Everything You Need To Know About Cannabis Flower

Flower

Also: Cannabis Flower, Marijuana Flower, Buds, Nugs

Cannabis flower is the reproductive organ of the cannabis plant. It is the part of the plant that contains the highest concentration of cannabinoids like THC and CBD. The flower is harvested and then either cured for sale or used to create other cannabis products like concentrates, distillates, edibles, and more.

You may have heard people talk about grinding flower, packing a bowl with flower, or even decarboxylating flower. To understand what each of these mean, you first want to learn the basics about cannabis flower. Growers harvest the buds of female cannabis plants and dry them to create a smokable product. The buds can also be smoked alone or used to make other cannabis products.

The term "flower" aptly describes the reproductive structure of the cannabis plant. The bud, with its vibrant colors, intricate trichomes, and aromatic profile, is the female cannabis plant’s flower.¹ This part of the plant is meticulously cultivated and harvested to capture the essence of the cannabis plant.

Cannabis enthusiasts often use various names to refer to the flower, and two of the most common nicknames are "bud" or "nug."² It’s fairly obvious how flower got this nickname; it’s the flower bud of the marijuana plant, and when harvested, they look like nuggets. 

When it comes to purchasing marijuana flower, dispensaries offer a variety of forms and sizes, from premium and popcorn to shake and trim.

Premium Flower

Premium flower, also called "top shelf" flower, has large curated buds from different strains of marijuana plants which possess different properties. Premium flower is grown, harvested, and trimmed carefully to provide a high quality product.

Popcorn Flower

Popcorn flower refers to the small, compact buds that grow closer to the stalk of the plant. Usually more affordable, popcorn marijuana buds can be an economical way to try different strains.

Marijuana Shake

Shake consists of pieces of marijuana that gather at the bottom of containers or bags that separate out during shipping or processing. Sometimes it's used for pre-rolls, and it's often more affordable than other forms of cannabis flower.

Marijuana Trim

When preparing cannabis buds after harvest, the resulting trimmings of bits of cut-off buds, sugar leaves, and pieces of trichomes (aka kief) are called trim. It’s usually kept for making edibles, creating hash, or making topicals and tinctures.

Kief

Kief is a fine, powdery substance made up of dried trichomes that have fallen off cannabis flower. You can purchase kief at a dispensary, or you can collect it from the bottom of your grinder.

There are plenty of ways to smoke your flower, and cannasseurs are quick to point out that their favorite method can vary, depending on the day, situation, and flower type. Here are several ways to smoke cannabis flower.

Blunts

A blunt is a marijuana roll made with hemp-based blunt wraps, tobacco wrappers, or hallowed-out cigars. They contain 1-2 grams of cannabis flower, compared to 0.5-1 grams of flower found in typical joints.

Bong

A bong is a type of water pipe used to smoke cannabis. They're different from hand pipes because they have a water chamber that helps cool the smoke before you inhale it.

Bubbler

A bubbler pipe is a cannabis smoking vessel that uses water to cool the smoke before inhalation, similar to a bong but much smaller.

Joints

Pre-rolls are ready-made joints or cones that are filled with ground cannabis flower and/or a concentrate.

One-Hitter

A one-hitter pipe is a small, portable pipe designed for smoking flower in single hits. As the name suggests, these pipes are packed with just enough cannabis for a quick session.

Pipe

A pipe is a handheld device designed for smoking cannabis flower. Unlike more complex consumption methods, pipes are compact, easy to use, and don’t require electricity or water.

Everything you need, from the flower to the storage containers, lighter, rolling papers, and more, are required tools for you to have a successful session. Those tools make up your cannabis smoking kit. They’re the essential tools and accessories that ensure you’re able to grind, roll, pack, light, smoke, and store your cannabis the way you enjoy it. 

While the marijuana tools and accessories may vary by brand, size, and price tag, they tend to be similar in the reason why they should be added to your smoker's kit. Here are just a few of the must-have essentials to add to your kit for cannabis.

Grinders

A great grinder is essential to making sure you capture every valuable part of your bud, an even grind, and a contained mess. Just make sure you clean your grinder regularly.

Joint Roller

A joint roller is a small, portable device used to roll cannabis joints. It typically consists of two rollers and a holding chamber where you place the ground cannabis flower.

Rolling Tray

For those DIY cannabis rollers, a rolling tray is an essential addition to your kit. It keeps your cannabis contained in one spot and prevents a sticky mess on your counter.

Rolling Papers

Once you get good at rolling your own joints, you’ll likely have a preferred type of rolling paper you like to use. Make sure you have a stash of those papers available in your kit for easy rolling.

Stash Box

Kief is a fine, powdery substance made up of dried trichomes that have fallen off cannabis flower. You can purchase kief at a dispensary, or you can collect it from the bottom of your grinder.

Before it gets to you, your marijuana flower undergoes a variety of processes - drying, curing, etc. - that makes it the high-quality product you expect. To preserve that quality, you need to store your cannabis correctly at home. Things like heat and light can both degrade your cannabis, drying it out and reducing the potency of the flower as the THC is converted to a much less potent CBN. 

The preservation of your marijuana by storing it properly is about more than just the quality, though. When your marijuana is stored in a container that’s exposed to heat or light, it can change the humidity within the container as the tiny bit of moisture left in the dried and cured bud evaporates. This process can easily grow mold and turn your cannabis into a safety hazard.

The good news about storing cannabis properly is that it’s easy. You may even have the container you need in your house already: a sealable glass jar, like a mason jar. Sealable glass jars prevent the flavor of your marijuana from changing (like with a metal container) and keep the trichome-destroying static away from your flower (which plastic containers simply don’t). While you can get fancy and purchase UV-proof glass containers, you can also tuck your marijuana flower into a store-bought jar and seal it. 

When choosing a jar, the key is to pick one that matches the amount of marijuana flower you have. You don’t want a giant, wide-mouthed jar with only a small amount of cannabis sitting in the bottom. This is because the oxygen in the jar will naturally degrade that cannabis. Some cannabis enthusiasts even opt to have a couple different sizes of jars, so as they consume their marijuana, they can move their bud to a new, more snugly fit jar.

Now that you are familiar with the cannabis flower, here are some frequently asked questions:

Can I eat marijuana flower?

Yes, but it's unlikely that you will feel any psychoactive effects. The cannabinoids in marijuana flower first need to be decarboxylated–exposed to heat–before it becomes psychoactive.
 

Why does marijuana smell when you smoke it?

Some of the distinctive odors in marijuana come from the terpenes created by the trichomes, like citrus or flowers. The "skunky" odor that cannabis is known for comes from volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), some of which are unique to the plant. 
 

What’s the difference between flower and bud?

There isn't a difference, these are just different names for cannabis flowers. 
 

Why is flower called “nugs?”

Flower will sometimes be referred to as “nugs” because it often has a nugget-like shape. 
 

Where can I buy marijuana tools?

We’d be lying if we told you that these tools aren’t all over the internet, but you’re not going to find the same quality online as you will at your local dispensary. We recommend always getting your cannabis tools from a state-licensed dispensary.

How much does it cost to buy cannabis accessories?

Cannabis accessories can cost as much or as little as you need them to. Most products flex from entry-level pricing to experienced canna-connoisseur budgets, so we recommend establishing how much you want to spend and then going from there.

More About Marijuana Flower 

Ready to learn even more? Investigate different kinds of marijuana flower at your dispensary and be sure to ask your budtender any questions you have about marijuana strains, ways to consume it, and its distinctive aromas, tastes, and diverse compounds.