What kief is

Kief is the sift of cannabis trichomes. Trichomes are the resin glands on the surface of the flower and the small leaves around it. They snap off when the plant is trimmed, shaken, or ground. The powder that collects is kief. Another name is dry sift.

kief vs hash

What kief contains

Trichome heads hold cannabinoids and terpenes. THC and THCA sit in the resin, and a waxy cuticle on the gland holds them there. Lab tests of kief show THC from 20% to 60%. Ground flower tests 15% to 25% THC in most legal state markets. Kief also carries terpenes such as myrcene, limonene, and pinene. Those compounds evaporate when kief sits in open air or in a warm room.

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Kief is not a pure chemical. It holds plant waxes, bits of leaf, and trichome stalks. A fine screen gives cleaner sift and higher THC. A coarse screen gives more mass and lower THC.

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How kief forms

Three paths produce kief:

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  • Grinder screen. A mesh disc of 75 to 150 microns catches trichomes that fall off ground flower.
  • Dry sift. Dried flower moves over stacked screens. Processors use a 220 micron screen first, then finer mesh.
  • Trim bins. Trichomes fall to the bottom of a bin at harvest and collect as powder.

Kief compared with flower and hash

  • Flower. Whole buds, 15% to 25% THC, burns at a moderate rate.
  • Kief. Loose trichomes, 20% to 60% THC, burns fast and needs a base layer.
  • Hash. Kief pressed with heat and pressure. THC stays the same, density goes up.

How people use kief

Bowl topping is the common method. A layer of kief on top of flower adds THC to each hit. Pressed hash takes heat of 160 F to 220 F plus hand or press pressure, which turns kief into a solid block. For edibles, raw kief holds THCA, and THCA does not cause intoxication. Heating kief at 240 F for 30 to 40 minutes converts THCA to THC.

Storage and legal status

Store kief in a glass jar with an airtight lid, away from light, at 60 F to 70 F. Under US state law, kief is cannabis. In states with legal programs it counts toward purchase and possession limits. Rules differ by state, so check the local limit before buying.