What are Sugar Leaves?

Most of us have seen sugar leaves even if we are unaware of what they are. Some of us might have even rolled a joint out of sugar leaves or made cannabis concentrate.

But what are sugar leaves? Can you smoke them?

Let’s find out!

What are Sugar Leaves?

Have you ever seen small leaves sticking out of a cannabis bud?

That’s exactly what sugar leaves are. They start to grow as the cannabis plant flowers and buds begin to develop.

These leaves look like they are coated with powdered sugar and hence the name. The sugary appearance is due to the presence of trichomes and gives the leaves a whitish look.

Additionally, sugar leaves also contain cannabinoids, just like buds. However, the concentration of trichomes and cannabinoids are far less than the buds.

Some growers trim the sugar leaves during growing or harvesting. Others leave them intact as they give the buds an aesthetic appeal.

Are Sugar Leaves Smokable?

You can smoke sugar leaves without any concern. They contain an adequate amount of cannabinoids and terpenes like the flower. Therefore, you can roll a joint and smoke your sugar leaves.

However, the amount of cannabinoids and terpenes are lesser in sugar leaves compared to buds. As a result, you will need to smoke more to derive the effects of smoking a flower.

Additionally, the smoke may be harsh on your throat. So, it makes sense to grind the sugar leaves with your buds and smoke both together.

This way, you can also make up for the lower potency of the sugar leaves.

Note: You will have to dry and cure the sugar leaves before you can smoke them. The best way is to leave them on your buds and dry everything together.

Else, you can trim the sugar leaves and dry them separately. It will take more time and introduce more steps in the curing process.

How to Use Sugar Leaves

Sugar leaves are harsh to smoke and don’t give you the same high as buds. As a result, many people prefer to make concentrates or edibles out of them.

Here are a few ways you can use sugar leaves:

Make Your Own Kief

Kief refers to the tiny bits of residue you get after sieving your flower. The fine powder that accumulates at the bottom of a three-chamber grinder is an excellent example of kief.

Similarly, you can make kief from sugar leaving using a three-chamber grinder. You will have to grind a substantial amount of leaves to get enough kief to smoke.

Alternately, you can get a pollen box to process your kief. It is a wooden box with a mesh screen to separate the trichomes from the plant matter. You have to put the leaves inside and shake the box to get your kief.

Now, you can add the kief to your joint or bowl. Another way is to line the outer surface of your joint with butter and sprinkle a bit of kief.

Cook Cannabutter

Cannabutter is a great way to make the most of your sugar leaves. It can also be quite potent as you are extracting the trichomes and condensing them.

Follow the steps below to prepare your batch of cannabutter:

What You Will Need

• 28g of sugar leaves
• 250g of butter (salted)
• 300ml of normal water
• Baking tray
• Kitchen knife
• A pan
• Cheesecloth

Steps

• Trim and chop the sugar leaves
• Place the chopped leaves on a baking tray
• Preheat your oven to 100-degree C
• Bake the leaves for about 40 minutes
• Take a pan and add the butter and water
• Melt the butter by stirring often
• Add the chopped leaves
• Simmer for 8 hours
• Put in 50ml of water every 60 minutes
• Use the cheesecloth to filter the mixture
• Store in a cold environment until solidification

Now you can add your cannabutter to different recipes like pasta and salads.

Brew Sugar Leaf Tea

You can even brew a cup of psychoactive tea from your sugar leaves. The first step is to activate the compounds in the leaves by baking them like we did while making cannabutter.

Next, put the baked leaves in a cup. Take a teaspoon of butter and place it in the cup. Now, add boiling water and stir the mixture.

Wait for a while for the whole thing to sit and cool down. Then you can enjoy your freshly brewed sugar leaf tea.

Another way to make your tea is to boil some water and add a teaspoon of cannabutter. You will have similar results, but the tea may be less flavourful.

Final Thoughts

Sugar leaves are part of the cannabis flower. You can smoke sugar leaves or make concentrates to enjoy the terpenes and cannabinoids. However, it is best to smoke your leaves with your bud to ensure a pleasant smoking experience.