What can you do with weed stems? Let’s face it, in the land of weed, stems are often seen as trash. Unlike firecrackers, stems are often viewed as a byproduct of cannabis that isn’t usable. However, what if we told you that stems are actually useful and, best of all, can get you high?
Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about using your stems.
First Step: Decarboxylate Your Stems
Our first step is decarboxylation. This is an essential step of enjoying any type of cannabis, but most people who enjoy weed don’t know what this is.
That THC in cannabis starts out as THCa. THCa can not get users high and needs to be broken down into THC before we can enjoy it. Usually, smoking is how we “decarb” our weed. The heat from the lighter decarbs the THCa and transforms it into glorious THC.
If you’re not smoking your weed, you still need to decarb. Here’s how it’s done.
- Place your stems on a baking tray
- Preheat your oven to between 220 and 250 degrees F. Do not go over 250 degrees or you will burn your stems
- Bake for 40 minutes to an hour
- The stems will be brown, but not burnt, when they are ready
What to Do With Cannabis Stems
If you’ve been throwing out your stems, you’ve accidentally thrown away cannabis that you could have been enjoying. There’s a lot that you can do with stems, but it takes some work in a little DIY creativity to get the most out of the leftovers from your buds.
Here’s a few clever ideas for how you can use your stems.
Make Some Edibles or Topicals
Did you know you can learn how to make firecracker edibles with your stems?
You can extract THC and other compounds from stems just like you can from flower. This is an incredibly easy process. All you need to do is throw your stems in with your cannabis when you’re doing your extraction. You’ll be able to get oil out of your stems and make good use of them rather than just toss them out.
You can also use your stems to infuse topicals. Coconut oil makes for a great base for topicals because of its high fat content.
So, the next time you have a bunch of stems lying around why not try making some edibles or some cannabis topicals.
Brew Your Stems
Stems are a great choice for brewing in the cannabis tea.
There’s a few tricks here that we need to talk about in order to make cannabis tea that really works. The first is that THC is not water-soluble. THC is fat soluble which means you’re going to need to add some butter, oil, or even whole milk or cream to your tea and order the THC to be readily absorbed.
Place your stems in a reusable tea bag and Brew in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. This will give you a tea that tastes like cannabis, but doesn’t have the THC. If you throw in the cream or another fat, you’ll be able to extract THC for a tea that tastes like cannabis, and also get you high.
Cannabis-Infused Milk
Cannabis infused milk is one of the best ways to utilize the stems.
Whole milk, as well as vegan alternatives like coconut milk, have a high fat count which makes them great at absorbing THC. This is a great way to get to that THC out of your stems without putting in too much effort.
All you need to do is simmer your milk of choice with your stems for up to 30 minutes to an hour. This will allow the stems to release their THC, and some of the other compounds found in cannabis, into the milk.
You can either drink this milk as is or use it in a recipe to create some more interesting edibles.
Mulch Them
While you could use your stems in a firecracker recipe, you could also return them to the earth.
If none of these ways for transforming your stems into something more enjoyable works for you, you should consider mulching them. Stems or just leftover plant matter which means they’re ideal for returning to the Earth. Stems are a great choice for mulching your garden, adding to your compost bin, or tilling back into the Earth.