Can You Smoke Lavender?

Happiness and tranquility radiate from people just like the fragrance of lavender emanate from its flowers. Something that makes this statement even more accurate is that the aroma of this plant carries a unique mysticism that evokes calm and relaxation. This is why it is not surprising that some people wonder if it is possible to smoke lavender. This article delves into the qualities of this wonderful plant, the possible effects and benefits it could bring, and the correct way to smoke it, in case you want to. Read on, and we will clarify all your questions about smoking lavender.

Key Takeaways

• Lavender is a smokable herb often mixed with cannabis
• Lavender may have mood regulation, stress relieving, and pain-relieving benefits
• Lavender can be smoked, turned into tea, and diffused into the air

What Are Smokable Herbs?

Smokable herbs are herbs that can be dried, ground up, and smoked, just like cannabis or tobacco. They can be rolled into joints, put in pipes, or consumed in other ways too. Smokable herbs may produce a variety of benefits for your mind and body when they are combusted and inhaled. Let’s break down everything you need to know about smoking lavender including the pros, cons, and side effects.

What is lavender?

Lavender is a small, aromatic evergreen shrub related to mint and part of the Lamiaceae family. Its scientific name is Lavandula, and this genus of plants contains about sixty species and infra-specific taxa accepted by science, although there are more than two hundred described. In addition to common lavender, these taxa and species include Portuguese lavender, French lavender, Spanish lavender, English lavender, Lavandula dentata, pinnata, and stoechas, among many other subspecies. Lavender is the national flower of Portugal, and all types of lavender, in general, have been used for many purposes throughout history, mainly for its pleasant aroma that invites relaxation. This is why lavender has a privileged position in aromatherapy. In fact, the oil extracted from the brilliant bluish-purple flowers is highly valued in the world of cosmetics and traditional natural medicine due to its exquisite aroma and surprising qualities. Said oil is rich in terpenes such as linalool, geraniol, coumarins, and borneol, which have a lot to do with this plant's therapeutic properties and famous aroma. In addition to its aromatherapeutic properties, the qualities of lavender make it effective in keeping mites away from cabinets, drawers, and other places where these insects tend to be. This repellent effect is primarily due to the high content of geraniol in this plant. Lavender essential oil is also widely popular in hygiene and personal care products as an ingredient in hair conditioners because it may stimulate hair growth and benefit hair health. Lavender can also be useful as a skin toner; it works as a natural tranquilizer and relaxant, helps fight bad breath, relieves insect bites, and helps treat muscle ailments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YzHYFoYZRg

What Does Lavender Do When You Smoke It?

Smoking lavender is thought to have a variety of benefits. One of the biggest benefits that it is thought to have is it helps relieve anxious thoughts even among children. Lavender contains linalool, which is a terpene commonly found in cannabis. According to research, linalool was found to induce anti-anxiety effects in mice. It may also be able to help relieve some stress. The terpenes present in lavender may also have some mild analgesic effects, or in other words, act as painkillers that help to block pain signals from reaching your brain. It may also be able to help increase the quality of your sleep. Many people also enjoy smoking lavender simply due to its enjoyable scent and flavor.

Benefits of smoking lavender

Although there is no scientific evidence to support any specific benefits of smoking lavender, there is a belief that smoking it may allow users to inhale small amounts of lavender essential oil. Lavender oil does appear to have some health benefits supported by some research. Lavender essential oil is rich in linalool, so smoking lavender or other linalool-rich plants like some cannabis strains could provide some health benefits this terpene offers. Some preliminary studies noted in a 2009 review suggest that lavender essential oil may help with anxiety, and headaches, improve sleep, and heal wounds. There is also some evidence to suggest that lavender essential oil might help fight certain types of infections. A 2017 lab study showed that lavender oil had antibacterial properties on human cells by reducing the potency of some potentially dangerous species like Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Other studies suggest that lavender aromatherapy may reduce the need for morphine in post-anesthetic care units. Other studies conducted in rodent models have shown that the linalool present in lavender oil may have potential anti-inflammatory properties.

Smoking Lavender for Better Sleep

Lavender flower oil is widely popular for its relaxing qualities due to its high linalool content. This has to do with this terpene's capacity as an anxiolytic agent. According to a 2009 study, inhaling linalool could facilitate its absorption into the bloodstream through the lungs. Linalool also occurs naturally in many strains of hemp and THC-rich cannabis strains. So, if relaxation and better sleep are your goals, you might as well spice up your regular cannabis joint, pipe bowl with a bit of lavender, or add a little hemp or THC-rich cannabis to the lavender cigarette you plan to smoke. Especially strains like Bubba Kush or Zombie Kush with a bit of lavender could promote great rest nights. In case you want some psychoactive effects, you could combine some dried and ground lavender flowers with a bit of Delta-8 Bubba Kush, Delta- 8 Fruit Loops, or Delta-8 Zombie Kush, as you prefer, in your next pre-bed smoking sesh. You'll surely sleep like a baby. One of the benefits of lavender is that it could help stabilize some side effects of THC, such as paranoia or anxiety, further helping to make the cannabis experience relaxing and avoiding any discomfort.

Smoking lavender effects

One of the main potential effects of smoking lavender is that the plant may help induce states of relaxation, combat stress, and relieve symptoms of chronic anxiety. This happens because by inhaling lavender smoke, we allow the lungs to absorb the combination of terpenes that occur naturally in this plant and therefore pass into the bloodstream. As we already mentioned, the dominant terpene in the lavender profile is linalool, which could help strengthen the body's immune system and work as an analgesic. When smoking lavender, you could also experience mild analgesic, and muscle relaxation effects since the linalool present in this plant also have these qualities since it regulates acetylcholine. This mentioned brain chemical affects pain perception and helps regulate muscle movements. Among other benefits of linalool, we can find that this terpene could help reduce seizures in patients with epilepsy by blocking glutamate receptors. It also increases adenosine levels in the brain and could help regulate heart rate.

Can you smoke lavender by itself?

A short and summarized answer to this question is yes. You can smoke lavender in a similar way to smoking tobacco or cannabis. You could grind some dried lavender into a pliable enough texture to roll into cigarettes. You could smoke cigarettes completely rolled with lavender to smoke it on its own or also mixed with other smokable herbs. Obviously, if you decide to mix lavender with other herbs, the effects may vary. So the most recommended thing is carefully selecting the herbs you choose to mix lavender with based on the final effects you want to experience.

Can you smoke dried lavender?

Yes, and in fact, it is the correct way to smoke it since if the lavender is still very fresh, it is very likely that you will not be able to smoke it or that it doesn´t combust so well. In this sense, lavender is a bit similar to cannabis. The smokable part of lavender is the flower, which, like the cannabis flower, must go through a drying or curing process in order to be able to smoke it comfortably.

Can you smoke lavender flower?

Yes, you can smoke the lavender flower. In fact, lavender flowers are the part of the plant you can smoke, similar to how you smoke tobacco, cannabis, or other smokeable herbs. Other parts of the plant, such as the stems, can be difficult to grind or bring to the correct texture for smoking. Also, suppose you are looking for the benefits related to lavender. In that case, it is in the flower where lavender stores most of the terpenes and natural essential oils that carry the benefits related to this plant.

Can you smoke lavender oil?

Some people may wonder if they can smoke lavender oil the same way you smoke live resin. The answer is a solid no! You should not try to smoke lavender oil, especially its essential oils. Like RSO, lavender oil may contain some components that make it harmful to combustion. In fact, the linalool in lavender oil is a form of alcohol. Because of all these factors, smoking lavender oil can be hazardous and toxic to the body. In fact, it can lead you to experience a long list of adverse effects and long-term health problems due to the reaction of your body chemistry with the components in lavender oil. Trying to smoke lavender essential oil can also give you strong sedative effects. So, if you want to smoke lavender, the correct way to do it is in its dried form because, in addition to avoiding unwanted side effects, you will be able to smoke lavender comfortably since dried lavender burns well, while the oil can be complicated to smoke.

Can you smoke lavender buds?

Yes, you can smoke lavender buds. But, the buds must be dry, and it is better if you grind them since if you try to smoke them whole or too fresh, it is very likely that you will not be able to smoke them well or that you will only smoke part of them.

Can you smoke lavender leaves?

Theoretically, you can smoke lavender leaves the same way you smoke the flower. Both flowers and leaves of lavender are edible, smokeable, and have a pleasant but slightly bitter taste. You can take lavender leaves as tea or let them dry slightly to smoke along with lavender flowers or other smokeable herbs of your choice. The only difference between lavender flowers and leaves is that the linalool content of the leaves is slightly lower than that of the flowers.

Can You Smoke Lavender Mixed with Weed?

Yes, you can smoke lavender mixed with weed. Many people do so due to the enjoyable flavor and scent that lavender can add to the mix. Lavender also isn't overly harsh when smoked, so it shouldn't make you cough. Many people also enjoy mixing lavender with their weed due to those beneficial properties that we mentioned above. Cannabis does of course also have a variety of benefits for the human mind and body, which can compound with the benefits produced by lavender, particularly the terpenes contained in lavender. For those of you that don't know, THC can work in combination with terpenes to produce a so-called entourage effect, which means that the effects of both THC and the terpenes are strengthened due to the combination of both substances.

Is Smoking Lavender OK?

Although smoking lavender may have a variety of benefits, it is still considered unsafe in the grand scheme of things because it is smoking. Human lungs simply are not designed to inhale smoke. There is no evidence that would indicate that it is any safer than smoking tobacco, at least as far as the health of your lungs is concerned. We cannot say whether or not smoking lavender is safe for your health. It is important to note that most of these tests mentioned above and studies were not conducted on human models. There is currently insufficient evidence to state that smoking lavender can work as a reliable medicine for any condition. Research on the benefits and safety of lavender and its essential oils is still ongoing. In addition, there are much healthier ways to use this plant, such as diffusing or applying lavender essential oil directly, since the act of smoking poses risks to lung and respiratory system health in general and exposes the body to carcinogenic agents.

Potential Health Risks of Smoking Lavender

Human lungs are not meant to inhale smoke. Furthermore, smoking lavender also produces carbon monoxide, which is unhealthy to inhale. Although there is more research required on this front, there is an assumption that smoking lavender may increase your risk of lung cancer as well as other respiratory illnesses. It's just not good for your lungs.

Smoking Lavender vs. Tobacco

Can you smoke lavender? In theory, yes. Is it any better than smoking tobacco? Maybe. There aren't any real studies out there that have compared smoking lavender to smoking tobacco. That said, tobacco, especially processed cigarettes that contain thousands of chemicals, do contain man-made poisons such as arsenic and others. Therefore, we do have reason to believe that lavender isn't quite as bad to smoke as tobacco, although there is much more research required to verify these claims. One thing that can be said is that lavender doesn't contain nicotine, which tobacco does. Nicotine is of course a very addictive substance that can be dangerous on its own.

Other Ways to Benefit from Lavender

There are other ways to benefit from lavender without having to combust it and inhale it. For instance, you could make yourself a nice lavender herbal tea. Mix in some honey and make yourself a tasty treat. On the other hand, many people also use lavender essential oils for aromatherapy. Just put some lavender essential oil into a diffuser, sit back, and relax. Thanks for stopping by. Why not give something from our Farm a try?