Smoking Hemp: All You Need to Know

 

Things to Know

Smoking hemp is becoming a more and more popular way of consuming cannabinoids. People seem to enjoy smoking hemp, as opposed to using tinctures or lotions, for example, because typically, the flower is raw (or has endured very little processing) compared to tinctures or lotions, which have been processed and contain additives. Smoking seems to go back to the roots of it all: a pure, simple way of consumption.  

In the United States, hemp is legal to possess and consume as long as it contains less than 0.3% THC, which is the psychoactive component that gets you high. Marijuana, which is different than hemp, can contain up to 30% THC, and is federally illegal; in addition, marijuana’s legality varies from state to state. 

Ways to Smoke Hemp

There are different methods of smoking hemp:

1. Packaged hemp flower: this raw, unprocessed form of hemp can be broken down by hand and smoked in a bong, vaporized, or rolled in a paper or blunt, for example. Urb sells a variety of packaged hemp flower.
2. Hemp cigarettes: hemp cigarettes are pre-made and ready for end user consumption. Hemp cigarettes typically come in a 20 count box, like traditional cigarettes. Hemp cigarettes are made with “shake”, which are the bits and pieces that fall off of hemp flower buds, and so by their nature hemp cigarettes are not as high quality as pre-rolled hemp joints (described next), but hemp cigarettes are less expensive than the pre-rolled joints. 
3. Pre rolled hemp joints: these are the highest quality pre-rolls you can buy. The best bits of the hemp flower bud are carefully rolled into a large joint (typically 2-3 times larger than a hemp cigarette) with a filter. Urb’s pre rolled hemp joints feature a variety of hemp strains locally grown, and our joints are sold in beautiful sleeves of six joints, in packaging designed by Urb from the ground up. 
4. Moon rocks: moon rocks are beautiful hemp flower buds covered in broad spectrum distillate covered in hemp kief. Similar to the packaged hemp flower, the moon rocks can be broken down by hand and smoked in a bong, vaporized, or rolled in a paper or blunt.  
5. Caviar cones: although caviar cones may look like hemp joints, they’re actually more similar to the moon rocks described above. Caviar cones contain hemp flower rolled in concentrate and mixed with hemp kief all rolled into a joint for your convenience. 

Bioavailability of CBD

The bioavailability of CBD in one’s body -- the amount of CBD that circulates in the bloodstream – seems to depend on the method of intake. Smoking hemp flower cigarettes relies on inhalation and may be one of the most direct ways of increasing bioavailability. Cannabinoids go directly to the lungs before being absorbed into the bloodstream, where they can begin circulating through the body. 

In a 2007 study, two methods of taking CBD were compared. One group of volunteers smoked CBD, while the other took CBD gel capsules. In the group who smoked CBD, cannabinoids could be detected in their bloodstream 72 hours after inhalation. In the second group, CBD could only be detected for six hours after ingestion.

Hemp Terpenes

You may be familiar with terpenes from their scent -- they’re the compounds that give essential oils their distinct smell. Terpenes are natural compounds found in the cannabis plant. Terpenes give every plant a certain smell, taste, and color. The most common terpenes found in the cannabis plant are myrcene, limonene, linalool, and humulene. Terpenes are typically removed from the hemp when it is processed for tinctures and lotions. If you are smoking hemp, the terpenes are still in the hemp. 

Tobacco Cigarettes vs. CBD

In a 2013 study involving 24 cigarette smokers, 12 were given an inhaler of CBD and 12 were given a placebo for one week. The test subjects were instructed to use the inhaler when they felt the urge to smoke. Over the treatment week, placebo treated smokers showed no differences in number of cigarettes smoked. In contrast, those treated with CBD smoked approximately 40% less than they did in the past.

Conclusion

Many people have switched from tinctures to smoking hemp because they find smoking hemp to be a relaxing, enjoyable way to ingest their daily CBD.