As spring takes over, our blessed green spaces become inundated with flowers and herbs sprouting up everywhere. Happily, many of these are completely safe to smoke. Even better, they taste great and often have medicinal properties to boot. Whether you vape or smoke, if you’ve ever been curious about mixing your cannabis consumption with other plants, this season is a great time to experiment.
If the idea of mixing your cannabis with other herbs seems odd, remember one of the most popular ways to smoke weed—blunts—is a blend. It’s just cannabis mixed with tobacco, usually rolled in tobacco leaf papers. While many lovely premade blends are available, I highly recommend making your own.
There are numerous benefits to incorporating spices, flowers, and herbs into your weed. It smells good, looks good, and tastes good. The medicinal properties of your favorite strains—like relieving insomnia, pain, or stress—can be supported and even heightened. Smoking blends can also stretch your stash a bit, essentially watering down your weed and bringing your tolerance levels down while still satisfying your urge to smoke.
To make your own blends, start with a simple recipe, quality ingredients, and a spirit for adventure. Do some research on sites like Smokable Herbs or The Herbal Academy, and compile a list of flowers, herbs, and spices that are safe to smoke and will result in the medical effects you desire. Then head to a local apothecary like Cunning Crow, Rainbow Remedies, or Sugar Pill for your herbs. Ask lots of questions and take some notes.
There are three basic herb types that can go into a recipe:
Binding herbs: These will “bind” the other ingredients into a cohesive blend. Some popular ones are mullein and red raspberry leaf.
Effects herbs: These are the ingredients in the blend that have an “effect.” You could include weed in this portion, as well as herbs like mugwort for irregular periods or thyme and sage for lung health.
Flavor herbs: Self-explanatory. Some great ones to start with are lavender, anise, and peppermint.
But those are just the basics. Other types of herbs can vary the smoking properties. For example, if you like your blend to have a richer, thicker smoke, like tobacco, you can add blackberry leaf or willow bark for that extra oomph.
Use a mortar and pestle or your grinder to get your herbs uniform. Grab a big bowl and add a teaspoon of each herb to start, adjusting for flavor and strength as you go. If your herbs are particularly dry, add a couple of drops of water or honey to bring up the moisture. Go for a consistency similar to the stickiness of nugs.
Another way to bring the garden into your canna-routine is to create flower wraps. Last year, Twitter user @simple_sasha broke the Internet when she posted a video demonstrating how to create a blunt-like wrap with fresh rose petals. It smokes smoothly and looks sexy as hell. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, since roses have added flavor to sweets, teas, and smoking blends like shisha all over Europe and India for centuries.
If all that sounds like too much work, never fear. Many vape-cartridge makers now offer options with essential oil blends, opening up your possibilities past what might be growing on your front stoop. Some folks are recommending adding essential oils to your cartridges, but I would encourage talking with an aromatherapist or naturopath first to get advice on the proper dilution rates. If you are vaping, remember to keep your temperatures low by taking small, short pulls. And don’t forget to savor the flavor!
stashbox@seattleweekly
