As medical researchers endeavor to uncover additional health benefits of cannabis, users are also coming up with more creative ways to consume weed. You may have come across oil tinctures made from cannabis extracts like cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or cannabigerol (CBG).
Besides oral tinctures, other cannabis-based products include cannabis edible products like gummy bears, cannabis-infused vape juices, cannabis-enriched cosmetic and skincare products, as well as cannabis- formulated pills and tablets. And if you’re not opposed to the idea of smoking, you might even try smoking dried cannabis extracts like flowers, buds, and leaves. But what of cannabis seeds? Is it possible to smoke cannabis seeds, and what could happen?
This article shall shed more light on that.
Which Cannabis Plants Produce Seeds?
Before you purchase marijuana seeds from a cannabis seedbank, it’s essential to understand where these seeds come from in the first place. That knowledge will help you to determine whether you should go ahead and smoke the seeds or not. Like many plants, cannabis plants come in male and female, and hermaphrodite varieties. Female cannabis plants play the most crucial role during the germination process, as much of the plant’s extract comes from them.
On the other hand, male cannabis plants are mostly known for their ability to produce pollen grains. Generally, experts recommend discarding male cannabis plants from a marijuana farm. That’s because their pollen might pollinate the female plants and, in the process, cause a small number of cannabis seeds in female marijuana’s colas.
A cannabis cola simply refers to the central flower cluster that usually forms on the uppermost portion of the larger branches in a mature marijuana plant.
As you weed out male cannabis seeds from your farm, you should also do the same to hermaphrodite plants.
Hermaphrodites are plants that contain both male and female reproductive parts on the same tree.
The female reproductive parts in a hermaphrodite cannabis plant are not an issue at all. The problem lies with the male parts, which might cause unwanted pollination. By and large, you should avoid smoking cannabis seeds, particularly seeds found within cannabis nugs.
Cannabis nugs (short form for nuggets) refer to the colas’ smokable parts, or simply the bud material.
As we’ve already highlighted, cannabis seeds are formed in the nugs during pollination. Researchers have established that consuming marijuana seeds along with the nuggets, might trigger headaches. Now, that might get you wondering, can you then consume cannabis seeds that are not part of weed nuggets? Well, these seeds are not recommended either. Besides causing headaches, the seeds might also trigger a host of mental and physical discomfort.
What’s The Worst Thing That Could Happen If You Smoke Cannabis Seeds?
As we’ve just highlighted, smoking cannabis seeds can cause headaches. But that’s not the only side effect to worry about. Throat irritation is another common risk of smoking marijuana seeds. Depending on the severity of the irritation, you could end up suffering from a persistent cough and sore throat.
According to anecdotal reports, smoking cannabis seeds and stems might also cause gastrointestinal complications like nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The following are other common risks associated with smoking cannabis seeds;
I. Toxicity from heavy metals
One great thing about cannabis plants is that they don’t contain toxic compounds. That explains why many users who experience adverse effects often report mild and short-lasting side effects than many other herbal extracts. However, the equation suddenly changes when it comes to smoking, and worse yet, when smoking marijuana seeds.
Smoking requires combustion, which implies that there are high-temperature conditions involved. The elevated temperatures could oxidize some of the toxic compounds in the air, including heavy metals like mercury and carcinogenic compounds like benzopyrene and benzanthracene.
Once oxidized, these compounds combine with the seeds and are inhaled along with the smoke produced. Long-term smoking (of cannabis seeds and any other parts of the plant) could increase your risks of developing chronic illnesses like lung cancer and heart disease.
ii. The experience is far from enjoyable.
Considering that marijuana seeds tend to crackle and pop upon ignition, smoking these seeds is not exactly a comfortable experience. An easy way out of this situation would be to ground the seeds into a fine powder and then smoke the powder. But why go through the trouble when the risks of smoking cannabis seeds far outweigh the benefits?
iii. The seeds are shallow in essential marijuana compounds.
Before smoking cannabis seeds, you should ask yourself the million-dollar question – why are you drawn to marijuana in the first place? The cannabis plant has been famous from time immemorial due to its powerful healing properties. There’s a broad spectrum of medical conditions that you can treat, prevent, or manage with weed, including;
- Acute and chronic pain
- Stress and anxiety disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Mental conditions like Alzheimer’s disease
- Neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease and epileptic seizures
- Sleep disorders like insomnia
- Inflammatory conditions like arthritis and cancer
- Digestive issues like nausea and vomiting
- Metabolic disorders like diabetes
In addition to its healing properties, cannabis also appeals to recreational users. The plant contains certain psychoactive compounds like THC, which are known to induce euphoria. But here’s the thing – cannabis seeds contain low concentrations of the medically beneficial compounds in marijuana.
So, whether you’re smoking cannabis seeds for medical or recreational purposes, you’ll unlikely experience any significant benefits. Instead of wasting your precious time smoking marijuana seeds, you should consider other parts of the cannabis plant that contain the highest concentrations of CBD, THC, and other medically beneficial compounds. Also, any good online smoke shop will sell you the right stuff, not the seeds
How Do You Avoid Cannabis Seeds?
The best way to avoid cannabis seeds is to desist from buying marijuana products from the black market, especially if you’re purchasing raw, unprocessed extracts like buds and flowers. Instead, insist on reputable cannabis traders.
If you’re a cannabis grower and don’t want your seeds to waste, you can consider composting them. You might also ground the seeds and add the powder to various food products like tea or butter. There’s also the option of making marijuana liqueur, where you place the seeds inside a liqueur containing an alcohol percentage of at least 40%. You then allow the mixture to sit for a week for any THC present in the seeds to transfer to the liqueur. Whatever you do, just ensure you don’t smoke the seeds.
Final Thoughts
Cannabis comes with tons of health benefits. However, how you enjoy those benefits depends on your delivery method. If possible, you should avoid smoking cannabis, as there are numerous inherent risks involved. And as has become abundantly clear throughout this post, the dangers of smoking cannabis are significantly greater than cannabis seeds.
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