When you hear the word flower do you think of the colorful, vibrant, eye-catching flowers that brighten up a room? What if there’s another kind of flower? One which brings relaxation, euphoria and has been around for years. Here is what you need to know about the cannabis flower.
What Is a Cannabis Flower?
A cannabis flower is the part of the plant that is used for smoking or vaporizing. It contains the highest concentration of active ingredients and other compounds like THC, CBD, and terpenes. Because of this, it’s also known as “bud.” There are two main parts to a cannabis flower: The pistil and stamen.
Pistils are tiny hairs on the flower that stick out from the surface. Depending on the strain, they can be white, yellowish, or even orange. Pistil hairs are usually more abundant at the center of a bud (where they’re called kief), but they’re also located on its outer edges. Stamens are tiny male reproductive organs found inside a female flower. Their color ranges from white to yellowish orange to brownish red, depending on the strain and maturity level of the bud.
How Are Cannabis Flowers Grown?
Cannabis flowers are typically grown indoors under carefully controlled conditions. Specialized equipment and growing techniques ensure consistent quality and maximum potency for each product batch.
Potency is determined by measuring THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content in milligrams per dry gram (mg/g) or as a percentage by weight. Potency varies widely by strain type and genetic makeup. Some strains have been bred to produce up to 30 percent THC, while others may only reach 15 percent or lower.
What Are the Trichomes in a Cannabis Flower?
Trichomes are tiny hairs that cover weed flowers and contain cannabinoids and terpenes. The trichomes on a cannabis flower give it its potency and aroma. Some of the most common types of trichomes are glandular, bulbous, and capitate-sessile. These compounds impact how you feel when you consume cannabis.
What Do Terpenes in Cannabis Do?
Terpenes are the compounds that give cannabis its smell and taste. They’re found in various plants, including lavender, lemons, and oranges. They’re also what gives cannabis its distinctively pungent aroma. There are over 200 different terpenes found in cannabis, but only about 30 of them have been studied by scientists. Cannabis terpenes can be anti-inflammatory or anti-anxiety.
Canneseine, a terpene found in high concentrations in both indica and Sativa strains of cannabis, is responsible for the uplifting effects that many people enjoy when they use cannabis. Other terpenes like limonene are known to have antidepressant effects that relieve symptoms like stress and anxiety. And linalool reduces inflammation, making it possible to help with pain management (particularly muscle spasms).
What Do Cannabinoids Do?
Cannabinoids are molecules naturally produced by the cannabis plant. They interact with your body’s endocannabinoid system to produce various effects. The most well-known cannabinoid is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), which is responsible for producing the “high” associated with smoking marijuana. However, there are many other cannabinoids found in marijuana flowers that can produce various effects depending on their concentration and ratio to each other.
How Are Cannabinoids Produced in the Plant?
Cannabinoids are found in the resin of the flowers, leaves, and stems. The cannabinoids produced by the cannabis plant are unique to this plant species. There are different types of cannabinoids, including THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD (cannabidiol), CBG (cannabigerol), and CBC (cannabichromene).
Besides creating euphoria and relaxation when consumed, THC has many other medical uses, including being an appetite stimulant and reducing nausea caused by chemotherapy treatments or other illnesses such as AIDS or cancer.
Different Types of Cannabis Flowers
There are three main types of Cannabis Flower:
• Seedless Cannabis Flower: Smokers who want to avoid the seeds in marijuana can opt for a seedless strain. The buds are usually more tightly packed, making them denser and more potent than other flowers.
• Sativa Cannabis Flower: Sativa strains have a higher THC content than indica strains, and they tend to produce the longest-lasting effects.
• Indica Cannabis Flower: Indica is known for its relaxing, sedative effects. These strains are best suited for nighttime use because they can make you feel sleepy or tired.
How To Choose the Right Strain?
The first step to choosing the right strain of cannabis is knowing what you’re looking for. Understanding what effects you want from cannabis can help guide you in your search.
There are many different strains, and they each have unique effects. Some strains are relaxing, while others are energetic and uplifting. Some strains are suitable for treating insomnia, while others help with depression or anxiety.
Different strains also offer different tastes and smells, so if you want to enjoy the experience of consuming cannabis and its effects, it’s essential to know what kind of experience you’re looking for before picking a strain.
If you’re a beginner just starting with medical cannabis, start with an Indica-dominant hybrid like Harlequin or Remedy, bred with high CBD content designed specifically for those new to using medical marijuana. These strains will be strong enough to provide relief from symptoms without overwhelming your system too much.
Preparing and Storing Cannabis Flower
Cannabis flowers can be smoked, vaporized, or consumed with edibles. The methods of preparation for each one vary slightly. The good news is that it’s easy to prepare cannabis flowers for any of these methods.
To smoke or vaporize a cannabis flower, it must first be dried and cured. This can be done at home with a drying box or in the sun, but you can also buy ready-to-use buds from your local dispensary.
Curing cannabis involves leaving it out in a cool, dark place for several days so that moisture evaporates and potency increases. Once your buds are dry enough to smoke, they’ll feel dry and crumbly rather than sticky. This is normal. It’s important not to over-dry them; if they’re too dry, they won’t burn well and get stuck in your pipe.
To consume cannabis with edibles, you will need to decarboxylate it first (or “decarb” for short). This simply means exposing the raw flower to heat before using it in recipes or cooking. This activates THC acids into THC molecules so that when you eat them, you’ll get high faster than without decarbing first.
Cannabis flowers contain glands known as trichomes. Trichomes are fragile and highly concentrated with cannabinoids such as THC, CBD, and hundreds of other chemical compounds. These trichomes contain unique terpene profiles that give each strain its variety of aromas, tastes, and effects.