Hemp Buds 101 – Like Cannabis Flower but Legal!
When the term hemp is mentioned, what comes to mind for many people is a plant that makes you high. This is because hemp is often used interchangeably with marijuana. However, although both plants belong to the Cannabis Sativa family, they are two different subspecies with different properties.
Marijuana is an illegal plant with psychoactive effects that mess your brain. People use this specific type for recreational purposes. However, hemp is a beneficial product. With less than 0.3 THC (the intoxicating compound), hemp is primarily grown for medicinal and industrial purposes. The difference in THC is what actually makes hemp legal across the United States.
Follow through as we delve deep into what a hemp bud is and why it is gaining popularity as a faster rate.
History of Hemp
If you thought the human race stumbled upon hemp recently, you are painfully mistaken. This fantastic plant has been cultivated for millennia. Archeologists have found hemp clothes dating as far back as 8,000 BC.
Over time, the plant was utilized for a number of uses across the world. The English used it to build a fleet of ships for use during battle. Hemp was also grown in North America long before European settlers found their way there. In fact, the first U.S. president, George Washington had a hemp plantation at his Mount Vernon property.
The hemp bud- flower
The Cannabis Sativa L. plant from where hemp and marijuana are derived from has quite a number of other derivatives. So far, a total of 113 cannabinoids have been extracted from the plant, including CBDa, CBSa, THCa, CBGa, CBD, and THC among others. The last two are the most important. As mentioned earlier, marijuana is the primary way to consume THC. Granted, it has other great benefits such as pain relief and muscle relaxation but being intoxicating and illegal, many people would rather not bother with it. This is where CBD hemp bud comes in.
CBD contains the same healing properties as marijuana albeit safer to ingest. Instead of growing the marijuana plant and having to bear its negative effects, people have shifted to growing CBD-rich hemp buds. These buds contain cannabinoids in high concentrations compared to other parts of the plant including the leaves, stalk, and roots. There’s a massive demand for CBD-rich hemp flowers as they make for a great alternative to CBD oil. Hemp buds can be vaped, smoked, or made into products that can be ingested.
Hemp Buds Available In the Market
If you hail from the United States, you are in luck since you can walk into a local pharmacy and grab your hemp buds. Otherwise, if you come from other parts of the world, you are limited to buying your CBD flowers online. In that case, you might benefit from knowing the available strains in the market.
- Cascade CBD flower: This is a terpene-rich cannabis strain characterized by alpha-pinene, geranyl acetate, and beta-caryophyllene. Tarpene is a collective term for compounds contained in plants that enhance their therapeutic and fragrance properties. Cascade CBD flower contains 14.39% CBD and <0.3 Delta 9 THC.
- Pineberry CBD flower: Pineberry is created through the cross-breeding of the Early Resin Berry and Ringo’s Gift strains. It has several terpenes including beta-myrcene, alpha-pinene, delta limonene, beta-caryophyllene, geranyl acetate, and delta-humulene. Pineberry CBD flower contains 17.03% CBD and <0.3 Delta 9 THC.
- CBS strain: Otto: This one contains 14.4% CBD and <0.3 Delta 9 THC and is typically characterized by large buds with a sweet pine aroma. Otto crops have varying genetics depending on the region it is sourced.
- CBD strain: Elektra: Elektra CBD strain is quite new in the market and is mainly used to relieve pain and stress. Its buds produce dense and aromatic flowers and are tested at 15.4% CBD and <0.3% THC.
How to Use Hemp Buds
In case you are wondering how people consume hemp buds out there, here are some of the common ways it is utilized.
- Vaping: Consumers often vape hemp buds using herb atomizers. The reason for using an atomizer is that it doesn’t have a flame meaning there’s no actual smoking or combustion going on. The rate of absorption is also quicker making it a safer alternative than digesting on smoking.
- Smoking a CBD joint: Users can also smoke a hemp bud on a joint to reap the benefits of THC. As you might have guessed, you will have to inhale the smoke from the joint. This might cause a host of respiratory issues albeit giving you quick results.
- Cooking/baking: if you aren’t particularly interested in using a dry herb atomizer or taking a direct puff of your hemp bud, you can incorporate it into your cooking and baking adventures. CBD desserts are now in the public domain. Although this technique takes a while to absorb CBD into the bloodstream (about 30-90 minutes), it offers long-lasting effects than the first two methods.
Hemp buds are the real deal when it comes to relaxation, calming, and healing. They offer all these benefits alongside safety, unlike marijuana which is intoxicating. It is for this very reason than the hemp bud is now legal across the United States. If our guess is right, other nationalities will soon follow suit.