Smoking has been a widespread practice for centuries, with tobacco being the most common substance used. However, in recent years, there has been a growing interest in smoking herbs as an alternative to traditional tobacco products. This article will compare and contrast the benefits, effects, and risks of smoking herbs versus traditional tobacco.

What are Smokable Herbs?

Smokable herbs, also known as herbal cigarettes or herbal blends, are mixtures of various dried herbs, flowers, and leaves that are smoked for recreational or medicinal purposes. Some common herbs used in these blends include:

• Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
• Damiana (Turnera diffusa)
• Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)
• Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)
• Raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus)

These herbs are often chosen for their purported relaxing, mood-enhancing, or medicinal properties.¹

A mix of dried herbs that may offer an alternative to traditional tobacco for those looking to explore different smokable options.

Benefits of Smoking Herbs

Smoking herbs may offer several potential benefits compared to traditional tobacco:

1. Nicotine-free: Most smokable herbs do not contain nicotine, making them non-addictive and potentially less harmful than tobacco.²
2. Fewer chemicals: Herbal blends typically contain fewer toxic chemicals and additives compared to commercial tobacco products.
3. Potential medicinal properties: Some herbs have been traditionally used for their therapeutic effects, such as reducing anxiety, promoting relaxation, or alleviating respiratory issues.³
4. Customizable blends: Smokable herb mixtures can be tailored to individual preferences and needs, allowing for a personalized smoking experience.

A box of herbal cigarettes presents an alternative to traditional tobacco

Risks and Drawbacks of Smoking Herbs

While smoking herbs may have some advantages over tobacco, it is essential to be aware of the potential risks and drawbacks:

• Smoke inhalation: Inhaling smoke from any source can irritate the lungs and respiratory system, potentially leading to coughing, wheezing, and other respiratory issues.⁴
• Limited research: There is limited scientific research on the long-term effects and safety of smoking herbs, making it difficult to fully assess the risks.
• Potential allergic reactions: Some individuals may be allergic to certain herbs, leading to adverse reactions when smoked.
• Interactions with medications: Herbs can interact with prescription medications, causing unwanted side effects or reducing the effectiveness of the drugs.⁵

Smoking is not healthy but it remains a personal choice

Traditional Tobacco: Effects and Risks

Traditional tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco, have well-documented effects and risks:

• Nicotine addiction: Tobacco contains nicotine, a highly addictive substance that can lead to dependence and withdrawal symptoms.
• Health risks: Smoking tobacco is associated with numerous health problems, including lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory illnesses.⁶
• Secondhand smoke: Tobacco smoke can harm not only the smoker but also those around them, exposing them to toxic chemicals and increasing their risk of health issues.
• Social and environmental impact: Tobacco use has significant social and environmental consequences, such as the cost of healthcare, lost productivity, and pollution from cigarette waste.

Workers harvest broad-leafed tobacco plants, a traditional component of cigarettes.

Making an Informed Decision

When considering smoking herbs or traditional tobacco, it is crucial to make an informed decision based on the available information and your personal health goals. While smoking herbs may offer some potential benefits and be seen as a less harmful alternative to tobacco, it is not without risks.

If you choose to smoke herbs, it is essential to:

• Research the herbs you plan to use and their potential effects and interactions
• Start with small amounts and monitor your body’s response
• Use high-quality, organically grown herbs from reputable sources
• Be aware of any pre-existing health conditions that may be affected by smoking
• Consider alternative methods of consuming herbs, such as teas or tinctures, which may have fewer risks associated with smoking

Moreover, it is worth exploring the cultural and historical use of these herbs. Many indigenous cultures have smoked herbs for centuries, not only for their physical effects but also for spiritual practices. Understanding the context in which these herbs have been traditionally used can provide a deeper appreciation for their potential benefits and uses.

Additionally, the legal status of smoking herbs varies by region, and it’s important to be informed about the laws in your area. Some herbs may be regulated or prohibited, so always ensure that you are in compliance with local regulations.

Conclusion

Smokable herbs and traditional tobacco products each have their own set of benefits, effects, and risks. While smoking herbs may be seen as a less harmful alternative to tobacco, it is not without potential drawbacks. Ultimately, the decision to smoke either substance should be made after careful consideration of the available information and personal health goals. If you have concerns about smoking or your health, it is always best to consult with a qualified healthcare professional.

Herbal incense, also known as smoking blends or botanical incense, is a mixture of dried herbs, flowers, and other natural ingredients that are burned for their aromatic and therapeutic properties. Creating your own herbal incense allows you to customize blends for specific purposes, such as relaxation, meditation, or spiritual rituals. By selecting the right combination of herbs, you can craft unique and personalized aromatic experiences.

Benefits of Using Herbal Incense

An altar with burning incense, surrounded by colorful flags and offerings, fosters a tranquil ambiance and could enhance meditation practices with its aromatic benefits.

Burning herbal incense offers several benefits, including:

• Promoting relaxation and reducing stress
• Enhancing meditation and spiritual practices
• Purifying the air and creating a pleasant atmosphere
• Supporting respiratory health when using certain herbs
• Providing a natural alternative to synthetic fragrances

Choosing Herbs for Your Incense Blends

Two incense sticks emit tranquil swirls of smoke, often used in herbal blends for their soothing scents and meditative properties.

When selecting herbs for your incense blends, consider their aromatic properties and the desired effect you wish to achieve. Some popular herbs for incense include:

• Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): Promotes relaxation and reduces anxiety¹
• Sage (Salvia officinalis): Purifies the air and enhances spiritual cleansing²
• Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus): Improves mental clarity and boosts memory³
• Peppermint (Mentha piperita): Energizes and refreshes the mind
• Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum): Warms the senses and promotes feelings of comfort
• Frankincense (Boswellia sacra): Deepens meditation and supports spiritual practices⁴

Preparing Herbs for Incense

Rosemary being crushed in a wooden mortar and pestle for use in handcrafted herbal incense blends.

To create your herbal incense blends, follow these steps:

1. Gather your chosen herbs, making sure they are fully dried.
2. Crush or grind the herbs to a consistent size, using a mortar and pestle or an electric grinder.
3. Mix the ground herbs in a bowl, adjusting the ratios to your preference.
4. Store the blended incense in an airtight container, away from direct sunlight and moisture.

Herbal Incense Blend Recipes

Here are a few sample recipes to get you started:

Relaxation Blend

• 2 parts lavender
• 1 part chamomile
• 1 part rose petals
• 1 part valerian root

Meditation Blend

• 2 parts frankincense
• 1 part sandalwood
• 1 part sage
• 1 part palo santo wood

Purification Blend

• 2 parts sage
• 1 part cedar
• 1 part sweetgrass
• 1 part juniper berries

Feel free to experiment with different combinations and ratios to create your own unique blends.

Burning Herbal Incense

Incense burning using a heat-resistant bowl

To burn your herbal incense, you will need:

• A heat-safe bowl or incense burner
• Charcoal discs or a heat-safe surface (such as sand or salt)
• Matches or a lighter

Follow these steps to safely burn your incense:

1. Place a charcoal disc or a layer of sand or salt in your heat-safe bowl or burner.
2. Light the charcoal disc, if using, and allow it to smolder until it is fully lit and covered in white ash.
3. Sprinkle a small amount of your herbal incense blend onto the charcoal or heat-safe surface.
4. Enjoy the aromatic smoke and replenish the herbs as needed.
5. Extinguish the charcoal or heat source completely when finished.

Caution: Always burn incense in a well-ventilated area and keep it away from flammable materials. Never leave burning incense unattended.

Storing Herbal Incense

A wooden incense box, an elegant solution for preserving incense sticks. Any jar or container could preserve your dried herbs mix.

To maintain the potency and freshness of your herbal incense blends, store them in airtight containers, such as glass jars with tight-fitting lids. Keep the containers in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. When stored properly, herbal incense can last for several months to a year.

Conclusion

A lit incense stick rests in a wooden holder on a serene background, setting the mood for tranquil incense crafting.

Creating your own herbal incense blends is a rewarding and enjoyable practice that allows you to customize aromatic experiences for relaxation, meditation, and spiritual rituals. By selecting high-quality herbs and experimenting with different combinations, you can craft unique and personalized incense blends that suit your preferences and intentions.

Remember to always use caution when burning incense and to store your blends properly to ensure their longevity. Enjoy the wonderful world of herbal incense and the many benefits it can bring to your life.

Additional Herbs and Their Uses

Expanding your herbal repertoire can lead to even more personalized and effective incense blends. Consider these additional herbs:

• Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris): Known for its dream-enhancing and visionary properties, it can be used for lucid dreaming and introspective meditations.
• Lemongrass (Cymbopogon): With its refreshing citrus scent, it can help to uplift the spirit and cleanse the environment.
• Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin): Often associated with grounding and balancing emotions, it’s a common ingredient in blends aimed at relaxation.
• Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha): Traditionally used in spiritual and healing ceremonies, it complements frankincense well in meditation blends.

It’s also beneficial to be aware of the historical and cultural significance of certain herbs. For example, white sage (Salvia apiana) has been used for centuries by Native American tribes for purification and healing. However, due to its popularity, white sage has become overharvested in some areas. Responsible sourcing and awareness of conservation status are important considerations when choosing herbs for your blends⁵.

Understanding Controlled Substances

In the United States, the legality of herbs is primarily determined by the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The CSA categorizes substances into five schedules based on their potential for abuse, accepted medical use, and safety ¹. Many herbs containing psychoactive compounds, such as marijuana (Cannabis sativa), salvia (Salvia divinorum), and kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), are classified as controlled substances under federal law.

Federal vs. State Laws

It’s crucial to recognize that while federal law provides the overarching framework, individual states can enact their own laws regarding the possession, sale, and use of herbs. For example, while marijuana remains illegal under federal law, many states have legalized it for medical or recreational use ². However, even in states where certain herbs are legal, there may be restrictions on where and how they can be consumed.

Herbs for Smoking: Legal Considerations

When it comes to smoking herbs, legality largely depends on the specific herb and its legal status. Here are some common herbs and their legal considerations:

• Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum): Tobacco is legal for adults to purchase and consume in most countries, although there are often age restrictions and regulations on where smoking is permitted.

Drying tobacco leaves hang alongside their lush green counterparts, playing a role in the process of producing legal smoking products.

• Marijuana (Cannabis sativa): The legality of marijuana varies by jurisdiction. While illegal under federal law in the United States, many states have legalized it for medical or recreational use. It’s essential to understand the specific laws in your area.

Cannabis sativa plants, which are at the center of legal discussions regarding their use and regulation.

• Damiana (Turnera diffusa): Damiana is legal to possess and consume in most countries, including the United States. However, it is not approved by the FDA for medicinal use ³.

• Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris): Mugwort is legal to possess and smoke in most areas. However, some countries, such as Poland, have restrictions on the herb’s use ⁴.

Mugwort, with its small, greenish flowers, is used for various applications including as a smoking herb subject to legal regulations.

• Catnip (Nepeta cataria): Catnip is legal to grow, possess, and smoke in most jurisdictions. It is often used as a tobacco substitute or for its mildly sedative effects ⁵.
  
• Salvia (Salvia divinorum): The legal status of Salvia divinorum varies by location. Unlike marijuana, it is not regulated under federal law in the United States. However, many individual states have enacted laws restricting or prohibiting the sale, possession, and use of Salvia divinorum. In Canada, Salvia is a controlled substance under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. As with marijuana, it’s important to be aware of the specific laws in your area.
  
• Ephedra (Ephedra spp.): The legal status of Ephedra varies by jurisdiction. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of dietary supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids in 2004 due to safety concerns. Ephedra extracts that do not contain ephedrine alkaloids may be legal depending on the specific product and regulations. In Canada, the import and resale of Ephedra are prohibited unless you are a licensed producer or wholesaler. As with marijuana, it’s important to be aware of the specific laws in your area regarding Ephedra.

Additional Legal Considerations for Herbal Smoking Mixtures

It’s also worth noting that herbal smoking mixtures, sometimes marketed as “legal highs” or “herbal incense,” may contain a variety of plant substances. The legality of these mixtures can be even more complex, as they may include herbs that are legal on their own but become subject to regulation when sold as part of a blend intended for consumption. In the United States, for instance, the Synthetic Drug Abuse Prevention Act of 2012 placed many of the chemicals commonly found in synthetic cannabis mixtures into Schedule I of the CSA ⁶.

Moreover, the legal landscape is continuously evolving, particularly as new synthetic analogs and herbal substances emerge. Legislation often struggles to keep up with the rapid development and dissemination of these substances. Consequently, what may be legal today could be restricted or banned tomorrow, making it imperative for consumers to stay informed about current laws and regulations.

Risks and Precautions

Even if an herb is legal to smoke, it’s important to exercise caution and be aware of potential risks. Smoking any substance can have negative impacts on respiratory health, and some herbs may have interactions with medications or underlying health conditions. It’s always best to consult with a healthcare professional before using herbs for medicinal purposes.

Smoking involves risks, but at the end of the day, it's a personal choice

Herbal Smoking and Cultural Practices

Cultural practices also play a significant role in the legal status of smoking herbs. For instance, the use of peyote (Lophophora williamsii) in religious ceremonies by the Native American Church is federally protected in the United States, despite peyote’s classification as a Schedule I controlled substance ⁷. This exemption illustrates the importance of cultural considerations in the legal framework surrounding psychoactive herbs.

An elderly man in traditional attire reflects a cultural tradition of smoking with a long pipe

Conclusion

The legality of smoking herbs is a complex issue that depends on the specific herb, jurisdiction, and intended use. While some herbs, like tobacco and catnip, are generally legal to smoke, others, such as marijuana and salvia, are subject to varying levels of regulation and prohibition. By understanding the laws in your area and the potential risks involved, you can make informed decisions about smoking herbs responsibly.

You might want to look into smoking herbs for the following reasons:

• To replace normal cigarettes & kick a tobacco/nicotine use habit
• For mood enhancement
• To promote relaxation
• To celebrate spiritual or religious ceremonies or rituals
• To foster increased energy levels
• To promote mental stimulation
• and more!

That doesn’t mean that all herbs are safe to smoke. The last thing you want to do is grab a handful of herbs, grind them up, pack them into a pipe or roll them in a paper, smoke them, and find out the hard way that the herb you smoked caused an adverse reaction (or the worst cough ever). For that reason, it’s important to do your due diligence and research different types of natural herbs before you decide to smoke them (or vape them, which would be ideal).

Health warning:

Inhaling smoke into your lungs on a constant basis compose a health risk – even herbs that have been found to support respiratory health. To help point you in the right direction, we’ve compiled a list of 13 natural alternative herbs that could be smoked, but can also be vaped or drank as herbal tea.

The Best Smokable Herbs

1. Mullein. Many alternative herb smokers consider mullein to be one of the best options. It has a light and fluffy texture and it burns slowly and steadily. Both the flavor and aroma are quite mild and actually, they’re pliantly soothing on the throat. Mullein is a great alternative to replace regular cigarettes habit. Mullein is also versatile, as it blends well with pretty much every other type of herb. While mullein is primarily used as a base herb, because it is known to support respiratory wellness and treat and prevent lung infections, it could also serves as a supportive herb.
   
2. Mugwort. Some users refer to mugwort as the “dreaming herb”. That’s because when it is used during the evening hours, it is known to encourage lucid dreaming. It supports the nervous system, too. Due to its texture, mugwort can be used as base herb; however, it is best to use it as the support herb of a blend. The flavor is mildly sweet and it generates a light smoke. Mugwort can be smoked on solo, too, to experience the unique properties that it contains, and in fact, many cultures have done so for centuries. Mugwort has a earthy flavor. 
   
3. Blue lotus. Blue lotus, a type of water lily that hails from Egypt and some parts of Asia, has been used for thousands of years. It is considered an entheogen, or a psychoactive substance, due to its mind-altering properties. It is because of these properties that blue lotus is commonly used during spiritual rituals and religious ceremonies. It can also promote a sense of calmness and can illicit lucid dreaming. For these reasons, blue lotus should be used as a supportive herb.
   
4. Red lotus. Primarily found in most Asia and some regions of Africa, red lotus is another type of water lily, and in fact, it’s quite similar to blue lotus. It has long been used for its medicinal properties; it can promote relaxation and can create mild psychoactive effects, too. Like blue lotus, red lotus has largely been used in spiritual ceremonies and religious rituals, and it is considered a supportive herb in a smoking blend.
   
5. Damiana. Damiana is suitable as either a supportive or a base herb. It has been shown to be supportive to the nervous system, and it can ease stress and promote relaxation; hence why it could also be used as a supportive herb. Due to its lovely texture, which does an excellent job of carrying other types of herbs, damiana is a fantastic base herb. Damiana is also known to act as a natural aphrodisiac, due to its mood-enhancing qualities. Damiana’s flavor is pretty neutral and is a bit reminiscent of marijuana. It is a popular addition to cannabis herbal cigarettes.
   
6. Red raspberry. Another great option for a base herb, red raspberry leaf has a fluffy texture, which allows it to carry other kinds of herbs well. It also has a mild fruit-like flavor, so it will add a pleasant taste to your blends. It’s loaded with nutrients and it is often used to support women’s health and well-being. Raspberry leaves has a mild floral flavor.
   
7. Skullcap. Mad dog skullcap or simply “skullcap” is a perennial herb that is a part of the mint family of herbs. The flavor is pleasant and mild, and it is known to contain mild sedative properties, which is why it is often used to promote more restful sleep, and in fact, it is an ingredient that is commonly used in sleeping medications. Skullcap also promotes anti-viral, anti-allergic, and anti-inflammatory effects.
   
8. Passion flower. Passion flower grows wildly in many parts of the United States, and while it is commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant (its flowers are stunning), it has long been used as a smoking herb. It has a mild grass-like flavor that may not be palate-pleasing at first; however, after a while, you become accustomed to it. Passionflower has pain relieving, sleep inducing, and relaxation qualities.
   
9. Catnip. Catnip isn’t just for cats; in fact, it has been used by humans for millennia. A member of the mint family, catnip elicits a mild sedative-like effect, and promotes a sense of tranquility, calmness, and peacefulness. It’s primarily used as a supportive herb; however, it does have a sweet and mildly minty flavor, so it can certainly be used as a flavoring herb, as well.
   
10. Lemon balm. Hailed for its ability to resolve blood circulation issues and to ease headaches, lemon balm is most commonly used as a supportive herb; however, due to its mild citronella or lemony flavor, which is quite refreshing, it is also a flavoring herb. Lemon balm promotes relaxation and can induce sleep. Because it contains trace amounts of harmine, it can also illicit short-term psychoactive effects.
    
11. Lavender. Lavender is well-known for its rich, aromatic scent, and it’s famous for its relaxation, sleep-inducing, and pain-relieving qualities. It has a pleasant sweet and floral aroma and flavor, and can be used as a supportive or a flavoring herb.
    
12. Rose. Roses are one of the most popular ornamental flowers, due to their striking beauty and sweet floral aroma; however, rose can also be used as a smoking herb. Considered an aphrodisiac, rose has mood enhancing qualities. It also supports healthy digestion. You only need to add a little to your blend to enjoy the benefits it provides. Rose has a characteristic floral flavor. 
    
13. Chamomile. Everyone knows that chamomile promotes relaxation when used as a tea, and it elicits the same effect when smoked. When used as a smoking herb, chamomile also supports the nervous system, and can ease stress and anxiety, while also supporting digestion. It has a mild flavor that has subtle hints of honey, melon, and apple combined.
    

Crafting an herbal blend

Remember that a good blend of smokable herbs is actually comprised of three different kinds of herbs:

1. Base or carrier herbs, which should make up the bulk of the blend and “carry” the two other kinds of herbs
2. Supportive herbs, used for a specific effect, such as promoting relaxation or encouraging a more restful sleep
3. Flavoring herbs, which, as the names suggests, add flavor to the blend and make it more palatable

In each of these three categories, one or more herbs can be used. The more experience you gain creating your own herbal blends, the more you’ll gain an understanding of your preferred technique, effect, and taste.

While smoking herbal blends is much safer and healthier than smoking tobacco, keep in mind that it should only be used on occasion, as smoking anything on a constant basis isn’t good for your lungs. You should also exercise caution when selecting your herbs. Make sure to source them from a reputable supplier, and ensure that they are organic herbs, so as to avoid being exposed to toxic chemicals, such as pesticides and glyphosate.

The best herbal smoking blends are those which offer a satisfying buzz without the health-damaging effects of tobacco. Legal smoking blends also tend to be less expensive than marijuana.

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The right herbs can make your smoke smoother, increase potency, or give your blend a more complex flavor.

The herbal alchemy of turning plant matter into a perfectly balanced blend is a fascinating topic.
This post unpacks everything you need to know about choosing the right herbs and proportions for your smoking pleasure.

The Parts of an Herbal Smoking Blend

A herbal smoking blend consists of three parts.

• Base herbs or “carrier.” (40-50% of the blend)
• Supportive herbs, also referred as action or kicker herbs – used for effects (30-40%)
• Flavoring herbs helps finetuning the flavor or aroma of the smoke. (10-20% of your blend)

Each of the three components plays a specific role in creating the final product. You are not limited to 1 herb per category, but if you are getting started, try to aim for a simpler blend.

Let’s look at each of the three parts in detail.

The base herb is the crux of the herbal smoking blend. The base needs a smooth smoke with plenty of body, and it needs to burn easily. The base should represent about half of the herbs in the mixture.

There are several bases for you to try on your blend. Each herb has individual characteristics to suit your smoking experience. The following are some of the best beginner choices for herbal bases:

Raspberry Leaf

This fluffy base provides a pleasant smoking experience. Blending raspberry leaf and mullein or damiana offers an ideal base for flavor and aroma. You can play around with the ratios to find a taste you’ll enjoy. You can freshen up dry leaves by misting them with water for a smooth smoking experience.

Mullein leaf

This herbal base has a fantastic body and burns easily. It’s quite neutral; it doesn’t have as much relaxing effects as damiana. It’s a great choice for regular everyday smoke. It’s also a popular addition to blends for quitting cigarettes, and mullein is (supposedly) a powerful lung restorative.

Damiana

This base comes with a relaxing effect and a smooth body when smoking. It burns well and blends with mullein to create smooth smoke with plenty of body. It has a pleasant herbal flavor, and it rolls easily. Adding damiana to a blend will make it taste and smell like weed. Damiana can also be used as an action herb because of its relaxing properties.

Gotu Kola

The gotu kola herb provides a stimulating effect without anxiety. It’s a staple in Asia and has a long history as Ayurvedic medicine in Chain and Indonesia.

The supportive herbs in your blend are around a third of the total mix. These herbs are usually used to modify and augment the blend’s psychoactive effects.

Depending on your requirements, you can add up to four different herbs to support the base. Get as creative as you want, and notice the differences in each blend. We recommend the following supportive herbs for your smoking blend:

Blue Lotus

A natural aphrodisiac and relaxer, this herb has an opium-like effect, heightening feelings of euphoria & relaxation. Blue lotus is the most popular plant we covered in over 10 years.

White Sage

There are several types of sage. However, white sage offers the best supportive experience for new smokers. Sage adds more flavor and body to the smoke. White sage should be crushed, stem free and blended with other herbs, as it can be quite harsh on its own.

Catnip

It’s not only for your kitty! Catnip has a sweet scent and fortifying effect on the nervous system. This herb has relaxing properties and used to be a popular mix with cannabis.

Mugwort

This herb has a slightly sweet flavor with a light body; it’s a great filler and helps with calming anxiety. Mugwort can also be used as a base herb because of its texture.

Skullcap

This herb has a relatively neutral flavor, offering a medium-smoke with a decent body.

Passionflower

Smoking this sweet herb before bed helps to alleviate symptoms of insomnia and anxiety.

Hops

Hops have an earthy flavor, producing a calming effect with a light body.

Hemp Flowers

Hemp flowers are a fine addition to an herbal blend, especially when you are looking for painkilling properties.

Flavoring herbs are a great way to finish off your smoking blend. This herb should represent around a fifth of the total blend volume. The base and the supportive herbs do most of the work; these herbs just add some more flavor to the blend.

Some of the popular flavoring herbs for newbies to herbal smoking blends include the following.

Spearmints and Peppermints

These plants produce a powerful minty flavor that varies by species. The menthol in the leaves is a good choice for anyone trying to quit menthol cigarettes. Please be aware that peppermints can be a bit harsh on the throat and should be used moderately.

Rose

Rose provides a sweet flavor and adds a smoother texture to the smoke. Pairs well with lavender.

Lavender

This plant has a subtle, mild flavor, and it’s great for relieving the signs of inflammation. Pairs well with rose.

Anise

It provides a licorice-like taste and light smoke. It’s also good for relieving digestive issues like heartburn.

Optional – Herbs for adding More Body to Your Blend

Tobacco smoke gives the smoker a smoothness and heaviness to the smoke that many users find is absent in herbal blends. To give your smoking blend more “body,” we recommend the following herbs.

Marshmallow Root

A sweet, soothing smoke that goes down easy. Marshmallow root has plenty of body, producing big clouds. As a tea, it can also help people recover from bronchitis.

Uva Ursi

It has an earthy flavor with a medium body and pleasant smoke.

Blackberry leaf

You get a sweet, subtle flavor with plenty of body. It boosts the immune system and has a similar body to the raspberry leaf.

Willow bark

It’s a good choice for adding body to your blend. It’s also a good choice for relieving pain disorders.

What Are Some Examples of Herbal Blends?

Settling on the right balance of ingredients in your herbal smoking blend is different with everyone and a personal decision. Start with measuring your herbs using tablespoons for a small quantity.

Takes notes on the recipes you create, so you have a reference point. It might take you weeks to find that perfect blend, but it’s a fun experience along the way!

When using our recommended blends, stick to the following amounts.

• Base Herbs – 2 Tablespoons
• Supporting Herbs – 1 Tablespoon
• Flavoring Herbs – ½ Tablespoon

Here are our top herbal smoking blend recommendations.

An Herbal Blend to Help You Quit Cigarettes

Are you trying to quit cigarettes? Give this blend a try.

Quitting Cigarettes Phase 1

• Mullein base.
• Raspberry leaf as a secondary base.
• Skullcap for a calming effect and supportive herb.
• Spearmints for anyone trying to quit menthol cigarettes.

Quitting Cigarettes Phase 2

• Mullein base.
• Blue Lotus or Coltsfoot for support.

Quitting Cigarettes Phase 3

• Smoke mullein clean by itself with no other herbs.

An Herbal Blend to Help You Quit Cannabis

Option 1

• Damiana base.
• Blue Lotus for support.
• Marshmallow root for flavor and added body.

Option 2

• 50/50 Raspberry leaf Mullein base.
• Catnip for support.
• Lavender for additional flavor

Lung Cleansing Blend for Recovering from a Chest Cold

• Mullein base.
• Mugwort for support.
• Mint for flavor.

Wrapping Up – Source the Finest Ingredients for Your Herbal Smoke

When purchasing your herbs, make sure you’re getting them from a trusted source that uses sustainable growing methods. Always ensure you’re getting organic or wildcrafted herbs grown with no fertilizers and treated with no chemicals.

We have recently started selling most of these herbs on Etsy, but we also offer you the choice to compare with online retailers directly on our website.

The goal of this text is to clear up common misconceptions about CBD while clarifying the legal status, medical benefits, and various ways to consume the chemical compound.

What is CBD? An Overview

Also known as cannabidiol, CBD is a chemical compound that is derived from marijuana and hemp. It is sold in many forms and revered for its medicinal properties.

In recent years, cannabidiol products have swelled in popularity.

The wide variety of edible and topical CBD products are often marketed as health aids and cure-alls. Despite the widespread popularity of this drug, many people find it to be elusive and confusing.

Unlike pure marijuana, CBD does not contain a large percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). As a result, it offers several of the same health benefits as marijuana. However, it has no psychoactive effects.

Current Legal Status

While you can purchase CBD products in most U.S. states, the legal status of the chemical compound tends to occupy a gray area. The federal government has loosened its regulations on CBD products that are derived from plants that contain one or more cannabinoid.

In other words, they permit the sale of CBD that is derived from hemp but not marijuana. Despite this, most hemp-derived CBD products still contain trace amounts of THC.

The Farm Bill, which was passed in 2018, specifies that commercially available CBD products can contain no more than 0.3% THC.

US States Where CBD is Legal

Since the USDA has yet to draft regulations that relate to the federal government’s new law, there are still states that do not allow the public to access cannabis. However, the vast majority of U.S. states allow the sale of low-THC CBD products. Currently, Idaho, Nebraska and South Dakota are the only states that completely restrict CBD consumption.

Around the World

The legal status of CBD also varies between countries. Research individual countries’ CBD- and marijuana-related legislation before attempting to buy or trade products within foreign borders.

Medicinal Benefits

Many studies offer evidence of CBD’s effectiveness in treating several ailments and diseases. In the section below, we discuss CBD’s role in treating a variety of health issues. With the recent passing of the Farm Bill (2018), we can expect researchers to ramp up their future CBD research efforts.

Depression

There have not been many sufficient scientific findings on the effectiveness of CBD as a treatment for depression. However, CBD is making gains as a potentially FDA-recognized treatment for depression and anxiety.

Up until now, the vast majority of CBD clinical trials have been carried out on animals. However, a 2014 study showed that CBD had the potential to increase animals’ serotonin levels. More importantly, it did this without activating any endocannabinoid receptors.

Anxiety

A study published in the Journal of Neurotherapeutics looks at CBD’s potential as a treatment for anxiety disorders. CBD interacts with the neural receptors that regulate fear and anxiety. CBD’s anxiety-treating potential tends to vary between individuals.

There have even been positive findings related to CBD as a treatment for childhood PTSD and sleep disorders.

Skin

There have been numerous studies on the effects of CBD on skin diseases. A recent study explored the therapeutic effect of CBD ointment on inflammatory skin diseases and cutaneous scars. The results show that the CBD improved atopic dermatitis and the appearance of related scars.

Anti-inflammatory properties associated with CBD are beneficial in treating such dermatologic conditions as acne, psoriasis and eczema due to reduction of dryness, irritation and redness

Lisette Hilton citing Dr. Tina Alster – Hemp for skin health? – Dermatology Times

Joint Pain

Topical CBD oils are often used to treat joint pain and inflammation related to rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. A study published in a 2016 edition of the European Journal of Pain found that cannabis reduces inflammation and pain related to arthritis.

These data indicate that topical CBD application has therapeutic potential for relief of arthritis pain-related behaviours and inflammation without evident side-effects.

Conclusion from Transdermal cannabidiol reduces inflammation and pain-related behaviours in a rat model of arthritis

Back Pain

The effects of CBD treatments on back pain are also understudied. However, the study mentioned above also suggests that topical applications of CBD oil can reduce pain and inflammation.

Cancer

There’s been some conclusive findings on the effectiveness of cannabinoids on tumors. In particular, some researches have found evidence that oral doses of CBD may interrupt the growth of cancer cells. CBD is also used to help alleviate the systems of cancer and cancer treatments.

The FDA has approved two marijuana-derived drugs for the treatment of cancer-related nausea and vomiting.

What has been proven is that, in a lab setting, CBD may be able to slow down or kill certain cancer cells, according to The American Cancer Society. More research will need to be done before cannabis can be shown to be a promising treatment method for cancer.

Mary Sauer – Here’s what CBD can’t do for you – The Growth OP

Heart

While CBD is not commonly used to treat heart issues, its anti-inflammatory effects have the potential to reduce high blood pressure. CBD use is also proven to increase the survival rate of people who have had heart attacks.

Addiction

Researchers have studied the impact of CBD on individuals with opioid and marijuana addictions. The substance has the potential to treat a range of symptoms relating to opioid abuse, including anxiety, mood disorders, insomnia, and pain. It may even be used to counter the effects of harsh drug substitution treatments.

Significant research efforts are still necessary to evaluate fully the development of CBD as a potential therapy for addiction disorders. To date, the evidence appears to at least support a potential beneficial treatment for opioid abuse.

Early Phase in the Development of Cannabidiol as a Treatment for Addiction: Opioid Relapse Takes Initial Center Stage

Diabetes

There has been a limited number of studies executed on the effects of CBD as a cure for diabetes. A study published by the American Diabetes Association concluded that (CBD + THC) aide glycemic control in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Many studies suggest that CBD products relieve some of the common side effects of diabetes, including pain and inflammation. People with diabetes should avoid sugar-rich diabetes edibles.

Although CBD did not produce any effects on the primary and secondary efficacy outcomes compared with placebo, it reduced circulating resistin concentrations from baseline, while increasing the concentration of circulating GIP. […] Despite having positive effects on resistin and GIP, CBD did not produce any improvement in glycemic control.

Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabivarin on Glycemic and Lipid Parameters in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Seizures

The first marijuana-derived medicine approved by the FDA is Epidiolex, an oral solution that is designed to treat rare and severe forms of epilepsy. Scientists and medical professionals have been studying the effects of CBD on seizure disorders. Still, some of the most convincing evidence comes in the form of home videos showing the effects of CBD on epileptic children.

Even before these approvals, children with rare forms of epilepsy were using CBD to help with seizures when existing drug treatments failed.

CNBC – Nothing stopped her seizures until she found cannabis

Methods of Consumption

There are several different ways to consume CBD:

CBD OIL

Effects

CBD oil is an effective treatment for physical and mental ailments. It has minimal side effects.

Benefits

CBD oils may be consumed orally or topically to reduce the side effects of anxiety and inflammation.

Topical CBD oils may be applied directly to the skin or adhered via a cannabinoid patch. The oils are absorbed by the skin and muscles.

How to Use/Dosage

Studies have verified that dosages between 20 and 1,500 milligrams per day are suitable for people. However, you should talk to a doctor or specialist before deciding what dosage is right for you. Dosages should be reduced for CBD that is taken over a lengthy time.

What to look for in CBD Oil

It’s important to check the label of any CBD product before buying it. According to the federal government, CBD oils should contain no more than 0.3% THC. However, some states have approved the sale of broad and full-spectrum CBD products.

You must learn how to read and interpret CBD oil labels. You should be checking to see the amount of CBD and THC in each serving. Make sure these numbers are confirmed by a certified lab. As you would with any other product, check for other additives. Sugars, dyes, and artificial ingredients offer no health benefits. Research the manufacturer and the source of their CBD. Avoid expired and poorly packaged products.

Hemp Oil vs CBD Oil

CBD oil may be derived from hemp or marijuana plants. All parts of the plant, including the leaves, flowers, and stems, are used to make this type of product. On the other hand, hemp oil is only made from hemp seeds. As such, it does not contain noticeable amounts of THC.

Smoking High CBD marijuana

Some people prefer to consume CBD-rich, or low-THC, marijuana.

CBD-high flower is a popular alternative to THC-rich strains of marijuana. It helps ease the psychoactive effects of THC. One study even showed that CBD-flower helped cigarette smokers overcome uncomfortable withdrawal issues.

Effects

When high-CBD flower smoke is inhaled, it causes relaxation, pain relief, anxiety relief, and mood improvements.

Benefits

When smoke is inhaled, the chemical concentrates in it are automatically introduced into a person’s bloodstream. Studies show that smoke offers one of the highest permeation rates.

CBD-rich flower is used to treat chronic pain, anxiety disorders, insomnia, inflation, and more. While there are plenty of other healthier ways to consume CBD, smoke is still an all-time favorite. When CBD is introduced directly into the lungs, it enters the bloodstream. The effects are nearly immediate. Smoked CBD circulates far and wide.

Dosage

Acceptable dosages are vary between consumers. Depending on your ailment and body size, you may be able to take anywhere from 5 to 600 milligrams per day. See this chart for more detailed dosage recommendations.

Vaping CBD

Some people choose to consume CBD oil as an e-liquid. Concentrated liquids are consumed through a vape pen. Consumption varies depending on the user. If you are concerned about an upcoming drug test, be sure to choose a CBD e-liquid that is THC-free.

Smoking other herbs with CBD

Some people prefer to smoke a mixture of high-CBD hemp flowers and other plants.
CBD hemp flowers may be mixed with mullein, catnip, sage, passionflower, mugwort, and other cured plants.

Effects

Some plants provide CBD with a more pleasant taste or aromas, while others might offer additional health benefits. You can expect a wholly different smoking experience when you choose to add other plants into the mix.

Benefits

Plant pairing offer a variety of unique benefits. For example, mugwort is said to be relaxing and it has a pleasant sage-like aroma. Smokable Herbs offers a good look at popular CBD spliff additives.

How to Use/Dosage

Plants may be added in varying increments. Usually, CBD-high hemp flowers is the predominant ingredient in a spliff. Additional herbs and plants are added in a complimentary fashion. You could also spray your favorite herbs with an organic CBD spray.

CBD Edibles

CBD edibles, like gummies and hard candies, are super popular cannabis consumables. Studies show that these edible alternatives help users avoid the potential side effects of smoke inhalation. However, it is worth noting that ingestion causes a delay in drug onset. Many people over-consume CBD edibles because of their tasty nature.

Effects

Edible cannabis products do not involve smoke or inhalation. They can be consumed discreetly at any time. Edible CBD isolates do not cause intoxication. Therefore, they can be consumed regularly to treat a variety of issues. There are also full- and broad-spectrum CBD products. These contain moderate to high amounts of THC and CBD.

Benefits

CBD edibles are used to treat a range of ailments, including but not limited to:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Pain
• Inflammation
• Sleep disorders
• Mood disorders

Scientific research is limited and ongoing.

How to Use/Dosage

Most experts recommend that users start with a low dosage and work their way up. Keep in mind that edibles tend to kick in slowly. The effects linger longer than other CBD products. Doses range between 2.5 and 25 milligrams daily.

Other relevant info

The quality of CBD plays a huge part in the effectiveness of edibles. Be sure to only source high-quality, lab-certified CBD products. Edibles come in a range of flavors and forms. CBD can even be added to traditional foods.

CBD Tincture

CBD tinctures are created when high-CBD cannabis or hemp flowers are soaked in an alcohol base. The potent liquid can be taken orally, sublingually, or topically. Many people believe that tinctures offer more benefits than CBD oils. However, some people find grain alcohol to be irritating.

Effects

CBD tinctures may cause mild side effects, including diarrhea, irritation, irritability, and nausea. They are used to treat everything from anxiety to chronic pain.

Benefits

Like all CBD products, tinctures offer a extensive range of benefits. They are used to treat pain, inflammation, anxiety, stress, depression, and more. When CBD tinctures are applied directly under the tongue, they are rapidly absorbed by the body’s bloodstream.

How to Use/Dosage

Most CBD tinctures are highly potent. In most cases, a single dropper full of CBD tincture is a suitable dosage. You can always increase your dosage to improve your overall relief. Start with a small dose and work your way up. Many people mix tinctures into foods and beverages. However, they can also be taken under the tongue.

CBD Tea

CBD tea usually consists of a steeped high-CBD flower. Sometimes the cannabis flower is mixed with other plants to produce a particular flavor or health benefits.

Effects

CBD teas are used to relieve pain, improve mental conditions, and manage stress. Effects vary depending on the breakdown of CBD and THC, the dosage you consume, and the ailments you’re treating.

Benefits

CBD tea is mildly medicinal. If there is a significant amount of THC in the tea, it can also cause some psychoactive effects.

How to Use/Dosage

As with any edible, CBD tea is metabolized in the stomach. It may take anywhere from one to two hours for users to feel its effects. When first testing cannabis tea, limit your intake. You can slowly increase the dosage over time.

You need to decarb your cannabis flower if you want to get a full spectrum of benefits.

CBD Creams

Research shows that CBD topicals, including creams, salves, serums, and lotions, can be used to relieve and heal several skin issues.

Effects

When applied topically, CBD has the potential to ease pain and discomfort caused by a variety of skin and muscle issues. When CBD is applied topically, it does not enter the bloodstream. As a result, it should be used to treat localized discomfort.

Benefits

There is overwhelming evidence that CBD has the potential to ease pain and inflammation in those with arthritis. Topical CBD products may also have the potential to treat eczema and psoriasis. However, research on this subject is limited.

Topicals are absorbed by both the outside (dermal) and inside (subdermal) layers of the skin. It may also be absorbed by the muscles. A recent study claims that topically applied cannabinoids have the potential to fight inflammation and pain.

How to Use

CBD cream should be applied topically. It can be rubbed or massaged into the skin.

CBD Suppositories

CBD suppositories are designed to be administered through the rectum. When CBD is inserted directly into the rectal cavity, it can be used to treat a range of localized ailments. While CBD suppositories aren’t as popular as gummies, their benefits are undeniable.

Effects

Cannabis suppositories are metabolized rapidly. The CBD is absorbed directly into the bloodstream. The effects are felt locally. They are designed to treat menstrual, pelvic, and rectal ailments and discomfort.

Benefits

CBD suppositories are designed to provide localized therapeutic benefits in the rectum.

How to Use/Dosage

CBD suppositories must be inserted directly into the rectal cavity. One capsule serves as a single dose. You may use a lubricant to insert the suppository without causing excessive discomfort. It takes a few minutes for the suppository to dissolve.

Other relevant info

CBD suppositories help cannabinoids travel through the rectum and pelvis.

CBD and Animals

There is also a growing market for CBD products for animals. Most of the CBD in animal-grade products are derived from hemp. According to the United Kingdom’s Veterinary Medicines Regulations, animal products containing cannabidiol are considered medicines

Cats

Limited research has been done on the effects of CBD on cats. However, researchers say there’s reason to believe that CBD can be used treat seizures, pain, inflammation, anxiety, and other ailments in cats.

Why

While there is limited research on the effects of cannabis on animals, we have reason to believe that it is just as effective on cats as they are on humans.

How much & frequency

Dosages vary by recommendation. There are no clear guidelines set by the American Veterinary Association. However, many holistic vets suggest starting with a small dose and slowly work your way up to a more effective dose. When it comes to cats, we recommend ofering 1 to 2 milligrams of CBD for every 10 pounds of a cat’s body weight.

Dogs

A study done at Cornell identified that CBD oil had the potential to quell discomfort in arthritic dogs. That’s only the beginning of veterinary research on cannabidiol.

Why

CBD is said to quell inflammation, nausea, anxiety, and more. For many dog owners, CBD is a more affordable and holistic alternative to vet-prescribed pharmaceuticals.

How much & frequency

Start by offering your dog 1 to 2 milligrams of CBD for every ten pounds of their body weight. Increase the dosage slowly until you start to see the desired results. Choose a CBD product with a dosage chart on the bottle.

FAQ

What are CBD side effects?

Clinical trials and studies show that most users experience little to no side effects when taking low doses of CBD. Commonly reported issues include dry mouth, lightheadedness, drowsiness, and low blood pressure. More adverse side effects have been experienced by those with liver disease and Parkinson’s disease. A 2017 study found that CBD caused diarrhea, stomach aches, and fatigue in animal test subjects.

Does CBD show up on a drug test?

CBD isolate does not contain any THC. As a result, it should not cause someone to fail a drug test that screens for marijuana. With that said, CBD products that contain THC do have the potential to show up on these tests. If you’re concerned about passing an upcoming drug test, only purchase CBD products that have been screened for purity.

What is CBD isolate?

CBD isolate does not contain any THC. Since there is no risk of psychoactive side effects, it is a popular stepping-off point for people trying CBD for the first time. A clinical study on the effects of CBD on mice revealed that CBD isolate may not be as effective as full-spectrum alternatives.

What is CBD full spectrum?

Full-spectrum CBD contains all of the naturally occurring cannabinoids in cannabis. A study published in the Journal of Pharmacology & Pharmacy showed that CBD products containing all cannabinoids are more effective than CBD isolates.

Does CBD oil have THC?

Federal laws dictate that CBD products must be derived from plants with only one cannabinoid and that the overall concentration of THC cannot be more than 0.3%. However, in some states, adults can purchase oils that contain both cannabinoids. Full-spectrum CBD contains a natural concentration of cannabinoids.

Can you take too much CBD?

Most medical experts agree that plant-derived medicines should be consumed in moderation. There’s very little research on the toxicity of CBD. The World Health Organization has published a summary of its findings on CBD toxicity here. The lengthy report references a recent study. In the study, CBD doses as high as 30 milligrams taken orally daily for 90 days did not harm monkeys.

It’s best to only buy CBD products with COAs (certificates of analysis). COAs confirm the precise break down of cannabinoids in a CBD product. These numbers must be reported by an independent lab.

Most medical experts agree that a 300-milligram dose of CBD is safe for up to 6 months. Doses higher than 300 milligrams should only be taken for short periods. The FDA has only approved specific dosing for Epidiolex. The daily recommendation for this drug is 10 to 20 milligrams.

Can you get high off CBD?

CBD does not cause a psychoactive effect like that of THC. Instead, people are more likely to experience euphoria and pleasure. Some users may experience subtle alternations in their consciousness. However, few people would consider the feeling to like that of a high.

Is it addictive?

Studies indicate that CBD is not very addictive, especially when compared to cannabinoids that contain THC. A 2017 study in the Journal of Drug Alcohol Dependence suggests users are not likely to abuse CBD. Alternatively, a recent study suggests that CBD may even be able to modulate brain activity related to drug addiction. A lengthy report by the World Health Organization concludes that CBD is not addictive.

What drugs should not be taken with CBD?

While CBD is generally safe and does not produce many adverse side effects, it does have the potential to interact with some medications. The details of drug interactions are quite technical and, therefore, complicated. Enzymes (mostly CYP3A4) may breakdown medications too fast or too slow if CBD is in the way and vice versa. While not all medications warn against specific interacts with CBD, a grapefruit warning on medication should serve as a common and clear indicator that it does not pair well with cannabinoids.

Lucid dreaming is a state of sleep where one is fully aware that they are dreaming. It’s a popular phenomenon, and the reason is obvious: who wouldn’t want to be able to control their dreams? It’s much easier for some people than others. If you’re having difficulty training yourself to master lucid dreaming, here are several herbs that might help you in your endeavor.

Calea Zacatechichi

Calea Zacatechichi is often referred to as a “dream herb”]. It’s been proven to increase dream recall, dream intensity, and hypnagogic imagery. It can be taken by capsule, in tea, or in a smoking blend. Those that have used Calea have noted that its effects are quite powerful, and it has little to no side effects.

Mugwort

Mugwort is a plant that grows in several different countries. Its roots are typically used to make medicine. Those who have have found that it has intense effects on lucid dreaming. It can be taken by capsule, in tea, or in a smoking blend. Most who have taken Mugwort suggest it be taken in tea for the most desirable effects. There are few side effects, though it can be dangerous to those with allergies like birch, celery, honey, or olive.

Silene Undulata

Silene undulata, also known as silene capensis or African Dream Root, is a plant that is said to be a powerful dream inducer. In root form, it can be smoked in a blend. Its powder form has a stronger effect than that of the root, but is very bitter. It can be added to tea or any type of drink. Its liquid form, also bitter, can be added to a shot glass of milk for the best effect.

Huperzine-A

Huperzine-A is a substance made from purified Chinese club moss. While some consider it an herb, others consider it a drug. Its definition is highly speculated. When taken in capsule form over a period of time, it’s been found to assist in dream recall. However, its list of side effects is lengthy. There is concern that Huperzine-A may worsen epilepsy and asthma, and may cause gastrointestinal tract blockage.

DHEA

DHEA is a supplement that helps with lucid dreaming. It helps most with dream control and dream recall. When taken with Huperzine-A or choline, its effects are strengthened. They are typically market as dietary supplements. Its also known to help its users fall asleep with ease and stay asleep.

If you’re interested in learning how to lucid dream, you should get started with these supplements as soon as possible. They give you a real edge over people who don’t take them, at least in terms of being able to get started lucid dreaming.

Hookah History

Hookah is a single or multi-stemmed pipe, larger than most bongs, for vaporizing and smoking flavored tobacco called shisha. Shisha’s smoke is passed through a glass or metal water basin before inhalation. While it’s not necessarily healthier than smoking cigarettes, it’s most certainly more delicious.

The waterpipe was either invented by an Irfan Shaikh of the Mughal Empire, or originates from the time of the Safavid dynasty of Persia, from which it eventually spread to the east into India. The hookah or “Argyleh” also soon reached Egypt and the Levant during the Ottoman dynasty from neighbouring Safavid dynasty, where it became very popular and where the mechanism was later perfected.

Making Shisha

In order to make your own shisha, you’ll need to read through the following steps. Before you get started, think about which herbal blends you’d like to try, and find a few seasonal fruits like apples, cherries, pears, plums, or mango to give your mix a pleasant flavor.

Ingredients & Ratios

Before you begin, you’ll need to gather the following ingredients:

• Natural rolling tobacco
• Fruit
• Light molasses
• Glycerine
• Dry herbs or extracts

Once you’ve got your materials together, you’ll want to keep the following ratio in mind:

20% fruit by weight
80% tobacco and herbs by weight

1. Getting Started

Cut the fruit in quarters and core them if necessary. Then throw your fruit in a food processor if you have one, or just chop the hell out of it with a knife. You’re shooting for an even, finely diced consistency.

Throw the fruit mixture into a medium saucepan and let it simmer until a good deal of moisture is cooked off. This part is somewhat subjective and you’ll have to play around with it to get it right. After you’ve cooked the fruit, let the mixture cool down.

2. Soak the Dried Tobacco and Herbs

It is now time to soak the dried tobacco to re-hydrate it, make it pliable and remove a little bit of the nicotine. The longer you soak it, the less flavor it will add to the final product, and the more nicotine will be taken out. Change the water every 30 minutes or so until you feel you’ve reached your desired level of washing. Modern style tobaccos like Starbuzz or Social Smoke wash and boil their tobacco until the water runs clear and no flavor is left behind. You too can strip the leaves of all character and flavor if you want to make sure your mango tobacco doesn’t smack of maduro.

Any herbs you use should be re-hydrated in warm water for 30 minutes prior to moving on to the next step. Use just enough to cover the herbs, and strain off the excess water when time is up.

3. Process the Dried Tobacco and Herbs

If you are using whole leaves then you need to strip out the stems to avoid bitterness, overly high nicotine content and unpleasant flavors. You can do this by hand, but a sharp knife and a cutting board make a big difference. After the spines are stripped, bunch the tobacco up together, squeeze it into one block and cut it up with your sharp knife.
You can make it as course or as fine as you want.

4. Add Honey/Molasses and Flavorings

The ratio I use for molasses and honey is 3 to 1. For every 3 grams of tobacco I use 1 gram of molasses or honey. So 300 grams of dried tobacco takes about 100 grams of honey for my tobamel. Sometimes it’s more, sometimes it’s less depending on the style of tobacco and the type of flavoring. Mix the honey/molasses, all the flavorings you want to use and about 30g of glycerin per 300 grams of tobacco in a bowl and add the tobacco. Start light with the flavorings. Some of them are super strong. A tablespoon is all you need to start. Mix it up with wet hands and take a whiff. If it smells good put it in a Tupperware container to sit over night.

If you want to take it to the next level you can bake the tobacco before adding the flavorings to help the glycerin and molasses/honey soak into the leaves. I like to wrap all of the tobacco, molasses, etc in tinfoil and bake it on “Warm” for an hour or so. If it’s not traditional moassel then that’s really all you need to get the juices flowing. Now add your flavorings and let it blend together overnight.

5. Wait Overnight

The next day, if the consistency seems right and it smells good, load up a bowl and smoke it. If it’s dry add some more of the honey or molasses. If you don’t like the flavor add some more until you get it right. It can take up to a week or more for the flavors to really mellow out and come together into their final form, so be patient.

The History of Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy has a long and interesting past, dating back to Greek and Roman times. The science of the day was well-acquainted with essential oils and their extraction and refinement, so it only makes sense that it flourished. The Roman empire especially was seen as heyday of ancient aromatherapy, with the science elevated to new levels as Romans used essential oils to care for themselves and even keep clean.

There’s also quite a bit of evidence of essential oils being important to the Egyptians, although their methods were a bit less refined. Still, the use of aromatherapy played a big part of Egyptian funerary techniques — after all, those mummies were often stuffed with sweet-smelling satchels. Aromatherapy techniques were also popular in Egyptian cosmetics, although they never did figure out that it isn’t a great idea to smear lead-based pigments on themselves.

The history of aromatherapy has continued up to modern day, with many cosmetics and household goods custom-scented to provide relaxation and positive thoughts. Bath bombs, shampoos, soaps, makeup, and more all have highly-trained aromatherapists mixing up their featured scents.

Essential Oils and Carrier Oils

There are two categories of oils that you need to keep straight when you’re learning aromatherapy. The first kind, essential oils, are where all of the action is. Essential oils contain active ingredients that can help you keep your calm, lift your mood, or give you a burst of energy. These oils are what give blends their potency.

The other type of oils, called carrier oils, are simply there to make measuring and working with your blends a bit easier. They bulk up a blend and make them safer to handle — since some oils can be incredibly harsh on the skin by themselves. Carrier oils also keep your blends fresh for longer, breaking down in place of some essential oils and evening out the temperature spikes and changes that can cause degradation in your blends.

The two types of oils work together to make aromatherapy blends more shelf-stable and easier to handle, and carrier oils are often very mild and can help to moisturize the skin when you apply blends directly. In fact, it’s recommended that you never apply straight essential oils to your skin directly, instead you should blend them with a carrier oil or you might suffer from irritation, redness, or a rash.

Storing Your Oils

Since essential oils are full of fragile molecules, it’s important you store them the right way if you want to keep your aromatherapy oils performing well. It’s a good idea to store your oils in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight, which can break down the active compounds. It’s also smart to write the date of purchase on each bottle, so you can keep track of how long you’ve had them sitting around for.

When you’re blending your oils, use a separate glass eyedropper for each oil. This will help to prevent cross-contamination and weird smells from arising later on down the line. An easy way to accomplish this is with eyedropper lids, which screw on in place of the vial’s original lid. If you find yourself having to store your collection of essential oils, put the factory lid back on, though.

A Few Blends and Their Effects

Once you’ve got the basics covered, it’s time to start making your own blends. Here are a few aromatherapy oils and their effects, along with some ideas for invigorating new blends.

Peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils are uplifting and refreshing, giving the user a boost of energy and helping them to keep a clear mind. Lavendar, geranium, and other floral oils are thought of as balancing and soothing, promoting calmness and balance. Citrus oils, especially lemon and orange, are just the opposite — these oils give the user a sense of purpose and clarity, invigorating everyone who smells them.

Aromatherapy Ideas

Aromatherapy goes a lot further than just making a room smell nice. There are a lot of other crafty ideas that you can incorporate aromatherapy into. For instance, Smokable Herbs covered how easy it can be to make your own soaps, lotions, and shampoos. Try incorporating some of your favorite blends into any of these products and you might never go back to store-bought soaps and lotions again.

There’s no shortage of great gift and craft ideas for aromatherapy on the web. One of our favorite sites for inspiration, Abundant Health, is absolutely full of new and interesting ideas.

Kratom has been catching on for the past 5 years. More and more people are using this potent tropical vine to manage pain, get a boost of energy, or just have fun. The active ingredients in kratom mirror the effects of prescription opiates like Vicodin and Oxycontin. However, unlike opiates, kratom is legal in the majority of the United States and around the world.

What to Expect From Kratom

Depending on the strain and dosage — which we’re going to cover later — you can expect wildly different effects. Most of the time, at low doses kratom is a stimulant. You can expect to feel some slight numbing in your fingers, lips, and toes. Along with that sensation comes a burst of energy. Some users have reported an increase in creativity and motivation, while others find that it makes them jittery.

However, at higher doses kratom takes on a whole different set of effects. Since it works on the mu opioid receptors in your brain, kratom feels an awful lot like an opiate. The numbness that is present at low doses gets more intense and you feel intensely relaxed. Like opiates, there can be some itching and sleepiness, and at extremely high doses some users will begin to nod off.

How to Take Kratom

Depending on how you choose to purchase your kratom — powdered, extract, tincture, or whole leaf — you have a few different options when it comes to actually ingesting it. Kratom extract is easiest to take for beginners, since you need to take so little in order to feel the effects. Most users prefer powder though, because it tends to be cheaper and just as easy to ingest.

Whatever method you choose, you’re going to have to deal with the bitter taste. Kratom is known for being especially harsh, and most users have to mask the taste. Applesauce and yogurt are two popular options. All you need to do is mix in your powdered kratom or kratom extract. Another popular mixer is chocolate milk, and it’s even better if you make kratom milkshakes.

When you’re dealing with whole leaf kratom, tea is pretty much a must. Brew tea with kratom in the same way as you would with any other herb — simmer it in hot water with a little lemon juice for 15 – 20 minutes and drink. Although you can also smoke leaf kratom, you’ll need to pack so many bowls that it’s not worth it. If you want to smoke kratom, it’s advised that you get your hands on some extract.

Dosage Matters

One of the most interesting things about kratom is how the high changes with dosage. We mentioned briefly that low doses of kratom will boost your energy levels, while higher doses feel more like an opiate. Of course, this all depends on the potency of your leaf or extract, but in general the dosages given below are a good rule of thumb.

Please note that these doses don’t apply to extracts and tinctures, both of which are much stronger than powdered or leaf kratom.

2 – 4 grams = mild stimulation
4 – 6 grams = mild sedation mixed with moderate stimulation
6 – 8 grams = strong sedation

Different Strains, Different Effects

Dosage is one part of the picture, but the strain you choose to buy can impact your buzz in a big way. There are dozens of different strains available on the internet, but for the most part you’ll find that kratom comes in one of four varieties.

Bali kratom is the king of pain relief. Even in low doses it only provides moderate stimulation. In high doses you’ll notice that Bali tends to come on fast and strong, gluing you to the couch and sending numbness and tingles shooting through your body. If you’re looking for pain relief — and only pain relief — then Bali is a great choice.

Malaysian kratom tends to have more balanced effects, although it provides more pain relief than it does stimulation. Malaysian kratom is a good choice for your first kratom experience. It’s balanced without being too sedating if you happen to take too much. It’s a great pick if you want to feel the full spectrum of effects.

Maeng Da kratom is the perfect pick if you’re looking for a big boost of energy. Although it provides some pain relief, the stimulating effects are the number one reason to pick maeng da. You can count on experiencing a huge emotional lift along with the stimulating energy, which makes maeng da a great choice for if you want to add kratom to your everyday herbal regimen. You won’t believe how much you can get done with a couple of grams of maeng da.

Thai kratom has a lot in common with maeng da, although it has even less of the pain reducing alkaloids. It’s the perfect pick-me-up along with a cup of coffee in the morning. This strain is purely for energy, and you won’t feel any of the sedative effects of other types of kratom.

Active Ingredients in Kratom

Kratom contains quite a few different active compounds, most of which are indole alkaloids. This class of molecule is responsible for the effects of hundreds of different plants, from opium to psychedelic mushrooms. Kratom is unique, though. The alkaloids in kratom aren’t found in any other species of plant.

7-Hydroxymitragynine is the principal alkaloid, and it makes up as much as 3% of the total weight of dried and powdered leaf. It’s accompanied by mitraphylline — which is what is thought to provide the emotional boost of some kratom strains — and mitragynine, another potent pain reliever.

Fortunately there are many different treatment options for people suffering from psychosis, and one of the newest and most exciting are herbal remedies. Although herbs have been used for a long time to treat psychological disorders, they have fallen by the wayside as modern medicine has improved. It’s only recently that herbal remedies have come back into fashion for treating psychosis. Here’s everything that you need to know about herbal antipsychotics.

Potential Cures

Gingko Biloba is often used to promote memory and cognition. It can also be helpful in cases of psychosis and schizophrenia. New studies are showing just how effective high doses of ginkgo can be in protecting and reinforcing the crucial mental pathways in our brains. It’s likely that the active ingredients found in gingko will be used to create some of the next generation of antipsychotic medications.
 

St. John’s Wort can be an effective treatment for the depression and anxiety that usually accompanies psychosis. St. John’s Wort helps to calm anxious thoughts and feelings, as well as reduce paranoia and increase positive thinking. It has a measurable effect on mood and empathy, and usually forms the base of an herbal treatment for psychosis.

Antioxidants aren’t an herb in and of themselves, but studies have shown they can be helpful for people experiencing psychosis. They guard the brain against oxidation by harmful free radicals, which reduces cognition and can lead to aggressive and unfocused behavior. Antioxidants can be found in high doses in many antipsychotic herbs, and as such they’re an important aspect of any herbal therapy regimen.

Ginseng is another common herbal remedy that has shown promising results in the treatment of psychosis. It promotes general brain health and enhanced cognition, and reduces the “fuzzy-headed” feeling that modern pharmaceuticals can give sufferers of psychosis. If you’re looking for a place to begin your herbal antipsychotic therapy, then ginseng is a solid place to start.

Brahmi is an Ayurvedic herb that has been used for centuries to treat psychosis and schizophrenia. It’s a woody herb that grows across Asia and Russia, particularly in India. Although it can be difficult to find in the West — like many other Ayurvedic herbs — it’s becoming easier and easier to get your hands on thanks to the internet.

Red Sage Root can be difficult to get in America, but it is a popular traditional Chinese herb for promoting calmness and treating psychosis herbally. Many calmative blends in Chinese medicine are based on red sage root, because it’s so effective in promoting a balanced, happy state of mind. If you can find red sage root, it’s a recommended addition to your herbal antipsychotic blend.

Schisandra is another traditional Chinese herb that’s used in the treatment of psychosis and schizophrenia. Schisandra isn’t popular in the Western world just yet, but it’s being used as we speak in China to aid sufferers of schizophrenia and psychosis. Although the mechanisms behind schisandra aren’t well-understood, it has a centuries-long track record of safe and effective use.

Cannabis is a popular recreational herb, but it also has shown promise in the treatment of psychological disorders, including psychosis. The reasons why cannabis is such a potent weapon in the fight against psychosis are unclear, but it may have something to do with the effect that cannabis has on the endocannabinoid system of the body. This pathway is only just beginning to be understood, but it seems to have an impact on a wide range of psychological illnesses.

The Controversy

One of the things that has been holding back research into herbal antipsychotics is the nature of psychosis itself. It’s difficult to treat individuals with herbal remedies when they have trouble taking their medication on a schedule, and it’s unlikely that stress wards and hospitals will offer herbal cures. However, if your psychosis is under control and you aren’t experiencing acute symptoms, then searching for an herbal remedy is perfectly safe.

It’s your right as a patient to explore treatment options, even when your doctors aren’t supportive. Herbal antipsychotics carry a certain degree of controversy with them, but that doesn’t mean they’re ineffective. If you decide to treat your psychosis with herbal remedies, it’s advised that you keep a detailed log of your symptoms and medications.

For what it’s worth, traditional treatments for psychosis aren’t without their own controversy. The side-effects of these medicines can be harsh and life-altering. Weight gain and sluggishness are both commonly experienced, along with loss of appetite and suicidal thoughts. When you look at all of the available research, it’s easy to see why some people experiencing psychosis or schizophrenia may want to turn to herbal remedies.

Herbal Remedies Can Help

In many cases, herbal remedies can help. They have a track record of treating mental illness going back thousands of years. Unfortunately, herbal remedies have fallen behind medication as a treatment for many mental disorders. There are many reasons why that’s the case, but if you’re suffering from psychosis it only makes sense to pursue all of your options.

Traditional Chinese medicine has had great success in treating psychosis and schizophrenia. In fact, some of the most potent treatments for psychosis have been developed using traditional Chinese medicine as a guide. For instance, the chemical structure of risperidone is functionally similar to some molecules that have been isolated from red sage root.

Another ancient tradition, Ayurvedic medicine from India and Pakistan, also has had some successes treating psychosis and schizophrenia. Although these herbs can be difficult for some Westerners to lay their hands on, the evidence suggests that they can be effective. Brahmi is an excellent example of a traditional Ayurvedic medicine that is widely used today across India and Pakistan.

Acute Psychosis Versus Psychotic Disorders

One important thing to keep in mind as you explore treatment options is the difference between acute psychotic episodes and long-term psychotic disorders. When you’re dealing with an acute psychotic episode, it can be extremely difficult to treat yourself in any way, let alone with herbal remedies.

If you’re actively hallucinating or feeling the urge to harm yourself or others, a hospital may be the best bet. It’s not so much that herbal remedies can’t work in those circumstances, but keeping yourself on an herbal regimen when you’re suffering from acute psychosis is very difficult.

That said, some patients have seen excellent results in treating psychosis with herbs. One area in particular that is receiving a lot of interest is herbal remedies for anxiety. Although treating anxiety in and of itself won’t solve your psychosis, anxious thoughts and feelings can trigger an acute episode. Treating yourself for anxiety with herbal remedies could be enough to reduce or eliminate acute psychosis altogether in some patients.

Combination Therapy

Some of the best results have been achieved with combination therapy. In fact, a study done in 2007 showed that patients respond better to a mix of risperidone and St. John’s wort than therapy with risperidone alone. One of the reasons that combination therapy works so well is that prescription drugs often have harsh side-effects, and herbal supplements taken in conjunction with medication can help to reduce those side-effects.

Herbal combination therapy is widely used to treat conditions like anxiety and depression, so there is some evidence that it may help with psychosis as well. Multiple sources have recommended combination therapy for psychosis in place of medicine alone. It’s important to keep in mind that combination therapy is as far as most doctors are willing to go when it comes to treatment of psychosis — very few of them will recommend herbal remedies on their own.

From Ancient Beginnings…

Ma huang is an incredibly old herb, given that it originated in ancient China. We know that ephedras have been used at least for 5000 years in China, probably elsewhere. Beverage made with the ephedra plant have been referred to under many names, e.g., yellow river, mormon tea, and whorehouse tea. Ancient Chinese physicians prescribed ephedra tea and pills for the common cold, coughs, asthma, headaches, and hay fever. Ephedra comforts asthma patients by acting as a bronchial dilator. Honey is often added to the ephedra.

… To Modern Times

Ten species of Ephedra are known to exist in North America, and many were popular in folk medicine and as a daily beverage. After the Mormons had arrived in Utah, the native tribe introduced them to a species of Ephedra, and they used the stems as a substitute for coffee and tea.

In the Old West, the same species used by the Mormons gained a reputation as a cure for syphilis and gonorrhea, although this cure was never actually proven to work.

Growing Ma Huang

Seeds for ma huang are planted in the early spring. During the first year of growth, the plants must be watered and kept entirely weed free. Stems are harvested usually after four years of plant growth, and during the blooming season, when alkaloid content is the highest. Ephedra sinica is not harvested during the summer months, because alkaloid content is reduced when stems are fully hydrated from summer rains.

Stems less than 1.25 cm in diameter are cut, dried in the sun for 15 days, and then artificially dried at 120 degrees F for three more hours. Afterwards, the stems are beaten with sticks to break their great jointing, and then screened to separate unwanted joints from the internodes. Packed in bags or covered in containers, the stems must be stored in a dry atmosphere.

A Cough and Cold Cure

Ma huang is great when you need a bit of a boost, but it also has a bunch of other uses. Ephedra, and the active alkaloid ephedrine, is ideal for treating a variety of lung, kidney, and eye ailments. It’s also great for killing a cold and cutting through mucus. That’s why it was such a popular ingredient in cold pills. Here’s a partial list of all of the things that ma huang has been used to treat.

• Cough with fever, headache, and severe chills
• Bronchitis and phlegm
• Nasal swelling due to allergies
• Whooping cough and asthma
• Renal cirrhosis and swelling due to kidney disease
• Colds accompanied by cough and swelling
• Conjunctivitis and inflammation of the tear ducts
• Arthritis with edema

Recent studies with both humans and laboratory animals have shown ephedrine to be beneficial in promoting weight loss. The main mechanism at work is its thermogenic ability to increase the metabolic rate of adipose tissue, enhancing the body’s ability to burn fat. Its weight reducing effects are greatest in those who have a slow metabolism.

Taking Ephedra

Ephedra can be used either as a tea or powdered and put into capsules. When prepared as a tea, old time herbalists and Mormon pioneers recommend that one use the “grounds” repeatedly — adding a teaspoon of the freshly dried herb on top of the herbal grounds left from previous days.

This method should be continued for at least four to six days since it takes several days of simmering this tea — 15 to 20 minutes a day — to sufficiently extract all the bio-available copper and other minerals. Naturally, more water and ephedra should be added to the tea each day.

Risks and Side Effects

As with a lot of other marketable stimulants, adverse side effects are not uncommon. The alkaloids of ma huang can cause rapid or irregular heartbeat, very similar to the effects of adrenaline. Blood pressure rises. Unfortunately, there have been reported cases of liver injury and hepatitis, and users experience aggressiveness, anxiety, and tremors.

Complications from these side effects can result in cerebral hemorrhage, cardiac arrest, and, of course, death. Prolonged use of the drug, which is not recommended, can be the cause of weakened adrenal glands, nervousness, and insomnia. Other side effects include nausea, vomiting, fever, depression, seizures, and headaches. It should be noted, however, that the low dosage of ephedrine in many ma huang products is not large enough to produce significant cardiovascular changes.

The United States Food and Drug Administration has described ephedra as an herb of “undefined safety.” But because ephedra plants are considered nutritional supplements, products containing ma huang are not regulated for safety. Again, alkaloid content varies so greatly from plant to plant (and between different ephedra species) that it is very difficult to monitor the safety level of each batch. Probably as a result of no monitoring and poor warnings, at least fifteen fatalities have been linked to supplements containing the active ingredient ephedrine.

Clandestine Uses

In 1993, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine were put on the list of the official regulated chemicals for the state of California. One major reason for this regulation was to help identify illicit drug labs by monitoring quantities and destinations of precursor chemicals. Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are used as starting compounds, or “substitute precursors,” in the illicit manufacturing of methamphetamines.

Strawberry Face Scrub

5 large strawberries (or 10 small)
1 tbs lime juice
1 tsp almond oil
4 tbs salt

Add the strawberries to blender or food processor and pulse it a few times to break up berries, but not blend. Stir in the lime juice and almond oil, then mix in salt. Smooth this mixture over clean, damp skin and work in circular motions. You should leave mixture on for a few minutes before washing it off and patting your skin dry. This face scrub can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for seven to ten days. Not only does this smell delicious and work wonders for your skin, but you can eat a spoonful if you get hungry!

Here are a few variants to this recipe:

Banana Scrub
2 bananas
1 tsp almond oil
1/2 tsp vitamin E oil

Lemon Scrub
2 lemons
1/2 cup almond oil
1/2 tsp vitamin E oil
1 tsp real vanilla extract

Kiwi Scrub

5 kiwi
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbs almond oil

Pick up a container. Combine the oil, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Stir the mixture until it’s fully combined. Blend the kiwi, but make sure that they’re not mushed. Add the kiwi to the mixture until it’s well-mixed. As with most face scrubs, you’ll want to apply the mixture to your face and work it in with small motions. Afterwards, wash your face off with warm water and pat it dry. Store the mixture in the refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for up to two weeks.

Here are some variants to this recipe:

Papaya Scrub
1 cup mashed papaya pulp
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs oatmeal

Watermelon Scrub
1 cup watermelon
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs almond oil

Sea Salt Scrub

2 tbs virgin coconut oil
1 1/2 tbs finely ground sea salt

This is probably the simplest recipe in this article. In a small bowl, you should mix together the virgin coconut oil and finely ground sea salt. Next, gently apply the mixture to clean, dry skin. Massage it into your skin using a circular motion for one to two minutes before wiping clean and patting dry. While I would highly suggest you try to avoid getting this mixture in your mouth, it also helps get rid of dead skin on your lips. I would also suggest that you use caution when applying this to your face as it might be rough on some people’s skin more than others.

Here are some variants to this recipe:

Lemon Hand Scrub
1 cup white sugar
1 tbs virgin coconut oil
1/2 tsp vitamin E oil
15-20 drops lemon or orange essential oil

Vanilla Lavender Scrub
1 cup white sugar
2 tbs virgin coconut oil
1/2 tsp vitamin E oil
1/2 tsp real vanilla extract
15 drops lavender essential oil

Sugar Scrub

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup of almond oil

After choosing a container, combine the sugar and oil and stir the mixture until it’s well-combined. As with the sea salt scrub, you may want to be careful with it when applying it to your face, as it may be rough on your skin. After applying the mixture to your face and working it in, pat it dry with a towel and voila!
Here are a few variants to this recipe:

Pumpkin Pie Scrub
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 tsp vitamin e oil
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spices
Optional: 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup almond oil
1/2 tsp vitamin E oil
1 tsp real vanilla extract

Age-Defying Scrub

1 tbs baking soda
1/2 tbs raw honey
1 drop lavender oil
1 drop frankincense oil
1 drop geranium oil

Combine the baking soda and honey together until it looks like a nice paste. Then, add one drop of each oil. Place a warm washcloth over your face and hold on skin for about a minute to open up your pores. Gently rub face with facial scrub using small circular motions, as you would with most scrubs. Keep massaging skin with scrub for three to five minutes to fully remove dead skin from face and to let the essential oils work their magic. Rinse off with warm water. Your face may be red for a bit but this will wear off. Use this scrub no more than one to two times a week. This scrub is alkaline to the skin, so to even out your pH it is a good idea to splash your face with rosewater afterwards. This will naturally balance your skin.

How to Make Soap

To start, you should cover your work area. Newspaper will do. Put your gloves and other protective wear on. One ingredient in that cannot be substituted is lye, which can eat through clothing and leave burns, so be sure to prepare your body accordingly. Measure water into the small jar and have a spoon ready. Measure the lye and make sure you have exactly ¼ cup. Carefully pour the lye into the water, meanwhile stirring. Stand back while you stir to avoid the fumes, again as lye can be dangerous.

Once the water starts to clear, let it sit while as you move to the next step, which is to grab another jar and mix together your oils. You should heat both your oils and water mixture and wait until they’re 120°. Once they’re cooled somewhere between 95° and 105°, you can begin the next step. Please note that this is critical for soap making, should you want your soap to come out perfectly.

When both the lye and oils are at the right temperature, you can pour the oils into a mixing bowl. Add the lye, stirring until it’s entirely mixed. Next, stir the mixture for five minutes. After this, you can continue stirring or use an immersion blender. The soap mixture will lighten in color and become thicker. Once it looks like vanilla pudding, it’s at its“trace”, and you’ve completed this step!

Add your herbs, essential oils or other additions and stir everything together. Pour the mixture into molds and cover them with plastic wrap. You can set these in a towel and wrap them up, which will keep in the residual heat and start the saponification process.

Recipes

Coconut Oil Soap

33 oz coconut oil
4.83 ounces lye
12.54 oz water
This soap not only smells amazing, but it’s extremely simplistic to make, thanks to what little ingredients are necessary to make it. Rubbing this directly on your skin creates a very dense effect, so for something bubbly, a loofa or sponge is suggested.
Lemon Soap
1 1/2 cups basic or shea butter soap base, cubed
4 to 6 drops lemon essential oil
dried lemon zest

If you’re looking for an easy recipe, then try using a goat’s milk soap base, which can be found at most craft stores. The citrus scent of this soap is so appealing, you might want to take a bite out of it!

Lavender Soap

1 1/2 cups basic or goat’s goat’s milk soap base, cubed
4 to 6 drops lavender oil
organic lavender flowers

The great thing about this soap is that not only does it clean your body well, but it’s aesthetically pleasing, thanks to the flowers. However, the flowers are not necessary and can be taken out of this recipe, should you be saving this soap for later or just don’t like the texture.

Chai Latte Soap

3 oz palm oil
3 oz coconut oil
3 oz olive oil
1 oz cocoa butter
1 oz castor oil
1 1/2 oz lye
3 1/2 oz water

This is a more complex recipe, but it’s worth the extra effort for its scent and overall effectiveness. If you’re a chai tea lover like me, this soap is a must. Not only does it smell heavenly, but it cleans your body better than you could imagine.

Cocoa Mint Soap

1 1/2 cups shea butter soap base
1 to 2 tbs cocoa powder
1 to 2 tbs chopped fresh mint
6 to 10 drops peppermint essential oil

While the texture of this soap may be one that you’re not used to, it’s bearable if you want to smell lovely and look clean as a whistle. You can even sprinkle a bit of cocoa powder on top, but be careful not to mistake it for a dessert!

Pumpkin Soap

4.19 oz lye
8 oz water
16 oz olive oil
8 oz coconut oil
3 oz sunflower oil
3 oz cocoa butter
2 oz canned pumpkin
Just in time for the holiday season. This pumpkin soap could be put to good use at a gift exchange, or you could keep it all to yourself and take a warm shower, leaving your body smelling wonderful. In addition, you could put in a vanilla swirl to the soap by mixing in some vanilla extract, however if you decide to do this, be sure to increase the amount of oils slightly so that the vanilla doesn’t dilute the color.

Solubility and You

The first thing that you really need to keep in mind is the solubility of the active ingredients that you’re mixing. For the most part, ethanol tinctures are all compatible. It’s when you start mixing tinctures with two different base solvents that things can get out of hand. After you mix your tinctures together, look for any precipitation — that is particles falling out of solution — which could mean that you have an incompatible mix.

Mixing Tinctures to Increase Effects

There are really two good reasons to mix tinctures together, and the first is to increase their combined effects. This process, called synergy, is the reason that most tinctures get mixed together.

You’ll find that herbs from similar families give the most synergy. For instance, the wormwoods — mugwort and sweet wormwood — mix well together because they all have similar active ingredients.

Another popular reason to seek out synergy is to add effects to your favorite herbs. A good example of this would be marijuana and damiana. Marijuana, which can already be stimulating in the bedroom, especially for women — gets sexually supercharged with the addition of a damiana tincture.

Mixing Tinctures to Decrease Side-Effects

The other good reason to mix two or more tinctures together is to decrease side-effects. For instance, if you love the energy that a  tincture brings to the table, but you can’t live with the jittery feeling that it can sometimes cause, try adding a half-part of Passion Flower tincture to the mix.

Decreasing side-effects becomes more important as dosage increases, because the potential for side-effects also increases with the dosage. If you find yourself having issues with high-dose tinctures, and decreasing the dosage isn’t an option for you, then seek out other herbs that will combat these side-effects and consider adding them to the mix.

Tried and True Recipes

Here are a few recipes to get you started.

Lucid Dreaming Tincture

Try mixing up a tincture that consists of 2 parts , 1 part Passion Flower, 1 part Mugwort, and 1 part chamomile. This blend will ease you to sleep and then fire up your mind for lucid dreaming.

Amp-Up Blend

A tincture made with 3 parts calamus root, 1 part kanna, and 1 part kratom will get you fired up and ready to dance all night.

Sleepytime Tincture

1 part chamomile, 1 part blue lotus, and 1 part Passion Flower will relax your mind and help ease you off to sleep.

Sex Panther

Rev up your motor with a tincture made of 2 parts damiana and 1 part kanna. This mixture will get you in the mood and increase tactile sensations for a night you won’t forget.

Party Time

Mix up a tincture with 2 parts marijuana, 1 partcalamus root, and 1 part Kava Kava in order to highlight the psychedelic effects of weed and fight off couch lock.

Marijuana

Marijuana is a simple plant to grow at home, although it might not be legal where you live. Like most plants, all you need is water, sunlight, and basic care. They don’t call it “weed” for nothing. It grows just like one, and thrives in all sorts of different soils and hydroponic setups. There’s little difficulty to growing it. The list of benefits of smoking it are high, with its proven ability to kill pain, increase appetite, and make Pink Floyd sound super awesome.

Lavender

Lavender can grow in your backyard with only a small amount of care. In fact, if you aren’t careful it will take over flower beds and pots. Water and sunlight is all you need to have your lavender growing in no time, since it thrives in poor soils and with little fertilizer. What’s even better is that this plant can easily be grown in large quantities, so you’ll never run out. It has many mental health benefits aside from the obvious culinary ones.

Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is another great edible and medicinal herb to try growing at home. Just like with lavender, lemon balm is an easy plant to grow in a garden. It needs water, sunlight, and little fertilizer. Not only can you use this herb in drinks, but it works well in potpourri and smoking blends. The plant can get big and bushy, so it fills out pots well and can take over a garden.

Salvia Divinorum

Diviner’s sage is only one of the kinds of sages that do well in a home garden. Depending on your climate, it’s either an annual or perennial. Salvia is fast-growing and can withstand the summer heat, but people who live in cold climates should bring it indoors for the winter. It comes in many colors, which makes for a beautiful addition to a garden. It’s also known for causing powerful hallucinations, which is just one of the many reasons to grow it at home.

Rosemary

Rosemary can be grown in a pot on your kitchen windowsill. The upkeep for this plant is a bit tedious, since it needs to be trimmed in order to bush out and be healthy, but the benefits are worth the work. Water your rosemary and keep it in sunlight and you’ll be surprised at how fast it grows. Rosemary’s known for its helpfulness with memory, concentration, and imparting a general good mood.

Mullein

Everyone’s favorite addition to smoking blends is also very easy to grow at home. Unlike some of these other herbs, you’ll need to plant your mullein outdoors. Not only does it create big, bushy foliage but when it flowers this plant can be over 3 feet tall. With just a little bit of work, you’ll have plenty of mullein to smoke all year long.

White Sage

A relative of salvia, white sage is traditionally used for purification. It works to keep your body and bloodstream clear of harmful toxins, and some people think that it can keep evil spirits at bay. These big, healthy plants will yield plenty of leaves for you to make your own smudge sticks and incense at home.

It can be difficult to get started with lucid dreaming, but with enough practice anyone can do it. The keys are finding a trigger that lets you know you’re in a dream, using herbs to help you dream more vibrantly, and finally exerting control over your dream. After you have been lucid dreaming for awhile, you can begin to use it as a tool to help you learn about yourself, and even improve your overall mental state.

Finding a Trigger

The first step to lucid dreaming is to find a trigger that works for you. It can be any sort of sign or phenomenon that tells your subconscious that it’s all a dream. The trigger that works for me is reading. It’s very hard to read in a dream, the words are all garbled. When I see words that don’t make sense, I’ve trained my subconscious to recognize that I’m probably dreaming.

Another trigger is jumping jumping — in a dream you will usually slowly float back down, or jump very high. Music can be a trigger too, especially if you notice that a lot of your dreams have background music that doesn’t seem to be coming from anywhere, or can be changed just by concentrating. There are as many triggers as there are people, and another article in this series looks at all of them in detail.

Adding in Herbs

There are a few herbs that can help to speed the process of lucid dreaming along. The two that are most commonly used are sacred lotus and Passion Flower. Lotus helps to ease you to sleep, and Passion Flower helps to make your dreams more vibrant and longer-lasting. A tea made with these two herbs is perfect before bed. For best results, drink your tea about 15 minutes before you tuck yourself in, and make sure that you’re tired enough to fall asleep quickly.

Controlling Your Lucid Dreaming

The final step to lucid dreaming is exerting control. Once you’ve recognized that you’re dreaming with your trigger, and if you’re having a very intense, colorful dream thanks to herbs, you can start to slowly exert control.

The key to controlling your dreams is coming up with an action that you perform in your dream. Before you go to bed, tell yourself over and over again that if you’re dreaming, you’re going to try to fly. It can be any action at all, but it’s best if whatever you try to do is usually impossible. With enough concentration and practice, you can break through and perform that action.

What’s Next?

Once you’ve broken through and performed a single action in your dream, try to extend it. Do two or three or four things. Most people think of lucid dreaming as one long process, but in reality in comes and goes in a flash. It takes a truly talented lucid dreamer to have total control over their dreams all night long.

1.Blue Dream

THC: 17-24%

CBD: 2%

[no_toc] This sativa-dominant hybrid (60% sativa and 40% Indica) was made when California growers crossed Blueberry indica with Sativa Haze. This THC-rich strain has risen in popularity due to its cerebral, focused high countered with a mellow body high. Users report it having a sweet blueberry aroma. It’s also reported to be an excellent day high, as enables entire body relaxation without disrupting the mind.

“The “Bayer” aspirin of bud that should be in every medicine cabinet. Smoking is slightly blueberry and harsher than expected. Vaporized, it’s smooth and has a perk up “get her done” benefit. It is a nice well-rounded daytime medication that is not sedating.”

“Blue Dream is a favorite for my patients who suffer from anxiety or are looking for a way to stay relaxed yet focused while being productive. Motivated and relaxed.”

 2. Sour Diesel

THC: 17-24.9%

CBD: 2%

Sour Diesel, or Sour D, is a Sativa-dominant stain known for its strong diesel gas smell. It is thought to be derived from the mystery-shrouded strain, Chemdawg 91, and the indica-dominant strain, Super Skunk. Users report it giving them a dreamy cerebral high. It’s said to be super sour and a little bit earthy. Beyond that, it is considered an energizing blend.

“This is my IDEAL strain. My god. I got off my anti-depressants when I found this strain. It’s all I smoke and I couldn’t be happier. I feel sexier, I’m happy, I’m horny, I don’t mind eating and yet somehow I’m losing weight. Don’t mind doing housework. it’s absolute bliss.”

3. CBD OX

THC: 19-20%

CBD: 12%

This indica-dominant hybrid stain is the crossbreed of Bubba Kush and Stone Mountain strains. It’s known for its stunning two to one THC to CBD ratio. Users have reported experiencing heightened happiness, sedation, and calmness. The stain has a slightly spicy flavor with coffee and berry highlights. It’s highly recommended to patients with elevated pain or anxiety.

“This is one awesome strain. It helps amazingly with my Cohn’s disease and back pain. The smell is wonderful and so is the taste. I highly recommend this strain.”

“Great indica strain! Good smelling CBD strains are hard to come by which is why I was surprised of CBD OXs great smell. Great for fighting anxiety and insomnia. I’d put this strain up there with my favorite CBD strains.”

4. Chocolate Rain

THC: 20%

CBD: 0-2%

Escobar Seeds, who coupled Chocolope and Cocoa Krush, developed this strain. As expected, it has a chocolate aroma with slight berry notes. Users report experiencing a subtle body and mind high. It’s also a well-known mood lifter.

“This strain is very uplifting and flavorful it will put you in a good mood, energize you, and help you start your day.”

5. Ultra Banana

THC: 19-23%

CBD: 0-2%

Ultra Banana is an indica-dominant strain that is a cross between MK Ultra and Banana Kush. The strain is known for its sleep-inducing qualities, so definitely save this for the evening or a day out. Users report it having a tropical banana flavor with floral notes. It helps reduce stress and anxiety, diminishes insomnia, and reduces pain.

“I really dig this strain helped me sleep like a rock no hangover either. Tastes a little bit like banana, but my batch generally just smelled like delicious flowers.”

6. Golden Calyx

THC: 23%

CBD: 1.07%

This sativa-dominant strain was developed by Calyx Garden. It’s a cross between Grape Calyx and Golden Goat. It has risen its popularity thanks to its vibrant tropical aroma, consisting of pineapple, bubble gum, and floral notes. It offers a happy high and increases appetite. It’s a great option for patients suffering from pain or stress.

“Golden Calyx is a great tasting sativa. It has the punch of an indica that is smooth. Yet, you can feel the effects immediately.

7. Four Cups

THC: n/a

CBD: n/a

This unique indica-dominant boutique strain is a blend of Cherry AK-47, Sensi Star, Jack Herer, and Blueberry. Users report feeling relaxed, giggle, and antisocial after toking some Four Cups. In addition to offering a wide range of highs, this stain offers a cornucopia of flavors, including berries, plums, and earth.

“I had some Four Cups with gelato. It was smooth as silk but with some added giggles.”

8. Mt. Cook

THC: 22-23%

CBD: 4%

Kiwi Seeds developed this stain after they had blended together their Northern Lights and Hash Plant. A one-time Cannabis Cup champion, this THC-rich bud offers a long-lasting body and mind high. It has an earthy, floral scent and is characterized by its dark green nuggets with wispy orange hairs. Users report experiencing major munchies after smoking this strain.

“One of my favorite strains since 2010 or so. When my friend grew it, it tasted like watermelon. While the bean I cracked has a more citrus-like flavor, I’ve narrowed the flavor down to Sierra Mist soda.”

9. Matsu

THC: 12-15%

CBD: n/a

Metsu is a favorable indica strain with a modest THC level. While its origins are unknown, it’s spread far and wide. It has a lovely floral smell and generates a balanced cerebral high that is great for creativity. Its abundant green buds, orange hairs, and delicate trichomes identify the strain.

“WOW!!!- BLACK BELT BUD- Labeled as an unknown at MC but feels like an Indica all the way. Covered in trichomes! Milky, sticky buds! This is the second type of bud to make me tingly!”

10. Nectarine Lips

THC: n/a

CBD: n/a

Wolf Genetics developed this fruity sativa-dominant strain. It’s a great option for those looking for a heady high. The buds have a purple hue that is reminiscent of their nectarine juice smell. It’s also a good day high that doesn’t leave you feeling antisocial.

“This is an epic plant. It’s very easy to grow and a rewarding plant with beautiful flowers and delicious smooth smoke. I Can’t have enough of this flavor!”

11. Monolith

THC: 24%

CBD: 1%

Monolith is an Afghan indica strain with a deep earthy flavor. It possesses all the signatures of a dank bud, including crystal trichomes, amber hairs, and dense green buds. Users report it lifting their moods, providing a full-body tingling sensation, and increasing appetite. In addition, it is a great way to combat chronic pain, discomfort, or anxiety.

“It is very pungent and not an easy smoke to hide if you have too. This is happy uplifting smoke with a great body high.”

12. Sweet Jesus

THC: n/a

CBD: n/a

While Sweet Jesus’s origin story is a bit hazy, this sativa-dominant strain is known for its brain-enhancing cerebral high. A great strain for creative types who are looking to conjure up new ideas. This hybrid has a citrus, berry flavor with some gas undertones. Users report minimal body effects, though pain relief is not out of the question.

“I must try this strain! Some amazing knowledgeable Leafly users please help me get my hands on some of this for my family and me!!!”

13. Four Way

THC:15-20%

CBD: n/a

Four Ways is a super dynamic indica hybrid developed from Indian, Afghani, and Pakistani strains crossbred with the infamous Skunk #1. Its super fragrant, with a spicy, herbal aroma that bites back. It offers a dynamic whole-body buzz coupled with a sense of happiness and bliss. If you’re not a fan of being couch-locked, this strain may be a bit too heavy for you.

“I’ve been using cannabis for over 20 years, and I’ve never smoked anything that could hold a candle to Four Way. It has a signature scent I can only describe as “Christmas Morning”, and buds absolutely COVERED in golden resin, this strain will always hold a special place in my heart. It is a blissful, powerful indica effects have made Four Way THE go-to strain for this stoner.”

14. Green Crack

THC: 15-25%

CBD: 4-5%

Green Crack is a sativa strain with a rich tropical flavor. It provides an energizing high that is suitable for daytime activities. Users report experiencing increased energy, focus, and creativity. This heartwarming strain is derived from Skunk #1 and unknown Afghani strains.

“It gets me very horny.”

“I like how a good sativa can make me feel more positive about almost everything, almost instantly. I live with chronic depression, so a bowl or two every morning helps me get over my gray mood and get on with my day. Green Crack is an amazing weed suffering from an unfortunate name.

15. OG Kush

THC: 20-25%

CBD: 1%

OG Kush is a class West Coast strain that first surfaced in Southern California in the mid-90s. With that being said, it originated in Florida, where Imperial GneIt’s developed it. The heightened THC levels make for an intense body and mind combination high. As such, it is often recommended to patients suffering from mental ailments, such as bipolar syndrome and anxiety.

“This is the best strain of cannabis if I had the ultimate say so. It’s the true definition of dank. Purchase in large quantities if possible, as it can heal in multiple facets. Can you work out after smoking it? Hell yeah.”

16. Granddaddy Purple

THC: 20-27%

CBD: 1%

Ken Estates developed this strain when he crossbred Big Bud and Purple Urkle. It’s got a delicious grape flavor that yields potent smoke and vape. What’s more, it produces a solid cerebral high while generating a heightened sense of body euphoria. Many users suggest that this strain has somewhat psychedelic effects.

“I tried Granddaddy Purple for the first time yesterday. I’d looked forward to trying it all week after reading these reviews. Seriously, I think I was MORE excited to try the strain than a kid looks forward to Christmas.”

17. Jack Herer

THC: 23%

CBD: 1%

The Arizona-based Item 9 Labs developed this sativa-dominant strain. It is visually appealing thanks to the thin layer of crystal trichomes covered in bright orange fuzz. The mellow tasting bud enhances focus and generates euphoria. It’s an ideal strain for daytime activities, as it fails to reduce energy levels.

“I love this bud. It rolls and burns perfectly. It is smooth and uplifting.”

18. White Widow

THC: 18-25%

CBD: 1%

White Widow is a hybrid strain made from Brazilian Sativa and South Indian Indica. It offers a rich cerebral high with mellow body relaxation. The name is derived from the alluring white buds with their thick crystalline resin. Due to its popularity, it has been used to create a wide range of genetic hybrids.

“This has got to be my favorite strain that I ever smoked. It gets me moving. I’m not too lazy, and I feel happy. I can get things done for sure. I’m not paranoid AT ALL. I actually feel NORMAL! Smoking White Widow is like taking a medication for me. It’s the perfect weed. Seriously.”

19. Bubba Kush

THC: 27%

CBD: n/a

This is a pure indica strain that is derived from the Hindu Kush Mountains. Its mystic origins give it its green and purple buds as well as its thick amber hairs. Most users report it giving them a strong body high that leaves them feeling totally relaxed and occasionally becoming immobile. The taste of Bubba Kush is sweet and piney.

“Personally my favorite strain, Bubba Kush (BK) delivers a high unparalleled to most other strains. At first glance, BK is marvelous to look at. It has hints of purple and deep green on the outside of the bud and turns a beautiful white once you go deeper into the bud. The taste is very hard to describe, but just think of tasting the air of a sugar cane field in a pinewood forest.”

20. Pineapple Express

THC: 25%

CBD: 1%

Pineapple express comes as a result of crossbreeding Trainwreck and Hawaiian. It is a sativa-dominant strain that produces a mild mind and body high. The buds have citrus notes, while the smoke has pineapple notes. Users report feeling euphoria, increased appetite, and pain relief.

“The dopest dope I’ve ever smoked.”

“It makes me feel like a slab of butter on a big old pile of flapjacks!”

21. Durban Poison

THC: 24%

CBD: 1%

This strain is an inbreed of a South African Sativa strain. It has been around since the early 1960s when an American cannabis activist brought it back from a trip abroad. Users say it is a powerful daytime high that does not leave you feeling incapacitated. In fact, it has the ability to increase one’s concentration and bring about an undeniable “get shit done” attitude.

“Durban Poison is like the “espresso” of cannabis. The greatest sativas I know of, it’s a stimulating and clearheaded high with no trace of numbing or “stoning.” It wakes you up, cuts through the bleary fog and leaves you clearheaded and bright. It also gives you the energy to go and seize the day.”

“Again, it’s a Sativa that won’t give you the munchies or paranoia (two big priorities for me), but will make you creative, energetic and euphoric. Never had a problem with this strain. I wouldn’t recommend this one for sleep.”

22. Northern Lights

THC: 16-21%

CBD: n/a

This extremely popular indica strain offers full-body euphoria and mental relaxation. Users report it increasing their happiness and making them feel slightly sleepy. The mellowing effects are great for a wide range of mental disorders, including stress and PTSD. Many people enjoy the earthy, citrus aroma of the buds.

“This is hands-down the best weed I’ve smoked. This tree really releases all of your blocks. On your mind and your body. Your thoughts just flow to you effortlessly. And the relief of my back pain almost made tears of joy come up. I couldn’t feel any pain whatsoever(chronic back pain from injury). It doesn’t feel like an indica at all. I’m a sativa guy. I need more of this in my life.”

23. AK-47

THC: 13-20%

CBD: 1%

This surprisingly mellow sativa-dominant strain is the ideal bud for social situations. It was developed by Serious Seeds and was derived from Columbian, Mexican, Thai, and Afghani varieties. It has one several Cannabis Cup awards because of its rich THC levels. Users report feeling relaxed, euphoric, and stress-free.

“This AK-47 is gorgeously coated in golden trichomes. It has nice dense buds and broadleaves. It grinds out to become very puffy to reveal the density. I smoked it out of a normal single-perk bong with ice. I had a small breakfast and have been awake for two hours. It has a nice earthy taste and offers a slow-developing cerebral euphoria with a slight feeling of eye pressure.”

““I have 40+ years experience growing and using cannabis, a masters degree in agri/horticulture from MSU and will break each review down as follows from my own personal experience with seeds or clones obtained directly from the original breeders, in this case Serious Seeds: – Use; Sativa effects, happy, euphoric, relaxed, great for depression, anxiety, stress, motivation and daytime use. It is a very nice strain.”

24. Blue Cheese

THC: 20%

CBD: n/a

This indica-dominant hybrid strain has high levels of THC that endorse a powerful body high paired with undeniable stress relief. It was developed when growers crossbred a female U.K. Cheese with a male Blueberry. The result is a flavorful strain that is suitable for evening relaxation. This strain also has profound medicinal properties.

“This is somehow the only indica-dominant strain I can smoke during the day. It’s amazing for anxiety and stress relief, while not making you too tired. I feel like Blue Cheese is what Blue Dream was trying to be but you just can’t beat this stuff, and, again, it doesn’t make me sleepy. I had to buy a Ziploc bag and put it in the freezer for the zombie apocalypse. This is also my girlfriend’s favorite strain for sex.”

25. Headband

THC: 21-24%

CBD: n/a

Headband, or Headband Kush, was developed when growers crossbred OG Kush and Sour Diesel. As such, this strain offers slow-to-develop stress relief and entire body relaxation. It received its name from users who reported it alleviating the pressure around their skull. The stain is reported to have a citrus, gas, and earthy aroma that makes for a smooth yet favorable smoke.

“This is a very versatile strain. It really has two different highs to it; one is when it’s consumed in low doses, and one is when it is in high doses. The most recent batch of this at Montana Buds is around ~22% THC and ~0.1% CBD, and it has an extremely prominent lemon scent, with a hint of diesel. The flavor was surprisingly more lemony, and the thick smoke gives it a creamy aftertaste.”

“This stain offers a very happy high that is good for depression or nausea.”

26. Strawberry Cough

THC: 22-26%

CBD: n/a

Strawberry Cough is a sativa-dominant strain that has a noteworthy strawberry aroma. It offers a rich cerebral high. Most users report feeling happy and stress-free after a hit or two of this cough-worthy strain. It does not produce couch-lockdown and is a great option for social situations.

“This is my favorite strain and nothing else even compares. I have anxiety very often and this strain is one of the only strains that helps me with it. Strawberry Cough (also known as strawberry fields x haze) is the best tasting strain I have ever had, and I am not joking or exaggerating when I say that. From the first inhalation, I can taste the strawberry flavor that reminds me of the strawberry patches that grew at my childhood home.”

27. Lemon Haze

THC: 17-22%

CBD: .38%

Lemon Haze is a sativa-dominant hybrid strain that is the love child of Silver Haze and Lemon Skunk. With minimal CBD content, this THC-rich strain is quite powerful. It increases mental focus, mood, and happiness. Most users report a quick feeling of euphoria followed by a lingering mellow feeling. Of course, its refreshing lemony aroma makes it one of the all-time most popular stains.

“Several days and several joints later I must revise my review. This medicine is awesome! Stress and depression are no match for this herb, which fills your brain with happiness and euphoria without turning your brains to mush. Too much and you will lose yourself to your very chatty brain and explore regions of the mind that may be alarming or confusing, but satisfying in the end.”

28. Blueberry

THC: 16-24%

CBD: n/a

This indica strain is a surefire Cannabis Cup winner. DJ Short created it in the late 1970s. It has a slight blueberry aroma and produces a well-balanced cerebral high that lasts for hours on end. Most users report stress relief and pain relief as some of its many positive attributes.

“Bubbles of fruit carry me towards the heaven where I shall finally meet THC Jesus. If you are reading this you have been blessed by him; puff, puff, and pass it on”

29. Purple Kush

THC: 22%

CBD: n/a

This purely indica stain is a crossbreed of Hindu Kush and Purple Afghani stains. It has won awards for being one of the most powerful strains on the market. It produces a full-body state of euphoria and unbeatable pain relief. Users report it having a sweet grape-like aroma.

“I smoked a bowl of this and my body went straight into a relaxed state. It felt lovely AND I decided to smoke another bowl right after. While I was packing it, I couldn’t help but notice the sativa effects of the strain kicking in.”

30.Chemdawg

THC: 19%

CBD: n/a

Chemdawg is a split of sativa and indica strains. Therefore, it relaxes the body while increasing focus and creativity. It’s a great choice for patients with ADHD or individuals suffering from acute pain or discomfort. The aroma is slightly spicy with diesel finishing notes.

“It’s amazing to smoke. It helps you clear your head, and it takes away your pain, anxiety, and/or paranoia.”

31. Super Silver Haze

THC: 23%

CBD: n/a

This sativa-dominant strain has noteworthy brown and orange leaves covered in a thin layering of lovely crystal trichomes. It produces a full0body high that is accompanied by total mental relaxation. This is definitely a munchies-inducing strain!

“I don’t know what it was that set this one apart, maybe there was a specific cannabinoid that reacted with my brain or something, but this strain had me all smiles with a distinct “one with the world” kind of feeling. Amazeballs.”

32. Super Lemon Haze

THC: 25%

CBD: 1%

This sativa-dominant strain is a righteous blend of Lemon Skunk and Super Silver Haze. Users report feeling sexy, euphoric, energetic, and generally happy. It is important to note that this strain may not be the best choice for newbies, as it is quite powerful. Its citrus aroma makes for a refreshing session.

“One of the best strains on earth. It has a psychedelic aspect and is crazily euphoric. Treat your connoisseur friends. I guarantee they’ll be asking you where you purchased it. Every time I indulge in SLH, I think, “This is absolutely amazing and it takes things to a whole other level.”

33. Grape Ape

THC: 18-21%

CBD: n/a

This indica-dominant strain is made from Mendocino Purps, Sunk, and Afghani strains. It produces a strong but mellow body high that is great for pain reduction. It has a noteworthy grape-like smell that makes it awesome for vaping.

“Smells like a grape jolly rancher – feels like you’re an 800-pound gorilla. I never imagined knowing what that felt like but for some reason, I just felt really big. My hand didn’t look bigger but it certainly felt huge. I’m a seasoned smoker (vaporizer) and have never felt anything quite like it. Obviously gives you some couch lock which is great for streaming Netflix and going to sleep.”

34. Blackberry Kush

THC: 20%

CBD: 2%

Blackberry Kush is an indica strain with a vibrant blackberry-like aroma. It provides deep bodily relaxation. Therefore, we recommend this strain for nighttime use only. For this reason, it’s also a great option for individuals battling insomnia.

“This has been my favorite smoke for bedtime. It taste likes berries and put’s you into a state a deep relaxation. Perfect for my insomnia since I will sometimes wake up around 2 a.m.”

35. Alaskan Thunder Fuck

THC: 16-23%

CBD: n/a

ATF is a sativa-dominant strain that is slightly spicy with occasional diesel notes. Users report it giving them an intense couch-lockdown feeling that isn’t the best fit for social situations. Nevertheless, this strain, which comes from Matanuska Valley of Alaska, is a surefire munchies inducer.

“This strain’s name pretty much sums up it effects. I decided to wait a few minutes before commenting and things only got worse. Forgot to breathe (don’t you hate when that happens! Not a strain to go out in public.”

36. Master Kush

THC: 20-24%

CBD: 1%

This is an indica hybrid that is often used for medicinal purposes. It was developed from crossbreeding Hindu Kush and Skunk. It has a sweet earthy flavor and yields a euphoric body high that often results in early-onset sleep.

“HOLY KABLAMMO! I was looking for something for sleep, as in knock me out, and THIS IS IT! It could also be renamed as “Punch in the Face.” It offers immediate results. I sure wouldn’t hit this and drive. Hit it – go to bed.”

37. Cherry Pie

THC: 16-24%

CBD: 2%

This strain was made when growers crossbred Granddaddy Purple and Durban Poison. As you may have already guessed, this strain truly smells like cherries. It yields a powerful long-lasting high that is excellent for stress relief.

“I am not easily impressed. Cherry pie, however, did something not even my beloved Blue Dream does. It made me smile.”

38. Mazar x Blueberry OG

THC: n/a

CBD: n/a

This is a blend Mazar x Blueberry and OG Kush, also known as Blueberry OG, which has an intensely spicy aroma and produces a powerful full-body high. It may leave you couch-bound but will get rid of any painful ailments that may be bothering you.

“This is a fantastic strain. In a bad mood? Feeling anxious? Overwhelmed? Skywalker will lift you up and take you to the stars. Excellent for combating nausea, this hybrid has all the best effects of sativa and indica without any downfalls.”

39. Cheese

THC: 15-20%

CBD: 1%

This indica-dominant strain originated in the United Kingdom. It enables a simple, mellow high with points of euphoria and creativity. As you may have guessed, it has a super pungent smell.

“I have no clue where my shoes are.”

40. Amnesia Haze

THC: 20-22%

CBD: 1%

This is a sativa-dominant strain that comes from Jamaican, Laotian, and Hawaiian strains. It increases awareness and decreases anxiety. It is surefire mood enhancer that is great for social situations. Users report it having a spicy, earthy aroma.

“I am pretty damn baked right now. Just had one bowl of this stuff using my bubbler pipe and wow. I’m feeling really euphoric sensations and I’ve just eaten a half of a birthday cake that wasn’t mine.”

41. Maui Wowie

THC: 20-28%

CBD: n/a

This sativa-dominant strain is from, you guessed it, Hawaii. It is attractive strain with a super fruity aroma that is reminiscent of its tropical homeland. It’s a mood booster that is good for concentration. It also does wonders to reduce stress levels and anxiety.

“Maui Wowie is an excellent Sativa. I suffer from anxiety and depression, and this is a strain that significantly mitigated my symptoms. Within minutes of smoking, I felt uplifted, energetic, creative and motivated to go about my day.”

42. Death Star

THC: 18-27%

CBD: n/a

When growers crossed Sensei Star and Sour Diesel, this powerful THC-rich strain is what they got. It has a citrusy aroma that produces a potent smoke. It is ultra relaxing and has a profound cerebral effect.

“ATTN LADIES: I have officially added this strain to the PMS/ period collection. Kills pain, numbs a headache down, relaxed the body and I feel like it’s helping to chill me out. You’re welcome.”

43. Chocolope

THC: 18-21%

CBD: n/a

This sativa-dominant strain has a noteworthy chocolate flavor that gives it its delectable name. It is important to note that this THC-rich bud produces a super psychedelic high that not all cannabis lovers can handle. If you can get past the mind-altering properties, you will find this strain to be very euphoric.

“The buzz itself doesn’t last for super long, but it leaves you with a feeling of optimism, happiness, and motivation that lasts for a really long time afterwards (at least three hours AFTER the buzz dies down).”

44. Platinum GSC

THC: 18-26%

CBD: 1%

Platinum Girl Scout Cookies is a cross between OG Kush and Durban Poison. Its offers tons of THC and is nearly split down the middle between being sativa and indica. Users report that it produces a happy high marked by long-lasting euphoria.

“This is my favorite strain. I used it at night, which produced a very clear thinking mode.”

45. Tahoe OG Kush

THC: 14-21%

CBD: n/a

This strain is equal parts sativa and indica. It is a THC-rich hybrid that is known for producing a mellow head high. While it may cause users to break out in a fit of laughter, it is an overall wise choice for social situations. Its beloved for its refreshing combination of citrus and earth notes.

“Superb plant. Dense, extreme resin-coated buds that reek of lemon and burnt rubber.”

46. Harlequin

THC: 7-15%

CBD: 10%

This CBD-rich strain is a crossbreed of Columbian gold AND Swiss Landrace. It has enough THC to enable a rich cerebral high, but the balanced levels of CBD make it ideal for staying focused during the day. It also has many medical uses.

“It produces a great energizing effect with the high CBD and sativa.”

47. God’s Gift

THC: 27%

CBD: 1%

God’s Gift is the byproduct of Granddaddy purple and OG Crush. Many users report it giving them a religious-like experience due to the deep euphoria and pleasurable high. It is an extremely sticky strain with sweet citrus notes.

“I am a lightweight; GG IS A”

48. Golden Goat

THC: 16-23%

CBD: 1%

This strain was actually developed by leaders in the medical marijuana industry. It is a sativa-dominant hybrid that produces a pain relieving effect and brings about sudden mood improvements. It is known for its florally citrus notes.

“To be honest this strain is the closest feeling to being on MDMA.”

49. Purple Urkle

THC: 18-21%

CBD: n/a

This strain’s origins are in Topeka, Kansas. It is product of crossbreeding Hawaiian-Romulan with Mr. Dank’s Island Sweet Skunk. It produces a tingling sensation throughout the entire body. It has relatively high THC levels and a little bit if CBD to balance it out.

” The Happiest High that I have ever had. Great balance between head and body. Perfect Hybrid. Sativa start to it, almost psychedelic then evens out. DO NOT DRIVE!”

50. LA Confidential

THC: 20-25%

CBD: n/a

This vibrant green strain is known for its tasty aroma, which is ever so piney and fresh. It is a common medicine for insomnia, as it has the power to induce deep sleep. It’s also slightly psychedelic.

” This is a POWERFUL psychedelic… it’s awesome!! We ended up watching Wallace & Gromit and having sex.. then passing out listening to music!”

Extracts are a great way to increase the potency of legal herbs. Not only to they provide more pain relief, a bigger rush, or increased relaxation, they also last longer and decrease nausea. By extracting only the active ingredients in herbs, you can leave behind the parts of the plant that create tar and soot when they’re smoked for a cleaner, more intense, experience.

Making your own extracts at home can be time consuming, but it has clear benefits. For one, you’ll always know exactly what you’re using. You can use food-safe ingredients like ethanol instead of harsh, dangerous chemical solvents. When you make your own extracts you also have control over just how strong they are, ensuring that you get a safe, reliable dose. With only a few simple tricks and some off-the-shelf ingredients, you can be making your own smokable herbal extracts in no time!

What Do I Need To Get Started?

Aside from the herbs you’ll be extracting, there are a few things that you should have. Although with a little bit of inventiveness you can make do with common household items, it’s nice to have the right equipment to make sure that everything goes smoothly.

• Scale: A scale that accurately measures by the gram is necessary to control the strength of your extract, as well as measure doses when you’re finished. This digital scale from Ozeri is easy to read, durable, and accurate.

• Solvent: While any alcohol will work, ethanol is food-safe, so you can be sure that your final product is healthy. While vodka will work, in order to get the purest, cleanest extract possible reagent grade alcohol is best.

• Extraction Bottle: Your extract will need to sit for a week or two, so it’s best to use a bottle that won’t let any light in. This lab-grade, BPA-free plastic bottle is perfect. It’s more durable than glass, completely opaque to light, and won’t release any harmful toxins during the extraction process.

• Funnel: Although you can make do without a funnel, it’s cheap insurance to keep from spilling your herbs all over the counter top.

• Strainer: A stainless steel mesh strainer will keep clumps of extracted herbs out of your final product.

• Evaporation Dish: Made of Pyrex glass, this 8″ square dish is perfect for evaporating alcohol in. It’s easy to scrape clean, reusable, and is big enough to provide the surface area you need to speed along the evaporation step.

• Scraper: This glass scraper by Hyde Tools is the perfect way to get every last bit of extract out of your dish and into your pipe.

• Storage Container: A small amber jar is a great way to store your extract until you need it. This wide-mouth jar makes it easy to get at even small amounts of extract, and with a stainless steel spoon you won’t waste a bit.

• Spoon: A stainless steel laboratory spoon will let you scoop up small amounts of extract to be weighed and smoked.

How Do I Extract My Herbs?

The extraction process is actually really straightforward and simple. The general idea is to let a measured amount of herbs sit in alcohol for a week or two, letting the active ingredients seep out of the leaves and dissolve in alcohol. The extracted leaves are then filtered out into a dish, and the alcohol is evaporated. By putting a measured quantity of fresh herbs into the evaporation dish you can create standardized extracts ranging from 5x to 50x and beyond. Once the solvent has mostly evaporated, the fresh herbs are mixed into the paste and allowed to fully dry. This extraction is then smoked or eaten, giving much more powerful results then just the fresh herbs alone would.

Just to be clear, let’s break down the process step by step with short explanations. For the purposes of explanation, we’ll use wild dagga as an example, and make a 15x standardized extract. Plenty of other herbs make wonderful extracts, including wild lettuce, kava kava, passion flower, and especially blue lotus and kratom:

1. Measure:

In order to know how strong our extraction is, first we need to measure the amount of plant material we’re extracting in grams and write it down. Keep this number safe, or write it on a piece of tape and put it right on the bottle. Don’t lose it, or there won’t be any way to standardize the strength of the extract.

For the purposes of demonstration, we’ll use 300 grams of dagga.

2. Soak:

Add the plant material to your bottle and pour in enough alcohol, or a mixture of alcohol and water, to cover the wild dagga. A funnel is useful to get the dagga into the bottle without making a mess. An inch or two of extra solvent is perfect, and more is usually better than less. This mixture should sit somewhere cool for a week, minimum, and up to three weeks at the most.

3. Strain:

Using a mesh strainer to catch the dagga leaves, pour the extraction carefully into the evaporation dish. You’ll notice that the alcohol has darkened and taken on the color of the plant material. At this stage, if you taste a bit, it will be bitter which indicates the presence of alkaloids.

4. Evaporate:

Cover the dish very loosely with foil to keep out dust, and leave it somewhere warm overnight. The top of a refrigerator is perfect, as the warmth from the motor will encourage a quicker evaporation. If that’s not available then anywhere is fine, but leaving the dish to sit in a cooler place will prolong the amount of time it takes for the extraction to evaporate.

5. Standardize:

This step is important for safety and reliability. Using the weight that you recorded in the first step, we’re now going to add a small amount of fresh herbs. Since we want a 15x extract and we started with 300g of wild dagga, we’ll add 20g of fresh dagga to our extraction. In order to find the proper amount, divide the amount of material that you started with by the desired strength. For instance, in our extraction, 300g of dagga divided by 15x is equal to 20g of fresh material. This fresh dagga soaks up the extraction and makes it easier to smoke.

6. Store:

When everything is completely dry, scrape up your extraction and, using a funnel, put it in a container for storage. It’s a good idea to mark the bottle so that you know how strong your extraction is, and what exactly is in it. We would mark ours “15x wild dagga””

7. Enjoy:

Congratulations! Now that you’ve finished one extraction, you’ll have all the equipment and knowledge you need to do it again. It’s not very hard to begin with, and it gets easier every time.

You won’t believe how much stronger and more effective herbs can be when you extract them. If you learn to do your own extractions you can take advantage of websites like this one to order smokable herbs cheaply and in bulk, not to mention that it puts you in control of the strength and ingredients. Try it today, and you’ll never go back to paying the premium prices that some vendors charge for a mystery extract, when you can do yourself in your own kitchen.

What Do I Need To Get Started?

• Scale: One of the big benefits of making tinctures is that they can easily be stored. Use a scale to measure your herbs, and make enough to take tomorrow and the next day.

• Measuring Cup: Along with a scale, accurate liquid measurements mean you know exactly how strong your final product is. Always weigh and measure your tinctures, not just for safety, but so you can reproduce your results.

• Strainer: Made with stainless steel mesh to last a lifetime, this strainer will get the plant material out of your tincture after it’s been extracted.

• Alcohol: Ethanol is the only alcohol that you should use for tinctures. Using pure ethanol means you can add as much or as little water as you like. Most vanilla extract, for instance, is made with 40% alcohol. 1 part water, 1 part 95% alcohol can also work.

• Glycerine: Used to stabilize alcohol-based tinctures, adding glycerine is an optional step that will slow evaporation and keep your tinctures fresh.

• Citric Acid: Pure food-grade citric acid will help keep your tinctures fresh, as well as acidifying them for efficient extractions.

• Stainless Steel Funnel Set: The best way to avoid spills and fill small bottles, this set of funnels has a range of sizes, making them useful for batches of every size.

• Extraction Bottle: These chemical resistant bottles are guaranteed not to break down or release harmful compounds into your tincture even when heated.

• Storage Jars: Amber-colored glass jars are the best way to store your tinctures. The colored glass will keep out light so they stay potent longer, and the chemical resistant cap is great for alcoholic tinctures.

Alcohol-Based Tinctures In 6 Easy Steps

1. Weigh

If you’re making more than one dose of tincture at a time, and you should be, make sure to weigh the herbs and write down the weight before you start. This step is vital for determining dose later, and should not be skipped.

Recommended dosage:

• Add 4 ounces (113g) of powdered herb with 1 pint (473ml) of 40% alcohol
• Add 7 ounces (198g) of dried herb material to 35 fluid ounces (1 liter) of 40% alcohol

You can use 40% liquor such as vodka or save some money by using watered down 95% ethanol (half water / half ethanol to get about 40%)

2. Steep

Add your pre-weighed herbs to a glass or chemical-resistant plastic container then cover them with alcohol. If you’re using citric acid, add that now and give it a stir. If not using a water bath, steep your herbs for a week in a cool place. If you’re using a water bath, warm the water to a simmer before removing it from the heat and placing the container gently in the water. Leave the container in the hot water for an hour and repeat once with freshly heated water.

3. Strain

Strain the herbs out of your tincture with a sieve and pour the tincture in a bowl to evaporate.

4. Evaporate

Cover the bowl full of your tincture lightly with aluminum foil to keep out dust. Allow the alcohol to evaporate until it has reduced in volume by at least half.

5. Measure

Using a measuring cup and the starting weight of your herbs, you can now figure the strength of your tincture. Divide the weight of the herbs from the first step by the final volume of your tincture. For instance, if we start with 200g of mullein and end up with 10 tablespoons of tincture, the final strength of our tincture is 20g of mullein per tablespoon.

6. Label and Store

It’s a good idea to label the tincture with the name of the herbs used, the strength from the previous step, and the date that it was made. When stored in a cool, dark place, your tincture will stay potent for a year on average.

Optional. Add glycerine
When the tincture is done you can now add glycerine.
Glycerine is used to ‘stabilize’ the tincture and stop it from evaporating so quickly. It also works as a preservative to keep the chemicals in the extract from degrading over time. Depending on the tincture, you would want to have about 5-10% glycerin.

All About Alcoholic Tinctures

Alcohol-based tinctures are a great way to get the benefits of medicinal herbs while lessening stomach discomfort and other side-effects. Alcoholic tinctures can be added to drinks or applied topically, depending on the nature of the herb and the results you want. mullein tincture, for example, has been used for centuries as a cure for earaches, while tincture of Kratom is a powerful pain reliever.

Because of the nature of alcohol as a solvent, nearly every herb can be extracted using it. Whether the active ingredients are essential oils or alkaloids, alcohol will dissolve them efficiently and quickly leaving you with a concentrated, effective medicine. There are a few tricks to making your own alcohol-based tinctures at home as well as shortcuts that you can take to speed the process.

Heating the alcohol to steep the herbs speeds up the extraction time significantly, but remember that alcohol vapors are flammable, so care must be taken to keep away from open flames while you make your tincture. A hot water bath, however, gives you the best of both worlds. You can make your tincture in a short amount of time while still remaining safe. In order to make an effective water bath, you should boil water in a pot and then place the container of alcohol and herbs, with the lid off, into the hot water. Do not do this on the stove top, remove the pot of water from the stove and turn off the heat before placing the container into the water.

Glycerin is an excellent addition to alcoholic tinctures. It’s plant-based and all-natural, and the properties of glycerin help stabilize the finished tincture and keep it from evaporating during storage. Especially if you are using pure alcohol, glycerin is an excellent addition to tinctures that will be stored for long periods of time.

A small amount of food safe acid, like citric acid, is also a great additive for your tinctures. Citric acid helps to keep the alkaloids in the tincture in their salt form. Alkaloids are responsible for the medicinal effects of many natural herbs and can exist in two forms. Salts, also called acidic salts, are one form. Salts tend to be more stable than the other form, alkaloid freebases. In plants, alkaloids are often found in a mixture of both freebase and acidic salts, but converting them all to salts makes for a more efficient, stable, and potent tincture.

The last thing to keep in mind with your tinctures is storage. Storing tinctures in an amber-colored glass jar in cool conditions will prolong their potency. Light and heat break down many of the natural compounds found in herbs, and tinctures stored in a warm place or in sunlight will quickly lose their effects.

Conclusion

That’s all there is to making your own tinctures. There’s no reason to keep paying the high prices or live with the limited selection of health store tinctures. Buy your herbs in bulk online and save money while getting exactly what you need.

Once you’ve mastered simple tinctures, try mixing two or more herbs together in order to make compound tinctures. Kratom, wild dagga, and kava kava will provide pain relief and relaxation. Scullcap and blue lotus tinctures treat insomnia. Or try a tincture of calamus root and kanna for energy and focus. When you make your own tinctures, you’re in complete control.