The Complete Guide to Smoking Hemp Buds

CBD products made from hemp are expected to make $22 billion by 2022. The hemp market went wild after the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp production. 

With all that growth, it’s hard for customers to keep up with trends. People who are new to the idea of using hemp are overwhelmed by too many options. With so many companies, discovering the truth about hemp is a headache.

To help clear the air about hemp, it’s best to start with the basics. The following guide will walk you through the ins and outs of smoking hemp. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be ready to try smoking buds for the first time.

The Difference Between Hemp Buds and Marijuana

When you hear someone talk about cannabis or hemp, you assume they mean marijuana. The truth is, there are many types of cannabis. What each cannabis strain is called depends on the type of cannabinoids it contains.

Cannabinoids are chemicals found in cannabis. As of now, scientists have identified over 100 cannabinoids in common cannabis strains.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most notorious cannabinoid. That’s because THC is known as the party cannabinoid. THC makes you feel giddy and light-headed.

The problem with THC is studies show that large quantities cause anxiety. When you use cannabis to ease high blood pressure, anxiety will make it worse.

This is where cannabidiol (CBD) comes in handy. CBD offers all the same benefits as THC, but without the high. 

CBD may ease the following conditions:

• Epilepsy
• Arthritis
• Chronic pain
• Side-effects of chemotherapy
• Anxiety

How can you tell which cannabinoids are in the cannabis you’re buying? You need to understand the legal definitions for the different types of cannabis.

Marijuana defines any cannabis plant that contains more than 0.3% THC. It is illegal on a federal level. Only 11 states allow legal recreational marijuana sales.

Hemp is used to define cannabis plants with less than 0.3% THC. These plants are bred to contain plenty of other cannabinoids like CBD. When growing, the plants look like marijuana plants.

Fiber hemp is like regular hemp plants but they do not produce large buds. This type of hemp is used for textiles because of its long, fibrous stalk. 

Can You Smoke Hemp Buds?

The vast majority of CBD products on the market are made from CBD extracts. Many people feel these products are easier. Unfortunately, the large CBD extract market makes it seem like smoking hemp flower isn’t effective.

Is Hemp Bud Safe?

Regular hemp bud that’s high in CBD is as safe to smoke as marijuana. You just need to make sure to buy your smokable hemp buds from a trusted source.

The reason people shy away from smoking hemp is that marijuana is demonized. They use CBD oil instead of smoking hemp to escape criticism for using marijuana. By doing so, they’re missing the full benefits of smoking hemp flower.

Heat and Cannabinoids

When it comes to activating cannabinoids, smoking is the easiest method. CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids must reach around 230* F to activate.

If the cannabinoids don’t activate, you’re wasting your money. Ingesting raw hemp will deliver virtually no benefits.

How to Smoke Hemp Buds

The way you smoke hemp bud is best determined by the CBD dosage you need. For someone who does just fine with 30 mg of CBD, a full 200 mg joint is too much.

Smoking more hemp bud won’t make it work better or faster. Once your system has enough cannabinoids, it can’t process anymore. The excess cannabinoids flush from your system and do no good.

How to prepare your hemp bud to smoke:

• Pull the bud off the stems
• Pack the hemp bud into a grinder
• Grind the bud so it’s broken apart but not turned to dust
• Pour out the ground hemp bud
• Pull any stems or seeds from the ground bud

Grinding the hemp bud ensures it smokes evenly. This way you get a full hit every time, no matter how you smoke it. The most common ways to smoke hemp bud are:

• Rolling the hemp bud into a joint
• Stuffing hemp bud in a cone paper
• Packing a pipe bowl full of hemp bud 
• Using a dry herb vape pen 

The dry herb vape pen is the safest option from this list. It doesn’t combust the hemp bud so there aren’t any carcinogens. This option also cuts back on any lingering scent from the bud.

The Benefits of Smoking Hemp Flower

If smoking hemp bud requires so much work compared to CBD oil, why do it? There are two primary reasons why smoking hemp is the best method.

Entourage Effect

The Entourage Effect is a theory stating that the compounds in cannabis work best together. Isolating a cannabinoid (CBN) makes it less potent.

For example, CBN on its own reduces inflammation and protects the brain. Trials showed that CBN does not affect a person’s sleep habits.

THC on its own produces mild sedative effects. But when you mix THC with the CBN, the combination becomes a powerful sleep aid. This same theory may explain why CBD lowers anxiety caused by too much THC.

Bioavailability

Bioavailability is the percentage of a substance absorbed by your body during a certain period. Every method of ingesting cannabinoids has a different percentage. Some are so low, you’ll be shocked.

Understanding how your body absorbs cannabinoids will save hundreds of dollars a year. Bioavailability listed by the highest to the lowest percentage:

• Vaping hemp bud – 46% to 56%
• Smoking a hemp bud joint – 34%
• Sublingual CBD tincture – 13% to 35%
• CBD oil and edibles – 6% to 20%

Looking at it from a financial point-of-view, you get more value from smoking hemp than CBD edibles. 

Think You’re Ready to Try Smoking Hemp?

Before you run off to try smoking hemp bud, check with your doctor. CBD may have bad interactions with certain medications.

Once your doctor gives you the okay, take what you’ve learned in this guide and use it. Don’t let any preconceived ideas about smoking hemp keep you from its full benefits.

Looking for more articles on CBD and cannabis? We’ve got a lot of information in the Health section of our website.