Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical derived from both hemp and non-hemp plants. Unlike THC, which produces the “high” in marijuana, CBD does not lead to substance abuse as it has less than 0.3% THC. People use CBD for many reasons: it provides relief against stress, anxiety, and depression and promotes sleep. It helps individuals with arthritis relieve aches, and the FDA has also approved it for treating seizures associated with Epilepsy- Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.
Unlike other forms of CBD, such as oil or capsules, CBD flowers are not processed or altered, giving them higher concentrations of CBD. To get fresh farm buds, you should always purchase CBD flowers from organically grown, cold-cured, and produced in climate-controlled gardens, such as at Secret Nature CBD. \While smoking and vaping are popular forms of CBD flowers, other alternatives can best suit your lifestyle.
How to Use CBD Flowers
Let’s look at the different ways you can use CBD flowers.
1. Smoking and Vaping
Smoking and vaping are common ways of using CBD. For smoking CBD buds, you crush the material, roll it, and light it up. While for vaping, you need a vaporizing device designed for dry herb vaping.
Unlike smoking, vaping does not burn the botanical material; it only heats it, causing steam to emit, which will contain the activated cannabis compound. Vaping the CBD flower makes it last longer, as with smoking, upon burning, you immediately use up the material. Burning also produces smoke, which can damage your lungs and harm the environment.
2. Tea
You can easily make CBD tea from the flower bud; first, you need to decarboxylate or activate the cannabinoid in your flower. You can do this by grinding your flower on a parchment sheet, spreading it evenly, and baking it in a preheated oven. Next, brew your tea by placing the decarboxylated flower into a reusable sachet or infuser. You can blend it with other types of teas to harness the benefits of both:
- White tea: A minimally processed tea that’s high in antioxidants, helping reduce the risk of many diseases such as heart disease and cancer
- Black tea: The most widely consumed form of tea with high caffeine levels and energizing properties
- Oolong tea: A traditional Chinese tea with an amino acid, L-theanine, that helps with cognitive performance and relaxation
- Green tea: It is famous for its many health benefits, such as improving cognitive functions, fat burning, reducing cancer risks, and managing blood sugar
3. Oil
While you can easily purchase CBD oil from the market, you can also DIY it to customize its potency and control the ingredients going in. You cook the flower buds in oil or fat, like butter, olive oil, coconut oil, etc. The carrier oil choice will influence the product’s final properties and taste. Decarboxylate your CBD buds, cook them, and store them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh for as long as possible.
4. Bath Bombs
You can infuse your bath bombs with CBD flowers to elevate your bathing experience. Prepare your CBD-infused coconut oil from the flower.
You will need dry ingredients, such as baking soda, cornstarch, and Epsom salt, and wet ingredients, such as citric acid, food coloring, and water. Mix your dry ingredients in a bowl, then add your essential oil, for example, lavender essential oil, and food coloring to make it more visually appealing. Then, add water and citric acid, mix it, and pack it into your bathbomb mold until it has properly dried, then get ready to use it!
5. CBD Edibles
You can use activated CBD flowers in many dishes, such as brownies, cakes, or lasagna. With cooking, you have the option to skip the decarboxylation step if you’re simmering it on the stovetop or oven (as the process will occur during cooking). You can crush your hemp flower and add it to your meal as you cook.
Side Effects of CBD
Beware of the following side effects:
- Fatigue
- Lightheadedness
- Drowsiness
- Low blood pressure
- Interaction with Medicine
- Dry mouth
- Irritability
- Signs of liver injury
Per FDA recommendation, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid CBD products.
Endnote
You can use CBD flowers in many creative ways, from baking to infusing in bath bombs. However, be cautious of its side effects. Consider talking to your healthcare practitioner before using CBD products to ensure there is no harm to your health.
Carol
Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.
