What is craft hemp flower?
Craft hemp flower is a new area of the hemp industry that focuses on growing the flowers (buds) of the cannabis sativa plant rather than growing hemp for biomass. Craft raw cbd hemp flower is grown on an acre or less of area. The idea of craft raw hemp flower is to take specific strains of cannabis sativa that have been bred to have less than .3% delta-9 THC when fully flowered and grow them to their maximum organic potential.
Organic plant food must be used to be considered craft quality. The biggest reason for the misconception that hemp can't be smoked is because these massive farms feed their plants with synthetic, non-organic fertilizers. The synthetics may be able to pump out huge crops but the plants are not being grown as nature intended, therefore opening pandora's box to yet unseen changes in the effects that the hemp will have on its users. For that reason we highly recommend against smoking any non-organic hemp flower. Many farms starting up at this point are growing organically but do not yet have certification. They may say, grown using organic farming practices or similar. There may also be farms claiming that their flower was grown organically, when actually they may have used something non-organic. If you are unsure about a farm or company, give them a call and ask them what products they used.
Choosing the best possible genetics is a highlight of craft hemp flower. There are so many different phenotypes in all of the different hemp strains out there. As more and more people begin crossing new strains of hemp we will see an explosion in the amount of different hemp strains available. Craft hemp farmers will strive to seek the most flavorful and most CBD potent strains available and as a result produce the best hemp flower available on the market.
Also, this would mean using absolutely no non-organic pesticides. If using organic pesticides, such as neem oil, one would have to keep an eye on how those pesticides could be present on the buds. While neem oil can be a great organic pesticide to keep bugs away during the vegetative state of growth, we do not want it to be present on the buds that we are smoking.
Another thing to watch out for is any mold that could be on the buds. A craft hemp flower producer will have quality control to ensure that there is no mold present on the buds. This is very important because any mold on the buds when ingested or smoked would cause effects opposite to that which we are seeking.
Now another thing to consider when thinking of craft hemp flower farms is sustainability. Are they making their own compost teas and utilizing the resources available in their local area or are they simply going to the hydro store and buying fertilizer? For example, a craft farmer could use a neighbors chicken manure or use plants already growing on their property to add into the farm brewed compost tea. Instead of putting poison out to deal with gophers, they could plant non-invasive flowers near the hemp plants that the gophers do not like to eat, driving them away. Where is the water coming from? Is the field using so much water that it is impacting the local community? Craft farmers will do their part to ensure that they are not using excessive water as that is bad for the plants and the local community.
There is much confusion when talking about smoking hemp. Many people think that hemp is just for clothing or other biomass applications. While this is true, it is also not true. Hemp when grown for flower and done so craft style can absolutely be smoked and is no different in smoke quality when compared to its counterpart. There is a great benefit for humanity by correctly growing higher grade hemp strains to harvest flower that contains high levels of CBD because it is known to have extensive benefits for those who use it.
