What Is CBD Kief? Is It Good?

Kief is usually a low-quality byproduct of inferior cannabis production methods. A slang name given to the cannabinoid-rich powder that falls off cannabis flower during the grinding process, reclaiming kief from the buds you grind is always a good idea. 

Bought on its own, though, CBD kief probably isn’t worth it. We’ll explain why throughout this guide to what CBD kief is, what it does, and how to use it.

• CBD kief is a type of hemp concentrate
• It consists of the trichomes that have fallen off hemp buds
• Kief is an unrefined type of cannabis concentrate that’s ultimately outshone by other options

What does CBD kief do?

Like other types of CBD concentrate, CBD kief is designed to be smoked or vaporized. When inhaled, CBD kief delivers the effects of CBD quickly and efficiently through your lungs and into the rest of your body.

CBD kief might provide a slightly more potent CBD experience than other types of hemp products. It can contain CBD concentrations as high as 50%, but most CBD hemp kief is considerably less potent.

Is CBD kief potent?

Yes, CBD kief can be considered potent within the pantheon of inhalable CBD products. It isn’t as potent as options like CBD distillate or CBD vape cartridges, which can contain upwards of 80% total cannabinoids. But, kief is more potent than flower — everyone agrees on that.

How strong is CBD kief?

CBD kief is stronger than CBD flower, but it’s weaker than CBD vape carts, CBD distillate, and CBD dabs. The benefits you experience from smoking CBD kief may be slightly stronger than the benefits you experience with CBD flower, but the difference won’t be significant.

How much CBD is in kief?

CBD kief generally contains around 30% total cannabinoids, but potent kief can contain up to 50% CBD. That’s considerably more potency than even the strongest hemp flower can offer, but it falls short of the 80%+ cannabinoid concentrations found in more refined types of hemp extracts.

Is CBD kief stronger than dabs?

No, CBD kief is not stronger than CBD concentrate, also known as CBD dabs. Kief is an unrefined type of concentrate that also contains plenty of chlorophyll and other impurities that aren’t present in distilled CBD extracts. As a result, CBD kief also tastes worse than extracts that have been refined.

Can kief go bad?

Yes, like other cannabis products, kief goes bad after a while. As an unrefined plant product, though, kief goes bad faster than other types of concentrate. Even stored in the freezer, kief will be unusable after around a year while distilled cannabis concentrate is usually still usable after two years or even longer.

How much kief should I use?

On average, kief is around twice as potent as flower. So, you might want to use about half the amount of kief per session compared to the amount of flower you usually smoke.

That’s only if you’re smoking or vaping straight kief, though. Combined with flower, kief provides even higher potency, potentially offering triple the cannabinoid concentration compared to cannabis flower on its own.

Can you cook with kief?

We wouldn’t recommend it. Kief still contains high concentrations of chlorophyll and other impurities, making edibles containing kief taste strongly like plant material.

If you cook with a more distilled type of cannabis extract, all you’ll taste is the delicious flavor of terpenes, which are naturally present in cannabis flower. Terpenes add richness to any dish while kief will just ruin your appetite.

What are some alternatives to CBD kief?

Given the low potency and poor taste of CBD kief, you might be ready to hear about some alternatives. Each of the cannabis product types we’re about to list is either more potent than kief, tastier than kief, or both.

#1.) CBD distillate

The term “CBD concentrate” can loosely refer to a wide variety of hemp extracts. Even kief itself could arguably be called “concentrate.”

What we’re talking about here, though, is a processed form of CBD extract that doesn't contain impurities and is quite a bit more potent than kief. The hands-down best type of CBD distillate is CBD live resin, which is both tastier and more potent than other hemp extracts.

• Secret Nature CBD Live Resin Hemp Concentrate review - Cameron H. ★★★★★ “Incredible quality and taste! Was definitely surprised by the quality, in comparison to other concentrates I’ve tried. Will for sure be my go to, for CBD concentrates from now on.”

#2.) CBD vape cartridges

If you’re more of a hands-on type, you might get frustrated with the way CBD vape cartridges seem to do all the hard work for you. For those of us who are tired of playing around with messy kief and sticky dabs, though, the simplicity and potency of vape cartridges is second-to-none.

CBD vapes commonly contain upwards of 80% CBD, which is around double the potency of CBD kief. A small puff on a CBD cartridge will deliver the same number of cannabinoids into your lungs as a huge, hacking hit of kief.

• Secret Nature Forbidden Fruit CBD Hemp Vape Cartridge review - Lindsay D. ★★★★★ “The aroma of Forbidden Fruit draws you into a state of relaxation and rest with it's fruity smell of a display of what smells like strawberries, pineapple and grape and others forbidden. I have frequently purchased and never let down. Highly recommended!”

#3.) CBD hemp flower

You could always just make your own CBD kief the old-fashioned way: grinding up some buds and collecting kief in the bottom of your grinder. Since buds produce kief naturally when ground-up, is there really any point in buying CBD kief on the internet?

• Secret Nature Sweet Cake CBD Hemp Flower review - Alejandro C. “AMAZING !!!!” ★★★★★ “Very good smell & taste. Made me feel very relaxed and helped with my sleep. The quality of Secret Nature never disappoints! Definitely my go to for cbd flower. No other company is doing it like them with these top shelf strains”

Is CBD kief worth it?

In our opinion, no, CBD kief is not worth it. Compared to other types of CBD concentrate, hemp kief delivers inferior results, is harder to use, and tastes worse.

That’s why you won’t find any kief products in the Secret Nature product catalog. We raise the bar a little bit higher around here, and producing the industry's purest CBD distillates is more our cup of tea.