Lots of people these days are curious about smoking hemp. Although hemp compounds like CBD are taken in many ways, smoking hemp products like smokable CBD hemp flowers are becoming increasingly popular.
One of the reasons people are exploring smoking hemp-derived products is their non-intoxicating effects. Unlike marijuana, legal hemp contains a small amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – so small that it cannot get you high. Instead, hemp contains generous amounts of CBD with all its therapeutic benefits. There are several other reasons one might want to smoke hemp.
Hemp might have several properties that make it beneficial to health and well-being. People smoke hemp to ease aches and pains, as well as to promote relaxation. Hemp products like CBD might also offer other therapeutic benefits, including quelling anxiety. There’s still much to know about hemp and its interaction with the body. Here are some facts about smoking hemp buds.
Facts About Smoking Hemp
- Legal hemp contains only a small amount (less than 0.3%) of delta-9 THC, which is the compound that makes you high.Such compound is available in different forms including Delta 9 oil, gummies and whatnot.Thus, smoking hemp will not have any intoxicating effects like smoking marijuana.
- Depending on the hemp strain you buy, smoking hemp can have a relaxing or energizing effect, or both.
- Smoking hemp has been practiced as far back as the 1600s.
- Smoking hemp increases its bioavailability in your body. Another reason some people might prefer smoking hemp is that it delivers the effects of the hemp compounds faster than most other means.
- Smoking hemp does not cause any intoxicating effects. However, hemp has several beneficial effects, such as promoting relaxation and calm.
- Like the cannabis plant, the flowers are the best parts of the hemp plant to smoke. Other parts, such as the stalks and seeds, are not to be consumed.
- If you want to smoke hemp, there are several hemp products to buy online, like CBD pre-rolls and cigarettes.
Can Hemp Be Smoked?
Several people smoke cannabis with high THC levels and wonder if they can smoke non-intoxicating hemp too. Several hemp products, including CBD oils, tinctures, and CBD edibles like gummies, are on the market. However, you can also smoke hemp buds or flowers. Smoking has several appeals to many people.
A smokable hemp is a great option for those who prefer to enjoy the many therapeutic benefits of hemp products such as CBD. It’s one of the fastest and most efficient means of delivering hemp compounds into your body. Just like marijuana, people can also smoke hemp, although the experience is remarkably different due to different levels of the intoxicating delta-9 THC.
Some parts of the hemp plant are great for smoking, and others are not. Some parts of the plant, like the leaves, are rich and contain abundant quantities of CBD, delta-9 THC, CBG, and others. They also contain terpenes and flavonoids that give hemp and cannabis plants unique taste and flavor. When you smoke hemp, especially full spectrum CBD, you’ll get the benefits of all the cannabinoids in the hemp plant.
Can You Get High From Smoking Hemp?
There’s a simple reason why smoking or ingesting hemp in any other way would not make you high. This is because the legal definition of a hemp plant in the US is a cannabis sativa plant having below 0.3% delta-9 THC. Delta-9 THC is the most abundant compound in marijuana plants and is responsible for the high users feel. However, delta-9 THC is only in tiny amounts in the hemp plant. Thus, users will not feel any intoxicating effects while smoking hemp.
Smoking hemp can deliver deeply calming effects. Depending on the hemp product’s strain and the hemp type, smoking hemp might result in a deeply relaxing and invigorating experience. This explains why some people who have smoked hemp may think it is intoxicating.
CBD is usually labeled as non-psychoactive. However, CBD certainly does affect the mind and is thus psychoactive, technically. However, it does not produce the same mind-altering sensation as delta-9 THC. CBD-rich flowers often contain full-spectrum CBD and thus contain other minor cannabinoids in the hemp plant.
These compounds working together create a synergistic effect called the entourage effect. This effect is stimulated by all the plant cannabinoids working together. The right strain and ingredients in a CBD flower can make you feel deeply relaxed and mildly drowsy. First-time smokers might liken this effect to feeling high. However, note that CBD does not result in a high, and that is the major difference between it and THC.
What Does Smoking Hemp Feel Like?
This is a very common question among cannabis users. As we stated earlier, CBD does not have intoxicating effects; instead, the feeling of CBD is mostly calming and relaxing. As we’ve established earlier, smoking hemp will not produce a euphoric or psychoactive effect like THC.
When you smoke legal hemp, you do not experience short-term memory issues or impaired cognitive skills. Smoking hemp may feel different to different people, depending on some factors. For example, the amount of hemp you smoke might cause the effects to differ significantly.
Also, the strain of hemp you smoke will determine its effects on your body. While some strains are relaxing, others might boost energy, while others might be a hybrid of both. Another factor that may affect your experience is how long you have been smoking CBD.
All in all, expect to experience a mild calming experience when you smoke CBD. People also smoke CBD to alleviate soreness and muscular pains. Smoking hemp might cause muscle relaxation, help promote sleep and provide fast relief from stress and anxiety in some people.
What’s The Best Part Of The Hemp Plant To Smoke?
It’s generally believed that every part of the hemp plant can be smoked. However, not every part is ideal for smoking, and each part has a different composition from the next. The flowers of the hemp plant are the best part of the plant to smoke.
The hemp flower (also called hemp bud) contains everything that makes the hemp plant worth smoking. The flower contains cannabinoids like CBD, CBN, THC, and CBG.
They also contain terpenes and trichomes. Trichomes are the frost-like coatings on the buds that contain all the essential compounds that make the flowers desirable. The resin glands in these trichomes produce essential compounds like terpenes and flavonoids that give hemp its taste and effects.
What Part Of The Hemp Plant Should You Not Smoke?
You should avoid smoking the hemp plant’s seeds, stems, and roots. While all the parts of the plant have their uses, these parts especially are not ideal for smoking. The stems of the plant contain CBD. However, they also contain other plant compounds that are not pleasant to smoke.
There’s little to no beneficial plant compound in the hemp plant seeds. The roots of this plant have several medicinal benefits. However, they are not ideal for smoking. Hemp plant roots have been used for centuries to treat pain and inflammation. However, it is often consumed as tea or by other means. Stick to your hemp buds to get the best experience from smoking hemp.
How Does Hemp Absorb In The Body After Smoking?
Depending on how you ingest cannabidiol (CBD), it will absorb in your body differently. For example, when you ingest CBD edibles, they first pass through the digestive system before your liver metabolizes them. Afterward, it delivers the active compounds in the gummy to the endocannabinoid receptors. Sublingual administration of CBD oils and tinctures bypasses the first metabolism process and reaches the bloodstream quicker.
When you smoke CBD, there are small air sacs in your lungs that absorb the CBD into your body. These air sacs are called alveoli. Afterward, the CBD enters your bloodstream and interacts with endocannabinoid receptors at different sites in your body.
The Endocannabinoid System
Several systems in the body, like the digestive and respiratory systems, are responsible for different bodily functions. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is one such system in the body and was identified in the 1990s as a complex system in the body.
This system has a large network of receptors located all over the body. These receptors interact with cannabinoids to produce results in the body, like maintaining homeostasis. The body produces its own cannabinoids called endocannabinoids, and these cannabinoids resemble plant cannabinoids and have similar effects.
There’s still so much to know about the endocannabinoid system as its discovery is relatively new. However, the endocannabinoid system comprises three components: endocannabinoids, receptors, and enzymes. The two major endocannabinoids are Anandamide and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol.
These endocannabinoids interact with the receptors throughout the body to produce some therapeutic effect. In the same way, plant cannabinoids introduced in the body also interact with the receptors to produce different effects. The effects a cannabinoid has depends on the receptors it interacts with, the location of the receptors it interacts with, and the manner of interaction with the receptors. There are two major receptors in the ECS, the CB1, and CB2 receptors.
These interactions might target functions in the body like energy, balance, pain, appetite stimulation, and blood pressure. The three components of this system run round the clock to keep your body in a balanced state and regulate important functions. This is believed to be the primary function of the ECS.
How Does Hemp Affect Your Endocannabinoid System?
The cannabinoids in hemp interact with the ECS similarly to endocannabinoids. Ingesting hemp introduces several cannabinoids into your body. When you inhale hemp, CBD, and other minor cannabinoids, enter your bloodstream and locate the CB1 and CB2 receptors. These receptors are located in different sites throughout the body.
Since the ECS helps maintain body balance, CBD introduced to the body might bind or interact with a receptor to alleviate pain and inflammation. It would also bind with receptors to repair any condition like anxiety that’s throwing your internal environment out of balance. CBD is also thought to inhibit the enzyme Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH). This enzyme is responsible for breaking down endocannabinoids.
Benefits Of Smoking Hemp Flower
These are some ways smoking hemp can be beneficial:
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Fast-Acting Effects
Smoking CBD is one of the best means to ensure fast delivery of the cannabinoids in hemp. Thus, users will feel all the therapeutic benefits of CBD soon after inhaling CBD. Smoking CBD or any other hemp or cannabis product offers the fastest delivery route for the substance. Unlike ingesting CBD edibles, smoking bypasses the digestive mechanism, reducing the time it takes to feel its effects.
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May Help Withdrawal From Smoking Nicotine Cigarettes
Millions of people are addicted to the substance nicotine. For such persons, lighting a non-intoxicating smokable cbd hemp flower might be a great way to perpetuate their nicotine-smoking habit. Smoking hemp flowers might be a safer alternative for people who like smoking tobacco as it offers some relief to their nicotine cravings.
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Produces Increased Bioavailability Of CBD
The bioavailability of a compound refers to how quickly the body absorbs it, and it becomes active in the body. Smoking or inhaling hemp skips the digestion and metabolic process altogether.
Therefore, unlike other methods of ingestion, the compounds are not broken down before they become active in the bloodstream. This way, a higher percentage of the plant compounds (up to 50%) enter the bloodstream and thus produce stronger therapeutic effects on the body.
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Produces Non-intoxicating Effects
When you smoke hemp flower, it does not produce intoxicating or psychotropic effects like THC. CBD flowers may resemble marijuana in several ways, even in the smell and aroma. However, legal hemp significantly differs from THC in that it only contains below 0.3% of delta-9 THC. Thus, smoking CBD hemp does not lead to any psychoactive effects associated with smoking marijuana.
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Provides A Relaxing Experience
Many people turn to smoking to relieve themselves of anxiety and stress. Smoking marijuana is a popular way many people try to help their anxiety and stress relief. However, smoking high-THC plants may have some negative side effects.
In fact, one possible side effect of high-THC products is that they can heighten the feeling of anxiousness even to the point of feeling paranoia. CBD, introduced to the body, acts on GABA receptors in the brain, and its interaction with these receptors can lead to increased feelings of relaxation. Thus CBD offers a fantastic alternative to those seeking to calm their minds without going through the adverse effects of high-THC products.
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Offers The Full Profile Of The Hemp Plants
Like other methods of consuming CBD, smoking CBD hemp leads to experiencing the robust benefits of the entire plant. Hemp flowers contain high levels of CBD and other beneficial cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Smoking hemp delivers the effects of the hemp compounds present in the bud.
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Provides A Natural Alternative To Vaping
Vaping CBD through CBD vape cartridge is a healthy alternative to inhaling smoke while smoking CBD. However, the recent respiratory health crisis associated with vaping has raised the alarm and has scientists considering how safe vaping is.
Some scientists believe that the vitamin E acetate in vapes might cause the respiratory and lung challenges vapers experience. Smoking hemp CBD from products like pre-rolls and cigarettes offers you the chance to experience raw hemp without any additional ingredients that might cause damage to your lungs.
Legal Status Of Hemp
In 1937, the marijuana tax act led to the banning of hemp cultivation and production. However, the 2018 Farm Bill now states that it is legal to cultivate and consume hemp federally in the US. The law now defines hemp as a cannabis sativa plant containing below 0.3 percent delta-9 THC by dry weight.
This separates hemp products from marijuana. The marijuana plant is that which contains higher levels of THC, up to 30%. These plants are considered controlled substances under federal laws; thus, they are illegal federally in the United States.
Hemp-derived compounds like CBD are federally legal as long as they contain only legal amounts of delta-9 THC. However, local laws about CBD use and cultivation might differ from state to state. Thus, you must ensure that you keep yourself informed of the CBD laws in your locale.
Can Hemp Be Vaporized?
Yes. Many people prefer this method of consuming hemp to smoking. Vaporizing hemp involves heating CBD oil and inhaling the vapor it produces through a device like an e-cigarette. Unlike smoking hemp, vaping does not burn the hemp product and does not produce smoke.
Thus, it’s a great alternative for those who do not wish to inhale smoke. Vaping hemp allows for a milder experience compared to smoking. Vaping could also preserve some valuable compounds like terpenes. However, there are some disadvantages to vaping also.
Advantages Of Vaporizing Hemp
There are several ways in which vaporizing hemp might prove to be more beneficial than smoking it.
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Discrete Method
Some people prefer vaping CBD because of its discrete method of use and its effects. Smoking CBD or any product can cause strong aromas, which can last for a long time and be unpleasant when you have guests in your home. However, vaping produces a more discrete aroma than smoking it. Thus, users can vape anywhere without calling as much attention as smoking.
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Potentially Safer
There’s a possibility that vaping CBD might be safer than smoking. Because vaping does not produce any combustion, many assume it to be safer than smoking. However, this is not always true.
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Temperature Control
Some vaping devices like e-cigarettes allow users to control the temperature of their vape juice. This is important because different temperatures adjust your hemp’s flavor and overall effects.
Temperatures of 400 degrees and higher vaporize every terpene, flavonoids, and cannabinoid present in your hemp, leading to an overall heightened hemp experience. Lower temperatures between 350 and 400 degrees also vaporize some compounds in the hemp, producing unique effects. Thus, vaping might allow you to decide the experience you want to have smoking hemp.
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Better Flavor And Experience
Some people prefer vaping hemp to smoking. The experiences of both can be significantly different. Vapor also absorbs better into the bloodstream than smoke. Thus, vaping might provide a quicker way to experience the benefits of the full profile of the plant.
Vaping also highlights the robust flavor profile of the hemp plant by accentuating the terpenes. Also, vaping may result in less coughing compared to smoking. All these can lead to some persons having a better overall experience of hemp through vaporizing.
Eating Hemp Flower
Hemp flowers are edible, and cooking them might be a good way to enjoy hemp. There are many ways of eating hemp flowers. However, it has to be prepared the right way to enjoy its benefits. Eating raw hemp is an unpleasant experience, as is eating poorly prepared hemp.
Heat is what activates the compounds in the hemp plant. Thus, eating it raw is a bad idea. Not only does it taste awful, but it also does not provide any benefits associated with cannabis. Cooking hemp the right way can activate the effective compounds of the hemp and cause you to experience its many benefits.
Knowing how to prepare hemp flowers will help you create tasty hemp edibles that deliver all the therapeutic effects of CBD. There are some simple hemp recipes to achieve CBD butter, cookies, and other edibles. These recipes are beginner-friendly and only take a short time to make.
Step-By-Step Method To Prepare Hemp Flower
- First, grind your hemp buds in a blender. Ensure the consistency is not powdery or smooth. Fiber grounds might make your hemp taste too earthy to be enjoyable.
- Preheat your oven to 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, spread the ground buds on a baking sheet and place them in the oven. Depending on if your buds are wet, it’s best to leave them in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Baking the buds starts the decarboxylation process that activates the compounds in hemp. This process transforms all the carboxylic acids in the buds to their final form, making them more palatable and potent.
- When the buds get dry and light brown, take them out of the oven. Ensure they do not burn.
- Use these decarboxylated buds to prepare any hemp recipe. Note, however, that hemp has better bioavailability when it’s ingested with some fat. Thus, you might consider going for recipes containing some fatty elements.
Popular Hemp Strains To Smoke
There are several popular hemp strains in the market, and knowing which one is best might be a hassle for you. Here, we highlight some of the most popular strains on the CBD market and their properties.
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Hawaiian Haze
This sativa-dominant strain is one of the most popular strains loved by CBD users. Its origins are unknown, and the strain has a pungent yet fruity flavor and packs a punch. This strain is best for daily use as it keeps users energized and socially active.
- Sativa-dominant hybrid
- CBD Content: 18-23%
- Terpenes: myrcene, guaiol pinene, caryophyllene
- Peppery aroma with slight fruity hints
- Energizing and anxiety relieving
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Sour Space Candy
This popular hybrid hemp strain is a blend of Sour Tsunami and Early Resin Berry. It’s the perfect sour strain, with flavors reminiscent of gasoline and citrus.
- Sativa-dominant hybrid
- CBD Content: 9% CBD
- Terpenes: limonene, myrcene, and bisabolol
- Uplifting, stress relieving
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Elektra
This popular hemp strain is a blend of ACDC and Early Resin Berry. This strain has fruity aromatics and is perfect for day and night use, and it’s a great strain for balance and energy.
- Sativa-dominant hybrid
- CBD Content: 16 %
- THC Content: Less than 0.3 %
- Terpenes: alpha-pinene, myrcene, limonene
- Energizing
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OG Kush
This sativa-dominant strain is the perfect strain for an energy kick. Its effects are well-balanced and improve mood and energy levels. This strain is a cross of OG Kush and CBD and has a tasty foreground taste with a subdued bitter taste that lingers after it’s smoked.
- Sativa-dominant strain
- CBD Content: 18% CBD
- THC Content: Below 0.3%
- Terpenes: Limonene, Caryophyllene, humulene, linalool
- Promotes clarity and energy
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Lifter
This sativa hemp strain truly lives up to its name. It is packed with potent terpenes that give it a piney and fruity flavor. Its earthy aroma is hard to miss, and smoking it leaves a unique sweet and earthy taste in your mouth. It’s great for a night smoke or vape.
- Sativa
- CBD Content: 25-30%
- THC Content: 0.3%
- Terpenes: Pinene, Myrcene, Bisabolol, Farnesene, Limonene, Caryophyllene
- Uplifting, relaxing
Conclusion: Is Smoking Hemp Can Make You Boozy?
Smoking hemp is a great way to experience all of CBD’s benefits quickly, and it delivers CBD to your endocannabinoid system faster than most other methods of ingesting hemp.
As more people continue to explore CBD for its potential benefits, like pain management and anxiety relief, more people are excited about the quick effects of smoking. However, vaping CBD might be a better alternative for many who prefer not to inhale smoke. All in all, there are different ways of consuming hemp, and several of the methods might appeal to you.
Before purchasing hemp products like flowers, ensure that you buy from a reputable company. Also, ensure that the product has a Certificate of Analysis to show that it has undergone third-party testing. Different strains might also produce different experiences. Thus, choosing a strain that meets your needs and preferences would be best.
