Can You Smoke Hemp? 

by Kat Austin June 30, 2022 7 min read

Can You Smoke Hemp?  - VO Inc

Hemp is being used for textiles, food products, and even building supplies, but curious consumers want to know–can you smoke hemp?

Absolutely, yes! You can smoke hemp. In fact, it's one of the most advantageous ways to consume CBD. But that's not all. Hemp flower is also a popular consumption method for many different cannabinoid products, from CBG and CBN to hemp-derived THC. If you're looking for something to convince you that smoking hemp is the way to go, just keep reading.

Table of Contents
What is Hemp?
Benefits of Smoking Hemp
Does Smoking Hemp Get You High?
Types of Smokable Hemp
How to Smoke Hemp Flower
Smokable Hemp Flower FAQs

Key Takeaways

  • Hemp can be smoked, and many people enjoy the fast-acting, shorter-lived effects of inhalation products.
  • Hemp Flower may contain psychoactive hemp derivatives, like Delta-8-THC, but it's often non-psychoactive.
  • You smoke hemp flower the same way you'd smoke traditional cannabis, and the way you consume it totally depends on preference.
  • Pay close attention to the quality of the hemp flower you choose since it will heavily dictate the safety and risks associated with the hemp smoking experience.

What is Hemp?

Hemp is a plant in the cannabis family characterized by its low THC content and lack of psychoactive effects. Because of its low THC content, hemp has been removed from the Controlled Substances Act and has gained legal status in the U.S. Farmers can now grow hemp legally, and manufacturers can make and sell hemp-based products to consumers.

Hemp has thousands of uses that cover almost every industry. It can be used to make textiles, building materials, paper, plastics, food, health supplements, and more, and is often considered a worthy alternative to wood, cotton, and petroleum products.

Hemp is also the main source of CBD, a popular therapeutic supplement with a wide range of potential health benefits. Hemp oil and CBD are often used in tinctures, foods, gummies, capsules, and beauty products. Thanks to updated extraction techniques, CBD can be used to legally produce hemp-derived THC products, like Delta-8-THC, Delta-10-THC, and THC-O products. You can possibly find all of these hemp products in a smokable form, so we'll cover more on the types of smokable hemp products available down below.

A few hand-rolled hemp joints, one of the most convenient ways to enjoy smokable hemp on the go

First, let's cover some of the reasons you may choose to smoke hemp compared to partaking in one of the many other hemp dosing methods available.

Benefits of Smoking Hemp

We mentioned that there are many different types of hemp products on the market, from topicals to tinctures to a wide variety of edible products. However, there are a few benefits to smoking hemp over other consumption methods. In fact, it may be one of the most efficient ways to utilize cannabinoid therapeutics.

Here are some of the benefits to consider:

Fast acting effects

Smoking hemp is one of the fastest acting consumption methods. When you smoke a CBD products, you can feel the effects within only a few minutes. For comparison, edibles can take up to 90 minutes to take effect and tinctures take, on average, around 45 minutes.

Stackable doses

Smoking hemp also offers the unique benefit of stacking doses, meaning you can take one small dose every few minutes and wait to feel the effects before stacking on another dose. This makes it easy even for new consumers to find their perfect dosing thresholds.

More control

Smoking hemp also has shorter-lived effects then edibles, which pairs perfectly with its fast onset. This makes it easier to control when you are and are not under the influence of hemp products, which is especially important when using hemp-derived THC products.

Hemp flower just before harvested and trimmed for consumption

Unique effects

Different hemp flower strains each contain a totally different cannabinoid and terpene profile. That means that different strains are genetically designed to provide different effects, which is a major benefit to therapeutic and recreational consumers alike.

Boosted benefits

Hemp flower contains a wide array of different cannabinoids and terpenes, meaning it’s naturally full spectrum. Many people associate full spectrum products with increased benefits compared to isolated cannabinoid compounds.

Increased Versatility

Hemp flower can be smoked, vaped, used to make homemade edibles, formulated into topicals. Check out our CBD Bath Bombs Recipe for DIY inspiration.

More Affordable

Finally, smokable hemp flower is an affordable consumption method because it's easier to produce than tinctures and edibles. It usually comes at a lower cost-per-milligram, is easy to buy in bulk, and has a lesser chance of contamination during manufacturing since the production process is shorter and less involved.

Does Smoking Hemp Get You High?

Everyone conflates smoking hemp with smoking cannabis–but it's important to note that smoking hemp will not usually get you high.

We say "usually" because it depends on the type of hemp product used. Raw hemp flower does not contain any psychoactive compounds, and the CBD that's present won't invite any psychoactive effects at all.

Of course, hemp-derived THC products are increasing in popularity, and you can find hemp flower with Delta-8 and other hemp THC isomers added. These types of smokable hemp products will get you high, so it's important to understand the difference in different types of smokable hemp products.

Types of Smokable Hemp

There are hundreds of types of smokable hemp products available, and it would be impossible to list them all, but we'll single out the three main categories of hemp flower available:

Hemp CBD Flower

CBD flower, which is usually just plain hemp flower, is the "standard" type of hemp flower available. Hemp naturally contains more CBD than other cannabinoids unless it is genetically refined not to. CBD hemp flower has lots of benefits, and it makes for an aromatic, non-psychoactive alternative to traditional cannabis flower.

Hemp Flower with Minor Cannabinoids

We mentioned that hemp flower could be genetically refined to alter the CBD levels. Typically, this is done to increase the levels of other non-psychoactive cannabinoids.

For instance, a particular strain may be engineered to contain larger quantities of CBG or CBN, each of which have their own unique wellness benefits. This offers consumers a chance to choose smokable hemp strains that meet their specific needs.

Read to learn more:


Hemp THC Flower

Although hemp flower can be genetically refined to alter it's cannabinoid content, that's not quite the method used to make THC hemp flower. Most hemp-derived THC is made through a process called "isomerization," or the process of shifting one molecule into the next.

After CBD is turned into Delta-8, THC-O, or another THC product, the resulting extract can be sprayed onto hemp flower to create a smokable product that offers the psychoactive effects and therapeutic benefits of one or more THC compounds.

The benefit to using THC hemp flower vs other hemp-THC consumption methods is that the hemp flower used also contains CBD and other hemp cannabinoids. That means that THC-hemp flower can offer the full range of hemp's entourage effect.

How to Smoke Hemp Flower

If you're convinced that smoking hemp is right for you, then you’re probably curious about how hemp flower is smoked.

In this way, hemp is very much like traditional cannabis flower. That means you can smoke it many different ways, and it all boils down to your preference. Many people like rolling hemp into joints, though it can also be smoked from a pipe, bong, or other smoking piece. You can add it to a dry herb vaporizer if you prefer. You can even use hemp flower to make your own infusions and oils for making baked goods, topicals, and more.

A hemp vape pen filled with CBD oil, an inhalation method that's similar to smoking

Vaping (vs. Smoking Hemp)

We mentioned that you can add hemp flower to a dry herb vaporizer, and there is many reason why you may want to do so.

First, vaping makes efficient use of the cannabinoids and terpenes available in the hemp flower. It's also known for having a better flavor since there's no combustion (burning) taking place.

Many people believe that vaping is also healthier for the same reason since you're inhaling vapor and not smoke. (After all, smoking anything releases toxins into the lungs.)

While we are on the topic, we also want to mention that vaping hemp oil (or hemp-derived THC oil) is also incredibly popular and offers many of the same benefits of smoking hemp flower. Because it's also an inhalation method, you can enjoy the same fast acting benefits, stackable dosing style, and flavorful experience. For many people, a hemp vaporizer is much easier to maintain than smokable hemp flower, and there may be an even wider variety of formulas available.

Looking for smokable Delta-8 hemp flower? Check out our Elev8 Collection to find favorite strains like Gorilla Glue and Pineapple Express.

Smokable Hemp Flower FAQs

Which part of the hemp plant can you smoke?

The flower is the smokable part of the hemp plant. You could technically smoke the stems, seeds, and leaves, although these parts of the plant don't contain a significant amount of cannabinoids and are known to be harsh in flavor.

Is smoking hemp safe?

Smoking hemp is just as safe as smoking cannabis. There may be drawbacks to smoking in general, especially with chronic use, since inhaling smoke can be hard on the lungs. In general, though, the risks associated with high-quality, lab-tested hemp flower are low.

Is smoking hemp safer than cigarettes?

There's no evidence directly comparing hemp flower cigarettes to tobacco cigarettes, but hemp flower doesn't contain the same chemicals and additives as nicotine-laden cigarettes.

Do hemp cigarettes show on a drug test?

In general, no, hemp doesn't contain enough THC to show up on a drug test. However, hemp-derived THC products will register the same way as traditional THC on standard drug tests. Read "Does THC-O Show Up On a Drug Test?

Do hemp cigarettes smell?

Smokable hemp flower smells like cannabis and can be mistaken for traditional cannabis flower. For many consumers, these rich aromatics are an integral part of the hemp smoking experience. Vaping hemp oil may be a more low-profile option.


Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.


Also in Cannabis Encyclopedia

HXC vs THC: Effects, Legality, and Benefits Explained - VO Inc
HXC vs THC: Effects, Legality, and Benefits Explained

by Kat Austin April 24, 2024 7 min read

HXC may fill THC's shoes better than most THC alternatives. Here's why:
Read More
What Is HHC vs Delta-8: The Differences You Shouldn't Ignore - VO Inc
What Is HHC vs Delta-8: The Differences You Shouldn't Ignore

by Kat Austin April 18, 2024 8 min read

Don't let hexahydrocannabinol be a mystery. Here's what you should know:
Read More
THCO vs THCP: Detailed Comparison Guide - VO Inc
THCO vs THCP: Detailed Comparison Guide

by Kat Austin March 28, 2024 6 min read

Slight differences between these two cannabinoids produce very unique effects.
Read More

Subscribe