The magic of kief

Any pothead is aware of kief. Kief is that magic THC pollen that falls off the buds when grinding, harvesting, and producing cannabis buds. When you collect kief in a grinder, it takes an ounce before you have enough for a decent hit, while many people will collect the dust for months, or even years.

Kief is a Trimmer’s Profit

Trimming cannabis has a few perks, so long as you have the right tools. Wearing surgical gloves when handling the buds, trim the buds over your trimming tray. So long as you use a tray with a screen, you’ll collect kief. These screen trays cost around $50, and can be purchased at any gardening specialty store. The investment is worth it for a trimmer, as it’ll pay for itself in the first day of full production (at least 200 grams). The best part of collecting kief this way is you get a couple grams on top of your daily payout. Also you’ll have a strain-specific stash to control effects.

Kief is The Original Concentrate

Kief is the original THC concentrate, and can be used to infuse foods and drinks, so long as you remember it needs heat to activate. This makes snorting kief useless. Dissolving kief in glycerin or oil is the best way to process it. The best usage of kief, however, is to smoke. While some potheads will simply pack a bowl with the dust, cannabis connoisseurs know to bake it on a healthstone for maximum effect and flavor. A hit of quality kief has a distinct flavor from hash, dabs, and nugs.

Kief errr…Sutherland?

Kief has a light olive green tint, similar to an American Army palette. It can typically be purchased in a dispensary, though it is a regional taste. Normally only people who deal with large quantities of pot will have kief available outside their personal stash. Kief is a powder, so weigh carefully, especially if purchased on the streets. Powder dealers like to cut drugs with thinning agents. This is one of many reasons I avoid pharmaceuticals.

If you’ve never tried marijuana, kief will make you cough. It’ll probably make you cough anyway. This is definitely not a beginner cannabis unless you’re looking to get knocked out. For those who have acquired the taste, kief puts the pussy on the chain wax.

Brian Penny is a former business analyst and operations manager at Bank off America turned troll, whistleblower, and consultant. He’s a frequent contributer to The Street, Cannabis Now, and Hardcore Games.