Kief is a word that you might hear floating around a lot in the cannabis and hemp world. The way that most people talk about it, you would think that kief is some kind of godly gift sent right from the heavens. Well, in a certain way, it kind of is.
Kief is perhaps one of the most sought-after substances or materials that comes from cannabis and hemp plants. Yes, here we're talking about those powdery crystals on the exterior of the buds that usually get collected at the bottom of your grinder. One of the reasons why kief is so sought-after is because it is so potent and aromatic.
It's some of the strongest and tastiest stuff that you can get your hands on. Today, we want to figure out what exactly kief is, what it looks like, and whether or not it gets you higher than regular bud. We'll also talk about some of the best things you could do with kief.
Key Takeaways
- Kief is the word commonly used for the resin glands, trichomes, or crystals on the outside of cannabis and hemp buds.
- Kief is where the vast majority of cannabinoids and terpenes are secreted, therefore making it very potent and flavorful.
- Depending on the strain it comes from, kief can be anywhere between two and five times as potent as regular bud.
- There are many things that you can do with kief, including baking edibles, making hash, mixing it with regular weed to roll joints, putting it in a pipe or bong bowl, putting it in coffee or hot chocolate, and more.
What is Kief?
Kief is that powdery substance that gets collected at the bottom of your grinder. Technically speaking, kief may also be referred to as the resin glands of the cannabis and hemp plants. This may also be referred to as the trichomes or crystals on your cannabis buds.
These trichomes, resin glands, or crystals, are where the vast majority of the cannabinoids and terpenes of the cannabis plant are created.
Therefore, as you can assume, these crystals are extremely tasty and potent as well. They contain by far the highest concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes anywhere in these plants. It might look fairly basic and unassuming, but it packs quite the punch.
What Does Kief Look Like?
To help you identify it, kief looks like a very fine powder. Unlike cannabis buds that can be somewhat coarse and chunky once ground up, kief is extremely fine and powdery. It also tends to be a light tan or greenish color, depending on the exact strain it came from.
It can also be quite sticky, especially if it comes from a fresh bud. It can clump together into small powdery chunks. However, as it dries out, it becomes extremely lightweight. You definitely want to be careful with it, because it gets lost easily.
Does Kief Get You Higher Than Bud?
So, does kief get you extra high? Well, the simple answer here is that yes, kief does get you much higher than regular bud. For a simple comparison, regular bud usually contains anywhere between 15% and 30% THC, with anything over 25% being extremely high. Now, 25% THC is considered quite potent for bud, and even a few hits of this will get you quite high.
However, we then have this kief or trichomes. Just to jog your memory, this is where the majority of the cannabinoids of the cannabis plant are created. Therefore, as you can expect, these crystals are very potent. They can range in potency anywhere from 50% to 80%.
Even a small bowl in your bong of 0.05 grams of kief should be more than enough to really get you feeling it. It's not like the high is any different than with regular bud, especially if the kief comes from the same strain as the bud you were smoking. However, it is much stronger, so it will hit much harder.
How to Get Kief Out of a Grinder
Many people have trouble getting their kief out of the grinder, but it's actually quite easy. Just take your grinder, open up the necessary compartments, turn both halves upside down, hold it over some kind of container, and bang the grinder halves together. If your grinder isn't too sticky on the inside, most of the kief should just fall out.
If this does not work, most grinders come with a small plastic scraper tool. This scraper tool is designed for this purpose specifically. Therefore, use it to scrape out the bottom of your grinder. If you don't have one of these, a small extremely stiff bristled, and dry brush should do fine as well. Just don't touch the kief with your fingers, because it will stick to you, and it will end up getting wasted.
How to Dry Out Kief
Fresh kief is generally pretty sticky, and this can make it somewhat difficult to use. Therefore, you may first want to dry it out a little bit. This is also easily done. Below are some of the best and easiest ways of drying out those crystals.
- If you are currently in a very warm and dry environment, you could always just leave them out in the open. That kief should dry in a few days. If you want to speed things up a bit, let a dehumidifier run in the same space.
- If you want to speed up the process even more, you can always put your kief inside of something like parchment paper and then in the oven. Put it in the oven at around 250 degrees Fahrenheit for just three or four minutes, and this should be enough.
- If you don't feel like putting your kief in the oven, you can always use any other heated surface, such as the radiators that are heating your home. Just put the kief inside of parchment paper, and then on top of the radiators for a few minutes.
Generally speaking, any source of dry heat, as long as it's not too hot, is more than good enough to dry out your kief.
How to Use Kief
The cool thing about kief is that it can be used for so many different purposes. Let's take a look at all of the best things that you can do with those awesome crystals.
Infuse a Joint with Kief
One of the best things to do with your kief is to infuse a joint. Whether your kief is from the same strain as you roll with the joint out of or not, you'll add a whole lot of potency to the mix.
Mixing kief with regular bud will increase the potency greatly, therefore getting you much higher. Because that kief also has a lot of terpenes in it, you'll also add some new flavors to the mix.
If you’re looking for some great bud to roll a joint with, our Botany Farms Delta-8 Strawberry Banana Kush is a great option to consider.
Make Hash Out of Kief
One of the most popular things to do with kief is to turn it into hash. To turn kief into hash, the most popular method involves pressing it over and over again with great amounts of pressure and also baking it at fairly high temperatures.
The process of baking at high temperatures and squeezing the kief together causes it to release its oils and compacts it together into a rather solid brick, kind of like sticky black play dough.
Turning kief into hash also tends to make it a bit more fragrant and also increases its potency. Hash can then be used to roll joints, put in a bowl, make edibles with, or just consume as is.
Sprinkle Kief on a Bowl
If you don't want to have to deal with processing the kief into hash, you could always just sprinkle it onto a bowl. Whether you have a pipe or a bong, kief is a rather perfect substance to smoke. You can smoke it in a bowl or pipe on its own, or you could mix it with some weed, hash, or anything else you see fit.
Make Moon Rocks Out of Kief
Another fan-favorite thing to do with kief is to make moon rocks. Moon rocks are when you take a high-quality bud of cannabis, dip it in high-quality cannabis oil, and then roll it in kief. This results in what is effectively one of the most potent cannabis products out there.
You have the triple threat, regular bud, oil, and kief. Not only is this some of the most potent stuff around, but it's also very fragrant. People love breaking apart moon rocks and then putting them in their bones.
Make Kief Butter for Baking Edibles
Another super popular thing to do with kief is to make butter, which can then be used to make edibles. To make kief butter, you simply simmer the kief in butter for a few hours, with most people decarboxylating it first.
You can then use this butter to bake an assortment of baked goods, such as cookies, stones, and more. You may also use this butter to make other forms of edibles, such as hard and soft candies.
Put Kief in Your Coffee or Hot Chocolate
Granted, as long as you've decarboxylated your kief first, you can always put it in some hot chocolate or coffee. Many people like infusing their favorite warm drinks with a bit of kief.
If you think that sugary hot chocolate gives you a bit of a buzz on a cold winter's day, just think about the buzz you'll get from some hot chocolate mixed with some high-potency cannabis kief. Our Botany Farms Godfather OG Strain is a rather perfect option for this purpose.
Kief vs Hash
Many people wonder what the difference between hash and kief is. Well, hash is the processed form of kief. As mentioned above, kief is pressed and heated over and over again and eventually turns into hash. Hash is much denser, heavier, and stickier than kief.
Remember that kief is a fairly light and airy powder, whereas hash is a dense and heavy brick. It's like cannabis play dough. Hash is generally a bit more potent than kief, which many people like, plus it has a much different flavor as well.
The flavor of hash can be a bit hard to describe, but it's certainly very fragrant and aromatic. Many people also prefer smoking hash over kief, as it burns a whole lot slower, lasts longer, and tends to be a bit more cost-effective. If you want some great bud to collect kief from, check out our own Botany Farms Delta-8 Blueberry Kush.
What About CBD Kief – Does CBD Kief Get You High?
Keep in mind that we said that the vast majority of cannabinoids are created or secreted by these resin glands, which we know as crystals or kief. Well, this doesn't only apply to THC, the stuff that gets you high, but also CBD.
Remember that CBD is generally non-psychoactive and non-intoxicating, yet has a wide variety of potential therapeutic and medical benefits.
Therefore, some people may want to enjoy some CBD kief for all of the possible benefits it could bring them. The good news here is that generally should not get you high.
Final Thoughts – Does Kief Get You Higher Than Bud?
So, to answer the main question of the day, yes, kief does get you higher than bud, mainly because it can be anywhere between two and five times more potent. If you manage to collect a good bit of kief in the bottom of your grinder, you have many things you can do with it.
