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Using CBD flowers - a beginner's guide

Please note: all information provided in this article is for educational purposes only. The article only describes the possible uses of CBD flowers, provided that these flowers do not contain more than 0.3%THC. It is in no way intended to entice, encourage or incite anyone to abuse any addictive substances. The article is not suitable for persons under the age of 18.

What is CBD flower?

Let's start this beginner's guide to hemp flower by answering the questions "What is CBD flower?" and "What are the differences from regular cannabis?" Hemp and CBD buds look and smell just like regular ones. So you can't tell the difference visually. In both cases, they are cannabis. There's only one big difference between CBD flower and regular. Regular cannabis contains high levels of THC (the psychoactive compound) and low levels of CBD (the non-psychoactive substance that releases). CBD flowers, on the other hand, contain high levels of CBD and very low levels of THC. CBD buds therefore always contain trace amounts of THC (below 0.3%). There is therefore no such thing as a CBD flower completely free of THC.

Effects of CBD flower (does it have psychoactive effects?)

If you've never used them before, you're probably wondering what the effects of CBD flowers are and if they have psychoactive effects. CBD itself is not psychoactive. THC is the component of cannabis that has these effects. Since there is almost no THC in CBD flowers (as explained above), using these sticks will not have these effects on you. However, due to the trace amount of THC in the CBD flower (plus a few other cannabinoids and terpenes), it is possible to feel a very mild high. The degree to which you experience this sensation depends on your sensitivity and how much cannabis you use.

However, this so-called state is not comparable to that experienced by a regular marijuana user. Most people describe it as a relaxed feeling that doesn't take them out of their normal functioning, but keeps their mind clear. This effect of CBD flowers can be mildly energetic or sedative, depending on what strain you use and how you react to it. The effects will be discussed in more detail later in this article. Since most people experience this effect as a pleasant sensation, you can use CBD buds for recreational purposes as well (instead of just for the potential health benefits). If you're worried that this might be too much for you but want a relaxed feeling, we recommend starting with a very small amount of hemp flower and testing how you react to it.

 

CBD flowers in a container

Are CBD sticks legal?

The simple answer is yes, CBD flowers are legal in this country as long as the THC content is no more than 0.3%. They are also legal in most other countries, but there may be countries where CBD flowers are not legal. The laws regarding CBD change frequently, so you should check the legal status of CBD sticks.
Even if you live in a place where CBD flowers are legal, you should still be careful. As described above, CBD flower looks and smells exactly like regular cannabis. This means that the police can't tell the difference without testing it, so they may mistake your legal cannabis for illegal. However, police officers don't carry the necessary equipment to determine this on the spot, so try to avoid unnecessary problems.

How to take CBD flowers?

You can take CBD flowers in several ways. The most common ones include:

  • Food: CBD flowers can be taken orally (for example, in the form of biscuits or capsules).
  • Tea: some people use CBD flowers to make tea.
  • Smoking: just like regular cannabis, you can smoke CBD sticks.
  • Vaporization: you can also use CBD sticks for vaporization (also called "dry herb vaping").

Smoking vs. vaporizing CBD flowers: the differences

Smoking and vaping are the two most common ways of using CBD flowers. However, some people are not aware of the differences between the two methods. Therefore, we will look at the differences between smoking and vaporizing CBD flowers:

  • Smoking cannabis sticks is done in the same way as smoking regular cannabis; crush, roll, light. Vaping CBD flower is done using a vaporising device that is specifically made for 'vaping dried herbs'. These vaporizers are different from liquid
  • The main difference between smoking and vaping CBD flower is that smoking causes combustion, while vaping does not. Vaporisation is done by heating the cannabis flower to the point where, although it does not burn, it produces a vapour containing activated cannabis compounds.
  • Although hemp CBD sticks do not contain harmful substances such as nicotine, burning something and inhaling the resulting smoke is never healthy for your lungs. A huge benefit of vaping CBD flower is that you avoid inhaling substances that result from burning, such as tar.
  • Because CBD flower does not burn when vaping, there is no smoke, just a few barely visible vapours. Therefore, vaporizing CBD flower is much less smelly than smoking, making it much more suitable for indoor use.
  • Another advantage of not burning the CBD flower when vaping is that the resulting vapor is much smoother and more pleasant than the irritating smoke. It also has a cleaner taste.
  • When you vape CBD flowers, the buds also last longer. When you smoke, you burn the cannabis, so it's gone immediately. When vaping, you can reuse the CBD flower until it turns dark. When its color is dark brown, most of the cannabinoids are gone. However, because the CBD flower is decarbolised during vaporisation, you can reuse this 'already vaped' cannabis to make edibles!
  • Both smoking and vaporization are effective ways to use CBD flowers due to their high bioavailability. The effect you get with both methods may be slightly different. The sensation you get from vaporizing CBD flower will be much "cleaner" while smoking will have a stronger (not necessarily better) impact on you. This is likely due to the fact that the burnt substances you inhale can have other side effects on your body and mental state.
  • The only downside to vaporizing CBD flowers that we could mention is that dry herb vaporizers can be quite expensive. However, it's an investment that many people (including us) feel will clearly pay off in the long run.

When you look at all these points, you will understand why we prefer vaporisation to smoking.

 

A hand holding a vaporizer with crushed CBD flowers in the background

CBD hemp varieties (Indica, Sativa, Hybrid?)

Some people think that all plants are the same. But there are thousands of varieties. As with the common strains, there are many different varieties of cannabis flowers. Each one has a unique chemical profile and therefore its own effects, taste and smell. So you can choose from a wide range!

Many people (including some retailers) still use the terms indica, sativa and hybrid to refer to buds. Although these terms were relevant in the past, their weight has changed over the years. For CBD sticks in particular, these terms don't mean much. In earlier times, indica varieties provided sedative effects due to their high CBD and low THC levels. Therefore, indicas were usually used at night. Sativas, on the other hand, tended to provide an energetic/uplifting effect due to low CBD and high THC levels. Therefore, sativas were usually taken during the day.

The difference between the two has been erased over the years through crossbreeding. Today, almost all varieties are more of a 'hybrid' (i.e. a combination of the two). Nowadays it is difficult to find a pure indica or sativa and even pure varieties can show unexpected characteristics if grown in different conditions. So even if you find a pure sativa or indica, the chemical composition will determine the potential effects. Therefore, it is possible that a sativa will give you a calming effect and an indica an energising effect. CBD flowers are usually derived from sativas, but are high in CBD and low in THC. The only real difference between an indica and a sativa nowadays is in the appearance of the plant itself, so you should no longer use these terms to determine potential effects.

However, it is true that certain varieties have uplifting effects (suitable for the day) and certain varieties have sedative effects (suitable for the night). But this is not because of sativa/indica differences. What's more important for determining effects (besides CBD vs THC and other cannabinoid content) is mainly which terpenes are present in the flower. In addition to variety, several other factors (such as climate, soil type, fertilization method, and harvest time) influence the chemical composition. So even buds of the same variety may differ slightly in their effects.

After reading this, you may be wondering how to find out what effects a particular CBD bud has. The first thing you should do is read the description and reviews on the website you are buying the flower from. If you are buying from a store, ask the salesperson. In addition, you can get information about a particular strain (and also about the terpenes it contains) on the internet, for example, and find out what effects the strain has in general. However, because people may react differently to the same strain, the best way to find out more is to buy several CBD strains, try them out and see which one gives you the effects you want. If you're trying CBD flower for the first time and don't like its effects, you can always try others and find one that works for you!

Buying the best quality flowers

It is very important to use high quality flowers. It makes a huge difference in whether the effects will be first class or not. There are many sellers in the cannabis flower market, unfortunately many of them bad ones. Most people buy CBD flowers online because it's more convenient. This way, of course, you can't preview them, smell them and touch them to check if the quality is good. Therefore, here are some of the most important aspects that you should pay attention to when buying flowers online:

  • A useful indication of quality can be the total CBD content (CBD + CBDA). CBD flowers containing less than 10% CBD (A) are considered to be of poor quality (the lower the worse). A high quality CBD bud should have at least 10% CBD (A) (preferably more). The more the better. Keep in mind that the total CBD content varies by variety, with some having lower general CBD (A) levels than others. Therefore, you should only compare the percentage of CBD (A) with cannabis sticks of the same variety. This percentage will tell you how much CBD the sticks contain. For example, if you buy 1 gram of 20% CBD flower, it contains a total of 200 mg of CBD. If you take 0.1 grams of that, you're using 20 mg of CBD.
  • Cannabis sticks should be tested in an independent laboratory. Check that the results are published on the supplier's website.

Check out reliable reviews of the dealer, preferably not on their own website (where they could be manipulated) but on independent external websites.

Vaporizing liquids and CBD oil vs. flower

As we mentioned at the beginning of this text, CBD oil and vaping liquids are the most common alternatives to CBD flower. Therefore, below we describe the most important reasons to prefer CBD flower over CBD oil or vaporizing liquid:

  • According to many people on Reddit (including ourselves), the effects of CBD flower are much more pronounced than the effects of CBD oil or CBD vaping liquids.
  • CBD flower comes directly from the hemp plant, so it is unprocessed. No substances are added to it and there is no extraction. Hemp CBD sticks are therefore 100% natural and pure. In contrast, CBD oil and vaping juice are processed and contain additional additives. These additives can include diluents that can potentially become toxic when heated. When you dry pure CBD flowers, you avoid this. Processing to produce CBD oil or vaporizing liquids can also destroy some cannabinoids and terpenes.
  • Because CBD oils and vaping liquids contain additives, the actual CBD content is usually lower than that of pure CBD flowers.
  • All of this data explains why the effects of CBD flower seem to be stronger than those of CBD oil and vaping liquids. Therefore, using CBD sticks is also generally cheaper in the long run than using high doses of CBD oil or vaporizing liquids to achieve similar effects.

Summary of the CBD flower usage guide

After reading this beginner's guide to CBD flower users, you should understand the basics. Still have questions about CBD flowers? Then feel free to leave us a comment so we can help you! If you're interested in more information regarding CBD, we also recommend checking out other articles on our website.

   

Author: Canatura

   

   

Photo: Shutterstock

"All information provided on this website, as well as the information provided through this website, is for educational purposes only. None of the information contained herein is intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis and such information is not to be considered medical advice or recommended treatment. This website does not promote, endorse or advocate the legal or illegal use of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances or the commission of any other illegal activity. Please see our Disclaimer for further information."

 

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