD, which means they rival the pinnacle of top-shelf THC-rich Cannabis sativa flower in terms of pure cannabinoid potency. Most CBD-rich hemp strains take around four weeks to grow to their full size, and they take a further 8-9 weeks to flower. Once they have reached peak potency, the flowers of CBD-rich hemp plants are harvested and cured conventionally or flash-frozen. At this point, CBD flower is now ready to consume. What are the best ways to consume CBD flower, however, and what are the benefits of consuming CBD flower in contrast to using CBD extract?
OPTION 1 — Smoking CBD flower
Smoking CBD is one of the most popular ways to use hemp flower. Let’s help you on your way as you discover the benefits of smoking CBD flower for yourself by answering some common questions.
OPTION 2 — Vaping CBD flower
We understand if you don’t want to put smoke in your lungs. Even though Secret Nature hemp nugs are grown with organic processes and don’t contain any harmful contaminants, smoke is smoke.
Since vapor absorbs into your lungs better than smoke, vaping hemp flower may be more effective than smoking it. Vaping also preserves the terpenes and flavonoids that provide CBD flower with its unique flavors.
To vape Secret Nature hemp flower, you can pack a bowl in a dry herb vaporizer and bring it with you on the go. Or, you can invest in a more advanced tabletop vape that provides thicker clouds of hemp flower vapor when you’re ready to relax at home.
OPTION 3 — Eating CBD flower
Can you eat CBD flower? Yes, but only under certain circumstances.
We certainly don’t recommend you eat CBD flower right off the stalk. Consuming hemp flower raw is a bad idea even when it’s been dried and cured.
Not only does raw CBD flower taste bad, but cannabinoids only activate when they’re exposed to heat. So, eating raw CBD flower won’t provide the effects you desire.
Bottom line — can you eat CBD hemp flower? Only when it’s been cooked or otherwise heated to the extent that the cannabinoids it contains have been properly decarboxylated (activated).
The most effective way to eat CBD flower is to cook your hemp buds into oil, butter, or a similar substance that you can then use when making food. To avoid burning your buds, simmer your concoction on low heat, and keep a strainer on hand to remove the cooked plant matter after your hemp nugs have been cooked to perfection.