Just how many different forms of cannabis are there?
While most of us were introduced to weed by taking a pull from a joint or pipe, the growth of products has continued to amaze old school smokers. From different ways to smoke the traditional bud we all have grown to love, to dabs and infusions you never knew existed, understanding each product allows you to buy with confidence.
Traditional Bud
The bud or flower of the cannabis plant has remained a tried and true method of getting that sweet THC. In most cases, the cannabis is grown and trimmed to provide dense flowers, and once harvested, is allowed to dry until it is trimmed and ground.
Trimming is that old saying to take out the seeds and stems, leaving behind just the bud covered in crystalized trichomes. Once you grind your weed, it’s time to pull out your favorite piece to light up.
Joints
There’s nothing that beats that nostalgic feel of rolling up or grabbing a joint and letting that smoke roll.
If hand rolling has remained a difficult subject, check out one of our How To’s or try using a hand roller. If you prefer to skip the rolling step all together, check out pre-rolls, coming in a variety of strains and THC contents , in a hard protective tin to keep your smokes packed, dry, and safe.
If you hate the waste or struggle of a roach, filters and crutches have remained the best way to smoke every single crumb, leaving nothing behind.
Paper type has continued to be a debate when it comes to joints, as some smokers don’t mind using standard cigarette papers, while others have chosen to use all natural hemp rolling papers. It’s important to remember that if you use cigar papers, which are made of tobacco leaf, you are then rolling a blunt.
Blunt
While the terms blunt and joint have sometimes been used interchangeably, they are in fact different. From tubes to papers, blunts have remained a great choice to wrap your dank weed in with the smooth flavor of a cigar for a long lasting smoke.
While the option of unpacking a Swisher or Black and Mild have remained a popular option that gives you the option for added flavors, many companies have begun selling cones or other empty blunt papers giving you a higher-grade paper option.
If you want to avoid the time of packing your own blunt, pre-rolled blunts have become a great option to have your blunt ready to light from the get-go.
Pipes
Another traditional method of lighting up is the classic glass pipe. There’s nothing like packing a bowl full of that fresh ground bud, pulling out that old lighter, and letting it burn.
The artform of pipe making and glass blowing have continued to bring visually stunning hand pipes to the market to meet each person’s desired look and feel. These pipes fit great in any drawer, pouch, or pocket, making them a great on-the-go choice.
Even with a love for hand-crafted pipes, there lies a real appreciation for creative homemade bowls. From the old soda can, to a fresh apple the simplicity of a bowl has allowed smokers to add their own personal twist on their next pack.
Bongs
Bongs have remained the smoker’s choice for in-home smoking, giving you a longer pull distance for a cooler smoke, and a smooth flavor.
Traditional bongs have a bowl, with a decent travel distance to your pull. This gives the smoke more time to begin cooling to give a smoother outcome. Many bowls have been built for design with large elaborate glass pieces, or even smoke rolling effects.
Water bongs and hookahs allow you to pull your hit through water, allowing it to cool to give you an extremely smooth pull. While lighting a pull has remained a go-to for many bongs, hookahs give you the option to pack a large bowl and use hot rocks or coals to heat your weed as you pull. This allows you to light up, sit back, and smoke away.
Gravity bongs are a hard hitter route for massive pulls. Most gravity bongs involve a large container of water, and a smaller container that holds your smoke. Lighting a bowl attached to the hose, lift the inner smaller container to create a vacuum as the gravity bong takes a long pull. Removing the bowl begins to take your pull from the hose as you press the inner container down, pressurizing the smoke and causing you to take a massive pull.
Bubblers have remained a small bong option, giving you the cooling effect of a water bong with the small compact advantage of a pipe. These are a great option for location smoking, giving you a ready-to-go smoking solution.
Vaporizers, not to be confused with vapes, are tools packed with weed that create a vapor to be inhaled. This vapor is considered to be a safer alternative since you aren’t inhaling a smoke.
Kief
Along the outside of the cannabis plant as it grows are a variety of crystalized hairs known as trichome. Trichomes are known for holding a large concentration of THC, making them a great focus for a hard hit.
Once trichomes are harvested through a method known as cold bath extraction, or ice baths, they are then pressed into a concentrated block known as kief. This block contains 60-80 percent THCA and has remained a favorite for smokers.
Kief can then be packed into a bowl and smoked directly, or sprinkled over your ground weed in a joint, blunt, or bowl for an extra kick. It remains a great option for cooking edibles such as cookies and brownies, and can even be mixed into hot drinks such as coffee or tea.
It’s important to note that THCA will not have the desired effects until heated to around 220 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a great option for smoking or baking, but will not work for cold use.
Hashish
If the trichomes are heated prior to being pressed, it’s then referred to as hashish or hash. Hashish can be consumed in all the same ways as kief, with the added option for cold uses such as being mixed into drinks, or used in cold edibles.
These cold applications give you the option to sprinkle over deserts — perfection.
Without the need for heat, hash can also be smoked through a vaporizer, which often only reaches 180 to 220 degrees Fahrenheit.
Distillate
As you continue to refine the bud past the level of hashish, there becomes a need to have 100% pure THC and 100% pure CBD. Distillates are pure concentrates with no smell and no tastes, allowing them to be accurately added to nearly anything, making them great for the use in edibles and vape juices.
Distillates have become a standard in the production of high-high quality consumables, but they may also be smoked through dabs and vapes. They also make a great addition into drinks, or dripped onto your favorite bud.
Edibles
Edibles have continued to grow in popularity with their easy to carry, easy to use dose of CBD or THC. Edibles refer to any food product made with cannabis extracts added, often using distillates in the process.
Gummies have remained a top choice for many edibles, with their fruitier, easy-to-enjoy flavors, with other edibles still pretty popular such as cookies, brownies, and even mints.
Infusions
While edibles are focused on creating products with THC or CBD, infusions are focused on mixing these into pre-existing items such as butter, sodas, and other drinks. It’s important to use hash or distillates when making infusions, to ensure you avoid THCA, which will have no effects if not heated enough.
Tablets
When considering tablets, consider the idea of CBD or THC medication. Found in both the caplet and solid forms, these tablets allow you to take controlled amounts in a more medicinal manner.
This reduces the risk and effects of smoke on the lungs, and can be added with various other active ingredients to focus on your body’s overall health and wellness.
Tincture
Tinctures have grown as a standard for many CBD products, with it’s quick absorption into the body, but can also be found with levels of THC. These drops are added just underneath the tongue, and are left to absorb into your body.
Tinctures can be found in various flavors, from all natural flavors tasting like weed to lemon. With a focus on a specific outcome, such as stress relief, relaxation, or energy, tinctures are made from various bud strands and mixes to give you exactly what you want.
Balms and Lotions
While most methods of using cannabis focus on smoking or eating the THC or CBD, balms and lotions focus on the idea of absorbing these through the skin, in order to target localized muscles or joint pains. This means if you were to take CBD for your knee, instead of ingesting it and waiting for it to kick in, you car rub it directly on your knee so it works precisely where you need it.
Summary
Regardless if you’re smoking, vaping, eating, or rubbing it on, the wide use of the cannabis plant has continued to grow meeting everyone’s wildest desires. With so many products on the market today, guarantee you get a quality project to your door on time with Emjay’s cannabis delivery service right here in L.A.
