Most people have heard the expression no stems, no seeds, but that doesn’t stop them from asking, can you smoke the stems? The fact is that you shouldn’t smoke weed stems. It won’t get you high, because stems lack the amount of THC necessary to produce weed’s psychotropic effects. Also, smoking stems will likely cause throat irritation and other negative side effects caused by smoking. However, this doesn’t mean that the stems must go to waste. There are several ways that you can use the stems, for your health and wellness.
What Are Stems?
Stems are the woody, small stick – like pieces that support the flower or bud, that sometimes get sold to you along with your flower when you purchase weed. However, if you are purchasing high – quality weed there should be little to no stems as part of your haul. Shake, on the other hand, is more likely to contain a significant amount of stems. Unlike the flower, weed stems contain little to no THC.
Good Uses For Weed Stems:
Cannabutter
One way to make use of leftover stems is when making cannabutter. If you have a handful of stems it’s fine to toss them in with the flower before you decarboxylate it to prepare it for use in the cannabutter. While the stems won’t add to the potency of your butter, they will add to the flavor. Also, there are no worries about ingesting it, because you will strain the stems and the flower out of your final product. It’s always good to have cannabutter on hand, because it is the foundation for many edible recipes.
Cannabis Topicals
Similar to infused cannabis butter you can infuse cannabis into coconut oil for topical use. Mix your stems with 7 – 10 grams of dried cannabis and decarboxylate. Once you infuse the cannabis and stems into coconut oil, it can be used as the base for many different topicals including lip balms, and lotions.
Cannabis Tea
Steep your decarboxylated cannabis to make cannabis – infused tea, which is a great alternative to smoking or vaping. Weed tea takes longer to kick in, because it must be digested through the stomach and processed through the liver before you feel the effects, like edibles. After an hour, or two you will start to notice weed’s medicinal properties. It’s best to start small and go slow. Drink and cup and wait an hour before consuming more. In all, the stems can have many uses, so it’s worthwhile to collect them in a small jar and maximize your weed purchases.
