Vaping your herbs isn’t just better than smoking because it’s cleaner and doesn’t deposit tar in your lungs. Those are certainly great benefits – but if you ask us, the real magic of vaping is that you get to have double the fun! If you’re not sure what we’re talking about, prepare yourself because “ABV” is about to become one of your favorite terms.
ABV Means You Can Use the Same Herbs Twice!
ABV is short for “already been vaped.” If you’ve been opening your vaporizer after each session and dumping your used herbs in the trash, you’ve been missing out because those used herbs still have plenty of useful compounds in them. Put enough ABV herbs together, and you’ll have an experience that’s just as potent – and much longer lasting – than the experience you get from vaping fresh herbs.
The best part is that when you use a temperature-controlled vaporizer, you can actually control what’s in your used herbs to some extent. While THC vaporizes at about 315 degrees Fahrenheit, THC-V vaporizes at 428 degrees. If you vape at a lower temperature, there will still be plenty of good stuff left in your used herbs! Even if you prefer vaping at higher temperatures, though, you will still experience something when you use your ABV herbs because no vaping temperature consumes the herbs fully.
ABV herbs are already decarboxylated from the heat of your vaporizer’s oven, and they’re ready to use just as they are. The list of things that you can do with your ABV bud is just about endless. You can simply eat them as they are. In this article, though, we’re going to provide some ABV weed uses that are a bit more interesting. Starting today, don’t ever throw your herbs away after vaping again. Find a clean, tight-sealing jar and dump in your ABV herbs after each session. Save those toasty herbs for a rainy day; you’ll thank us later.
A Note About ABV Herb Edibles
If you’ve never made edible products from your herbs before, start slowly when you try eating ABV flower for the first time. While vaping causes the beneficial compounds in your herbs to enter your bloodstream almost instantly, it takes your body much longer to metabolize those compounds when you eat them. When you eat ABV herbs, it’ll be up to about 90 minutes before you’ll begin to feel the effects – and the effects may last for hours. Start with a small amount and allow plenty of time to gauge how you feel before you consume more.
ABV Firecrackers
If you want to, you can experience all the benefits of ABV bud by simply eating it plain. If you do, though, you’ll notice something: ABV herbs don’t taste very good. Some people compare the flavor to that of burned popcorn. Many ABV herb uses, therefore, focus on doing something to alter or cover the flavor – and that’s the reason why ABV firecrackers are so popular. To make one, heat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and grab a graham cracker along with some peanut butter or Nutella. Top the graham cracker with the spread of your choice and sprinkle some of your ABV herbs on top. Tent the ABV firecracker with foil and heat it in the oven until the peanut butter or Nutella becomes nice and melty. Consume and enjoy.
ABV Tincture
One extremely easy way to take advantage of the compounds in your ABV herbs is by making a tincture. Fill a short, wide-mouthed jar with ABV herbs and pour in enough of a strong drinkable alcohol such as Everclear to cover the herbs completely. You can store the jar in your freezer if you like; the alcohol won’t freeze. Seal the jar tightly and give it a good, firm shake periodically over the next several days. Strain the mixture through a nut milk bag and pour It into an amber glass bottle. Your ABV tincture may not smell or taste very good, but it’ll be potent. Take one dropper by holding it under the tongue for several seconds before swallowing it. If you can’t tolerate the alcohol burn, add a dropperful to a glass of water. Wait a couple of hours for the effects to set in before deciding whether you’d like to use more.
ABV Capsules
If you can’t stand the taste of ABV flower, making ABV capsules is a great way to enjoy the full benefits of your herbs without actually tasting them. To make the capsules, you only need empty capsules and a capping machine. You’ll find both in a well-stocked pharmacy. Place the capsules in a jar and store the jar in a cool, dry place. You may want to add a packet of silica gel to the jar to control moisture. One of the great things about ABV capsules is that they’re an easy way to maintain consistency in dosing. If you always use the same material, always vape at the same temperature and always pack your capsules tightly, your capsules will provide much the same experience every time.
ABV Butter
Making ABV butter or coconut oil is a great way to enjoy the benefits of your ABV herbs in a variety of different applications. You can use it as a replacement for another fat when making baked goods such as brownies. You can drizzle it over salad, popcorn or pasta. As long as you don’t heat it past about 314 degrees Fahrenheit, you can use it in place of any other oil. To make ABV butter, combine your ABV herbs with butter and water in a saucepan and heat the mixture at a low temperature for about three hours. Don’t let the mixture boil.
After three hours, pour the mixture through a cheesecloth or coffee filter and into a Pyrex bowl. Refrigerate the bowl until the oil solidifies. When you remove the bowl from the refrigerator, you’ll find a solid puck of oil floating on top of the water. Remove and dry the puck before moving it to another bowl for storage. Discard the water.
Adding water to your mixture when making ABV butter is optional. The benefit of using water, though, is that chlorophyll is water soluble. Cannabinoids, on the other hand, are fat soluble. When you mix butter and water, the water will draw out some of the substances that give ABV flower its characteristic flavor. The beneficial compounds, however, will remain locked within the butter.
ABV Compost
If you try ABV herb edibles and decide that they aren’t for you, there’s still no need to throw your herbs away. Have you decided that you can’t stand the taste of ABV herbs? Maybe you simply don’t like the long-lasting effects of edibles and would rather use your herbs in a way that doesn’t keep you locked to your couch all day. No problem – just add your used herbs to your compost heap! Added to compost, ABV bud is the perfect fertilizer.
