Following the signing of the 2018 Farm Bill, the hemp industry experienced a significant boost and has never been stronger. One of the most interesting markets to emerge from hemp’s new legal status is the development of artisan hemp flower cultivated specifically for smoking and vaping purposes. This CBD hemp flower is grown by master cannabis cultivators with the same care as elite marijuana strains.
Consider the hundreds of marijuana strains currently for sale at dispensaries in all legal marijuana states. Many have eccentric names like “Space Queen” and “New York City Diesel” and potent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels—which is exactly what customers and patients want. The rich amounts of terpenes present in these strains result in flavors that range from fruity and sweet to earthy and savory. As far as flavor and potency, there is something for everyone when it comes to commercial marijuana.
The same thing is now happening at an unprecedented rate with hemp flower that is rich in cannabidiol (CBD), as artisan growers get to work on enhancing their existing flower strains and creating new ones. Boutique CBD-rich flower strains with names like “Elektra” and “Sour Space Candy” are now available online from specialized hemp flower vendors like Berkshire CBD. These tasty strains were grown and cured with meticulous care, using organic cultivation practices. The flower is then hand-trimmed and put through a slow 60-day jar-curing process to coax out the best terpenes and CBD potency possible. This flower, grown by artisan farmers, is now attracting an appreciative customer base as people quickly recognize its benefits, same as users of Organic Premium CBD Tinctures and Organic CBD Gummies would .
These CBD strains—as well as others now in development—are different from high-CBD marijuana strains, because under its legal definition, hemp flower can contain only minute amounts of THC—0.3 percent or less. The hemp flower experience is purer in overall CBD effect than high-CBD marijuana. If you’re seeking CBD in whole-plant form, artisan hemp flower will provide the most CBD and terpene benefits. There is evidence that whole-plant CBD flower and the associated “entourage effect” provides unique benefits not possible with other CBD products like CBD oil and tinctures. Prices for this artisan flower are reasonable, and nationwide shipping is available.
Whole-Plant Medicine and the Entourage Effect
There are compelling reasons for cannabis consumers to prefer CBD flower over other related products, such as those just mentioned. One is the growing appreciation for whole-plant medicine rather than isolating the active ingredient in a laboratory. The hemp plant contains hundreds of chemical compounds, including cannabinoids, like CBD, as well as terpenes and amino acids.
This is the beauty of whole-plant medicine. The synergies, interactions, and complex relationships between these compounds, particularly CBD, THC, and terpenes, result in a phenomenon known as “the entourage effect.” What occurs with whole-plant medicine is an enhanced effect sometimes seemingly more than the sum of its parts. The entourage effect is a field of study certain to command the attention of scientists as they continue to refine and expand their understanding of the known health benefits of hemp and marijuana.
Don’t underestimate the CBD potency and pleasing terpenes of CBD hemp flower. Some strains contain impressive levels of both. The Elektra strain , for instance, contains a whopping 16.5 percent CBD. Couple that with its pungent floral notes that contain hints of clove and orange peel, and you have something that will make any cannabis connoisseur smile and nod with approval. A good reference point, the entire Berkshire CBD flower catalog contains flowers with different terpene profiles but similar respectable CBD potency. The Hawaiian Haze strain, for instance, contains 15.29 percent CBD, and the Special Sauce strain contains an impressive 16.33 percent CBD. Combine these potent levels with the benefits of whole-plant medicine, and you have a form of CBD that’s pleasing to consume and powerful in its effects.
Potential Applications and Ongoing Research
There is research evidence—as well as countless testimonials from appreciative consumers—that CBD-rich hemp flower holds great promise for treating not only chronic pain and anxiety, but possibly helping those with epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases as well. It can also serve as a valuable antioxidant. Other exciting physical-health applications for CBD are the emerging evidence that it may be effective in minimizing the seizures of epileptics, the muscle spasms associated with multiple sclerosis, and possibly for the treatment of cancer.
Another significant finding from ongoing CBD research is the potential for CBD products to serve as powerful preventive medicine with the potential to minimize or prevent diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, and cardiovascular disease.
Dr. Bradley Alger earned his PhD from Harvard in Experimental Psychology and is one of the leading researchers in the study of endocannabinoids and how they interact with the human body. Regarding the potential of CBD, he states, “With complex actions in our immune system, nervous system, and virtually all of the body’s organs, the endocannabinoids are literally a bridge between body and mind. By understanding this system, we begin to see a mechanism that could connect brain activity and states of physical health and disease.”
Clearly, the potential for CBD, especially whole-plant artisan CBD flower will be the focus of exciting future research as the full potential of this cannabinoid continues to be revealed. While CBD oil is commonly used today, whole-plant CBD medicine is gaining in popularity and may hold more promise as medicine than concentrates due to the presence of additional cannabinoids, terpenes, and other compounds that interact in complex ways and promote each other’s strengths—the aforementioned entourage effect.
Best Consumption Method
Like its THC-potent sister flower, marijuana, smokable CBD bud is best experienced either smoked in a joint or pipe, or vaped through a vaporizer. Using a vaporizer for cannabis and derived products provides the best method for enjoying the full benefits of cannabis flower, whether it be marijuana or hemp. Few people will argue that smoking is good for you. Even though smoking cannabis is generally thought to be less dangerous than smoking tobacco, inhaling non-combustion vapor is a better consumption alternative than inhaling smoke.
Vaporizers have been around for years but have seen an unprecedented surge in popularity since cannabis in both marijuana and hemp forms have become legal. They have nothing to do with the e-cigarettes that have received so much negative press lately and contain nicotine, the same addictive agent found in conventional cigarettes. No—vaporizers are quite different. Dry-flower vaporizers heat ground flower (marijuana or hemp) to a point that approaches combustion but falls short. What results is a vapor that contains all of the active compounds of the flower.
Vaping is also a better choice than consuming CBD in edible form. The human body processes cannabinoids in edible form much differently than when vaporizing it. Vapor absorbs directly into the lungs and bloodstream very quickly, while edibles are digested in the stomach and absorb much more slowly, first in the stomach and then the liver. THC edibles have been the most problematic segment of the marijuana industry without question, and numerous blogs and articles have been written about using them with caution and at low dosages at first. As a cannabinoid, the body absorbs THC edibles in a similar way to CBD, so it makes an apt comparison. The effects of THC edibles often are delayed, even as long as two hours. Then they hit—sometimes hard, and in an unpleasant way for those who consume them and take too much for their tolerance level.
For either THC or CBD, vaporizers are the best consumption methods, because a person can gauge the effect quickly as they consume. As well as its numerous health and medical benefits, although CBD is not an intoxicant like THC, it’s relaxing and very pleasant for those who consume it through a vaporizer.
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CBD Flower May Become Your Preference
Strongly consider giving artisan CBD hemp flower a try, because you will very likely decide that its overall attributes provide compelling reasons for it to become your CBD product of choice.
If you appreciate the benefits of CBD but have only experienced it in concentrate form, hemp flower will allow you to appreciate CBD in a whole new way. This is particularly true if you enjoy the complex and sometimes-subtle terpene flavors of full THC cannabis. Most likely, you will be glad you took the plunge!
Written by: Phil Samuelson
