Want to learn how to decarb kief? You’ve come to the right place.

It doesn’t matter if you’re new to the cannabis game or you’ve been doing it forever like we have, it’s essential that you know how to use every part of the pot plant — even the dust at the bottom of the grinder.

That’s where learning how to decarb kief comes in.

In this article, the experts at Honest Marijuana walk you through the decarboxylation process and discuss what to do with the ganja gold when you’re done.

What Is Kief?

In the cannabis world, kief has two definitions — one technical and one not so technical — both of which are correct.

From a biological standpoint, a kief (plural kief) is the bulbous formation on the tip of a trichome (the resin glands of the pot plant that contain THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, and other active cannabinoids).

From a cannaenthusiast standpoint, kief is the word we use to refer to the terpenes and cannabinoids of the cannabis plant (which, incidentally, are located in the trichomes).

However you look at it, kief is the stuff that gets you high or gives you the medicinal effects you’re looking for.

In regular weed (like the stuff you roll in your joint or pack in your bowl), the kief is mixed in with the dried herb, so it’s effectively “diluted.”

But, when you chop up your weed in a four-piece (or three-chamber) grinder, some of the kief is dislodged from the plant matter and falls through various screens to the bottom (or collection) chamber.

With repeated grinding, you’ll amass enough kief that you’ll be ready to put it to use.

First, though, you’ll have to decarboxylate it.

What Is Decarboxylation?

Any way you say it, decarboxylation is a mouthful.

If you want the skinny on how to pronounce it correctly (along with a whole bunch of other cool and useful information), check out this article from the HMJ blog: Marijuana Decarboxylation: Why And How To Decarb Your Weed.

In the meantime, here are the Cliffs Notes to get you started.

Technically speaking, decarboxylation is the process of applying high heat to raw cannabis products in order to transform THCA and CBDA into a form of the stuff that your body can use: THC and CBD.

If you don’t decarboxylation your kief (and all weed, for that matter), you’re basically just consuming ground-up plant matter like you would if you ate a big salad.

Decarboxylation is absolutely necessary if you want to experience the recreational and medicinal benefits that cannabis has to offer.

How To Decarb Kief

Supplies

• Oven
• Kief
• Oven-safe baking dish with a lid
• Parchment paper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 240 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line the oven-safe baking dish with parchment paper.
3. Spread the kief on the parchment paper, making sure there are no clumps or mounds.
4. Cover the dish with the lid. (If you don’t have a lid, cover the dish with aluminum foil instead.)
5. Place the covered dish in the oven and bake for the following amount of time:
   1. 30-35 minutes for THC-dominant strains
   2. 60-65 minutes for CBD-dominant strains
6. As you bake it, the kief will get darker in color and some may melt a bit — that’s okay.
7. After the recommended bake time, remove the dish from the oven, leave the lid or covering on, and allow everything to cool completely.

The decarbed kief is now ready for immediate use or storage

If you choose to store the kief, be sure you place it in an airtight container and store it in a cool, dark place.

What To Do After You Decarb Kief

After you learn how to decarb kief, you may wonder, “What the blazes am I supposed to do with this stuff?!”

How’s this for an answer? Anything you want!

There are so many ways to use kief that we’re sure you’ll find something fun to do with your pot powder. All it takes is a bit of imagination.

While you’re working on your own unique uses for the grinder goo, here are some simple options to get you started.

1) Mix It In Your Edibles

Edibles are one of the easiest and most discreet ways to consume decarboxylated kief. You can mix it into everything from butter and honey to wine and candy.

2) Rub It In Your Bong

After you’ve packed your bong, rub a bit of kief on top of the bud in the bowl to quickly and easily transform beasters into headies.

Using kief like this is a great way to upgrade low-quality weed (and the low-quality experience it produces) to the grade-A stuff you’ve been dreaming about.

3) Spike Your Coffee Or Tea

One of our favorite ways to consume kief is in coffee or tea.

It’s super easy! All you have to do is sprinkle a pinch into your mug and stir. You don’t even have to learn how to decarb kief first.

The heat from the liquid will dissolve the kief and activate the cannabinoids for you!

As with all edibles — of which coffee and tea are two — your body has to digest the cannabinoids before they make it to your bloodstream, so the onset of effects will take a while.

The good news is that those effects will be stronger and last longer. That’s just the way edibles work. And, honestly, we’re glad for it, because our kief coffee is what we rely on to get us out of bed in the morning and through to lunch.

For more on cannabis coffee and tea, check out these articles from the HMJ blog:

• CBD Coffee: 6 Benefits And How To Make Your Own
• Cannabis Stem Tea: What It Is And How To Make It
• How To Make Your Own CBD Tea

4) Shoot For The Moon

Looking for a truly creative way to use your kief? Build your own moon rock weed. Moon rock weed is the triple combination of raw, whole bud, honey oil, and kief.

Many call moon rock weed the strongest cannabis in the world. We don’t know about that, but we do know that it’s a heck of a good time.

5) Roll A Thai Stick

A Thai stick is buds of seedless marijuana skewered on a stem, rolled in cannabis oil, sprinkled with kief, and wrapped in a whole marijuana leaf to form a swag shishkabob. When all is dry, you smoke a Thai stick just like a boss cigar or mega blunt.

6) Hash It Out

Hash (short for hashish) is a cannabis concentrate made from fresh resin glands (trichomes) that have been separated from the plant matter of a marijuana flower.

Hash is basically kief that — through mechanical means, such as heat and pressure or by mixing it with water — you form into a brick, bar, block, or ball.

There are several easy ways to make your own hash from the kief you produce in the bottom of your grinder, including:

• Hand rolling (the most basic and traditional method of producing hash)
• Pressing with a hot iron
• Blending and straining
• Passing kief through several bubble bags

If making hash is something you’d like to try, you’ll find step-by-step instructions for the four methods mentioned above in this article from the HMJ blog: How To Make Hash: The Complete Guide.

7) Press Your Own Rosin

Did you know you can extract the essence of kief directly from the cannabis plant without grinding? It’s true.

With a simple process we’ll describe in a moment, you can transform the kief into a liquid (a rosin) and squeeze it “out of” the plant matter (it actually comes off the surface, but that’s just being pedantic).

To make your own rosin, you’ll need a number of supplies, including a hot iron and some parchment paper.

Pack the parchment paper with a bit of bud, insert it between the two sides of the hot iron, and then press together for a few seconds.

For a more in-depth breakdown of the rosin-making process, check out this article from the HMJ blog: What Is Rosin: The Ultimate Guide For Cannabis Enthusiasts.

Quality Kief Starts With Quality Bud

Knowing how to decarb kief — and what to do with it afterward — is an essential tool for all wanna-be and long-time cannaenthusiasts.

But there’s an even more fundamental piece of knowledge that all cannaenthusiasts must master: Quality kief starts with quality bud.

That’s why we always recommend starting with fresh, high-quality, organically-grown cannabis, like the ganja gold we grow at Honest Marijuana.

Sure, you could save some dough by buying regs or mids, but the kief they produce is going to deliver an unsatisfying experience that will ruin the moment.

Instead, whenever possible, always buy the best beasters — or better yet, headies if you can swing it — to start your kief experience off right.

Plus, with a high-quality, organic strain like those grown at Honest Marijuana, you’ll need less kief to achieve the effects you’re after. In a very real way, a little dash’ll do ya.

With Honest Marijuana, you’re guaranteed to get the freshest, tastiest, highest-quality strain possible. Pop that in your grinder, and you’ll wind up with the best kief you’ll ever experience.

For more information on all things cannabis and to check out our 100% all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.

The post How To Decarb Kief In 6 Easy Steps appeared first on Honest Marijuana.

If you want to get the most out of your DIY cannabis grow, you need to understand topping vs. fimming.

While topping might be fairly self-explanatory, fimming is like many other bits of cannabis slang — completely incomprehensible unless you’re already in the know.

In other words, you’ll never be able to guess what fimming is just by looking at the word. And that’s a shame because applying the process to your grow operation can produce more buds than ever before.

But, don’t fret. We’re here to help you make sense of it all.

In this article, we discuss topping vs. fimming in all its glory to help you decide which one is best for you.

Topping Vs. Fimming: Pruning For The Cannabis Grower

Before we get into the specific definitions of topping vs. fimming, let’s investigate the broad category to which they both belong: pruning.

Pruning is selectively removing branches from a plant (e.g., trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses, ferns, mosses, etc.) with the goal of improving the plant’s structure and directing new, healthy growth.

Contrary to common misconceptions, pruning is not necessarily meant to stunt growth. Instead, pruning is meant to stimulate growth (sometimes in a completely different direction).

In gardening parlance, pruning (along with trimming) is a high-stress training technique (or HST) that you can apply to both indoor and outdoor cannabis crops.

Cannabis plants growing naturally outdoors will develop a “Christmas tree” structure with one dominant stalk, a main central cola (or flowering site on a female cannabis plant), and multiple sets of side branches with smaller, less-developed colas.

Because of this shape and the way the sun moves across the sky, all parts of the plant receive a share of the sunlight during the day.

If left to their own devices, cannabis plants grown indoors would develop the “Christmas tree” shape just like their outdoor brethren.

But, because indoor crops only receive light from a stationary grow lamp, some parts of the plant will always be in shade. That’s not good for the plant’s development.

That’s where topping vs. fimming comes in.

Topping Vs. Fimming: Definition And Difference

Topping

Topping is the process of pruning (or cutting off) the growing tip of the main stem of your cannabis plant.

Removing the top (or terminal) bud will force the plant to develop two new main colas, while, at the same time, promoting growth of the lower branches.

The goal of topping is twofold:

• To train the plant to take on a new shape — that of an inverted Christmas tree — that is better suited for indoor growth where vertical space is limited
• To increase the number of main colas so the plant will produce more flowers

When To Top Cannabis

The best time to top a cannabis plant is after it’s developed at least three nodes.

With at least three nodes, the roots and stems are strong enough to recover from the stress of the pruning.

A cannabis plant typically reaches this size (i.e., three to five nodes) around 30 days into the vegetative phase. That said, different varieties grow at different speeds, so don’t top your Ghost Train Haze just because it’s time to top your Yoda OG.

Wait until each plant is ready and everything will fare better.

It’s also important to keep in mind that cannabis plants can’t handle topping during the seedling stage. If you try topping this early, you risk stunting growth significantly (or even killing the plant outright).

Similarly, topping during the flowering phase causes more damage than it’s worth. Prune your plants during the vegetative phase — not before and not after.

Once you do top, wait a week or two before topping the new growth. The plants need this time to recover from the shock and adjust to the new growth pattern.

How To Top Cannabis

Supplies

• Pruning snips or sharp scissors
• Disposable rubber gloves (thin latex medical gloves, not the thick dishwashing gloves)
• Rubbing alcohol (for cleaning)
• Rag (for cleaning)

Instructions

1. Don your rubber gloves (this helps keep germs off the plant and sticky stuff off your hands)
2. Clean your pruning snips or scissors with rubbing alcohol
3. Cut the main stem about ¼ of an inch above the highest branches

This will cause the main stem to stop growing and force two new side branches to take over as colas (or flowering sites).

Fimming

Fimming (short for, “F#@$, I missed” — seriously) is the process of pruning up to 75% of the growing tip off the main stem of your cannabis plant.

Removing the majority of this top bud will force the plant to develop four or more new main colas, while, at the same time, promoting growth of the lower branches.

Like topping, the goal of fimming is twofold:

• To train the plant to take on a new shape — that of an inverted Christmas tree — that is better suited for indoor growth where vertical space is limited
• To increase the number of main colas so the plant will produce more flowers

While fimming is excellent at increasing the number of main colas, it’s not so good at producing an orderly shape.

When To Fim Cannabis

Wherever you fall on the topping vs. fimming debate, the timing for both is the same.

Just as you did with topping, wait until the plant has developed at least three nodes (four or five is better) before you start fimming.

Then, always fim your plants during the vegetative phase — not before and not after — and wait a week or two before fimming the new growth to give the plant time to recover from the shock and adjust to the new growth pattern.

How To Fim Cannabis

Supplies

• Pruning snips or sharp scissors
• Disposable rubber gloves (thin latex medical gloves, not the thick dishwashing gloves)
• Rubbing alcohol (for cleaning)
• Rag (for cleaning)

Instructions

1. Don your rubber gloves (this helps keep germs off the plant and sticky stuff off your hands)
2. Clean your pruning snips or scissors with rubbing alcohol
3. Take hold of the tip of the plant
4. Gently pull up on the growth
5. Cut about 75% off the top of the main stem (don’t cut so that only bare stem is left)

This will cause the main stem to stop growing and force four new side branches to develop and take over as colas (or flowering sites).

Summary

As we learned in the previous two sections:

• Topping involves removing the entire tip or top of the main stem
• Fimming involves removing only about 75% of the tip or top of the main stem

Both techniques encourage the development of new main colas and promote the growth of the lower, secondary branches.

Topping Vs. Fimming: Which Is Better?

The pruning method that’s best for you — topping vs. fimming — depends on what you want to get out of your grow.

When you top a cannabis plant, the two side nodes immediately underneath the cut site take over and develop into colas (thereby doubling the potential for bud development).

These new branches always grow symmetrically, so the plant will rarely become unruly or grow into an awkward shape.

When you fim a cannabis plant, it will develop four or more side nodes underneath the cut site and will recover faster from this pruning.

These new branches tend to grow less uniformly, so plants can quickly become unruly and need support to stay upright.

Weigh the pros and cons of topping vs. fimming based on your goal for the entire crop and apply the one that works best for you.

Use The Stuff You Cut

Once you start learning about topping vs. fimming, you’ll discover that you can use the extra plant matter you cut off for any number of cool purposes.

Here are some suggestions to get you started:

• Stems — Brew up a tasty tea
• Fan leaves — Juice them or brew them into a different type of weed tea
• Sugar leaves — Cook into cannabutter
• Roots — Prepare as a topical cream
• Large stalks — Grind them up to make mulch for your next batch of plants

As you can see, there’re so many things you can do with the different parts of the cannabis plant. Once you start looking, you’ll be amazed at the awesome things cannaenthusiasts have come up with (smoking meat with the stems? Mmmm!).

It really does bring a whole new meaning to the term Reuse/Recycle.

For more expert tips on growing your own ganja from seed to smokable product, take a few minutes to read these articles from the HMJ blog:

• How To Germinate Weed Seeds: 8 Pro Tip
• How To Grow Marijuana: The Ultimate Organic Guide
• The 5 Best Ways To Check For Moldy Weed, Plus How To Avoid It
• How To Recognize And Fix Nutrient Deficiencies In Cannabis
• How And When To Harvest Marijuana Plants | The Complete Guide
• Drying And Curing Weed | The Complete Guide To Better Buds
• Marijuana Decarboxylation: Why And How To Decarb Your Weed
• Marijuana Packaging: How To Keep Weed Fresh
• How To Smoke Weed: Tips For First-Timers

And to check out our 100-percent all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.

The post Topping Vs. Fimming: What’s The Difference And Which Is Better? appeared first on Honest Marijuana.

Pop quiz, hotshot: indoor weed vs. outdoor weed? Answer quickly. Is one better than the other? Put another way, would you rather smoke bud grown indoors or outdoors?

Not sure which to choose? That’s OK. The all-things-cannabis experts at Honest Marijuana are here to help.

In this article, we discuss the various aspects of indoor vs. outdoor weed so you can decide for yourself which variety is best for your next smoke sesh.

Does Indoor Vs. Outdoor Weed Apply To You?

In a word, yes, the debate over indoor vs. outdoor weed applies to you in one way or another. How so?

Most cannaenthusiasts fall into one of two categories:

1. Growers
2. Consumers

Granted, you can be both a grower and a consumer, but the majority of people we talk to either grow their own pot most of the time or buy it at their local dispensary.

If you choose to go the DIY route and grow your own product, you’re faced with one of two options: inside or outside. The environment you choose will affect all the other choices you make as you nurse your marijuana to maturity.

If you choose to go the consumer route and purchase your cannabis at a dispensary, you may, at some point, be faced with the option of deciding between weed grown indoors and weed grown outdoors.

What does that choice mean for you, the end user?

We’ll answer that question based on two different variables: location (for the DIY growers amongst us) and final product (for the consumers amongst us).

We’ll start by learning about the three — yes, three — different types of grow locations.

Three Types Of Grow Locations

1) Indoor

Most do-it-yourselfers, and some commercial growers, cultivate their weed crops indoors. They may grow one plant in a closet or spare room or 100 plants in their basement or a dedicated facility. They may use a single grow light or opt, instead, for a high-tech hydroponics setup.

The bottom line is there’s no single, correct type of indoor grow — it can, and will, take many forms.

But, when it comes to the indoor vs. outdoor weed debate, indoor grows generally enjoy three benefits:

• More stable conditions
• Less exposure to pests and disease
• More control over the life cycle of the plant

Add to those benefits the fact that indoor operations allow you to grow weed all year long, and it’s easy to see why this is a popular choice.

2) Outdoor

As a DIYer, or even a commercial grower, you could choose to raise your pot plants outdoors.

In places where the climate is conducive to cannabis, many choose this route because the plants themselves will benefit from the natural light and the day/night cycle that is essential for the flowering stage of development.

In addition, many growers think that cultivating plants outdoors will make the final product organic. Unfortunately, that’s not always true.

Growing weed outside increases the potential that the plants will be exposed to pesticides, environmental pollutants, heavy metals, and other toxins that can contaminate the buds.

Even if you, the grower, don’t intentionally apply them yourself, toxins can still find their way into the soil, roots, and leaves of your plants, thus rendering moot the whole concept of organic marijuana.

3) Greenhouse

A third option that adds to the indoor vs. outdoor weed debate is the greenhouse.

Most everyday DIY ganja growers don’t have access to this type of hybrid environment, but some commercial growers may find a greenhouse to be a nice compromise between the control of an indoor grow and the natural elements of an outdoor grow.

With a greenhouse, plants benefit from the sun and the day/night cycle that comes from being closer to the outside, while growers will enjoy the temperature-, humidity-, and pest control that comes from being closer to the inside.

If you can swing the expense, greenhouse grows make a nice halfway point between indoor vs. outdoor weed.

Indoor Vs. Outdoor Weed Comparison

When people ask which is better, the information we discuss next is what they really want to know. Are characteristics such as flavor, potency, and high better in indoor weed or outdoor weed?

Read on to find out.

1) Color

Color is one of the defining characteristics that separates weed grown indoors from weed grown outdoors.

Here’s how the two compare:

• Cannabis grown outdoors will be a darker green
• Cannabis grown indoors will be a lighter, brighter, more vivid green
• Cannabis grown outside will turn a deep, striking purple
• Cannabis grown indoors will stay a lighter shade of purple
• Cannabis grown outdoors will contain more brown than orange
• Cannabis grown indoors will contain more orange than brown

As a general rule, cannabis grown outside will have darker, more muted tones than cannabis grown inside.

2) Flavor

Flavor is one of those characteristics that is largely dependent on the strain itself rather than the growing medium and environment.

That said, weed grown indoors will usually have more intense flavors than weed grown outdoors.

So, for identical strains of Fruity Pebbles, Cherry OG, and Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies — one grown indoors, one grown outdoors — the plants grown indoors will have more fruit flavor, more cherry flavor, and more chocolate/mint flavor respectively than the plants grown outdoors.

3) Size

Size is one of the first visual differences between indoor vs. outdoor weed.

In general, buds grown outside will be bigger than those grown inside. Even the plant itself — and, most notably, the stems — will be bigger, thicker, and more robust when grown outside.

4) Potency

For most cannaenthusiasts, the question of potency is the number one concern when assessing indoor vs. outdoor weed.

Because indoor grows allow more control over the environment, plants cultivated inside will have a higher potency than those cultivated outside.

That said, tests have shown that weed grown outdoors generally has a higher proportion of cannabinoids (including lesser-known varieties such as CBG, CBN, and THC-O, just to name a few).

Wouldn’t that mean they’d be more potent? Yes, but that answer comes with a caveat. The studied cannabis grown in the great outdoors was only more potent than cannabis grown indoors when the grower achieved perfect conditions.

How often does that happen? Not very. Nature is just too unpredictable.

If potency is an issue for you, ganja grown indoors provides a more consistent final product and experience.

Indoor Vs. Outdoor Weed: Is One Better Than The Other?

In the debate between indoor vs. outdoor weed, everyone wonders if one is better than the other. The answer is, no, one is not better than the other — both options offer a unique experience.

That’s why we always recommend that you try both indoor and outdoor weed and decide for yourself which one is right for you.

And, when it comes right down to it, there’s actually a characteristic that affects the cannabis experience more so than where the plants were grown. That characteristic is quality.

Choose Quality Weed Over Where It Was Grown

For the future of the cannabis industry, the debate over indoor vs. outdoor weed is an essential one to have. But for you, the end user, the question of quality is the most important thing to consider.

That’s why we always recommend that you choose quality weed over where it was grown.

If you want the best possible experience from your next smoke sesh, look for the best strains. That’s why we recommend filling your bowl, joint, or Backwoods blunt with high-quality, sustainably-sourced, organically-grown cannabis buds like those from Honest Marijuana.

Remember, it’s not about where the ganja was grown, nor, really about the quantity of smoke you inhale — your high won’t get better the more you toke — it’s about the quality of the bud you smoke.

When you’re shopping for cannabis, opt for beasters, or, better yet, headies — the two highest qualities of weed — if you can afford it.

Your stash will last longer (because you don’t have to use as much), you’ll get more mileage from a small amount, and the experience will be out of this world.

If you can’t find or afford the first two, mids will do just fine. That said, always, always, always shy away from regs (the literal bottom of the barrel) unless you have no other choice.

And, whenever possible, insist on purchasing organic marijuana and organic marijuana products (like those grown and produced by Honest Marijuana).

At our Rocky-Mountain-based grow facility, we employ world-class organic growing methodologies that provide cannabis connoisseurs with the purest and best marijuana experience on the planet.

We grow our plants the way Mother Nature intended: in organic soil without chemicals or pesticides. We even hand-trim our plants so that they’re organic from the ground up.

So, if you’re looking for the best cannabis experience bar none, don’t settle for anything less than a high-quality organic marijuana strain from Honest Marijuana.

For more information on all things cannabis and to check out our 100% all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.

The post Indoor Vs. Outdoor Weed: Is One Better Than The Other? appeared first on Honest Marijuana.

You’ve probably heard of the butterfly effect, the Doppler effect, the greenhouse effect, and the placebo effect. But have you ever heard of the entourage effect?

If you’ve been around cannabis culture for any length of time, chances are you have. You still might not know exactly what it is, though. And, more to the point, you might not know what it feels like.

In this article, we discuss the entourage effect in all its glory so you know how it works and how to experience it for yourself.

What Is The Entourage Effect?

Entourage Defined

Before we get to the heart of the matter, let’s take a step back and define the word entourage without the word effect tagging along. Doing so will help you understand what’s going on in the entourage effect itself.

The word entourage comes from the French word entourer, which means “to surround.”

More specifically, the English word entourage is defined as:

A group of people attending or surrounding an important person.

For example, a group of assistants escorting a CEO or an actor or a politician is considered an entourage. And, technically, it doesn’t even have to be an important person for it to be an entourage.

You could consider your group of friends as your entourage, and you could be part of their entourage. Not to say that you and they aren’t important, but you get our drift.

It all comes back to a group of things (people in the above case) surrounding and moving with another thing (or person in the above case).

Keep this concept in mind as we move to the heart of the matter: the entourage effect itself.

Entourage Effect Defined

The entourage effect is the combination and interaction of various cannabis compounds to produce certain results that aren’t possible with the individual compounds by themselves.

Before we get into the individual chemicals in the next section, we’ll look at a more general example to make this concept easier to understand.

Think of the various cannabis chemicals as the ingredients in a big batch of Grape Kool-Aid: sugar, water, and one of those little flavor packets.

We’re big fans of water and sugar on their own, but a spoonful of sugar (although it does make the medicine go down) isn’t super satisfying. And while a tall glass of water is essential for maintaining good health, sometimes you just need more than something that tastes like nothing.

The last ingredient — the Kool-Aid flavor packet — is just too potent to consume on its own.

So, the three components taken separately are OK, but they’re nothing spectacular. Mix them together, though, and the result is magic. The ingredients combine to form something greater than the individual parts.

That’s the entourage effect in action.

The term used to describe the entourage effect is “synergy.” It’s the interaction or cooperation of two or more substances to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.

What, then, are these substances that make the entourage effect so great? Read on to find out.

The Entourage Effect Is All About Chemical Interaction

When it comes to the entourage effect, it’s all about chemical interaction.

In fact, everything you’ve ever heard or read or felt first-hand about the marijuana experience — the highs, the lows, the medical benefits — is caused by chemicals.

Some chemicals are unique to the cannabis plant, while others are present in pretty much every other plant on the planet.

But remember, it’s not about what these chemicals do by themselves, it’s about how they all work together as a group that makes the entourage effect so special.

Cannabinoids

Cannabinoids are chemical compounds that act on the cannabinoid receptors in your brain. For the purposes of this article, we’re only going to concern ourselves with one class of these chemicals: the phytocannabinoids (found in plants).

But just so you’re ready for the next trivia throwdown, we’ll mention the other two classes: endocannabinoids (found naturally in your body) and synthetic cannabinoids (manufactured in a lab).

Dig deep into the phytocannabinoid class, and you’ll see some familiar names, such as:

• THC
• CBD
• CBN
• CBG
• THC-O-Acetate
• And more than 100 others

These three-letter words are the wonder stuff that alter your perception (THC), relieve depression (CBD), reduce convulsions (CBN), and much, much more.

Put simply, cannabinoids are the heart and soul of the marijuana experience — they’re the “important person or thing” mentioned in our definitions from earlier in this article. Without them, cannabis is just a pretty plant.

Terpenes

During the flowering stage, the pot plant glands produce another key chemical: terpenes. Terpenes are oils that provide the plant with its own unique flavor, smell, and medicinal properties.

Can’t get enough of the skunky smell of Sour Diesel? That’s the terpenes. Jonesing for the taste of Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies (the strain) in your mouth? Terpenes.

All plants have their own mix of terpenes, but those on the marijuana plant surround, move with, and interact with the cannabinoids to produce some truly unique psychedelic and medicinal effects that can’t be found anywhere else.

Flavonoids

Flavonoids are molecules within the plant matter itself (leaves, stems, etc.) that combine with the terpenes to produce even more distinctive tastes and aromas.

Like terpenes, flavonoids interact with the cannabinoids to create an entourage effect of health benefits and help fully expose and express the ganja’s unique aromatic and euphoric character.

Why Is The Entourage Effect So Powerful?

Cannabis culture places a lot of importance on the main chemical in the pot plant — cannabinoids such as CBD and THC. And for good reason.

These compounds are unique to the cannabis plant and are a big part of their medicinal value. But they’re not the only part.

Terpenes, flavonoids, and lesser-known cannabinoids (e.g., CBG, CBN, and THC-O also play an important role in making the entourage effect the powerful experience that it is.

Here’s how.

1) Terpenes And Flavonoids Increase Potency

Think of the other chemicals in the cannabis plant — terpenes and flavonoids — as backup for the prime movers like CBD and THC.

CBD is very effective at influencing mood, pain, and inflammation. In some cases, terpenes and flavonoids are just as good as CBD. So, those secondary chemicals, in essence, increase the potency of the CBD.

2) More Receptors Activated

Cannabinoids such as THC and CBD act on more than 65 different groups of receptors within your body (e.g., neurotransmitters in your brain, glands in your endocrine system, and others), but the size of the effect is different at each site.

If you need relief in a certain part of your body but CBD tends to go to other parts, there’s no way to redirect it.

But the other chemical compounds — that can be just as good as CBD at reducing pain and relieving anxiety — may act more fully on the receptors that CBD tends to miss.

3) Reduced Negative Effects

If you’ve spent any time around THC, you’re familiar with the negative effects of this cannabinoid. Even the “good” cannabinoids, like CBD, can have negative effects at higher doses.

But, when you partake of cannabis from a blunt, bong, or joint, the other chemical compounds in the mix help reduce these negative effects.

They do this by essentially taking up space. They occupy neurotransmitters and prevent CBD or THC from docking there. This prevents too high a dose of either cannabinoid from causing negative effects.

To illustrate, think of the neurotransmitters in your brain as individual mailboxes at the post office, and the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids as packages out for delivery.

Once the postmaster places a package in a mailbox, there’s no room in that box for another one. That means that the postmaster has to place the second package in another box. That process continues until all the packages are gone or all the boxes are full.

The same is true of the chemicals and receptors in your body. The chemicals are the packages and the receptors, or neurotransmitters, are the mailboxes.

One chemical docks with, and activates, one receptor. That means that another chemical has to dock with a different receptor.

As a result, not all the neurotransmitters will be firing in response to the CBD or THC. Some will be reacting to the terpenes. Some will be reacting to the flavonoids. That reduces the likelihood that you’ll experience a negative effect from too much cannabinoid.

The Entourage Effect And High-Quality Weed

If you want to feel the entourage effect for yourself, we recommend choosing the highest-quality weed possible.

You may be limited by the selection where you live or the amount of cash in your wallet, but anything less than fresh, high-quality, organically-grown cannabis may not give you what you’re looking for.

Sure, you could save some dough by buying regs or mids, but they’re going to deliver an unsatisfying experience overall.

Instead, whenever possible, always buy the best beasters — or better yet, headies if you can swing it — for your pot-smoking experience.

With a high-quality, organic strain like those grown at Honest Marijuana, you’ll need less weed to experience the entourage effect you’re after. A toke or two from high-quality bud goes a long way.

With Honest Marijuana, you’re guaranteed to get the freshest, tastiest, highest-quality, best-smelling strain possible and you’ll experience the entourage effect the way it was meant to be.

For more information on all things cannabis and to check out our 100% all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.

The post The Entourage Effect: A Guide For Cannabis Enthusiasts appeared first on Honest Marijuana.

Ever wonder what gives your favorite cannabis strain its pungent peppery smell and taste? Chances are, it’s caryophyllene.

If you’re like most people, you’ve never heard of it. And that doesn’t surprise us the least little bit. That’s because caryophyllene is a chemical component of cannabis that often gets lost in the glow of its cannabinoid cousins THC and CBD.

And even if you have heard of caryophyllene, it may have been pronounced so incorrectly that you wouldn’t in a million years connect it to the topic of this article.

But don’t let caryophyllene’s lack of notoriety and difficult pronunciation fool you — it’s an important part of the cannabis experience.

In this article, the all-things-cannabis experts at Honest Marijuana tell you everything you need to know about this tasty terpene.

What Is Caryophyllene?

Caryophyllene — β-caryophyllene (beta-caryophyllene) to be more precise — is a terpene that is extremely common in modern marijuana strains.

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, caryophyllene is responsible for producing many of the warm, spicy, peppery flavors and smells you’ve come to enjoy in your ganja.

If you’re trying to imagine what caryophyllene smells and tastes like, think cinnamon, cloves, basil, and oregano — all of which express high percentages of caryophyllene in combination with other terpenes.

Other common plants that contain high amounts of caryophyllene include:

• Ylang ylang
• Rosemary
• Black caraway
• Hops

So, if you’ve ever run across any of those things growing in your garden, you’ve got a pretty good idea what caryophyllene tastes and smells like.

A Bit About Pronunciation

We’ll be the first to admit it: The word caryophyllene is a bit of a mouthful. It doesn’t help that it’s got multiple Y’s, a PH, and a double L crammed into the space of five small syllables.

Lucky for you, in addition to being experts on all things cannabis, we’re also experts on how to pronounce the complicated words that come with it.

Now, even though caryophyllene can technically be broken into five syllables (ca-ry-oph-yl-lene), we’re going to break it into four because the first two actually form an extremely common word. This makes it easier to get the hang of.

Here are the basics:

• Ca + ry = Carry
• Oph = Off (the major stress within the word goes here)
• Y = Uh
• Llene = Lean

Say those four words slowly several times putting the bulk of the stress on the second, and then gradually speed up until the syllables flow together just like any other word you’re familiar with.

Carry — Off — Uh — Lean

Keep practicing, and you’ll get it!

Throughout the beginning of this article, we’ve mentioned repeatedly that caryophyllene is a terpene. But what exactly does that mean? Read on for the answer.

What Are Terpenes?

Terpenes are a large class of chemical compounds (often taking the form of oils) that, when detected by your nose and tongue, produce an entire range of smells and flavors.

The general category of terpenes can be subdivided into monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes.

Monoterpenes — such as myrcene, limonene, and linalool — are light terpenes (think weight) that are responsible for a wide range of floral scents including rose, apple, geranium, kiwi, and jasmine.

Sesquiterpenes — such as caryophyllene, humulene, and cardinene — are heavy terpenes (again, think weight) that are responsible for a wide range of pungent scents including diesel fuel, skunk, tea tree, musk, and patchouli.

So, for example, the terpenes that give mint and chocolate their unique flavor can, with the right breeding, be produced in everyone’s favorite “baked” cannabis strain (Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies).

What’s more, combinations of terpenes can yield novel smells and tastes like skunk and diesel fuel (two decidedly non-plant aromas).

But the cool factor doesn’t stop there.

Terpenes — be they of the mono- or sesqui-variety — are not unique to sativa, indica, and ruderalis. In fact, all plants produce terpenes in various combinations and quantities.

That’s why all the flavors and aromas in the image at the start of this section are named after plants. Terpenes are responsible for creating those flavors and smells.

Terpenes also produce a wide range of health benefits and are useful for treating ailments, including:

• Anxiety
• Cancer
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Nausea
• Lack of appetite
• Muscle strain
• Asthma
• Breast cancer
• Stress
• Gallstones

That doesn’t mean you can use caryophyllene to treat all these disorders, however. Caryophyllene has its own unique effects and benefits.

Effects And Benefits Of Caryophyllene

In the case of caryophyllene, the effects and benefits are all rolled into one category. While THC will send you on a psychedelic trip (an extremely obvious effect that might not be considered a good thing), it will also reduce nausea and increase appetite (a definite benefit).

For terpenes and other minor cannabinoids (such as CBN, CBG, and THC-O-Acetate), the effects and the benefits can’t be so easily separated.

To make things as clear as possible, we discuss the effects and benefits of caryophyllene as if they were the same thing (because they pretty much are).

1) Anti-Inflammatory

Studies using caryophyllene to treat everything from osteoarthritis to allergies have shown that the terpene may one day be a major contributor to the care and management of chronic inflammatory diseases.

It’s important to note that the studies were conducted with higher levels of caryophyllene than you’re likely to get in any one smoke sesh, but the results were promising for the future of caryophyllene for treating medical conditions.

2) Antioxidant

Another beneficial effect of caryophyllene is that it has the ability to act as an antioxidant.

Antioxidants are chemicals that help remove free radicals (unstable atoms that can damage cells and cause illness and aging) from your body.

It may also have uses as an additive in sunscreen and anti-aging lotion.

3) Anti-Tumoral

Because caryophyllene has potential as a powerful anti-inflammatory, it may also serve as an anti-tumoral.

Recent studies delivered promising results that indicate that caryophyllene may play a role in encouraging anti-metastatic activity (preventing spread) in cancer cells.

However, the researchers warn not to take these results for more than they’re worth because the tests were only performed on single cells. More research is necessary to determine if caryophyllene has any effect on high-mass, malignant tumors.

4) Sedative

Marijuana’s tendency to act as a sedative and contribute to sleep is well known (couch-lock is one of the most common side effects of high-THC strains).

Now, research indicates that very high doses of caryophyllene may have a sedative effect in laboratory mice.

Again, more research is needed, but it’s easy to see how even small amounts of caryophyllene can, when combined with the sedative power of THC and CBD, contribute to your desire to catch some Zs.

Will Caryophyllene Get You High?

No, caryophyllene by itself will not get you high. The only way to experience the psychoactive effects associated with marijuana is to consume THC.

The thing is, unless you purchase a caryophyllene extract or a high-CBD/low-THC strain, there’s no way to take one without the other.

So, don’t conclude that just because your pot contains caryophyllene that you’re going to start hearing colors and get the munchies later on.

Caryophyllene is not the cause of your high — be it a contact high or direct ingestion — THC, and only THC, is responsible.

The Best Caryophyllene Strains

There are so many cannabis strains out there that it’s easy to get confused about which one to purchase — especially if you’re looking for a high-caryophyllene strain.

We’ve taken the time to do the research for you.

Below is a list of the best caryophyllene cannabis strains. Beware, though, that most of these contain some percentage of THC, so while you’re getting a healthy dose of caryophyllene, you may also be getting a healthy dose of everyone’s favorite psychedelic cannabinoid.

Choose these strains for the most caryophyllene:

• Sour Diesel
• Original Glue
• Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies (GSC)
• Candyland
• Chemdog
• Bubba Kush
• The White

If you want to experience caryophyllene in all its glory, try rolling a joint, packing a bowl, or making hash with one of these tasty strains.

And, regardless of which strain you choose, there’s one sure-fire way to ensure that you’ll get the most bang for your buck.

Capitalize On Caryophyllene With High-Quality Strains

The best way to capitalize on caryophyllene is to always buy the highest quality organic cannabis you can get your hands on.

If you’re buying dried and cured raw buds, do your research and choose strains from a reputable grower who uses the best organic methods available.

If you’re buying cannabis products — such as wax, shatter, pills, cream, or gummies — check the label or ask the budtenders if they can tell you about how the strains were grown.

Choosing organically grown marijuana that doesn’t rely on harmful fertilizers, heavy metals, or pesticides is a good idea however you consume your pot — whether that’s smoking, eating, or dripping it under your tongue.

Plus, choosing a high-quality organic bud (or insisting on high-quality organic strains in the products you purchase) will ensure that you get the most caryophyllene possible.

For more information on all things cannabis and to check out our 100% all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.

The post Caryophyllene: Definition, Effects, And Benefits appeared first on Honest Marijuana.

So you want to learn how to roll a Swisher, eh? Kudos!

Rolling weed into various packages is a skill that all cannaseurs should acquire. You just never know when you’re going to run out of the supplies you need to get your ganja on and have to improvise or MacGyver your way to your next high.

That’s where learning how to roll a Swisher comes into play — it’s just one more option in your marijuana toolbox.

In this article, the all-things-cannabis experts at Honest Marijuana give you a step-by-step guide to help you learn, practice, and master the art and science of rolling a Swisher.

What Is A Swisher?

A Swisher is a blunt made from your favorite strain of cannabis and a cleaned-out Swisher Sweets® cigarillo wrapper.

In their original form, Swishers are less like cigars and more like elongated cigarettes (hence the name “cigarillo,” which is Spanish for small cigar). The classic Swisher Sweets cigarillo measures in at around 4.375 inches long by a bit over 0.5 inches in diameter.

If you’re trying to get a sense of the size, pick up an unsharpened pencil and grip half of it in your closed fist. The uncovered part is roughly the length and diameter of the cigarillo you’ll use to learn how to roll a Swisher.

There are other Swisher sizes available, so, really, go with what feels right. As long as you’re using authentic Swisher Sweets to roll your blunt, you’ll be fine.

How To Roll A Swisher

Supplies

• Swisher Sweets® cigarillos
• Your favorite strain of weed
• Grinder
• Small knife or razor blade
• Food scale
• Clean tray to work on
• Water
• Paper towel
• Patience
• Practice

Instructions

1) Purchase Ganja And Swisher Sweets®

The first step in learning how to roll a Swisher is having all your supplies on hand. Take a few minutes to gather everything together in one place and give yourself plenty of room to work.

If you’re fresh out of weed, and you don’t have any stray Swishers lying around, get to buying some, son.

HMJ Tip: Buy at least two cigarillos — more would be better — because you will make mistakes, and you will have to start over. Making extra trips to the corner bodega to pick up more Swishers is one of the most annoying things about the whole process.

Prepare yourself mentally and physically by stocking up on wraps ahead of time.

2) Empty The Swisher Wrapper

With the small knife or razor blade, slice the cigarillo lengthwise down the middle.

Gently tease the wrapper apart and empty the tobacco into a small container (or the garbage).

HMJ Tip: Use the sharpest, smallest cutting tool you can get your hands on. Sharp blades make cleaner cuts and make the whole process easier.

If you have access to a scalpel or one of those art knives with the triangular blades, that’s ideal. If you can’t find either of those, a razor blade is a cheap and effective alternative.

3) Grind Your Ganja

If you don’t have a grinder, get one. It makes everything easier.

If you need to clean said grinder, take a few minutes to read our instructional article How To Clean A Grinder In 5 Easy Steps. Doing so — actually cleaning the grinder, not just reading the article — will improve the taste and experience of your final blunt.

Grind up 1-1.5 grams of your favorite ganja strain so you have plenty to work with. And don’t get too aggressive with your grinding.

The goal here is a nice, fluffy consistency with plenty of small chunks. This facilitates airflow and makes the burn down easier and more enjoyable.

4) Moisten The Swisher Wrapper

This step is optional — and with practice, you may not need it anyway — but we want to make it easy for those first-time tokers out there.

With a damp paper towel, pat the cigar wrap until it feels moist. Be careful not to saturate the cigar wrap with too much liquid (so no dunking it in a bowl of water).

Getting the cigar wrap just a little bit wet will make it easier to work with and prevent it from tearing in places it shouldn’t.

5) Load It

Pack the empty Swisher wrapper with as much of the 1-1.5 grams of weed as possible. You don’t want to pack it so full that it won’t close, but you want enough cannabis inside to support the wrapper once it’s on fire.

One gram is a good starting point, but we wouldn’t suggest trying to push it much higher than 1.5 grams.

Somewhere between these two numbers makes the end product better because an overloaded Swisher will be a pain to roll and smoke, and an underloaded Swisher will collapse after you light it.

HMJ Tip: Load up the center of the wrapper with more weed than the ends. When you close it back up, the weed will spread and fill out the ends for a nice, even thickness.

6) Roll It

Remember the patience and practice we mentioned in the supplies section above? Yeah, you’re going to need those now.

Once you’ve got the wrapper loaded with a gram or so of ganja, gently and slowly tuck and roll the wrapper around the bud with your fingers and thumbs until you’ve got a closed tube with weed inside.

As you’re rolling what will become your Swisher blunt, don’t fret too much if you can’t recreate a perfect cylinder. The wrapper will “remember” its previous shape, but the marijuana inside may deform it slightly. As long as you can get it closed — and keep it closed — you’ll be good.

And, above all else, be gentle as you learn how to roll a Swisher so you don’t crack or tear the wrapper and ruin the look and feel of your new favorite blunt.

HMJ Tip: Practice your rolling technique with the tobacco you took out of the Swisher wrapper and a quarter of a piece of printer paper (4.25” x 5.5” or 10.8 cm x 14 cm for those of you who can handle the metric system).

If you already threw away the tobacco, and you don’t feel like rooting around in last night’s garbage, no biggie, you can always practice with marijuana’s stunt double, oregano.

7) Seal It

When you’ve got the Swisher rolled to your liking, moisten the exposed edge from end to end and then seal it down (like licking and closing an envelope).

If you’re familiar with rolling joints, learning how to roll a Swisher and close it correctly may require a bit more saliva to seal than you’re used to.

The cigarillo wrappers are thicker and denser than pretty much every rolling paper there is, so don’t be afraid to give your Swisher a real tongue-lashing!

HMJ Tip: If you’re feeling really daring and want an extra kick, try closing and sealing your Swisher with a bit of cannabis oil instead of licking the edge.

This is a perfect way to take your Swisher from exceptional to out of this world.

When you’ve licked your Swisher into submission or glued it closed with honey oil, “bake” the blunt by running a lighter lengthwise under the exposed edge to help seal everything together.

8) Light It

If you got the knack of how to roll a Swisher right off the bat, congrats! If not, that’s okay too. Remember, patience and practice are the foundation of a good hand-rolled ganja stick.

Before you blaze away, take a moment to admire what you did. Doesn’t DIY feel good?

You know what feels even better? A deep toke from the finished product. Now, make fire and light that sucker up!

9) Share It

Toking solo is a great way to experience the joys and rewards of learning how to roll a Swisher. But for more fun than you thought humanly possible, puff, puff, pass your new creation with friends.

10) Enjoy It

Enjoying the fruits of learning how to roll a Swisher is pretty easy — just inhale and wait for the THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, and other cannabinoids to take effect.

But, after that, if you need something to occupy your mind, body, or both, check out these articles from the HMJ blog for suggestions:

• The Top 40 Fun Things To Do While High | Honest Marijuana
• The 50 Best Movies To Watch High
• 50 Mind-Blowing High Questions To Ponder When You’re Stoned

How To Roll A Swisher: Quality In = Quality Out

If you want to learn how to roll a Swisher the right way, it all starts with what you put inside. To put it simply, quality in equals quality out.

To get the most out of the experience, always choose a high-quality, sustainably-sourced, organically-grown cannabis bud to add to the Swisher wrapper.

Not sure how to go about finding said high-quality, sustainably-sourced, organically-grown cannabis? Just ask for Honest Marijuana.

At our Rocky-Mountain-based grow facility, we employ world-class organic growing methodologies to provide cannabis connoisseurs with the purest marijuana experience on the planet.

We grow our plants the way Mother Nature intended: in organic soil without chemicals or pesticides. We even hand-trim our plants so that they’re organic from the ground up.

Not only does that make all your smoking, dabbing, and edible experiences infinitely better, but it also means that the Swishers you roll are better, tastier, and well worth the effort.

So, don’t settle for an inferior strain. Get the best strains on the planet — the Honest Marijuana strains — learn how to roll a Swisher correctly, and experience cannabis the way it was meant to be.

For more information on all things cannabis and to check out our 100-percent all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.

The post How To Roll A Swisher: A Step-By-Step Guide appeared first on Honest Marijuana.