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Making The Most Of Your Already-Vaped Bud
If you have been using a dry herb vaporizer for your cannabis, you may be immediately throwing it out after your session. What you may not know is that there are still cannabinoids left in this weed. Here are some of the ways you can put it to good use.
As a healthier alternative to smoking, more and more cannabis users are turning to vaping. There aren't just vape cartridges for cannabis oil. There are also dry herb vaporizers one can fill directly with ground-up cannabis. To release the THC in the plant, these vaporizers should be heating in the 157–227°C (315–440°F) range. This creates a stronger, dizzier high with fewer health risks. It's just vapour with cannabinoids and terpenes. Vaping weed will leave it looking brownish, as though it has now been degraded to the point where it can no longer be used. This impression has led many cannabis users to throw away already-vaped bud (AVB).
DON’T WASTE YOUR CANNABIS
This would be a waste of cannabis that, in fact, still has many viable applications. It is not even the case that the psychoactive THC is completely gone. You will indeed get most of it from vaping, but it will still be there along with an abundance of other cannabinoids. That is unless it turns a very dark brown or black, in which case it's been too overheated to be used again. Remember the ideal heat range of 157–227°C (315–440°F). If you are going to throw it away, at least see if you can compost it. There's a lot more fun you can have with the used weed, though. Smoking your vaped weed in a joint might give you a mild high, but it's usually bitter-tasting and unsatisfying. There are three things you can do that are a lot more fun and may bring a whole new dimension to culinary delights.
EDIBLES
What many people don't realise about vaping is that it is a form of decarboxylation. This is a key process in preparing cannabis edibles. Cannabis must be heated to turn cannabinoid acid THCA into active THC, for example. This is typically a time-consuming process in the oven. Then, your recipe for cannabis edibles will typically involve butter. If you are vegan, feel free to substitute any mention of butter with coconut oil. Obviously, the longer you spend saving up AVB, the more potent your cannabis edibles will be!
Since you basically skipped over the “regular” decarbing process, you can go right ahead and infuse your butter with your AVB. Heat a saucepan over low heat to a simmer with your butter (or coconut oil), an equal amount of water, and the vaped weed. From here, the infusing process is usually most effective after 2–4 hours, but can be left longer if desired. Just make sure it simmers and doesn't boil. This will absolutely degrade the cannabinoid potency. Also, be mindful as this will create a strong smell in your kitchen.
When you are finished simmering, strain the mixture through some kind of mesh sieve or cheesecloth. This will remove the lumpiest parts from the mixture. In a perfect situation, you want to keep as little plant matter as possible. Leave the bowl of cannabis-infused butter to cool, then place in your fridge overnight. The following day, a hardened layer of butter should have formed on top of the water. Chip this off and add it to whatever sweet or savoury recipe you can imagine. You will enjoy a strong edibles high that could last between 4–8 hours.
CURING
If that process sounds too complicated, it is technically possible to eat the vaped weed raw. However, it will have a bitter taste and it won't deliver as strong a high as infusing weed into edibles. You may be able to mask the taste with something like peanut butter or Nutella. You could sprinkle it onto food as an herb, or even grind it up with coffee beans for a real strong buzz in the morning. If you want to remove the bitter flavour, there is a curing process that will eliminate the odour and taste. This process can take up to 4–7 days however, so stock up on AVB until you have several grams or so to make it worthwhile.
The curing process requires you to wrap the vaped weed up in cheesecloth as though it was a big teabag. Leave it submerged in water. Check it regularly so that murky water can be replaced with fresh water. After 4–7 days, drain the water and spread the water-cured weed evenly across a baking tray. Preheat your oven to 90–95ºC (200ºF). Place the baking tray inside and carefully mix the weed every half hour. After 2 hours, the weed should be dry and ready to add directly to food or an edibles recipe, but now without the bitter taste of vaped weed.
TINCTURES
Tinctures are also a popular, discreet method of taking cannabis. A dropper bottle allows you to administer concentrated cannabis oil right under your tongue. After holding 2–3 drops under your tongue for 30 seconds, you should start feeling effects within 15 minutes, which will last for a couple hours. In a similar process to the curing method above, you too can make your own cannabis tincture from your leftover vaped weed. Find an alcohol that's at least 90 proof, like vodka or Everclear. Add your weed and leave it to steep. Every once in a while, shake it gently. You can leave it for a few hours or a few days. The longer you leave it, the more potent it will become.
After a few days maximum, strain the mixture through a cheesecloth, sieve, or other fine mesh. Store in a dark bottle in a cool place out of sunlight. The drops under your tongue could be every bit as wonderful in their impact as high-quality cannabis oils. At any rate, you will be getting the benefit of cannabinoids still present in your AVB.
You should be making the most of it after all. If you have any other suggestions on how to do this, leave a comment or get in touch on our social media channels.
