Hemp Stalks: How to Use Them

02/06/2023 Author: Lidka 7 min read

Hemp Stalks: How to Use Them?

Do you want to make the most of your hemp plant? In that case, read this article to learn how to use hemp stalks. How about brewing tea, making hemp butter, or creating your own paper?

The star of cannabis has always been the flowers, mainly because they contain a large amount of cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD. Nevertheless, all parts of the cannabis plant can be put to good use, including the often overlooked stems. In this article, we will show you how to use stems to make the most of cannabis plants.

A bit about cannabis stems

Cannabis plants consist of many parts. Stems are the part of the plant that serves as support for the flowers and leaves. The structure of cannabis consists of a main stem resembling a tree trunk, from which individual branches and smaller stems grow. Cannabis stems contain a minimal amount of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

What to do with cannabis stems?

After harvesting cannabis flowers, you may be wondering what to do with the leaves, stems, and other parts of the plant. All parts of the cannabis plant can be used very well.

However, before you start processing cannabis stems, it is necessary to decarboxylate them. Decarboxylation is a process that activates the cannabinoids contained in cannabis and occurs when cannabis is exposed to high temperatures or light. During decarboxylation, spread the stems evenly on a baking sheet and place them in an oven preheated to 110°C for 60 minutes. After decarboxylation, you can use the stems in various ways. Below are some of them.

Make tea

One of the fastest and simplest ways to use cannabis stems is to make tea from them. To prepare the tea, crush about one teaspoon of stems. Then put the crushed stems into a strainer and let them steep for about 10 minutes in boiling water. You can improve its taste by adding some lemon juice, honey, or sugar. This tea is especially popular in autumn and winter when you want to warm up and gain energy at the end of the day.

Make cannabis butter

If you have a lot of stems, you can make cannabis butter. However, cannabis butter made from stems will be significantly less potent than if you made it from cannabis flowers. To make cannabis butter, you need to maintain a ratio of 4 grams of butter to 4 grams of stems. In a pan, first melt the butter, then add the stems. Cook this mixture for about 45 minutes or until the stems turn golden, then strain. Store the butter in the refrigerator or process it immediately.

Cannabis butter can be used just like regular butter. For example, if you want to make cookies and the recipe calls for regular butter, you can substitute it with cannabis butter.

Make topical products

Cannabis and CBD are becoming increasingly popular ingredients in the world of cosmetics, and you can make these products yourself at home. In addition to moisturizing the skin, creams and ointments containing cannabis can help with muscle care. Cannabis preparations can be used to treat various ailments, such as acne or joint pain. For preparing topical products, it is recommended to use coconut oil. To this oil, add decarboxylated and crushed stems and let them infuse for a few days. After infusing, strain out the stem pieces, and you will obtain a coconut oil infusion ready for immediate use. To this infusion, you can add some beeswax or a few drops of essential oil of your choice.

Make mulch

Another practical use for stems is making mulch from them. This way, you protect the soil around your plants and at the same time ensure that plants can retain as much rainwater as possible.

Make your own paper

Another interesting way to use cannabis stems is paper production.

Simply use a blender to mix equal amounts of cannabis stems and regular paper and add enough water for the mixture to bind. Be careful, however, not to dilute the mixture too much, as the paper may then crumble. Once the mixture becomes a pulp with a minimal amount of chunks, pour it evenly onto a flat surface. Let the mixture sit for at least 24 hours. Then, carefully remove the formed paper and hang it to dry completely.

Use cannabis stems

As already mentioned, people often focus only on flowers and overlook the other parts of the plant, but cannabis plants also have other useful parts worth utilizing. Stems are among those that can be used to produce teas, tinctures, butter, and other products. We believe this article has shown you how versatile cannabis plants are. So before you get rid of them, remember this article and make the most of your plants.

Before deciding to process cannabis stems, visit our online store and buy one of our cannabis products. Try our cannabis tea or cannabis butter!