Smokable hemp flower is gaining popularity, but that doesn’t mean it has gone mainstream. Heck, many reputable store owners still don’t know smoking hemp is a “thing.” Depending on what state you’re in, buying hemp online might be your only option.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t vendors that now offer high-quality hemp buds. Indeed, as demand for hemp flower increases, more stores will likely stock their shelves with well-cured buds. With a little effort (and good Internet connection), you’d be surprised how many stores now offer crazy good CBD flowers.
Before adding your favorite strains into an e-shopping cart, consider investigating shops that might sell hemp in your community.
Before we go over where you could buy hemp flower, you might be wondering why you’d want to smoke this plant. Does CBD hemp flower make users “high?” Does it taste like grass?
First off, CBD hemp flower will not give you a psychoactive “high” sensation. Per US law, hemp cannot have above 0.3 percent THC content. Instead of feeling “dazed and confused,” hemp smokers often report feeling clear-headed and calm.
As for taste, CBD hemp flower has a surprisingly nuanced flavor. In fact, each hemp strain should have slightly different terpene levels, which will significantly affect the taste. Some strains taste super sweet, while others are bursting with earthy notes. You could even find a few strains with dank skunk or sour diesel aromatics.
Not only do these different terpene counts give users a plethora of flavor experiences, they might also influence hemp’s effects. There’s a great deal of research that suggests terpenes could influence smokers in different ways.
For instance, hemp strains with high traces of the floral linalool might induce slight sedation. On the opposite extreme, high-CBD hemp flower with the woodsy alpha-pinene often wakes users up. Since there are so many different hemp strains to choose from, users can easily customize their smoking sessions.
Lastly, one of the most significant reasons people smoke hemp is that it’s fast-acting. Remember, smokable hemp doesn’t have to go through the liver like CBD oils, capsules, or edibles. This means you should feel CBD’s effects within a matter of minutes.
Ever since the 2018 Farm Act passed, hemp has been federally legal in the USA. As long as hemp flowers have no more than 0.3 percent THC content, they are a-OK according to US federal law.
However, that doesn’t mean every state is on board with this new federal mandate. There are still a few states like Louisiana that have outright bans on smokable hemp. Also, since smokable hemp joints look like marijuana, law enforcement often can’t tell the difference.
We always recommend reviewing your region’s hemp smoking laws before you purchase high-CBD flowers. You might also want to reserve hemp joints for private settings until states have more explicit smoking laws.
Since we’re talking about smoking hemp in public, it’s worth noting you can vape high-CBD hemp flower in a dry herb vaporizer. Indeed, many customers prefer vaping their hemp flower because it’s far more discreet than smoking a joint. Plus, since you’re inhaling vapor rather than smoke, most people find vaping hemp to be a smoother experience.
Anyone who’s prone to coughing fits—or who wants to get their hemp on the sly—should give vaping CBD flower a try.
Now that you know about CBD smoking, it’s time to do some hemp homework! OK, we know research can be tedious, but figuring out this info beforehand will save you a ton of aggravation down the line.
As we mentioned above, each high-CBD strain has wildly different characteristics. Some strains are great for daytime use, while others are better suited for an after-dinner treat. There’s also a great degree of difference in how these strains taste.
Since there’s such a wide range of hemp hybrids now available, it’s a good idea to research a few names that appeal to your needs. You don’t want to be taking a slightly sedating strain early in the morning, or vice versa.
After looking into the CBD percentage, check out the average terpene profile for different hemp strains. Not only will this give you a preview into each strain’s flavors, it will also give you an idea for how this strain might make you feel.
To help you better understand a hemp strain’s lab reports, here’s a “cheat sheet” of the most common cannabis terpenes:
Limonene: Bright and citrusy, limonene is an invigorating terpene found in all citrus fruits.
Myrcene: Naturally found in mangoes, this fruity terpene is said to have a sedating quality.
Beta-caryophyllene: This spicy terpene closely resembles black pepper and might have anti-inflammatory effects.
Humulene: Beer lovers will instantly recognize humulene’s “hoppy” scent. Like beta-caryophyllene, humulene might have anti-inflammatory potential.
Linalool: Soothing and floral, linalool is closely associated with lavender and might have sedative effects.
Alpha-pinene: Unsurprisingly, alpha-pinene smells like fresh pine and typically makes users feel refreshed—as if they’ve just been in the woods!
After you’ve found a few hemp strains you’re interested in, it’s time to turn your attention to reviews of local shops. Visit the websites of reputable businesses in your area and see if there are any reviews online. If companies have official websites, you could search for CBD products and hemp flowers. Of course, you could also call shops in your area directly if you don’t find what you’re looking for online.
While you’re searching for reviews of businesses in your area, you should look at the going prices for hemp flowers. Write down any prices you find and compare them with online retailers. You might also want to consider visiting social media pages, especially if local businesses offer special deals.
Once you’ve found a few stores with hemp buds for a reasonable price, it’s time to copy and paste their addresses. Now all you have to do is plan a day to drive to each of these shops and inspect their hemp flowers.
Hemp is becoming so popular nowadays that some people have found “hemp cigarettes” in gas stations. However, just because you see a box of “hempettes” at your local convenience store doesn’t mean they will be high-standard.
If you want a top-shelf hemp smoking experience, you should go to a store that has connections with reputable breeders like IHF. Below, we’ll share a few of the most common places you’ll find high-quality hemp in your area.
If you live in a state with legal recreational marijuana, then the first place you should look for hemp is a cannabis dispensary. Most reputable dispensaries nowadays have a diverse range of hemp buds for customers looking for a CBD experience.
Anyone who has a medical marijuana card could also see what their state-approved MMJ dispensary currently offers. Just like recreational shops, medical marijuana dispensaries have increased their assortment of CBD flowers.
If you’ve never been in a dispensary before and feel a bit uncomfortable, no worries! Dispensary employees are always happy to answer your hemp queries over the phone.
By the way, some states now offer home-delivery services to help MMJ patients who might have mobility or mental health conditions. If this is a service you’re interested in, please don’t hesitate to ask your local dispensary.
If you’re not living in a state with legal cannabis dispensaries, you should start your search in local smoke or vape shops. Since these shops specialize in smoking paraphernalia, it’s not unheard of for them to offer CBD flowers.
At the very least, vape shops should have CBD e-juices, CBD vape cartridge’s and e-pens. Even though this isn’t the authentic “hemp smoking” experience, CBD e-juices will give users a sense of what hemp smoking is all about.
Interestingly, many spas across North America now offer soothing CBD-infused massages and facials. Even a few physical therapists now stock CBD oil to help patients with joint or muscle issues.
Often, these spas will sell products to their customers like CBD ointments, creams, and tinctures. Although there’s no guarantee that CBD-friendly spas will also carry hemp flower, it’s not unheard of. Give a few spas a call in your area and see if they carry CBD flower—and if they don’t, go ahead and suggest they add it to their store!
CBD has taken the health & wellness industry by storm. If you’ve visited your local nutrition shop in the past few months, you’ve probably seen a few CBD oils, gummies, and even chocolate bars on store shelves.
Although hemp flower might be a bit of a long-shot, it’s worth trying a few nutritional stores.
Although there are a few mainstream physicians that support medicinal hemp, CBD is still commonly associated with the alternative healing movement. So, if there are any naturopathic physicians or homeopathists in your area, you might want to give them a call and ask for their stance on CBD. Frequently, these doctors carry a ton of herbal remedies, which might include hemp.
As always, be sure to do plenty of research before choosing to work with a naturopathic healer. Just because naturopaths practice “alternative medicine” doesn’t mean they don’t have to get accreditation. Ask where your doctor went to school and look up reviews from other patients.
Last year, CVS made headlines when they announced they’d begin introducing CBD products into a few stores. Although this is big news for CBD’s mainstream acceptance, you’re not going to find hemp buds blooming in Home Depot anytime soon!
Even though it’s getting easier to find CBD creams, capsules, and oils in big stores, it’s unlikely you’ll run across professionally-trimmed hemp in Walmart or Walgreens. While this could change over the next decade, you’re better off sticking with dispensaries, smoke shops, and vape shops.
So, you’ve finally found a store that sells hemp flowers. Great! Now you have to figure out whether the hemp flower they’re selling is worth your money.
Here are a few ways you could distinguish between high-quality and inferior hemp buds.
A significant benefit of shopping for hemp in a brick-and-mortar location is that you could examine the flowers in-person. Typically, store employees should allow you to see and smell different strains before making a purchase.
Although every strain looks and smells slightly different, you should look for a generous coating of sticky trichomes on the buds. Since trichomes hold most of hemp’s cannabinoids and terpenes, they are the best way to gauge your chosen strain’s potency.
Besides trichomes, take a look at the overall appearance of your chosen hemp strain. Do these flowers look healthy or sickly? Are there any signs of mold or mildew? Bad-looking buds are a clear warning sign of an inferior product.
Another way you could gauge the quality of your store’s hemp is to (politely) bombard employees with questions. For starters, ask employees where these hemp buds were grown and whether farmers used organic techniques. You should also ask when the hemp buds arrived in the shop and how long they’ve been dried and cured.
If possible, find out how your retailer stores their hemp buds. Improper storage could quickly turn top-shelf buds into a moldy mess. To help maintain the highest potency, employees should store hemp in airtight containers in a reliably cool, dark area. Prolonged exposure to light and heat significantly increases the risk of mold and decreases the potency of CBD.
In case you were wondering, hemp buds could technically be “good” for years, as long as they’re properly stored. However, most strains lose their potency within about one year of storage. Unlike wine or tequila, hemp doesn’t get “better” as it ages, so you should expect reduced prices after the one-year mark.
If you’re not getting enough info from your hemp shop, it’s worthwhile scouring the Internet for a few reviews. Visit reputable review websites or social media to see what customers have to say about your hemp shop. Sure, there’s always a chance of running across fake reviews, but usually you could get a sense of how people view your business by surfing the Web.
The demand for hemp flower has never been higher. In fact, recent stats suggest the smokable hemp market is now worth $11.5 million. As demand for hemp flower rises, more stores will likely find ways to add high-quality CBD buds to their shelves.
At this point, people living in pot-friendly states will have the easiest time finding stores that sell hemp. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t buy exquisite hemp buds online. Industrial Hemp Farms now offers a fantastic assortment of hemp strains and pre-rolls on our website. So, go ahead, order some of your favorite strains with your comfy jammies on—we won’t tell!
For more details on our high-CBD hemp strains, be sure to visit this link.
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