What is Kief?

 

Kief is made by separating the trichomes, which included the marijuana plant’s cannabinoids and terpenes, from the rest of the cannabis flower. Because it is more powerful than the cannabis flower, less is needed in order to feel the desired effects.

 

How to Get Kief?

Kief is also the name for the trichome glands that collect at the bottom of your grinder, and grinding your flower is the most handy way to get it at home.

 

What is a Kief Catcher?

Many grinders, mostly those made of aluminum or stainless steel, come with a kief catcher, which is the bottom chamber of the grinder that uses a screen to catch the trichomes as you grind your cannabis flower. As you grind your cannabis, the trichomes will sift through the screen and collect kief in the catcher. Once you’ve accumulated a decent amount, you can remove it with a scraper.

 

If you’re looking to process large quantities at home, you can purchase a kief box, which has two chambers — one for sifting cannabis flower and the other for catching kief. Put your cannabis into the chamber, close the box and shake. As you shake the flower, the trichomes fall off, get sifted through the mesh screen, and end up in the chamber.  

​

Is Kief Dangerous?

Kief offers high concentrations of THC, but when correctly consumed, it presents no more of a danger to the consumer than cannabis concentrates and extracts. Can you get high from sniffing kief? Not likely, as THC requires a lot of heat to decarboxylate and activate for its intoxicating effect. So, it’s best not to snort kief, but instead use any one of the following, more effective ways:

 

How to Use Kief?

Sprinkle it on top of a Bowl, Joint, Blunt, or into a Hookah Sprinkling a generous dusting of kief to the top of a packed bowl, joint, or blunt can dramatically increase the potency, making for a more intense and longer-lasting high. When smoking kief, it will also burn slowly, extending the time it takes to smoke, perfect if you enjoy long smoke sessions with friends. If you’re a fan of smoking shisha out of a hookah, you can sprinkle it on top of the tobacco before adding the hot coals. 

 

Make ‘Moonrocks’ 

Kief can also be used to make what are known as “moonrocks.” To create moonrocks, high-quality cannabis flowers are covered in hot oil and sprinkled with kief. Once the rocks harden, they can be broken up and smoked, delivering a potent high. Moonrocks typically average at more than 50% THC. 

 

Add it to Tea or Coffee

Heat can activate cannabinoids, so if you add kief to hot drinks such as coffee or tea, it can produce similar effects to edible weed products. If added to your favorite hot drink, expect the effects to kick in 15 to 45 minutes after you consume. 

 

 

Are Hash and Kief the Same Thing? 

No, but you can press kief into hash and dab it. The most common way to consume hash is to smoke it, either by itself or with flower, as dab rigs have become a popular mode of consuming concentrates. Dabbing hash has become a more common alternative. Hash is made by removing the trichome glands from a cannabis plant and compressing the resin into a hardened, solid piece.

 

Kief is easily used to make hash. All it needs is heat and pressure. Add it to the center of a piece of parchment paper. Fold the paper tightly around the kief, and then apply heat and pressure. Typically the heat from your hand should be enough, but you can also use a hair straightener or a temperature-controlled press.