Cannabis trim is a common term used to describe the excess parts a cultivator must trim, or remove from their plants post-harvest in order to fully maximize a plant’s bloom and, in turn, get more desirable crystals.

Cannabis trim refers to two different types of leaves:

• Sugar leaves are the small leaves that grow out of the buds: Heavily concentrated trichomes, so they’re better for various extractions. Some people do not trim the sugar leaves and just leave them on the buds. This has the advantage of making the harvest heavier and the buds more appealing. In some cases, the sugar leaves are also packed with large amounts of THC.
• Fan leaves are the larger leaves that protrude from the branches: Fewer trichomes and therefore fewer cannabinoids and terpenes, making it less effective for psychoactive products. Since fan leaves contain far fewer trichomes, you won't get a good yield for rosin extract, but you can make edibles with it as we will discuss below.

Typically, removing trim helps remove some unnecessary parts of the plant, at least in terms of smoking. However, the trim should not be deemed useless.

Preparing the trimmings:

Preparing the trimmings is an important part of the process when making edibles. The first step is to gather the leaves and dry them in a well-ventilated area, then chop the dried cannabis leaves into pea-sized pieces. Lastly, remove the stems (Since stems don’t contain enough cannabinoids to affect the potency).

The next step is to decarboxylate. The process involves heating the cannabis to convert inactive THCA and CBDA to active THC and CBD. If you don't properly decarb your cannabis, the moisture from it can cause botulism bacteria to grow in your tinctures, butters or oils - making it an important process.

You’ll need the following equipment:

• An oven
• A baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Cannabis trim

1. Step 1: Preheat the oven to 235 degrees Fahrenheit (120 degrees Celsius). Place the parchment paper on the baking sheet and spread your marijuana, or hemp flower across it.
2. Step 2: Bake for approximately 40 minutes
3. Step 3: Remove and let cool. The process is now complete.

Making Edibles With Trim:

You can typically use trim just as you would cannabis flower, but there are a few differences to be aware of. Edibles are easy to make with trim, and just as tasty, although it's important to know that you may end up with a more green-colored and pungent tasting end product due to the high levels of chlorophyll.

THC is fat soluble, so you need to put the trim in some type of fat. The most common are oil, butter or milk. Let’s take a look at how you can make the various edibles;

Cannabis Butter (cannabutter):

Infusing butter with cannabis to make ‘cannabutter’ with trimmings is one of the most popular and simplest ways to make cannabis-infused edibles. It is the main ingredient for a wide range of marijuana edibles. Most homemade edibles start with cannabutter. Butter is an ideal host for infused cannabis. Its pliability makes it really versatile for carrying THC and other cannabinoids.

Here is an easy recipe for how to make cannabutter with trim (the sugar leaves removed from harvested plants). What you’ll need:

• Cannabis trim
• Water
• Cookie sheet
• Salted butter
• Stirring spoon
• Cooking pot
• sharp knife

Step 1: After decarboxylating, chop up your trimmings, or use a kitchen blender.

Step 2: Melt your butter in the cooking pot and add water.

Step 3: Add the trim into the pot and let it simmer for about 4-8 hours, but you can let it simmer for longer if you are aiming for extreme potency.

Step 4. Add water as needed because it evaporates and the level in the pot lowers.

Step 5. Strain the mixture after the boiling is complete

Step 6. Place the butter into containers, let it cool and store it in the fridge

Once the process is complete, your cannabutter should look something like this;

How To Dose Cannabutter

Dosing homemade edibles is a complex but necessary part of the process. Each batch varies, depending on your type of cannabis and cooking techniques. All you need to know is how much cannabis you used in your butter and its THCA percentage.

Here is the calculator as provided by ‘INSIDER’;

10 milligrams is the standard dose for edible companies. 10 milligrams will feel relaxing, a bit euphoric, sedative, and calming for most people. If you have never consumed cannabis before, start even lower at 5 milligrams and build from there.

What to make with cannabutter

• Cannabutter fudge
• Peanut butter cookies
• Blondies
• Cheesecake
• Tarts

Cannabis-infused Coconut Oil:

Cannabis-infused coconut oil packs the potency without the animal fat for plant-based edibles. Nearly pure fat, coconut oil effortlessly binds to the cannabinoids in cannabis and has a higher smoke point than some other oils. Coconut oil is an accessible and versatile base for creating strong cannabis infusions, topicals, and medicinal edibles because of its high saturated fat content.

Not only is cannabis-infused coconut oil a great holder of potency, but it is also adaptable to different diets like ketogenic and vegan - all while tasting great. When you compare the coconut oil fat content with Olive oil, there is a difference of over 60% with coconuts taking the lead. This makes Coconut oil a perfect base for every cannabis-edible.

Here's what you will need for the recipe:

• Cannabis trim (amount depends on your desired potency)
• Coconut Oil
• Water
• Mason jar
• Baking Sheet
• Aluminum foil
• Grinder
• Pot (For Cooking)
• Cheesecloth
• Spoon

Step 1: Decarboxylate your trim.

Step 2: Fill your mason jar with coconut oil

Step 3: Fill your pot with water, and keep it over the stove with enough heat that it is not boiling yet.

Step 4: Place the decarboxylated trim and place it into the coconut oil in the mason jar, and seal the lid of the jar tightly.

Step 5: Place the mason jar in the pot and start boiling the water. Keep the temperature remains between 160℉ and below 200℉.

Step 6: Maintain the process for around 4 hours.

Step 7: After 4 hours, strain the coconut oil into a container. Now your coconut oil is ready to be used!

In the end, your cannabis-infused coconut oil should look somewhat similar to this;

What can you make with cannabis-infused coconut oil?

• Cookies
• Cauliflower rice
• Coconut oil chews/macaroons
• Banana bread
• Banana and coconut oil smoothie

It’s clear that neglecting cannabis trim is a massive mistake, and one commonly made. Cannabis trim is the best way to make edibles, and as you can see - the potential is endless. Cannabidiol (CBD) sugar trim available at BlackTieCBD.Net. Search “Flower”, then select “Trim/Shake” within the Quantity filter on the left hand side of the screen. If you would like assistance, please feel free to call us at (888)702-2285. Speak with you soon!

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As many of you know, curing and drying are processes that can significantly impact the taste and general quality of your cannabis crop. Properly drying and curing your fresh cannabis stash is paramount to prevent harsh smoke and prevent mold contamination from taking place.

Harvesting your cannabis is only half the work. Post harvest operations are arguably just as important as pre-harvest. Many believe that curing and drying are the same things, which they aren’t. Black Tie CBD has been asked why we haven’t released our 2021 strains, and the answer is simple; we believe in a low and slow curing process that ensures quality to the end product that we offer you.

Below, we’ll share our answers to some frequently asked questions on the drying and curing processes, so you can maximize the flavor and potency of your stash - as well as better understand how post-harvest processes are done correctly.

The importance of drying cannabis

Freshly harvested cannabis buds contain significant moisture, which needs to be dealt with before smoking. Essentially, drying also converts THC from its non-psychoactive, crude, acidic form to its psychoactive neutral form.

Cannabis flowers are full of active components; The resin glands contain THC, CBD and other cannabinoids. The issue is that when your plants are recently harvested, they’re still quite green and most of the THC is inactive. Drying marijuana means reducing the water content of the buds to 10-15%, depending on the desired crispiness of the final product.

A dry shouldn’t be too quick or the outside of buds will appear dry but the insides won’t be, leaving chlorophyll within; too long, and buds could develop mold.

How do you dry cannabis?

The drying procedure usually depends on the trimming process that you use;

• Dry trimming
• If you’re trimming plants after they’ve been dried, then you’ll be able to hang them from a line or hanger. Hanging is preferable as it prevents buds from becoming misshapen. To test if the plants are ready for trimming, you can try bending a branch. If it bends, it needs more drying. If it snaps, it is ready for trimming and curing.

• Wet trimming
• If you trim the plants before drying, you’ll have smaller plant parts to dry and need to use a rack. You can check when buds are ready for curing by squeezing them. If they still feel wet or moist, they likely need more time before moving on to curing.

Dying cannabis involves focusing on:

• The drying method used.
• Temperature.
• Moisture levels.

What are the drying methods?

Hang Drying Cannabis

Hang drying is a cost-effective solution for cannabis cultivators with a limited budget and involves exposing your cannabis to the open air. To hang-dry your cannabis, your branches are hung upside down from an elevated position and dried. You must regularly monitor the temperature and airflow of the room for the best results.

Choosing a cool, dark place to dry your buds is essential. Ensure that your flowers are spaced adequately for airflow to carry moisture particles away without attracting mold. Hang-drying is great, but requires a lot of environmentally controlled space.

This process usually takes anywhere from 1-2 weeks.

Using a drying rack

When preparing cannabis for commercial purposes, trimming machines are usually used, so this method is ideal. A drying rack is great for keeping the yield organized, and there is far lower risk of contamination or mold. While this option is more pricey, it is the ideal piece of equipment when it comes to drying weed correctly. Using a drying rack with a large surface area for the buds allows for more airflow, meaning that the moisture is taken away in far less time.

Again, this is a process that takes upwards of 10 days. If the snapping sound of your bud is crispy and sharp, then you know that your weed has been dried properly.

While you may be looking for a faster drying process, If buds are dried too quickly, chlorophyll and other pigments, starch, and nitrates are trapped within plant tissue, making it taste “green,” burn unevenly and taste bad. However, slowly dried buds taste sweet and smoke smooth. Taste and aroma improve when pigments break down. Slow even drying–where moisture content is the same throughout stems, foliage and buds– allows enough time for the pigments to degrade.

How to perfect the drying process:

As stated above, we focus on a slow drying process. We hang entire plants to dry; allowing the process to take place over time. We remove large leaves and stems (fan leaves) in the field as fresh leaves are easier to work with. The plants are then hung until they reach an ideal moisture content. At that point they buds are hand-trimmed and placed into curing.

Temperature:

We place importance on circulation and ventilation as this helps us control the heat and humidity of the room. The ideal air temperature is between 65 and 75°F (18-24°C), and humidity from 45-55%. Any temperatures lower may slow drying and increase the threat of harsh smoke, and any temperatures higher may cause the buds to mold.

Similarly, any lower than suggested humidity causes a speedy dry period, causing the retention of chlorophyll and giving the weed a terrible taste and odor.  The most important thing to note is that different climates are required for growing cannabis and drying it.

Hanging:

Due to the quantity of cannabis that we dry, we use a large space for drying. It is ideal to cut the plants at the base and remove the large leaves - then hang them on the drying lines in the drying facility. Branches should be cut from 12-40 inches, with each branch manicured and hung.

Manicured branches should be hung to dry for a few days before being bucked from the stem and placed on drying screens to allow the bulk of the moisture to dissipate. Once it is all on screens, the buds should be turned daily to ensure even drying. It is also adequate for manicured buds to be placed in boxes to dry, but the drying pace is slower due to the limited airflow.

Drying time:

Drying can take between five to seven days depending on temperature, humidity and bud density. The larger, denser buds can take around four days longer, so it’s important to check your buds to determine the proper moisture content. If you want to check the readiness, bend the stem and ensure that it snaps rather than folds; this generally indicates that it is ready to cure.

The importance of curing cannabis:

The curing process is possibly the most overlooked aspect of producing cannabis. During curing, moisture continues to draw from the center of the bud toward the outside.

Curing your bud is similar to the aging process of products like wine and cheese. Instead of a fermentation process, the main focus is on humidity with curing weed. Because even-though most moisture has evaporated and left the cannabis during the drying of the plants, there’s still some moisture left in the weed. Any friction and rough handling of the buds will knock off valuable resin glands and diminish the cannabinoid content.

The first week of curing affects potency as it evenly removes moisture within the bud so virtually all the THC is psychoactive, which is what most people are after. Curing also allows buds to dry enough that mold does not grow when buds are stored. Well-cured buds have an even glow when burned and smoke smooth. It is essentially not enough to simply keep your weed in a jar and say that it’s been correctly cured.

The process of curing cannabis:

The first step to curing your cannabis is to cut the stems into lengths less than 30-45 cm and then place them into an airtight container, ideally with a rubber seal. Any Ziploc or plastic bags are not ideal - some growers say that plastic imparts an undesirable flavor on the buds and is not impervious to oxygen.

Once the buds are enclosed, a microclimate is created, and the buds get an even spread of moisture. Once the buds are enclosed, they should be stored in a cool, dry, and dark place. Check on your buds at least once per day for two weeks. Use a hygrometer to check relative moisture in the container during the curing process. If you don’t have a hygrometer handy, you can gently squeeze to feel if they are moister than before.

During this check-up, keep your jars open to allow for air exchange, and inspect each bud individually for signs of mold. If you find an infected bud, make sure to remove it from its jar immediately to avoid the fungus spreading. If buds are sticking together in clumps when you try to shake the container, it means they still have too much moisture and need to be dried further.

Ideal conditions for drying cannabis:

Humidity

You want to stabilize the relative humidity at around 45-55% when the buds are placed in an enclosed container. This is the correct environment to cure your cannabis buds to perfection.

Temperature

65-75

Light

None

If buds are too dry:

leave them in the container and let excess moisture escape out the top by opening the container for a few minutes every few hours before closing the lid again.

If buds are too moist:

If you live in a normal to dry climate, you may be able to get away with just leaving the top off the jars for 1-4 hours. If you live in a humid climate, you may have to take the buds out of the jars and lay them out until the outsides begin to feel dry again.

The curing process is most important during the first two weeks and can take over six months for the highest quality outcome. It’s clear that this process is incredibly long when done correctly, which is why we release our new strains later than most other companies. We place the utmost importance on a long process that ensures the highest quality outcome.

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