What is ABV?

You've probably heard the term before vaporization of dried herbs. This is no wonder, as this is an increasingly popular way of taking cannabinoids or using CBD herbs. Dried herb with a small amount of THC (in Poland, the standard of 2022% THC will come into force at the end of April 0.3) is not intoxicating and, more importantly, is legal in Poland. The question arises whether the remains after vaporizing such dried herb or, for example, dried medical marijuana, are suitable for anything? Can they still be used? What's that ABV?

ABV - Already Been Vaped – translated from English, “it was already vaporized” – means herb that has already been used once in the vaporization process. Herbs that we have already vaporized are characterized by a dark brown color and a specific, pungent smell that does not resemble the smell of fresh, dried buds. Herbs that have undergone the decarboxylation process look similar.

Is traditional smoking less efficient than vaping?

Regular smoking of marijuana, e.g. in the form of a joint, causes the high temperature to destroy most of the cannabinoids. Some people mistakenly think that by smoking in this way, we take all the compounds contained in the herb. This is not true because due to the high burning temperature of the joint, we are able to absorb approximately 20% of the cannabinoids contained in the dried material. The rest is lost forever. Deciding to vaporize the herb, not only will we be able to absorb from 50% to even 80% of all cannabinoids (depending on the vaporizer used), but we also give ourselves the opportunity to use it again. In such vaporized drought, depending on the temperature used and the vaporizer model, there may be even several dozen percent cannabinoids.

So if you belong to the so-called economical people and you don't like waste, you don't have to throw away your evaporated herb! In this post, we will tell you how to use the remains of vaporization. Taking into account the fact that evaporation (vaporization) is not combustion, we can say that ABV it is simply over-dried marijuana that has turned brown due to evaporation, but is still suitable for further processing.

Is it dried? ABV does it contain THC?

As we wrote above, the number of remaining w ABV cannabinoids (including THC) depend on the vaporization temperature and the type of vaporizer. Not to mention the type of dried herb we have. The higher the temperature and the longer the session time, the fewer compounds will remain in it ABV. Theoretically, the lighter the herb after evaporation, the more THC and other compounds it contains.

Can you smoke? ABV?

Of course you can, but we do not recommend this practice. First of all, it tastes bad. Second, you certainly won't get what you expect. You will simply be disappointed. Vaporization is slowly displacing smoking, because the vapor, compared to the smoke from a joint, does not contain carcinogenic compounds. It's just much healthier. In addition, as we mentioned, smoking degrades most of the compounds contained in the herb. The question remains - how many times can you vaporize herbs? It's best to do it once and use the rest otherwise!

How to use herbs ABV?

One way to reuse vaporized herb is to use it in the kitchen. In order to use the new dried herb in the kitchen, it must first be decarboxylated, i.e. thermally treated by heating it, e.g. in an oven. Drought ABV has already gone through this process, so you can say that it is ready for further use. This herb will work great in hemp recipes.

ABV in the kitchen – the best way to use the residue after vaporization 

The most popular ways to use dried herbs in the kitchen is to create hemp butter. The process of making such butter is not much different from butter made from normal dried or stemsThe whole difference is that the "Already Been Vaped" herb does not need to be decarboxylated, because this process ABV is already behind him. We have described the process of creating hemp butter here.

Once you have prepared hemp butter, you can let your imagination run wild - cookies, scrambled eggs, cakes, etc. almost any recipe in which fat is an essential ingredient can be turned into a hemp treat. Dried itself ABV can also be eaten, e.g. as a sprinkle. It can be sprinkled on sandwiches, cakes or in savory dishes. You can also use your herb to make hemp tea or tincture. In the latter case, simply pour alcohol over the herb and leave it in a dark place for about 2 weeks.

Drought ABV in dishes - precautions

As in any case, you should approach the topic of eating and drinking dried foods or liquids with caution. If we collected dried ABV after vaporizing medical marijuana containing large amounts of THC, let's not overdo it with the amount used for cooking. In the case of taking cannabinoids orally, the effect of the action can usually "last" longer and a little differently than when inhaling smoke or steam. You should test for yourself what the right amount will be for you, remembering that the effect may be felt with a slight delay.