First and foremost, CBD flowers come from hemp plants. Although hemp is cannabis, there is a definitive difference. This contrast stems from the fact that hemp does not contain high levels of THC. In fact, the vast majority of hemp species contain well below 0.3% THC, which is currently the maximum THC threshold that’s allowed in CBD-based products.
Now it’s time for a quick introduction into hemp botany so that you truly understand what CBD flowers are.
When hemp crops bask under the radiating summer sun, the leaves photosynthesize to fuel its growth. The ubiquitous green and jagged leaves with a multitude of leaflets overflow from the hemp plant. The stalk rises higher and higher, sometimes reaching 12-feet and above.
As the summer months clash with the beginning of autumn, a drastic change occurs. Fewer sunlight hours signal to the hemp plants that the end is near. Although this sounds dramatic, plants are photoperiodic – meaning they change their habits according to increasing or decreasing amounts of light.
For hemp plants, long summer hours are synonymous with leafy growth. As winter approaches and the sun recedes into the horizon quickly – this means it’s time to produce the next generation.
This is the moment that female hemp plants begin to produce flowers. As long as the field is void of male hemp plants, the females will search in vain for pollen – thus increasing in size. Furthermore, hemp flowers are covered in sticky glands, known as trichomes, which exist to help male pollen grains latch onto them.
It’s these female flowers that cultivators produce CBD flowers. Since none of these CBD flowers are pollinated by a male, they are free of seeds and filled with cannabinoids. The trichomes contain CBD, CBG, CBN, and many more cannabinoids – along with tiny amounts of THC.
Once harvest day comes around, the female hemp flowers are picked and subsequently trimmed. After months of hard work, cultivators trim these delicate flowers and allow them to dry and cure.
The process of cultivating CBD flowers is long and tiring, but the end result is a CBD flower that’s filled with the supportive qualities of cannabidiol.