Do weed leaves make you high? Can you smoke then and get that euphoric feeling you long for? Or will it simply be smoke entering your lungs if you try it?
A lot of people want to know the answer to this question, and we don’t blame them. If you want to find out if you can get high from smoking weed leaves, just keep reading.
Maybe you’ll learn something interesting!
Wait, Which Part of the Plant Do You Smoke?
If you’re wondering which part of the plant you should smoke in order to feel the effects, the answer is actually pretty simple.
The active ingredient in marijuana is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). The bud of the plant is actually the part that is smoked and causes the high.
For anyone who isn’t familiar with weed, this is a genuine question. Anyone who has some experience with weed might give you a weird look if you ever actually asked it.
However, if you don’t ask questions, how are you supposed to know?
With that being said, it’s easy to see where the confusion stems from.
After all, the leaf of the marijuana plant is the symbol, right? You don’t walk down the street and see a nondescript bud on peoples’ shirts – it won’t mean anything.
The leaf is iconic, and everyone recognizes it. However, the leaf is not what is usually smoked to get the desired effects.
Even if you typically smoke the bud, does that mean that you can’t smoke the leaves? Well, if you’re curious about whether it’s actually possible or not, stay tuned.
We’re going to find out.
The Types Of Weed Leaves
Like anything, there are a multitude of different weed leaves. Many of the leaves on a marijuana plant are crucial for keeping the plant alive, but not all of them.
We’ll take a look at the most common leaf types that you will come across when looking at a plant.
The Fan Leaves
The fan leaves are the leaves that grow away from the buds.
These leaves can reach impressive sizes, especially during the flowering stage. It is these leaves that are crucial for keeping the plant alive.
In order to survive, a plant needs to be able to absorb enough light, and these leaves do just that.
As a result, these leaves don’t contain enough THC to warrant even touching.
Of course, some of these fan leaves might have higher THC levels than others, but that still doesn’t mean they’re worth smoking.
For some, it could be an interesting experiment, but as a whole, you wouldn’t be missing out on much to steer clear from smoking them.
If you tried smoking them, most people would just experience a lot of light-headedness rather than the sought after effects.
The Trimmings And Sugar Leaves
This is where you will want to look if you want leaves to get you buzzing. This is because the trimmings and sugar leaves are very high in THC.
The trimmings are those leaves that remain after other parts of the plant have been removed. They can range anywhere from 2% to 20% THC depending on the strain.
Sugar leaves are essentially the same thing, except they aren’t trimmed off like the trimmings.
Instead, they are left on the stalks of the plant. Because the sugar leaves tend to be lower in THC, you might be able to consume more without having any negative side effects.
That means that you could potentially use them instead of the trimmings. Or, you could combine them.
Both the trimmings and sugar leaves can have high levels of trichomes, making them potentially great for a smoke.
It won’t give you the same effect as regular bud will, but it will definitely do something.
Can You Make Edibles Or Hash With Weed Leaves?
The short answer? Yes! In fact, this is a pretty good idea, and you’ll get better results than trying to smoke it all.
The amount of plant matter you would need to smoke to get the desired effects is unrealistic for many.
When you use the leaves to create edibles, the THC can get concentrated.
This means that you won’t have to have as much, and you’ll get the effect you want.
Making Edibles With Weed Leaves
If you’re going to use leaves and trim to make edibles, the process is pretty straightforward.
All you need to do is follow the instructions for making regular edibles with bud, but add the trimmings instead.
Just be careful to not overdo it, because you will need to use more material to get by. Other than that, there’s nothing stopping you from trying out edibles made with leaves!
Making Hash With Weed Leaves
It’s a smart idea to use weed leaves to make hash – even commercial growers do it.
It would be a waste to just throw the sugar leaves away when they contain decent amounts of THC, you have to do something with it, right?
The one thing to note is that you need to be very careful if you’re planning on making hash from weed leaves.
Using solvents to make concentrates is not recommended at any point, unless you actually have the proper training.
Not only do you need training, but you need to be in the right environment and have all the right equipment to do it safely and properly.
If you don’t have the training, environment, or equipment, do not do it. Instead, try making bubble hash.
Bubble hash results in a great product, but without the need for neither heat nor solvents.
It’s overall a much safer way of doing things, and the way we will always recommend if you’re new to hash. It isn’t worth putting yourself and others on the line.
Can You Eat Weed Leaves?
Just think of it as lettuce, right? No. Technically, you could eat weed leaves to get your high (at least a little, anyway), but it really isn’t recommended.
You would have to eat a bucket load (probably more) for it to have any kind of effect on you, and the pain of that just isn’t worth it.
The majority of the THCa would never even end up getting converted into THC. Instead, it would just pass through the digestive system, serving no purpose.
In order for THCa to be converted into THC, it needs to be heated up. Of course, you could argue that you can simply throw some raw cannabis into the oven for the conversion process to happen, and it should work.
However, in order for any kind of effect to happen to you, the cannabis that you digest still needs to get into the bloodstream.
Cannabis leaves are difficult to digest, so your body just kind of leaves it to pass through. A very small amount of the THC will enter the system, but it just isn’t worth it.
Doing this will make the THC bond with alcohol or fat, which makes it way easier for the body to process it. When your body can properly process it, then you will really feel the effects of it.
With that being said, there are two big reasons as to why you probably don’t want to eat cannabis leaves.
Those two reasons being:
Pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides – the vast majority of commercial growers will use some kind of chemical on their plants to keep them healthy and strong. The thing is, these chemicals are made to kill plants and insects, so they aren’t meant for consumption. Herbicides and any other chemical treatments will not help you to get high, but they could be harmful to you, especially when consumed in large doses.
It could make you feel sick – it isn’t unusual for people who try to eat raw weed leaves to actually feel sick afterwards. We aren’t sure what causes this – maybe man-made chemicals, but it’s just another reason to not do it.
The Best Time In The Plant’s Cycle To Smoke Weed Leaves
You won’t find decent levels of THC in the leaves year-round (or cycle-round). As the cycle goes, the plant will change, and this affects the THC levels.
If you’re wondering when the best time is to actually smoke weed leaves, it will be after the leaf has been cured.
What does this mean? Let’s take a look.
Curing Weed Leaves – The Best Time
When a cannabis plant reaches maturity, it will get harvested. What does this mean?
Well, the plant will be cut down, and it will gradually dry out.
This means that the chlorophyll content will decrease over time until all that remains are the cannabinoids. These cannabinoids are what give the plant its flavor, smell, and potency.
When the plant is dried, it will usually go through a curing process. Some growers will use direct sunlight, while others will use an artificial light source.
Regardless of how it gets done, the idea is to dry the plant down until it becomes brittle.
Once it’s become brittle, the buds will separate from the stem, making it easy to pick off. In the case of the leaves, when the leaves are dried out, they can be smoked.
Smoking the leaves after they’ve dried out will give you the best results you could hope for. It will also allow you to get the THC into your system easily, unlike the other options below.
When It Is Harvested – Not A Great High
If you are impatient, you might be tempted to smoke the leaves before they dry out.
Smoking the leaves when they get harvested isn’t a great idea, and it definitely doesn’t make for a great smoke.
If you did it, however, you would likely still get high, but would it be worth it?
Before the Plant Flowers – Don’t do it
Finally, you could try to smoke the leaves before the plant even flowers. Unfortunately, doing this would only be torture to every part of you, and you wouldn’t even get high.
If the plant hasn’t flowered yet, then it is still in a vegetative state. That means that there will be no THC present, since it develops during the flowering stage.
Even if you’re really desperate, don’t do this. It will be a painful experience that you will get absolutely nothing out of.
Smoking freshly harvested leaves (during the flowering cycle) would at least yield some results.
Final Thoughts
So, while you can actually smoke marijuana leaves, it isn’t really recommended. It’s a lot of work and smoking for such a small reward.
If you want to be smart about it, you should make bubble hash (0r regular hash if you have the experience and equipment).
Better yet, use the sugar leaves and trimmings in edibles. You will appreciate the end result a lot more.
Hello, my name is Tom Bowler and I have been interested in the studies of cannabis for years. My brother and I have been testing out different strains and smoking techniques since we were in our early 20s, so we have some knowledge to impart on anyone willing to listen.
This website is a safe space for people genuinely interested in cannabis to learn in a judgment-free zone. We’ll look at the different ways it can be smoked, rolling techniques, strains, and much more.
So, stay a while and get acquainted with the world of cannabis - it’s not as dark and scary as the rest of the internet would have you believe.
