Modified on: 20/09/2022
Also called pollen or kief: what it is and how to use it
The term may not ring a bell, but if you have ever seen a cannabis bud in person, you will undoubtedly know what we are talking about. Much more concentrated and potent than ordinary dried flowers, it lends itself to various uses. Let’s look at what it is, where we can find it and how to use it.
What is kief?
If you have ever handled cannabis inflorescences, you will undoubtedly be familiar with the sort of powder that sticks to your fingertips. That dust is kief. More precisely, we can define it as the set of trichomes released from the buds when chopped or even touched with the hands. The function of trichomes from a botanical point of view is to protect the plant from the degrading action of insects and heat, thus allowing it to survive. Kief, essentially cannabis trichome powder, takes the form of tiny resin particles containing high concentrations of the main active ingredients of cannabis. Due precisely to the high concentration of CBD and THC, the effects of taking this marijuana derivative are much more powerful than those generated by crushed inflorescences, which also contain plant material that is, if you like, useless for the desired result.
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Where can it be found?
Harvesting kief is a very simple operation that requires no particular skill or experience. The first thing to do is make sure that the inflorescences from which we are planning to extract are correctly dry. As we said above, moisture would hinder the crushing phase and the consequent release of the vital terpenes. 
The simplest and most common way to collect kief is to use a simple grinder with three compartments. Let’s take a look at how this is done in practice. First of all, the portion of flower that we intend to grind is inserted between the metal teeth of the first level of the grinder. After chopping them, they will pass through the holes, ending up in the second level. At this point, they will be held in place by a net that is thick enough not to allow the vegetable matter to pass through. However, the tiny trichomes will be able to pass through this net and accumulate in the last level. There are a few tricks to facilitate this process and maximise kief production, one of which is to place a coin in the last compartment of the grinder. In a short time, this will create a reserve of pollen sufficient to be used in the most diverse ways, depending on one’s curiosity.
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And now, how to use it?
Once we have harvested our kief, we are spoilt for choice as to what to do with it. 
Grinder for harvesting kief That’s right. This derivative can be used in various ways, just like the classic dried inflorescences. However, we have to bear in mind that, unlike the latter, it is a concentrate and therefore we have to adjust the quantities differently. Let’s take a look at the most common uses that can be made of it:
- press it to make hashish. Simply pick it up and press it, making sure to heat it slightly during the process. This can be done using a standard teacup, which we have heated with boiling water, or we can place the kief between two sheets of baking paper and apply the necessary pressure with a hair straightener, which is on. In this case, the higher heat applied will allow us to obtain Rosin, a particular variety of smoke. The heat and pressure can break down the trichomes that form the kief, prompting the release of the resin. This process changes the appearance of the kief, giving it a darker colour and will also affect the flavour and impact produced;
- add it to the dried chopped flowers. Kief can be smoked in the same way as normal inflorescences. There are several ways of doing this: you can add it to the mixture to spin the joint, add it to the wafer to smoke with the bong, and sprinkle it on the flowers for smoking with the pipe. Recently, a new practice has emerged, called twaxing, which involves lightly moistening the ready joint with oil and then dousing it with varying amounts of kief. Of course, THC powder can also be inhaled through a vaporiser. In this case, add a small amount to the heating chamber;
- use it in the kitchen. Kief can also be very suitable as an ingredient in our unique recipes. The most common use is undoubtedly in the preparation of butter, which is very useful in various edible cannabis preparations;
- creating moonrock. One of the most potent and unique products you can find among marijuana derivatives if you can call it that, is moonrock. It consists of a creative process of soaking high-quality buds in slightly warm hash oil and then dredging the wet flower in kief. The result will be an enhanced inflorescence that is harder to touch and truly distinctive to the eye.
Bottom line
THC powder is not very different from the uses we are used to hearing about when it comes to marijuana. Its unique feature is undoubtedly its concentration of THC, which is far higher than typical inflorescences. It is not surprising, given that it is made up entirely of terpenes and is therefore devoid of plant matter, which is usually involved in the act of smoking. However, it has no particular use in terms of the effect sought. In short, a pure product, easily obtainable at home and with enhanced effects.
That said, if you are a marijuana enthusiast and love collecting marijuana seeds, we invite you to visit our Sensoryseeds.com store. Choose from our wide range of quality weed seeds to complete your collection: feminized seeds, auto flower seeds, fast growing weed seeds, there is something for every taste!
We look forward to seeing you on Sensoryseeds!
