Ask A Grower: Growing Hemp At Home Part 3

The Farm

Apr 28

Are you juicing it? Are you smoking it? Gifting it? People are using their homegrown CBD hemp in all sorts of ways. Explore fun uses for your garden crop in our third installment of Ask A Grower.

We’ve teamed up with our friends at Grow It From Home to bring you this series, as well as our fantastic hemp genetics to grow at home. Their Head Gardener Emily Gogol works with chefs, mixologists, and wellness experts to offer guidance, below, to help you confidently grow and enjoy your hemp.

Question: Is smoking CBD hemp flower like smoking THC marijuana flower? Also, how do I roll a joint?

The growing process is completely the same! You harvest, dry, cure and prepare the flower in the exact same way. Our CBD hemp plants produce flower with good bud structure, resin, and high CBD content, in addition to the terpenes and flavonoids that contribute aromas and flavor. Whether you are rolling, using a bong or vaporizer, the process is the same. How it affects your body is dependent on the many cannabinoids present, and it is very well documented that CBD has different effects on the body than THC.

A collection of good resources for rolling your own joints can be found here.

Your plants produce a lot of flower, and rolling joints to give as gifts is a great way to share the bounty! Photo credit: Monica Lo @sousweed — *Your plants produce a lot of flower, and rolling joints to give as gifts is a great way to share the bounty! Photo credit:* *Monica Lo @sousweed*

Question: Can I use the leaves in a green smoothie, like I would spinach or kale?

Absolutely! You can replace the ‘green’ component in your smoothie with fresh, young leaves from your plants. Being able to do this is a huge benefit of having your own plants on hand – think of it as a giant herb or vegetable garden at your fingertips.

Question: Hold on, I can use my CBD hemp plants like an herb or vegetable?

Yes, the plant is that versatile: flower, herb, and vegetable. As an herb, many chefs are adding minced leaves to dishes like they would oregano or thyme, and making pesto. As a vegetable, it is used as a wrap, or juiced to infuse doughs. You can also make your own hemp tea.

Question: Cookies? Brownies?

Yes and yes. Just like THC flower, you can make cannabutter (or coconut oil for a vegan option) and use it in your favorite baked goods. A collection of recipes to get you started is here.