What Is Cannabis Kief and How Do I Use It?

Cannabis crystals. Dust. Frost. Chief.

It goes by many names, but cannabis kief is arguably the most popular. Kief is often referred to as the original cannabis concentrate - and the best part about this concentrate is no dabbing is required. If you're not sure of what kief is, you may be amazed to learn you've seen it - and perhaps even used it before.

What is Kief?

When you stop to admire a bud's frostiness, it's the trichomes you're viewing. Cannabis kief is a collection of the plant's trichomes, or the small, nearly impercetible mushroom-shaped hairs.

Trichomes are an important piece of the plant, as they are where the most desired compounds are produced - cannabinoids such as THCA, which converts to THC when activated with heat, and terpenes, which give marijuana cultivars their scent profile and effects.

Because of its potency, kief is best suited for experienced cannabis users. It holds the potential for potent relief - but undoubtedly produces potent effects. As with all cannabis concentrates, it's best to start with a small addition of kief to your typical flower dose first to gauge the effects, and titrate your dose up as needed.

How is Kief Collected?

Kief is gathered as the trichomes are knocked off of the cannabis plant. This falling of trichomes is natural, and rather naturally produces a pure concentrate more potent than the flower it came from. The trichomes are sifted through screens in order to isolate the trichome heads and remove plant matter such as the bud's leaves. Because no solvent is used to craft this concentrate, kief is solventless, a highly desired option in the cannabis space.

If you use cannabis flower often for your medicating, you can collect kief at home, too. Three-piece grinders have a bottom piece known as a kief catcher or kief collector. A mesh screen is what separates the flower from the kief, which helps to isolate only the trichomes, leaving your bud in the middle chamber.

What Makes MÜV Marijuana Kief Special?

Oftentimes, kief is found as a combination of strains and labeled with the outdated terms "indica," "sativa," or "hybrid" to describe its effects. MÜV Cannabis Kief, on the other hand, is strain specific.

Strain-specific kief is a potent experience of your favorite cultivars, and, like flower, can vary in its color and scent profiles.

Using strain-specific kief is a great way to enhance the flavor and effects of your favorite cultivar by consuming the same strain of flower and kief. Or, you can create a new experience using similar or completely opposite cultivars in your cannabis flower/kief combination.

What is the Best Way to Use Kief?

There are a few ways to use kief for your medical dosing, ranging from simple and easy to crafty and creative. Here are some of our favorites:

Add Kief to Your Bowl or Joint

Arguably the easiest way to consume kief is to add it to your smokable flower, be it a bowl, bong, or joint.

To add kief to your bowl or bong, start by adding flower into the bowl, filling it about 1/4 or 1/2 of the way. Add your desired dose of kief (we like using a dab tool to easily scoop and spread), then top with flower. By adding kief in layers, you ensure that the precious concentrate is not prematurely burned without your consuming its benefits.

To add kief to your joint, grind up your flower as usual and pour it onto your favorite rolling tray. Add kief to your flower pile and incorporate into flower - then stuff your cone or roll, and you're ready to go!

Note, if rolling by hand, you can add a line of kief along your flower, but that line will likely burn more quickly than flower, resulting in the ever-dreaded canoe or banana boat.

Add Kief to Your Dry Herb Vaporizer

While kief isn't recommended to be consumed solely on its own in a dry herb vaporizer, due to the treasured crystals slipping through the mesh screens of the vape, adding it with flower is a great option. Adding with flower gives your vaped bud a potency and flavor boost, especially when using the same strain bud and kief.

Make a Cannabis Snow Cone

Snow cones are one of the messiest, but rewarding, ventures. Simply put, they are joints coated in distillate and rolled in kief. Snow cones are a potent option to consume cannabis via smoking. What you'll need to create this frosty joint is:

- A joint or pre-roll
- Distillate
- Kief
- A dab tool

Start by rolling your joint or stuffing your cone with your favorite marijuana strain. Lightly heat the distillate by either rolling it between your hands or holding it in the crook of your elbow. Add a line of distillate along the length of your joint, using the dab tool to paint the entirety of the joint to about 1/4 inch above the filter (this space is key). After your distillate has coated the joint, pour kief onto your rolling tray and roll the distillate-covered joint in it, using your dab tool to ensure kief has fully coated the distillate, and you're ready to dose!

Be sure to keep an eye on the distillate - as you consume your snow cone, distillate will begin to drip as the joint burns. The 1/4 inch of solely paper and flower will come in handy to catch the excess distillate!

Make Your Own Cannabis Moon Rocks

Yes, you read that correctly - weed moon rocks. We aren't talking moon cheese, or even silvery nugs - moon rocks are flower nugs coated in distillate and rolled in kief. To craft this high-potency option, you need:

- A dense bud
- Distillate
- Kief
- A dab tool

Start by picking a dense nug of your favorite strain. Lightly heat your distillate by rubbing it between your hands or holding it in the crook of your elbow so it's easier to dispense. Holding your nug, start applying distillate, spinning the nug to ensure it's fully coated. If needed, use your dab tool to spread the distillate around. Roll the sticky bud in kief using tweezers, if possible, and then sit aside to dry. After it's dried, you're good to dose!

Be sure to use your fingers, not grinder, to break up this sticky nug! Moon rocks are best smoked in glass to fully experience the flavor profile of your creation.

Make Kief-infused Edibles

Kief, like flower or distillate, can be used to create homemade cannabis edibles. Unlike flower, because of its fine consistency, no straining is required!

Start by decarboxylating, or activating THCA to its more potent THC, your kief. Preheat your oven to 300°F and spread kief in a thin layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place your kief in the oven for about 15 minutes per gram.

After your kief is decarboxylated, you can melt butter on the stovetop (without boiling!) and thoroughly mix in to craft cannabutter; thoroughly combine with your favorite cooking oil, or even mix in with peanut butter. If you cook with it, be sure to keep the internal temperature of your edible below 300°F to keep the desired cannabinoids intact!

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