The Comprehensive Guide to Hemp Flower
In convenience stores, kiosks, and specialty shops nationwide, vendors display a wide range of hemp-derived products side by side. With hemp cultivators, expert botanists, and reputable product manufacturers continuously expanding their inventories, many people accustomed to purchasing hemp-derived concentrates, topicals, and edibles naturally have a lot of questions about buying hemp flower in Charlotte. In fact, “What is hemp flower?” is one of our most frequently asked questions.
When you visit Carolina HEMP Cabinet, you can count on our knowledgeable staff to provide the clarity you need to make informed decisions about adding our hemp flower into your rotation. When you’re ready, they’ll help guide you through the finer points of our many sativa, indica, and hybrid strains and help you determine which of our premium-quality, expertly curated products are the best fit for your needs, preferences, and lifestyle.
What Is Hemp Flower?
Hemp flower is harvested from unpollinated female plants. The flowering portion of the plant is called the cola. Each cola has multiple flower clusters covered in trichomes, hair-like structures that contain an abundance of cannabinoids and terpenes. When the plant’s trichomes turn from translucent to milky white, the crops are ready for harvest.
Since hemp flower is delicate and easily bruised, crops are typically harvested by hand to ensure the resinous glands and pistils remain undamaged. After the flower is dried, it’s cured to remove even more moisture and lock in the natural flavors and aromas of every strain. Hemp flower has high concentrations of CBD, less than 0.3% delta 9 THC, and can be smoked, dry vaped, or used to add the health and wellness potential of cannabis to numerous recipes.
Types of Smokable Hemp Flower
Numerous sources highlight the fact that industrial hemp and marijuana are members of the same plant species, cannabis sativa. The plants are legally defined by the amount of THC produced. For cannabis to meet the criteria for federal legality, the delta 9 THC (Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) concentrations must remain below 0.3% by dry weight. Those parameters give cannabis enthusiasts exploring the attributes of smoking or dry vaping hemp flower in Charlotte several options.
CBD-Dominant Hemp Flower
Hemp-derived CBD is one of more than 100 cannabinoids found in hemp flower trichomes. It is not, however, the first to emerge. That distinction belongs to cannabigerolic acid (CBGa), the “mother” of all cannabinoids. As crops mature, naturally occurring plant enzymes convert CBGA to cannabidiolic acid (CBDa), cannabichromenic acid (CBCa), and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa). Exposure to heat and/or sunlight converts CBDA to its active form, a transformation that occurs when hemp flower is heated to temperatures above 220-240° F.
THCa-Dominant Hemp Flower
THCa-dominant hemp flower is harvested while its delta 9 THC concentrations remain below the 0.3% threshold required by current regulations but still contain ample amounts of THCa, the non-intoxicating acidic form of THC. Although delta 9 THC and THCa have the same chemical composition, slight differences in their molecular shape prevent THCa from binding with the chemical receptors linked to the type of intoxication smoking THC-dominant flower is known for. Smoking (or dry vaping) THCa flower, on the other hand, converts the cannabinoid to its active form through a process called decarboxylation.
Delta 8-Infused Hemp Flower
Delta 8 THC (Δ-8-tetrahydrocannabinol) works like delta 9. But slight variations in structure diminish its impact by 50-70%. Although product manufacturers routinely call attention to its status as a naturally occurring cannabinoid, hemp flower contains only minuscule amounts, if any. Product manufacturers overcome that challenge by converting CBD to delta 8 THC through isomerization. Most delta 8-infused hemp flower is CBD-dominant flower enhanced with a lab-generated version of the naturally occurring cannabinoid, a detail many people asking “What is hemp flower?” find intriguing.
Exploring Possible Hemp Flower Benefits
Whether smoked, vaped, or swallowed, hemp-derived cannabinoids work the same way – by asserting their influence on multiple molecular targets, including the receptors of the largest regulatory system in the human body, the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Based on decades of study, cannabis researchers credit the health and wellness potential of CBD, CBG, THC, and many other naturally occurring cannabinoids for influencing ECS function in a way that promotes homeostasis.
Since the ECS system regulates nearly every crucial function involved in overall health and wellbeing, everything from sleep cycle regulation and emotional equilibrium to immune system function and the perception of pleasure and pain, multiple reports suggest possible benefits for mood elevation, stress relief, mental clarity, alleviating discomfort, better sleep, and more. When you smoke or dry vape hemp flower, the combined effects of its many cannabinoids and terpenes peak within minutes.
Discover Why People Looking for Hemp Flower in Charlotte Choose Carolina HEMP Cabinet
Carolina HEMP Cabinet is North Carolina’s premier destination for top-shelf THCA hemp flower and concentrates, delta 8-infused gummies, CBD capsules and topicals, and more. Our knowledgeable staff understands the importance of making informed health and wellness decisions and will help you find the products, potencies, and strains most likely to deliver the effects you’re hoping to achieve. You’ll find our storefront on Mt Molly-Huntersville Rd. If you have questions about the finer points of enjoying hemp flower not covered in our guide, call 980-322-2199 or submit a contact form.
Image Credit: Kalinin Ilya, Shutterstock
