Marijuana plants can grow over ten feet tall, so there’s no question the plants have to be trimmed down prior to arriving at a dispensary. If you’ve ever wondered what people are talking about when they mention cannabis trim, you’ve come to the right guide. In it, we’ll cover everything you want to know about trim, including: 

• What is Marijuana Trim?
• How Potent is Trim?
• What’s the Difference Between Shake and Trim?
• How is Marijuana Trim Used? 
  
  

Cannabis cultivators take a lot of care in shaping cannabis flower buds before they’re ready for sale, trimming off plant materials that are not needed for the final product. These cuttings are called marijuana trim, a combination of sugar leaves, trichomes, and other pieces of the cannabis plant. 

In general, “trim” is a term used by cannabis cultivators, as it is largely a post-harvest term. While trim does not contain as many trichomes and cannabinoids as flower, it can be used in creating other products like edibles and hash.
 

Not all trim is created equal! Some cannabis strains have trichome- and terpene-rich sugar leaves surrounding the buds, which means the trim from these plants will also contain some trichomes and cannabinoids. Other strains do not have potent sugar leaves. As a general rule, though, trim will not be as potent as the bud from which it was removed.
 

It’s a common misconception that shake and trim are the same thing, but it’s important to know that these are two separate products. Shake consists of pieces of the marijuana flower that have naturally broken off of the bud, either due to handling or storage. Since these pieces were part of the premium bud, shake contains similar trichomes, cannabinoids, and flavonoids as the bud itself. Trim, however, is the plant material that cultivators have cut off the bud to ensure only the most important parts of the flower remain. 
 

It is generally not recommended to smoke trim as it can be harsh and not very flavorful. One of the most common uses for trim is to remove the trichomes and then compress it into hash. You can also use trim to make cannabutter or other cannabis edibles.
 

Trim is a naturally occuring product in the cannabis cultivation process. While you likely won’t find it available on the shelves of your local dispensary, it may be one of the ingredients found in your hash or store-bought cannabutter.