Question 1

What is hemp?

Accepted Answer

Hemp is a common name for the variety of cannabis sativa plant that contains less than 0.3% THC. It is a sustainable crop grown and used for many products, including:  food, paper, rope, biodegradable plastics, medicine, oil, fiber, biofuel, animal feed, and even innovative building materials, such as hempcrete.
 
Characterized by its distinctive leaves, rapid growth, and low levels of the psychoactive compound, THC, hemp is quickly making a comeback after the 2018 Farm Bill passed and overturned the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, which had made all forms of cannabis illegal to grow in all 50 states.
 
Hemp is one of the oldest plants to be cultivated by human civilization, and judging by its seemingly infinite uses and applications, it's easy to see why. We are unbelievably excited to be able to grow these miracle plants in the U.S. again and to create products that bring the benefits of hemp to you.
 
If you'd like to learn more about the uses and history of hemp in the U.S., head to our blog to learn more.
 
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Question 2

What are the differences between cannabis, marijuana, and hemp?"

Accepted Answer

The term 'cannabis' is a general term used to describe the plant named Cannabis Sativa. Using the term cannabis can get confusing, as it could be referring to either the hemp or marijuana variant of the cannabis sativa plant. Marijuana is the cannabis plant known to get you "high", and hemp is known as the cannabis plant used for food, oil, animal feed, or construction materials.  But you would be correct to call either hemp or marijuana 'cannabis.'
 
In the United States, marijuana is defined as any Cannabis Sativa plant that has greater than 0.3% THC, or Tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is the primary psychoactive compound found in cannabis, and is attributed to making its users feel "high".
 
Hemp, as you have likely guessed, is classified as any Cannabis Sativa plant that has less than 0.3% THC. Even cannabis with 0.4% THC would be considered marijuana, despite needing much higher levels to make the user feel any psychoactive effects.
 
Hemp strains don't always look like the ditch weed you see along the roadside.  To produce the strain of hemp we grow, the breeders started off with high THC strains and then bred most of the THC out it.  
 
Both hemp and marijuana have many similarities.  Understanding the differences between them can help you better navigate the cannabis market. Visit our blog to learn more!
 
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Question 3

What is Cannabigerol, or CBG?"

Accepted Answer

Cannabigerol, or CBG, is just one of the over 140 known cannabinoids found in cannabis, and is currently the lesser-known of its more popular cousins, which you may recognize, THC and CBD.
 
The word cannabinoid is another term for "a molecular compound found in cannabis". Every cannabis strain is made up of its own unique combination of cannabinoids and usually has one or two dominant cannabinoids.  CBG strains are unique because they are predictably low in THC, making them a stress-free choice when wishing to avoid "going hot", or exceeding 0.3% THC.
 
Until recently, hemp farmers had to harvest their crops 6 weeks early to harness CBG from their plants.  CBG is known as  "The mother of all cannabinoids" because all cannabinoids start off as CBGA but then evolve into other cannabinoids like THCA, or CBDA.  Today seed breeders, like Oregon CBD, have produced CBG genetics that can grow to full term and still yield high amounts of CBG.
 
That's great news for those seeking to reap the serious benefits CBG has been cited as offering.  CBG works on a molecular level to restore vitality and to promote well-being to those who seek her.  More research is needed to fully understand the benefits of this powerful cannabinoid, but CBG is proving to be a popular cannabinoid in the cannabis cabinet.
 
If you want to learn more about the benefits of CBG, check out our blog post on this exciting topic!
 
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Question 4

Are hemp and/or hemp-derived products legal to purchase and use?

Accepted Answer

Yes! The passing of the 2018 Farm Bill made it legal to buy, consume and sell hemp-derived products within the United States.  In our state of Iowa, we've received our license to manufacture our hemp products in March of 2021.  Up until March 2021, all hemp products sold within the state of Iowa were from hemp farms located outside of the state.

Question 5

Will I get "high" if I use CBG products?"

Accepted Answer

No. Our products are derived from hemp, and are categorized as "non-psychoactive", meaning you won't feel "high". 
 
Using hemp, by definition, requires that our plants be tested and adhere to strict regulations as to not exceed 0.3% THC (the psychoactive compound found in cannabis).
 
Although you may notice increased sense of relaxation, or a calming effect, (that's just a benefit of the CBG!) you will not experience any cognitive impairment as a result of using our CBG products, as directed.
 
Discover our products and directions on how to use them by visiting our store!
 
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Question 6

How do I decarboxylate my hemp flower?

Accepted Answer

Decarboxylation is the process of heating your hemp flower for a certain amount of time at a certain temperature.  You need to do this to convert the CBGA (found in raw hemp flower) to CBG.  The "A" stands for "acid", referring to the cannabinoids' raw acidic form.  Decarboxylation is achieved when heat is applied to cannabis (smoking or vaping), but is also needed for topical and edible applications to make the hemp flower more effective.  
 
To decarboxylate CBG flower, you need to bake your hemp flower at 215 degrees for 1 hour.  This isn't as cut and dry as baking a casserole for 1 hour.  You need to be sure that the jar containing your hemp flower gets up to 215 degrees before you start the timer for 1 hour.  Just waiting for that jar temperature to get up to heat could take you an hour, so be patient!  You are also going to have to keep an eye on the temperature as it's decarboxylating to make sure it is staying at 215 degrees.
 
Note- I like to put my hemp flower into a wide mouthed mason jar and cover the mason jar with aluminum foil and then place the ring over the foil and onto the jar.  This keeps the smell from spreading freely.  You can easily insert your thermometer probe through the aluminum foil.  I like to use a thermometer with a chord so that you can easily monitor the temperature without having to open the oven to check.
 
After you have your hemp flower decarboxylated, you can now infuse the decarboxylated flower into a fat of your choice (any oil, butter, animal fat), alcohol, vinegar, or water.  
 
To infuse into oil or butter, you need to get the oil or butter up to 180 degrees and then start the timer for 2 hours.  As you may have guessed, it's going to take you a while to get the oil or butter up to temperature before you can start your timer.  You are going to have to watch the temperature to make sure it stays consistent.   
 
Note- I again like to cover the mason jar with decarboxylated hemp flower and oil with aluminum foil and then place the ring over the foil and onto the jar.  This will keep the oil from spilling if it were to tip in your oven.  I also like to place my jars on a tray in case they were to tip over.  Again, you can easily insert your thermometer into your jar of hemp flower and oil by puncturing a small hole through the aluminum foil top.  
 
You can also infuse your decarboxylated hemp flower into oil (without heat) and agitate it daily for 4-6 weeks to transfer the cannabinoids into the oil.  This wouldn't work so well for butter, however- you would be better off heating it.
 
To infuse your decarboxylated hemp flower into alcohol, it's been suggested to find a grain alcohol of at least 190 proof to achieve an optimal extraction.  You will only need to agitate your jar of decarboxylated hemp flower and alcohol for 1-2 weeks to achieve an efficient extraction.  NEVER use heat to speed up the time of infusing herbs into alcohol- this could cause an explosion and that would be awful.  You also need to be super cautious when using such a high grain alcohol- never leave your alcohol around potential open flames.
 
To infuse your decarboxylated hemp flower into water, just infuse the hemp flower into hot water and drink as tea.  Tea will not keep very long, so drink up!

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