Have you ever considered smoking weed stems? Do you spend countless hours separating your cannabis bud from the stem and don’t know why you still do that?
Yes, this detailed work takes time, but the effort pays off when you smoke that pure dried flower bowl or joint. But, what about those stems? What should we do with them?
In the following article, we will outline all you need to know about weed stems, whether or not you can smoke them and discuss how to put your cannabis stems to good use.
Without further delay, let’s dive in!
What are Weed Stems?
As we all know, bud is just the dried flower of the cannabis plant. These flowers grow out of cannabis plants, containing stems, leaves, and trichomes (cannabinoid-containing crystals surrounding the bud).
While growers spend hours and hours trimming their weed to provide you with the most beautiful bud possible, they can’t remove all the stems. After all the excess plant matter is removed, we are left with bud material with a few stems to be found inside.
These stems are no different than the stems of other plants. They grow first and provide structural support for the emerging bud.
Before going to the dispensary, the stems that lead to the bud are fully removed, but you will still be able to find a few stems buried deep inside.
Some tokers prefer grinding it all up and smoke it, while others avoid the stems to provide the best smoking experience.
Do these stems contain cannabinoids and terpenes? When it comes to smoking weed, these are the compounds we genuinely care about.
Fortunately, the evidence is clear here. Researchers have shown that total THC content decreases as we go from the flower (10–12%) to leaves (1–2%), stems (0.1–0.3%), and the roots (<0.03%). The roots do contain small amounts of sterols and triterpenoids but minimal THC.
On top of this, smoking cannabis stems is more likely to give you a sore throat than any decent high. If after this you still want to try smoking weed stems, check the paragraph below.
Can you Smoke Weed Stems?
As we discussed above, there’s only a tiny amount of cannabinoids present in the stems. So, the answer to whether you can smoke weed stems is yes, but why would you want to?
In terms of potency and utility, there are no good reasons to smoke weed stems.
Besides the tiny amount of THC, the rest of the stem is made up of therapeutically useless plant compounds.
What’s more, burning these plant compounds increases the potentially harmful compounds we inhale. We do not know if the smoke produced by burning stems is carcinogenic (causes cancer), but it certainly holds no value to consumers or patients.
No matter how dankrupt you might be, smoking stems will likely be a waste of your time and harmful to your lung health.
Burning more of this excess plant matter decreases the flavor and aroma of the marijuana we smoke.
After paying so much for high-quality buds containing terpenes and cannabinoids we love, why would we mask those compounds by burning excess plant matter?
In summary, you can smoke weed stems, and they will add a minuscule amount of THC, but the costs outweigh the benefits.
Alternative Ways of Using Weed Stems
Now that we’ve learned why smoking weed stems are inefficient and potentially harmful, what should we do with them?
It is true, we are paying for those stems since weed is sold by weight, and we understand why money-conscious consumers will want to get the most value out of every gram.
For this reason, we are here to provide some alternative ways to use these cannabis stems productively.
All you need to know about using these weed stems is that they need to be decarboxylated. This is the term used to describe how heat converts non-psychoactive THCA into psychoactive THC
Beyond the heat, the second thing you need is a liquid mixture that contains fats (like coconut oil and butter) or alcohol. Cannabinoids are fat-soluble, which is why we need some fat to act as a solvent, helping to draw out the cannabinoids inside the stems.
Weed Stem Water
Those who think it would be too much work to make use of your weed stems, pay attention. This recipe is by far the easiest way to use your cannabis stems productively.
All you need to do is put your weed stems in a small pot of water along with a dollop of butter or coconut oil. Adding some fat to the water helps to draw out cannabinoids that are stuck inside the stems. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Once done, strain out the plant material and use this infused water to make your next beverage.
You can use this mixture in just about any way you like it. Here are a few ideas of what you can do with it:
- Make weed stem tea
- Make cannabis stem lemonade
- Make marijuana stem ice tea
Cannabis Stem Infused-Alcohol
Alcohol is another solvent option for drawing out cannabinoids from cannabis stems. And it’s a great way to avoid smoking weed stems.
This process requires you to decarboxylate the stems first, which can be done in the oven. Spread the stems out on a pan. Then place them in an oven at 250°F for 25-30 minutes. Once decarboxylated, let them cool off, and they will be good to go.
Next, take a bottle of alcohol and take a few shots out to make room for your stems. Make sure you pick a drink with at least 40% alcohol.
After you have enough space, place the stems in the bottle and seal it. Shake the bottle once a day for 7-10 days, leaving the bottle in a cool dark place the rest of the time. Finally, strain out the plant material and your cannabis stem infused alcohol is good to go.
Cannabis Stem Hash Oil
Another excellent option for stems is making hash oil. To make hash oil, you’ll need 99% isopropyl alcohol and finely ground stems.
Place the isopropyl and stems in a mason jar, seal it up, and shake it for two minutes. Next, strain the liquid to remove the plant matter. Transfer the liquid into a bowl and let it air out.
Ensure it is located somewhere with adequate ventilation for the alcohol to evaporate. Scrape up the remaining sticky resin and roll it into a ball or balls of hash.
That’s all you need to do to create a hash that you can then smoke in a bowl or a joint. Easy, right?
Arts and Crafts
Finally, if you still don’t want to use your stems in one of the ways described above, here is an alternative.
Weed stems can be used in your arts and crafts projects at home. Make something beautiful out of these lovely little stems.
What exactly you want to make it up to you, and the possibilities are endless. Just make sure you use gloves while handling the stems to prevent scratching.
Smoking Weed Stems – Worth the Trouble?
Now you know how to make the most of your leftover weed stems without having to actually smoke then.
We also learned how smoking cannabis stems would not get you high and how it could negatively affect your throat and lungs.
Avoid these unwanted side-effects of smoking stems and instead, try out one of the fantastic cannabis-infused options described above. These low-potency infused-products can be used in so many different ways to help you get high.
If you still don’t want to use weed stems and want to avoid complex DIY projects with weed stems, give a try to other alternatives such as tinctures.
Tinctures present a viable option if you want to avoid smoking weed stems and provide a healthier alternative to inhale smoke. Since they are administered under the tongue (sublingually), they bypass the first-pass metabolism and go directly to the bloodstream providing potent effects in a matter of minutes.
Hooti Extracts tinctures contain premium THC distillate that is suspended in premium MCT oil with naturally derived fruit flavours, including blueberry and strawberry. Each dropper contains 1 ml of oil, allowing you to administer cannabinoids with increased accuracy.
Use them for fast and effective results and avoid using weed stems altogether.
Whichever method you choose, you must ensure that your flower and other cannabis products come from a reliable and reputable dispensary.
Stay safe and enjoy!
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