What are the expected effects of Hemp Flower?
A lot of people ask this question and rightly so but before we dive into the answer lets preface what hemp flower is.
Hemp flower is Cannabis Sativa L., representing the same species of cannabis that was popularized during the 1960’s and is what everyone was smoking, back then. Hemp flower primarily differs from the cannabis or “Marijuana” that is prolific in the recreational and medicinal markets today, by the concentration Tetrahydrocannabinol delta-9 (THC) found in the flower. THC is the primary molecule responsible for getting someone “high” and it is the primary variable for determining what category cannabis falls into; Type I, Type II, or Type III. Type III category also referred to as the category of hemp flower. Hemp Flower is Type III cannabis.
The different Types of Cannabis are referring to the different concentrations of THC found in the plant. The THC concentrations are a direct correlation with the genetic makeup of the cannabis genetics at hand. The genetics of Type I – III each represent a varying concentration of THC as a percentage of the plant’s overall dry weight. It should be noted, that the genetics of the cannabis plant present THC in a fixed inverse ratio of that of cannabidiol, otherwise known as CBD. So if THC goes up CBD goes down and vice versa.
So, in order for a cannabis to fall into Type I, it has to have high THC and correspondingly low CBD.
The ratio of THC:CBD for Type I is typically ~15:1.
The ratio of THC:CBD for Type II is typically ~1:1.
The ratio of THC:CBD for Type III is typically ~1:15 and so hemp flower typically has a ratio of THC:CBD or ~1:20.
Back to the question at hand..
What are the effects of hemp flower?
Hemp flower takes the edge off, increases relaxation, loosens up the mind and has been known to promote a feeling of bliss. Hemp Flower can initiate a minor head change or a feeling of chill and it can generally reset one’s anxiety levels that might have built up through the day. Hemp flower is cannabis, positioning THC in the minority along side CBD in the majority. It is more akin to cannabis of the 60's with CBD as the predominant cannabinoid in play.
Everything that you’ve typically heard CBD products being marketed as, hemp flower provides but with the added dimension of efficacy found in craft cannabis, incorporating the wholistic synergies found in terpenes, flavonoids, phytochemicals, lipids, and resins, which lead to a more full-spectrum whole plant approach. CBD dominant cannabis leverages the presence of THC, in very low amounts without causing intoxication or one becoming “high”. In fact, there is growing research to support that a little THC is necessary to fully effectuate the full therapeutic potential of CBD in the body.
At the lower doses, THC found in Hemp flower, can typically lead to a lighter effect than traditional high-THC cannabis and is further tamped down by the fixed corresponding ratio of CBD:THC, typically being somewhere around 15:1. As mentioned above, one can also expect a large role of terpene driven sensory effects to unleash, like the craft flower found in higher-THC genetics – calm, uplifted, alert, up-tempo, down-tempo, whatever.. based on your bodies unique interactions with the aromatic terpenes found in hemp flower. Many agree that the future of hemp flower will have a wide genetic diversity that will promote a growing abundance of rich aromatic terpenes, that can currently be found in the regulated high-THC market, which makes the future of hemp flower and the intrigue that comes along with it drawing parallels to the sensory experiences provided by tea, coffee or other various botanical ingestible(s) that are rich and complex in aroma.
It is this shift in the perceived value of cannabis, that is spreading beyond the power of mind altering and medicinal THC and into a focused world on sensory experience which is further exacerbated in hemp flower do to it’s more gentle less potent nature. Many users of hemp flower report a less psychoactive and more “chill” effect from hemp flower consumption, citing less anxiety, panic and negative experience typically associated with THC. Many people acknowledge that you can also typically snap out of a hemp flower high on command. If you need to roll with the punches that life throws at you, hemp flower is a less cognitively demanding substance than high-THC. Whether you need to take a business call or pitch an idea or drive your kids to school or handle an emergency, hemp flower can be way less disorienting and overstated then traditional “weed” for many individuals.
Hemp flower, (more specifically CBD metabolization in your endocannabinoid system) has been shown to elicit in the release (or non-reuptake) of anandamide – “the bliss molecule” found in the brain. CBD has been shown to help breakdown FAAH (Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase) which allows anandamide to stay present in the body which in turn, creates somewhat or a nervous system homeostasis or “stress-free state”.
The cool thing is hemp flower can be looked at as a vehicle for finding your own minimum effective dose of THC in cannabis – one where you are leveraging all of the valuable elements of THC (there is no doubt THC is a phenomenally effective compound and should command some appreciation and respect) but in a ratio with CBD that makes the overall consumed cannabinoid experience desired for your personal needs and certainly those desires can change and sometimes they do change often for folks – but a lot of hemp flower adopters have come to find hemp genetics provide the best ratios for their desired effect. A lot of people don’t look to hemp flower to get high a lot of folks are ex high-THC users or still high THC users with growing hemp flower habit. Some folks use hemp flower because they can’t get access to high-THC regulated flower, some folks like to use it to balance out the effects of high-THC cannabis by mixing preferred ratios and blending personal favorites.
Whatever the cause for using hemp flower (aka Low-THC cannabis), one thing is for sure, it is here to stay, and it certainly has the possibility to grow the total number of global cannabis enthusiasts in a big way.
Quick Notes:
THC effectuates CBD - CB1 receptor, needs a little THC to effectuate CBD for fully realized effects, but not enough too quite initiate the "getting high" effect. THC potentiates the CB1 receptor.
CBD is a Immune-system modulator and mood Modulator and can create a homeostasis for a stress-free state.
CBD is psychoactive - interacts with nervous system produces psychoactive effects - calming, takes the edge off. (A lot of people think CBD is not psychoactive, including myself, it is generally considered psychoactive just not intoxicating)
Hemp Flower is cannabis low-THC genetics - legislatively understood at the US federal level as cannabis that that has below <.3%THC.
Cannabis - the most complex plant yet to ever be studied.