Though smokable cannabis has historically been the main subject of cannabis culture, the huge explosion of the new and legal market across the US has turned a spotlight on other notable products, namely edibles and concentrates. However, flower hasn’t gone to the wayside just yet—and yes, the cannabis we smoke is actually a flower.
Its story is fascinating, but if you’re new to cannabis or haven’t consumed it in the form of flower in a while, now is as good a time as any to brush up on your flower knowledge. Learn what makes up cannabis flower, the types of flower you can buy right now, various ways to consume it, and much more.
Exploring the Anatomy of Cannabis Flower
Whenever you pack a bowl or roll up a joint, you interact with an incredibly complex living structure. By the time it reaches its end use, the cannabis flower you’re lighting up has gone through several life stages before it was even harvested, not to mention the stages it goes through as it’s dried and cured.
But, first things first. How is the cannabis plant grown, and what causes its unique effects?
Male vs Female Cannabis Plants
Most flowering plants include both male and female sex organs, but cannabis is unusual in that it’s either fully male or female. This presents growers with a challenge because while they need both genders for pollination, only the female plants are actually used to make cannabis flower. Male plants do not impart cannabis’ signature intoxicating and psychoactive effects.
Male and female cannabis plants can be distinguished by their sex organs—female stigma and male pollen sacs—that develop between the plant’s nodes or points where branches sprout from the central stem. The males have round pollen sacs here, whereas females have tiny hairlike pistils.
Female plants go on to develop buds, or what will eventually become smokable flower. Meanwhile, the male plants’ pollen sacs will reach sexual maturity, at which point they can pollinate any female plants in their vicinity. However, when we’re growing cannabis flower, that’s precisely what we don’t want to happen. Once those female plants have been fertilized, they stop devoting energy to their flowers. As a result, growers remove any male plants from their grow rooms before they have a chance to fertilize those precious females. Or they use feminized seeds to minimize the chance that male plants appear at all.
In the wild, of course, it’s a different story. It’s in the plant’s interest to reproduce, thus propagating the species, but if a female cannabis plant is reaching sexual maturity and hasn’t been fertilized, it has a last-ditch option: It becomes hermaphroditic, meaning that it will produce both male and female sex organs. This transformation generally occurs when the plant is experiencing stress due to poor growing conditions or other environmental factors. But, while it may be frustrating to growers, you’ve got to admit: It’s a pretty neat trick!
Trichomes
When male cannabis plants are taken out of the picture, female cannabis plants are free to devote their energy to developing flowers. One of the main ways they do this is by developing tiny structures called trichomes—you can think of them as the cannabis plant’s tiny factories, and there are several types of them.
- Capitate-stalked trichomes: The largest type of trichomes visible to the naked eye. Their bulbous gland heads are where the bulk of the cannabinoids and terpenes are produced.
- Capitate sessile trichomes: These smaller trichomes are roughly the width of a human hair. While abundant, they don’t produce as many active compounds as capitate-stalked trichomes.
- Bulbous trichomes: The smallest trichomes. While they appear on the surface of the entire plant, they don’t produce a great deal of cannabinoids or terpenes due to their small size.
While they may be tiny, trichomes are the “heavy lifters” of cannabis flower: They produce cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, the potent compounds we consume cannabis for in the first place.
Cannabinoids
Cannabinoids are a family of roughly 150 compounds, and they’re responsible for imparting the cannabis plant’s most profound effects, including its most recognizable hallmark: That euphoric “high” courtesy of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the most abundant cannabinoid in cannabis.
The second most prevalent cannabinoid is cannabidiol (CBD), and while it doesn’t get you high, some people report a gentle cerebral “buzzing” sensation that’s not too different from caffeine.
All these cannabinoids—including CBN, CBG, CBC and even more—interact with a bodily network called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). It’s a crucial regulatory system, and because it contains cannabinoid receptors, it’s uniquely suited to work with the compounds in cannabis. That’s a major reason cannabis can impart such powerful medicinal effects; when used carefully and in proper doses, it can be a sustainable option for self-care.
Terpenes
Terpenes are the aromatic compounds that are the major contributors to the flavors and aromas found in cannabis. Each strain’s specific terpene profile gives it its unique characteristics. Terpenes aren’t exclusive to cannabis and can be found all over the natural world, where they fulfill such functions as creating a chemical defense against certain pests through their aromas.
Flavonoids
While the name suggests that they contribute flavors to cannabis, flavonoids are actually responsible for the wild array of colors found in cannabis flower, from bright lime green to burning amber and deep velvety purple. Like terpenes, they may impart some very useful neuroprotective, antioxidant, and other benefits.
Types of Cannabis Flower
Depending on the specific product you’re looking at, you may see cannabis flower labeled in one of several ways.
- Flower or Bud: The more-or-less standard style of cannabis flower, bud is a top-shelf product consisting of large, carefully trimmed cannabis flowers that have been dried and sometimes cured.
- Popcorn Flower: Also known as Small Bud, this product consists of smaller flowers, typically found closer to the stalk of the cannabis plant. Since popcorn flower is usually more affordable, it can be an easy way to sample different strains.
- Shake and Trim: While these two styles are slightly different—shake consists of the pieces of cannabis that gather at the bottoms of bags or jars, while trim is the pieces of flower or other plant parts that were cut off during the trimming and packaging phase of processing—they’re functionally similar.
While typically less attractive and sometimes less potent, popcorn flower, shake, and trim have their uses, and each offers an economical way to fill pre-rolled joints or create products such as tinctures or topicals. However, nothing beats the taste and aroma of a just-opened jar of premium cannabis flower.
How to Consume Flower
Whichever style of cannabis flower you choose to try, you’ll have to consume it somehow. Here are a few of the most popular and time-tested ways to enjoy our favorite green.
- Pipe or Bong: The simplest way of smoking flower is through a hand pipe, sometimes called a bowl, or a bong, also known as a water pipe. Both require very little in terms of equipment or expertise and offer a simple, fast-acting way to enjoy all the benefits of cannabis.
- Joint or a Pre-Roll: Cannabis flower can be smoked in a joint, which is another term for a cannabis cigarette. Some people choose to hand-roll their joints, and you can learn the basics in our step-by-step guide. Whether hand-made or pre-rolled, joints are a great way to share cannabis with friends since they’re easily passed around a group.
- Vaping: One of the most intriguing ways to enjoy cannabis flower is with a dry herb vaporizer. It’s significantly gentler on our lungs and airways than traditionally smoked flower. It requires a device that heats ground flower to the point at which the cannabinoids and terpenes become volatile before they burn and release potentially irritating smoke.
Shop Premium Cannabis Flower at Green Goods
Cannabis flower will always be a fan favorite, as it’s usually the first way people are introduced to cannabis. Though it’s arguably the most common method of consumption, it possesses a surprisingly complex structure that contains several types of trichomes, terpenes, and other potent cannabis compounds.
Interested in stocking up your stash box with quality flower and unique strains? Stop by any one of our family of dispensaries and ask our friendly budtenders which ones you should try next.
Have any other questions about cannabis flower or other cannabis-related topics? Drop us a line—we’re always here to help!
