Why Should You Weigh Your CBD Hemp Flower Prior to Using It?

Lots of people who start purchasing CBD hemp flower are used to previously buying CBD-infused formulas that combine a hemp extract with various ingredients to form topicals, vape oils, edibles and similar infused products.  Moving to CBD flower is a bit of an adjustment, as you’re dealing with the raw, whole buds of the hemp plant rather than an extracted form of the plant.

One of the biggest adjustments to be made when switching to flower is measuring, as it can no longer be done in terms of milligram strength, which’s what users of tinctures and edibles are used to.  But, the good news is that you can still measure-out how much hemp you’re getting, simply by weighing the flower. 

Why Do People Weigh Their CBD Flower?

In many places, there are legal limits on the amount of CBD flower an individual can possess, be it a business selling it and a consumer having it.  Weighing helps in staying within legal boundaries.  Now, in general, weighing your hemp flower is a great practice to get into, for these main reasons below.

Reason #1: In Order to Know They’ve Actually Gotten the Amount that They Paid For

First of all, weighing your flower as soon as it arrives lets you know that you’re not getting ripped off.  CBD flower is almost always sold by the number of grams or ounces, so weighing it as soon as it arrives lets you know that you have received the amount that you paid for.

Reason #2: Quality Assessment

Sometimes, the density and weight of CBD flower can indicate its quality.  Heavier, denser flowers might suggest a higher quality, as they may contain more cannabinoids and terpenes.  To be a bit more specific:

• Appearance: High-quality CBD flower should have a vibrant color, usually green with possible hints of purple or orange. The trichomes, tiny crystal-like structures, should be visible and plentiful, indicating once again, a high cannabinoid and terpene content.
• Cannabinoid Content: The potency and effects of CBD flower largely depend on its cannabinoid profile. High-quality flowers should have a high CBD content with a low THC level (usually less than 0.3% to comply with legal standards). Some products come with lab testing results, showing the exact percentages of CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids.
• Terpene Profile: Terpenes are compounds responsible for the aroma and flavor of the flower, and they also contribute to its therapeutic effects. A diverse and rich terpene profile is often a sign of a high-quality product.
• Texture and Trim: The buds should be neither too dry nor too moist. Overly dry flowers crumble easily and may have lost potency, while too moist flowers can be prone to mold. Properly trimmed buds without excessive stems or leaves indicate careful handling and processing.

Reason #3: To Ensure They’re Smoking or Vaping the Right Amount

If you smoke or vape CBD flower, and just want to know that you’re always consuming the identical number of milligrams of cannabidiol, then weighing the flower is the top way to accomplish this.  It ensures that you place the same amount of flower into your pipe, paper or vaporizer chamber each time you go for a hemp session.

Reason #4: To Follow a Recipe Correctly

If baking or cooking with raw flower, weighing is essential.  Most recipes call for making CBD butter, a hemp-infused fat that can be used to make just about any recipe.  This requires that you weigh the flower buds to know that each serving of your edible contains enough hemp for you to actually experience its properties.

Reason #5: To Have an Idea of How Much They’re Going Through

Weighing CBD flower also gives you an idea of how much flower is being gone through every, say, week.  This lets you stay on top of your consumption, and even help you budget out your monthly flower expenses.

How to Weight Your CBD Flower the Right Way

Without a doubt, the best way to weigh your hemp flower buds is to do so with a scale.  This is the only way to come up with a completely accurate measurement which can then be applied to your daily flower routine.

Step 1: Purchase the Proper Scale

Yes, you want to purchase the right scale, because not all scales are created equally.  Nowadays, most hemp enthusiasts prefer digital scales, both because they’re more accurate, and because they’re easier to read and measure.  Adding to that, you want a scale that at least weighs down to the 0.0 gram, for when you’re, say, loading small amounts into the bowl of a pipe.  How high it should go up to depends on the quantity of flower you typically buy.  For instance, some only buy 7 grams at a time, while others like to buy a whole pound of raw flower with each purchase.

Keep in mind, you will need to calibrate the scale according to the manufacturer's instructions, as this ensures accuracy when weighing.  After doing that, place the scale on a flat, stable surface.  Any tilt or instability can affect the measurements.

Step 2: Don’t Weigh the Container

Flower can be messy, which is why most people prefer to keep it in a container when weighing it.  But, if you’re going to do that, you will need to first place the empty container onto the scale before turning it on, and then placing the flower in the container once your scale is in weighing mode.  Otherwise, you’ll be recording the weight of the container as well as the flower.  Simply press the "tare" or "zero" button to subtract the weight of the container, so you only measure the weight of the flower.

Step 3: Weighing and Then Reading the Measurement

With the scale zeroed out, carefully add the CBD flower to the container.  Do this slowly to avoid spilling and to ensure an accurate measurement.  Once you have added the desired amount of CBD flower, wait for the scale to settle and then read the measurement.  It’s important to be as precise.  If needed, you can write down the weight for future reference, especially if you are tracking dosage for other reasons.

Step 4: Store Properly

After weighing, store the CBD flower in an airtight container in a cool (at room temperature), dark place to maintain its potency and freshness.

Step 5: Clean the Scale

Clean any residue from the scale and container to maintain hygiene and accuracy for future uses.  Not only that, but you just don’t want to mix any CBD flower buds with one another.

Get into the Habit of Weighing Your Hemp Flower Buds

Overall, weighing CBD flower is an essential practice for dosage accuracy, financial fairness, legal compliance, culinary precision, and quality evaluation.  And so, it must be done the right ways.  Now that you have the ability to easily weigh your CBD flower, you can apply it to your future endeavors.  For instances:

• If you want to weigh out 6 grams of flower buds to make CBD butter for baking, you can easily do so with a digital scale, in just seconds.
• If you want to make some pre-rolls and ensure you’re putting a precisely even amount of flower in each, you can use your scale to weigh each small portion.

The possibilities are endless, and weighing gives you complete control over how much flower you consume on a regular basis.