Before diving in and answering the question “what is kief?” we need to look at the cannabis flower, better known as the bud. When you decide to consume (smoking, eating, etc.) cannabis in any of its forms, the product you consume comes from the flower of a female plant. The flower is either ground for use or refined to a concentrate. The flower itself is made up of several different parts, each with different purposes and uses. When it comes to kief, the only flower component you need to know about is the trichomes.
Trichomes
Trichomes are not unique to cannabis and exist on all kinds of plant life. For example, if you have ever grown a tomato plant, or have seen them sold as a bunch in the store, chances are you have seen small hair-like structures growing on the stem. Those hairs are trichomes. On cannabis, the trichomes are mushroom-like appendages with crystal heads that cover the flower.
Trichomes serve different purposes for every plant ranging from protection against predators to attracting prey for carnivorous plants. For cannabis, the trichome acts as a deterrent to predators during pollination, but are also responsible for secreting the terpenes, which give cannabis its distinct smell and for having high levels of cannabinoids.
Cannabinoids
These are going to come up again and again when discussing cannabis and it’s uses or forms. Cannabinoids are what give the plant its ability to cause a psychoactive response in its users.
Cannabinoids are chemical compounds that interact with a person’s endocannabinoid system by binding to endocannabinoid receptors on cells. Everyone has an endocannabinoid system that’s main function is to maintain homeostasis in the body by responding to stimulus and acting accordingly. Endocannabinoid receptors exist all over the human body, and they are involved in many processes from pain to mood, even reproductive functions. As for the cannabinoids from a cannabis plant that bind to those receptors, the two most common types of are THC and CBD.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is responsible for the psychoactive effects one might experience when using cannabis. THC can cause you to feel relaxed, euphoric, energized, or tired, but it can also cause dry mouth, paranoia, hunger, anxiety, or dizziness. Everyone’s body chemistry is different, so everyone can have a different response to the same strain and potency of a cannabis product. Potency plays a considerable part in response as well. A product with high levels of THC can cause a greater high feeling or an increased negative reaction to the product, depending on the user.
Cannabidiol (CBD) causes a clear-headed response, meaning it doesn’t give you the feeling of being high. People who have had adverse reactions to products with high levels of THC, or do not want to feel high, turn to CBD. CBD is used to treat pain, anxiety, and seizures among many things.
Kief can be high in THC or CBD depending on the plant it came from. Make sure you decide what you desire out of your smoking experience before purchasing anything.
What is Kief?
Let’s backtrack to the trichomes, which is the more potent part of the cannabis flower. When you separate the trichomes from the flower, you get a fine substance called kief, sometimes referred to as weed/cannabis crystals.
There are a few ways you can get this product, one of which is to purchase it at a dispensary (an easier but sometimes costly option). You can also use a grinder to “make” your own kief. The cannabis flower you buy at a dispensary or grow at home needs to be ground up in order to be smoked. This way, it does not burn to quickly or clog the device you are smoking it with.
A grinder will break up your cannabis for you to consume, but a four-piece grinder will go the extra mile and catch the kief in its bottom chamber. Four-piece grinders have a lid, a top chamber with teeth, a second chamber to catch the ground flower with a screen at its bottom, and a final/third chamber, called the kief catcher at the base.
To use the grinder, you need to break up the flowers and place the smaller pieces into the top chamber of your grinder, avoiding the center. Anything in the center of the chamber will not be broken up. Then, place the lid back on the grinder and twist at least ten times, or until all of the flower is in the second chamber. You can remove the flower from the second chamber and add it to a bowl, joint, or your other preferred smoking method. Meanwhile, the kief will be sitting in the bottom chamber, ready for future use. You might hear some people call the kief in the bottom chamber sift or pollen as well.
What Can You Do With Kief?
There many are other ways you can use kief, including adding it to cannabutter, pressing it into rosin, or making hash. We have chosen to highlight three popular methods of smoking kief; Smoking it in a bowl and a joint, “twaxing,” and through moonrocks.
Add it to a Bowl
The first thing you can do with kief is to add it to a bowl of cannabis. A bowl is a type of pipe usually made of glass that you use to smoke cannabis. This kind of pipe has a mouthpiece on one end connected to a bowl on the other by a chamber. The bowl has a small hole at the bottom for the smoke to pass through the chamber, instead of the pieces of the flower. On the side of the bowl is another hole called a carb, which users cover with their finger while smoking.
To smoke kief a using a glass bowl, “pack” the flower into the bowl, and sprinkle the kief on top. Then, while you have your finger on the carb, bring it to your mouth, light the cannabis using a lighter with your free hand, and breath in through the mouthpiece. When you are done, or you feel like you have inhaled in enough smoke, remove your finger from the carb and take the bowl away from your mouth.
Add it to a Joint
The next thing you can do is add it to your joint. You will first need to create a filter (also called a crutch). This first step is one some chose to skip, as it is not entirely necessary, but it makes smoking a bit easier. Pieces of thin cardboard are often used for the crutch/filter. To make it, all you need to do is to create a few accordion folds and then roll the rest. Place this piece at the top of your rolling paper. Then, add your ground cannabis flower to the joint and top it off with the kief.
After you have added your cannabis, you need to pinch the rolling paper between your fingers and roll the cannabis into shape, packing it together. Once this is done, tuck the unglued end of your rolling paper under the glued one. Slightly wet the glued end of the paper then start on one end of the joint, preferably the where the crutch is, and slowly work your way down the joint, tucking in the paper and sealing it as you go. When you are just about done, use a pen or similar item to pack the cannabis into the joint. Twist the excess paper until it is tight enough to keep in the cannabis.
“Twaxing”
If you want to go even further with this, you can “twax” your joint. This means to moisten the top third of the joint by licking it or rolling it in some form of cannabis concentrate and then rolling the joint in kief.
Moonrocks
Moonrocks are a third way to use cannabis. For moonrocks, you will need a pipette/dropper, something to heat a cannabis concentrate (oil) in, an oil of your choice, unground cannabis flower, tongs, and kief. To make the moonrocks, heat the oil until it has the consistency of a liquid, then use a dropper to cover the flower. Be careful not to oversaturate the flower, as you will have problems smoking it later on. Using your tongs, pick the flower while it is still wet and roll it in kief until it is coated. Set it aside and repeat until all of your cannabis is complete. Once you are finished, let your moonrocks completely dry. When dried, don’t place them in a grinder, break them up with your fingers, and you can now smoke them using your preferred method. Regardless of the way you choose to consume it, kief is one of the easier ways heighten your cannabis experience.