Weed stems have a bit of a bad reputation in the cannabis community. No one is excited about a joint or a special brownie that’s full of stems instead of the more appealing buds and flowers. However, the stem is a necessary part of the marijuana plant. Stems support cannabis buds and leaves while they grow, carrying water and nutrients throughout the growing plant. We hate to see this vital part of the plant cast aside.
If you’ve ever wondered what to do with weed stems, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve gathered all our favourite creative uses for stems. In this expert guide, learn about what to do with cannabis stems, including what happens if you smoke weed stems.
Weed Benefits
Many people choose to use cannabis purely for recreation. This is a beautiful use of the plant since it does offer special and potent psychoactive effects. So it’s no surprise that people love marijuana for socialization and generally improve their quality of life and holistic wellbeing. However, many people also know and respect pot’s wide range of medical purposes. Here are just a few of the conditions that have been clinically treated using cannabis.
Seizures
Clinical studies have shown that cannabinoids can bind to the cells responsible for epilepsy, Dravet’s Syndrome, and other conditions that cause seizures. Marijuana usage also reduced related symptoms such as problems breathing, speaking issues, cognitive developmental delays, and persistent spasms.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Researchers are still uncovering the causes of Alzheimer’s and other memory conditions, but studies have shown that amyloid plaque buildup in the brain leads to the death of brain cells. Studies have shown that THC slows down plaque developing, slowing brain damage and reducing the development of Alzheimer’s symptoms.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is caused by pressure on the eyeball, damaging the optic nerve. However, many people who live with glaucoma have found relief from marijuana. Studies have shown that pot can significantly reduce intraocular pressure in people with glaucoma and people who have typical pressure levels. Even more promising, cannabis caused these effects whether consumed orally, administered intravenously, or smoked. The results didn’t beat the effects of current drugs, but cannabis users avoided many side effects associated with taking pharmaceuticals.
Autoimmune Conditions
Medical marijuana has been proven to improve people’s lives with autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Cannabis increase the quality and amount of sleep subjects enjoy and reduce pain levels. Marijuana has proven anti-inflammatory properties that fight the inflammatory nature of many auto-immune disorders. Cannabis can also act as an immunosuppressant which helps reduce the hyperactive immune systems associated with these conditions.
Why Smoking Stems Is Bad For Your Health?
We’ve just discussed the excellent benefits of marijuana, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. If you want to know what to do with weed stems, the answer is not to smoke them.
What happens if you smoke weed stems? Stems don’t contain enough THC to cause a psychoactive effect. That means that if you do smoke stems, you won’t feel anything. There are many options for what to do with weed stems, but smoking isn’t a great choice. If you go ahead and smoke them anyway, you won’t accomplish anything besides introducing harmful smoke to your lungs. Smoking stems can cause headaches, sore throat, and coughing, as well as more long-term effects like damaging your heart and lungs.
Smoking any substance comes with side effects that can be risky to your health. Don’t waste your time finding out what happens if you smoke weed stems. Try some of these other methods instead.
What About Smoking Pot Seeds?
If you’re wondering what to do with weed stems, we know you might be curious about what to do with weed seeds as well. Similar to stems, there’s no reason to smoke your seeds. These bits of plant material also contain low levels of THC, meaning they won’t do anything besides hurt your throat, lungs, and heart. With that said, keep reading to find out what to do with cannabis stems and seeds.
Explore The Benefits Of Cannabis Stems
We’ve established that smoking is not what to do with cannabis stems, but there are many options. You can explore a variety of ways to use up your leftover stems. Again, there’s a range of choices to explore, from simple methods to more complex options.
One of the most enjoyable choices for what to do with weed stems is to eat them. You can add items to your homemade weed edible recipes to enjoy a tasty treat. Stems don’t always offer the best texture, so we encourage you to get creative in your efforts. For example, you might find that chopping your stems into tiny pieces gives your edibles a better mouthfeel. You can also have several different recipes to see what you like best.
Returning your stems to nature is another perfect example of what to do with weed stems. Add leftover cannabis material to your compost pile to make the most of its nutrients. If you don’t keep compost, simply tuck the extra bits and pieces into the dirt for your potted plants or backyard garden. If you live in an area where it’s legal to cultivate cannabis, you can even keep your seeds to grow a whole new plant. However, these aren’t the only options. Here are some other ways to use your stems and seeds.
Make Stem Tea
You can make tea time more memorable by brewing a cup of stem tea. First, bake your weed stems, then grind them into a fine powder. Next, step your dried cannabis in boiling water for 10-15 minutes. If you have a tea diffuser or an empty tea bag, that will make the process much easier. You can add some lemon or other flavourings if you’d like, or simply enjoy the natural flavour of the plant.
Make Weed Stem Butter
Stem butter might sound complicated, but this is one of the most common choices for what to do with weed stems. Start by baking your weed stems for 45-50 minutes at 107 degrees C. Finely grind them after letting the cannabis cool down. Next, add your grinds to a pot with some melted butter and let all the goodness steep together for a while.
Allow your butter to cool slightly, but not enough to become solid again or start to separate. Once it’s cool enough, strain it through a cheesecloth into a bowl. All the plant material should be removed, leaving you with promising stem butter. Allow the butter to cool and transfer it to a glass jar to keep in the fridge. You can add your stem butter to anything where you’d use standard butter.
Do Your Research First
Marijuana is a beautiful plant, but it’s essential to make sure you’re in an excellent place to use cannabis. We always encourage you to consult with your doctor before adding a new substance to your lifestyle, especially if you’re already being treated for a condition.
Daily Marijuana is the ideal dispensary to shop for your cannabis needs. We offer a whole range of services that lets you buy weed online in Canada or even get weed delivery in Toronto, weed delivery in Mississauga, or any other city where Canada Post can reach.
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References
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- Katz, D. (2017, February). Medical cannabis: Another piece in the mosaic of autoimmunity? National Library of Medicine National Center for Biotechnology Information. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27859024/
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