Drying and Curing Cannabis

If you’re someone who likes to dry and harvest plants, you’ve probably looked at cannabis buds. If you’re someone who already does enjoy growing homegrown Kush, one of the big things that you must do, is to make sure that it’s cured and dried. Here, you’ll learn a little bit about this. 

What is it and Do I need to Do It? 

This is basically literally drying out your buds to reduce the moisture to make smoking and vaporizing easier. Curing is where you put the buds in containers for up to 2 weeks, offering better aroma and flavor as they start to mature. 

You may wonder if you need to do this. Well drying is something that’s good if you want to improve the shelf life and the quality of products. That’s because, cannabis buds which are freshly harvested have moisture in them, and you need to eliminate this moisture before you start to smoke. That’s because fresh buds definitely are a bit harsher on the flavor, and if you take out the moisture, it reduces the amount of harshness, and it also offer s a better terpene profile. The second reason is because fungi love those places, so by drying this, you do reduce the chances of this hitting your stash, causing mold to form. 

By letting these dry, it reduces this up to 15%, removing water from the layers of the buds. 

Curing is basically super imperative to do too, since it helps keep the weed fresh for a long time.  that’s because when you do harvest the buds, they’re filled with various starches and sugar, which bacteria and enzymes feed on, and that impacts the smoke that you have. 

How it’s done 

The best way to do this is to trim the buds either wet or dry. You can do this after you dry or cure them. it’s best to trim the buds when they’re wet, much more precise, and so that there isn’t any agitation when you handle these buds.  This is something that also takes a lot of buds to the top shelf options, which make it really good for those interested in really taking their cannabis cultivation to the next level. 

So how it’s done is simple.  you want to make sure that they’re dried after harvested, and you want to ensure that they dry on every single side so that it’s got an even smoke to it.  What you do is you harvest them, put them on wire racks or string these, and if you decide to use wired racks, ensure that you flip these so that they aren’t flat on one singular side. 

As for the humidity levels, keep it moderate, up to 55%, since this of course will help to ensure that there is moisture, but not so much that it will waterlog the buds. To cure them, once they’ve been fully dried, you want to take the buds and place these bad boys in a container which is airtight from there you can let this sit on the shelf, but only if you’re someone who is going to use this down the road. 

If you dry and cure the buds, it’ll help with the flavor profile. This is how a lot of the big dispensaries do this, and it’s something that can definitely be worth looking into if you’re a cannabis fanatic. Through this, you’ll also be able to really get the full benefits that are there, and also create a product that’s top shelf right from the comfort of your home, which is always a good thing.

When Should I take CBD Oil?

CBD oil is something that works in certain times of day, and it’s something that does work better based on when you take it. Here, you’ll learn about the best time to take CBD oil, and what it means if you take it in different time periods. 

The best Time 

The best time is pretty much determined based on when you’re taking it. If you’re taking this to help with stress and anxiety, or with stress and pain before you start the day, then early on in the morning may be better for you. If you’re taking this to improve your sleep, then do it at night for the best results that you can get from this. 

This is cool though since it can be taken whenever you want, but the best thing to remember is that the way you take it does depend on the  type of means, so also keep that in mind too. For example, if you’re taking this as a tincture, you can place this underneath your tongue, and you’ll feel the effects in around 15-30 minutes, as it gets absorbed there. This then gets absorbed into your blood stream and it can clast up to 6-8 hours in some cases, but usually, it’s about two or three hours. 

If you do drink cannabis beverages, it can sometimes work a bit faster, depending on if you decide to have it go under the tongue first. Edibles take a lot longer to cause effects, since they need to go to the liver, and from there get metabolized. The effects of this do peak after a few hours but can last almost 12 hours in some cases. The best way to consume this does depend on whether or not you need this to quickly be done, or if you want to get long-term effects from this as well. 

The times of day and their benefits 

Morning is sometimes a good time if you need that little burst of energy, since it can improve the synthesis of proteins within the brain, and help you wake up. If you have chronic pain, this is a great way to handle chronic pain in a person. It also may offer pain relief regardless of the time to take it, but for those who have pain in the morning, it can impact the day time. 

If you have anxiety though, you can of course use this to help, since this can relief the feelings of anxiety that you have, allowing you to feel better, a lot more relaxed, and able to handle the day as you continue. 

Morning does have some drawbacks though, especially if you take a lot.  If you have a ton, it may cause sedative results from this, but usually, it’s not totally apparent. 

As for the afternoon, this is good for relieving stress, is a natural antidepressant, and it improves the energy and the brain health. However, in the afternoon it can cause a bit of fatigue, your appetite get reduced and diarrhea. 

As for nighttime, CBD is best for those who use it to unwind. It does have the sedative effects too, but the drawback to this, is that you do need to take a lot. Too little, and it’ll wake you up. CBD is also considered a powerful muscle relaxant, which helps and offers benefits to allow you to fall asleep in a better, easier way. 

However you take it is ultimately your call, and there are tons of great ways for you to get the health benefits that you desire through the use of CBD as well.

How cannabis aids with holiday Stress

Do you deal with holiday stress? It’s quite common, from sending out the perfect gifts, cards, handling family drama, all of this can make you feel as if you’re going insane. If you feel like you’re about to lose your mind due to the festivities, you’re not alone, and cannabis can be a big part of helping with this. Here’s how cannabis can be the best thing to add to your holiday regime, especially when you’re dealing with a lot at the present moment. 

Stress and anxiety 

Stress, anxiety and the like are all common with the holidays, and it can be quite hard on you. If you feel like your day is going to be a hard one, you can add cannabis to the holiday routine. If you have something that’s there to help you at the beginning of the day, that’s great. Something at night to decompress is also valid too.

 

No matter what you choose, you want to definitely look for different strains that can help. A vape pen is a good, discreet way to ensure that you’re not super stressed during those moments of holiday cheer. Cannabis is a great way to help with anxiety, especially those that are high in CBD, as this is perfect for depression. According to a review that highlighted those benefits, people that took 300 mg of this definitely were better with anxiety, and they handled it a lot better. 

Alleviating the holiday Blues 

The holiday blues, or seasonal depression, can really stink. Your symptoms may go into overdrive at this time of the year. You’d think during a time when you should be happy, high and wonderful, you’re just feeling down. 

However, cannabis can help with this, and it can definitely be good for people. Be mindful though, for a little bit goes a long way, and some people deal with much higher depressive symptoms when they take too much THC, so definitely keep an eye out for that as well. 

Better Sleep 

If you’re someone struggling to make the holidays perfect, you’re probably not getting the best sleep either, or sometimes falling asleep is an impossible feat. It can make stress worse, and you can continue these bad behaviors. Cannabis is good for relaxing before you go to bed, and it may be worth trying as well. You should try to consume this around an hour prior to bedtime, and try to avoid edibles, as they can take too long for them to actually work, but bear in mind that it can also be quite strong too. 

Helping with holiday Grief 

Sometimes, grief strikes during the holidays, and lots of people struggle with the death of a loved one during this. It can be especially hard, and if you’re someone who struggles with grief during this point, cannabis may help with this. 

However, do remember that unlike any of the previous ones, this is not the cure-all that you should use for everything. A mild strain is probably the best way to handle all of this, and also make sure that you don’t forget to engage in self-care either to help with this. Talking to a friend or loved one, journaling, walking in nature, all of this is a great way to properly manage the holiday grief that’s there. 

For a lot of people, this can be the perfect means to truly improve and better the different aspects of your life, and for those of us who just hate the holidays and wish that they would go away, this is a good way to manage those feelings in a healthy manner.

What is Hexahydrocannibinol (HHC)

Hexahydrocannabinol is something that’s naturally occurring in a ton of parts of the cannabis plant, and is seen as a minor cannabinoid, and is considered a derivative o both delta-8 and delta-9 THC in most cases, and while it’s found naturally in small amounts within the cannabis sativa plant, it is something that’s synthetically produced through hydrogenation, which is where you add a bond of hydrogen to this, and it can also be made from CBD. 

While there isn’t a ton of research to this, it does create the similar euphoria that HC does, which is what makes it psychoactive, so it’s good for reducing inflammation, helping to reduce vomiting, and also will stimulate your appetite, which is great for chronic pain, and chemotherapy side effects. 

What is HHC though? 

This is basically a cannabinoid that’s there, and it’s basically another biproduct of the degradation of THC. HHC is also something that is created through hydrogenation of different extracts, where the hydrogen is added to THC. Unlike the delta-8 and the delta-9 versions of this, HHC is something that doesn’t have double bonds within the cyclohexanol rings, so it’s similar to other cannabis compounds. 

This is something that does offer the same effects that THC does, and it does bind to receptors in a similar manner, so it does offer a variety of benefits to the body, but the effects of it are far less. There are two enantiomers, which are compounds with the same levels of connectivity, but also opposite shapes that are there, which can bind directly towards CB1 receptors much more, and it’s something that also is used as an acetate too, but it’s about 1.5 times stronger than HHC is. 

The Health Benefits 

The structure of this is very similar to THC, so it also may be an antioxidant, reduces inflammation, and also might offer effects which are anti-emetic, so it’s something that does offer a variety of different applications. 

Some of the applications that this could be used for including the following: 

• Chronic pain, especially neuropathy 

• Appetite problems 

• Insomnia, 

• Vomiting and nausea 

• Spasms, especially associated with MS and the like 

• Cancer and other side effects 

It also may offer similar benefits that THC does to the body. Some people use HTC to help with sleeping, and with this, it can help to reduce the problems associated with this, and then offer a ton of benefits. 

Side Effects and Risks 

The problem with HCH is that it’s a novel compound, so we don’t know as much as the other compounds. But it also does have similar effects that THC does, which can be quite adverse. Dry mouth, dizziness, memory problems, cottonmouth, red eyes, heart rate acceleration, issues with reaction time and coordination, and forgetfulness are all a big risk of this. However, this is something that’s not as potent as what THC offers, so it may not have as potent effects 

However if you get this that’s synthetic, that’s another story. That’s because the side effects are much more sever, and the industrial actions that use different compounds, oftentimes very harsh, do end up in the final product, so those synthetically produced ones do have higher levels of HHC compared to cannabis that’s natural, so higher levels and dosages may also offer more adverse effects. 

The lab-produced kind is something that’s much different from the palnt0-produced, so if you do want to use this, you should definitely go for something that comes naturally from the plant, and from there, you can use it safely for your needs.