Now that you’ve chosen a fresh flower batch, here are some tips to maximize your experience.
Storage
Let’s start with storage.
Keep in mind flower is in prime condition immediately after it is cured. The compounds which create a prime cannabis experience have highly volatile properties. This means they thrive with as much stability as possible and even under the most ideal conditions dissipate quickly.
Three main elements threaten the integrity of your flower: oxygen, heat, and light. In their own ways, oxygen, heat, and light can break down cannabis. Exposure to oxygen creates oxidation. When oxidized, THC breaks down to CBN. Have you ever experienced an extremely sedative effect from old flower? Likely could be an increase in CBN, the sleepy time cannabinoid.
Radiation from exposure to light will also degrade your cannabis. Same deal with temperature. In this Swedish study, the researchers noted that cannabis lost 64-74% of its THC content when stored a room temperature for four years. You can imagine what happens with higher temperatures. Side note, please enjoy your flower before it is old enough to graduate from college.
Especially when purchasing premium or artisanal flower, we recommend purchasing the amount you plan to enjoy in the next 7-10 days. This will optimize moisture content as well as the integrity of the cannabinoids and terpenes.
Accessories
Choosing the best accessory can include several considerations. Convenience, portability, accessibility, cost, and maximizing top notch flower.
To optimize your flower experience, try a water pipe or a vaporizer. While joints and hand pipes can be more convenient, the smoke will be hotter and the taste includes additional burnt elements like paper.
For water pipes, including bongs and bubblers, make sure your piece is squeaky clean. Residual residue will taint the fresh buds and leave you with notes of harsh resin. When we say clean, that means the water as well. Freshen up the water with each session. While some people enjoy using flavored water or mouthwash during a smoke session, we say focus on the flavor of the flower by sticking with fresh water.
To eliminate the burn all together, you could choose a vaporizer option. Vaporizers come in both tabletop and handheld options. As the name suggests, vaporizers use low heat to create a vapor from the flower material rather than burning it into smoke. Many cannabis doctors recommend vaporizing flower as their preferred method of consumption.
The lower temperatures used by vaporizing devices help preserve the more volatile elements of the plant and create an increasingly nuanced experience. We have discussed the advanced growers aims of curating the best terpene profiles possible. A great way to connect with those comes through vaporizing.
Fire
If you choose a smokeable option, you will need fire to embark on your merry way. Modern fire sources, meaning matches and lighters, create experience issues for flower. Matches have a phosphorus tip, which allows them to catch fire when struck. The phosphorus has a distinct smell which can impact the taste of the flower if applied too soon. If you choose to light your bowl with a match, allow the match to burn completely through the red and white tip area before applying it to the flower. Want to further geek out on the anatomy of a match? Click here.
A similar situation occurs with a lighter. The flame on the lighter is fed by butane. This will also impact your overall experience if applied directly.
A great tip for impact free fire is using a hemp wick. Simply light the hemp wick and touch the burning wick to your bowl. This can also preserve eyebrows and fingertips. A hemp wick is a worthy $1.75 investment. Ask your sales consultant next time you visit.
If you want to get wild and use these 300 days of Colorado sunshine to your advantage, try a solar rip. Use a magnifying glass to direct the concentrated beam of light onto your bowl. Tricky, yes. Worth it, absolutely!
Water
Our final tip for a prime flower experience involves having a glass of water handy. It will taste extra delicious and help keep you hydrated.