What is Kief and How do you Collect it?

Kief is a well-known but often misunderstood substance. If you’ve ever smoked cannabis, you’re probably aware of it. But what exactly is it and where did it come from? Let’s find out.

A Closer Look at Kief

Tracking down the origins of kief is an interesting journey. It is impossible to say with precision where it came from, but it is speculated that the first use of kief was more than likely in or around India or Ancient Persia. Similar to hash, kief has been used for a range of applications, from medical to recreational. The way that it is consumed depends on the culture, too.

In Morocco, “kief” refers to marijuana that is chopped up and mixed with tobacco, while in the West it is usually consumed alone as a fine powder. This powder is made up of trichomes and is quite potent.

Kief, also called dry hash, refers to the trichomes found on cannabis. It’s a resinous substance, and the cannabinoid levels in pure kief are much more concentrated than in regular bud. When smoked, it produces a stronger high. This is fantastic if you are conserving your supply, need a quick but intense high, or simply want a new experience.

For those who love a natural, organic cannabis experience, kief is for you. There is nothing added to cannabis to produce it, as it’s a part of the plant already. This makes it a pure experience as well as a way to fully enjoy your plants for all they offer. It burns fast, hits hard, and overall helps you to reduce waste by using as much of your plant as possible.

Collecting Your Own Kief

A common way to collect kief is to use a three-piece grinder. These tri-layered grinders collect the kief as your buds are ground down. The dust can then be sprinkled onto your bud, smoked alone, or even added to your coffee.

Another form of collection involves silk screens. Using a few layers of micron filters placed in large-to-small order, kief can be extracted from plants. This is done over a dark surface to make seeing the yield possible. Though this process is more time consuming than using a grinder, it is a great way to get more than other methods. It’s also a fun project, and the same materials can be used to make hash. Win-win.

Buying kief from your favorite shop is a great option if you don’t want to go through the hassle of extracting it yourself. Look out for lighter colors. That means that it’s pure. 

Is Kief Worthwhile?

The benefits of smoking—or consuming—kief are plenty. As mentioned, it is more potent than regular marijuana because of the trichome concentration. This gets you much more medicated in a shorter amount of time. If you’re a patient that is aggravated by smoke or vapor in the lungs, kief might be a solution. Less is used thus less is inhaled. Further, because it is so strong, it is easier to dose. Starting with the idea of “less is more” is a great rule of thumb. The onset of the high is rapid so you’ll know if you need more or even less next go around.

As the nation moves toward a future that involves the normalizing of marijuana, both recreationally and medically, kief will continue to grow in popularity. It’s a fun way to experience cannabis in a new light. The enjoyment of cannabis is only furthered.

How do you use kief? Let us know in the comments.