We have all had that weird moment when the only content in our weed bowl was just the weed stems. At this moment, the mind contemplates whether or not to smoke these stems; on the basis of not wasting them.
The truth is that smoking weed stems can be a very very bad idea, but the good news is these stems can be utilized in better ways.
Let’s pause to define “weed stems” before unpacking the other information available in this write-up.
Weed stems are stick-like parts of a cannabis plant that end up being packaged with cannabis flowers. Cannabis dispensaries sell all kinds of flowers, and their quality determines their price. These weed stems are most times found in varying amounts depending on the quality of the packaged flower.
Weed stems unlike the main flowers contain very little to no THC; that is it lacks the main active ingredient in cannabis.
Putting your weed stem to use
Your stems do not have to go to waste. Sure, you can’t smoke them. Here are some of the ways they can be utilized and consumed.
Have you considered brewing your tea with those weed stems?
You have the option of infusing these stems into your most preferred tea. It is a great way to unwind after a long day. While it won’t make you overly psychoactive, it will produce a very intense sedative feeling. It will also help uplift your spirits.
Most prefer using it to brew a cup of chamomile, chai, or peppermint blend tea.
Making Stem Tea
Before any brewing can take place, your stems have to be decarboxylated and ground. This is done to activate the cannabinoids. You can also try using cannabutter.
Once the weed stems have been activated and ground into small pieces that can be filtered, you then have to put these stems into a tea diffuser. Allow them to steep in boiling water for at least 10 minutes. In absence of a tea diffuser, you can add your ground stems into a pot filled with water, add butter or coconut oil. The pot is covered and allowed to boil and simmer for at least 10mins.
The water is filtered with a strainer, cheesecloth, or coffee filter.
Finally, you can now use the weed stem-infused water to brew your tea. Add your favourite tea bags and brew.
Stem Butter
This is just your regular butter infused with the CBD contents of your weed stems. Just like your cannabutter, however, stem butter is less potent.
Making Stem Butter
First off, your weed stems have to be activated through decarboxylation. That is, you’ll need to place your stems in a preheated oven at 225°F for 45minutes. Grind stems after it has cooled.
Place dollops of your favorite butter into a pan and melt over a minimal heat. Add the ground stems after the butter has melted.
Stir the mixture over low heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
After this, strain the stem butter to filter out the ground pieces of the stems. Pour into a glass jar and allow to cool.
There you have it, stem butter!
This is a marijuana-infused alcoholic drink. It is common around the world. As cannabis gets legalized in various areas of the world, wines and beers infused with cannabis are being marketed commercially. Small dropper bottles are common ways to store cannabis or hemp tinctures.
Homemade Recipe do Tinctures
A 40% alcohol can do just fine for this.
Pour out a little of the content in the bottle to make room if the alcohol is new. Decarboxylate and grind the weed stems
Add the grounded pieces into the bottle. Make sure the pieces are fully immersed in the alcohol.
Seal the bottle and keep it in a cool place for 7-10 days. Each day, you have to revisit the bottle and shake well.
After the said duration, strain the alcohol to filter out the ground stems. Your alcohol will by then have been completely infused with marijuana.
Tinctures are basically an alcohol and cannabis combo!
Aesthetics purpose
Your weed stems can be gathered for arts and crafts. The more stems you have, the broader your design pattern can be.
You can find videos on the internet of how these stems can be converted into eye-pleasing decors.
Smoking Your Weed Stems Is A Terrible Idea
The THC content present in weed stems is present in trace levels. It is not enough to induce the tiniest bit of a high.
The good stuff in a cannabis plant is present in its buds, the stem has nothing worth smoking for.
Smoking weed stems is just you subjecting yourself to a significant amount of unfavorable side effects.
For starters, your lungs. Smoking weed stems puts a high strain on the lungs and leaves you at a high risk of having illnesses like cancer, heart, or lung diseases. Weed stems, when combined, release toxins and carcinogens.
Other consequences of smoking weed stems include:
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Sore throat
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Coughing fits
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Migraines
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Nausea
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Abdominal pain
All these effects aside, another reason why weed stems are a bad idea is the taste. Unlike the buds of cannabis plants that have appealing tastes and aroma, smoking the stems is more like smoking wood chips.
Not just THC is absent in weed stems, most of the psychoactive and beneficial cannabinoids present in the buds are absent also.
There is no reason for you to hold on to collected weed stems for smoking purposes. Bent stems can be fixed in healthy cannabis plants.
Bottom Line
The weed stems can be likened to the seeds in the cannabis plant. The seeds are also not meant to be smoked and they only have trace amounts of THC; which is not enough to induce a high.
Now the other ways you can use your weed stem instead of hurting your organs by smoking it are many.
From brewing tea to making stembutter, to making canna-infused alcohol, and finally to using these stick-like figures as aesthetics in a living or working space.
Having fun trying any of these out, don’t forget that smoking these stems is just you hurting yourself.
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