Kief

Definition: Kief is the fine, sandy powder made of resin glands, called trichomes, that break off cannabis flowers. Those tiny glands hold most of the plant’s cannabinoids and terpenes, so kief is more potent than the buds it came from. It’s the simplest cannabis concentrate and the raw material for traditional hash.

Where Does Kief Come From?

Cannabis flowers are covered in trichomes, tiny mushroom-shaped glands that produce resin rich in THCA, CBDA, and terpenes. When dried buds are handled, ground, or shaken, the gland heads snap off and collect as a golden or pale green dust. That dust is kief.

How Do You Collect Kief?

The most common way is a three-chamber grinder with a fine mesh screen and a bottom kief catcher. Over time, the powder sifts through and builds up. Larger amounts are made by dry sifting, rubbing dried flower or trim over a series of fine silk or steel screens. A cleaner version uses ice water instead, which is how bubble hash is made.

How Do You Use Kief?

People sprinkle it on top of a bowl or roll it into a joint for an extra kick, press it into hash, or decarboxylate it and mix it into edibles. Because it’s concentrated, a little goes a long way, so start with a small pinch.

Is Kief Stronger Than Weed?

Yes, usually. Kief is mostly trichome heads with less plant matter, so it carries a higher share of cannabinoids by weight than whole flower. How strong it is depends on the strain and how cleanly it was sifted.

Related terms: Trichomes, Hash, Concentrates, Solventless Extract

Sources: Cannabis Glandular Trichomes: A Cellular Metabolite Factory. Frontiers in Plant Science, 2021 (PMC); ElSohly MA, et al. Changes in Cannabis Potency Over the Last 2 Decades (1995-2014). Biological Psychiatry, 2016 (PMC).