How To Save Money On Cannabis Without Smoking Less

The truth is that regular marijuana use can be an expensive habit. Most regular smokers simply respond to budget constraints by cutting back on the amount of weed they smoke. However, you don’t have to go without your favourite herb in order to save money. By getting a little creative, you will see that there are many other ways to save money on marijuana, while still being able to get high whenever you want to.

There are many obvious ways to stretch your stash, like holding onto roach joints and buying weed that is high in THC content. However, those willing to put in a little more effort will be handsomely rewarded. Here are just a few strategies you can use to save money on weed, without having to cut back or stop smoking.

GROW YOUR OWN WEED

One of the best ways to save money on weed is by simply growing your own. Growing your own weed is much more cost-effective than constantly purchasing it from suppliers and distributors. When it comes to growing, there are a range of options to fit your budget and climate. While commercial grow-ops can be incredibly sophisticated, growing for personal use won’t force you to break the bank or commit extensive amounts of time. Simple growing setups like grow boxes or closet grows can produce more than enough cannabis for personal use.

One of the main benefits of growing your own marijuana is being able to make use of the whole plant. The stems and leaves of the cannabis plant can be fashioned into a wide array of different psychoactive and non-psychoactive products.

EXTRA BENEFIT: USE THE TRIM (STEMS/LEAVES)

Many first-time growers are surprised by the amount of by-product left over after they cut and dry their buds. Stems and leaves are often an afterthought. However, they can be used to produce a variety of useful and beneficial marijuana products. Whether it's psychoactive products like THC capsules or cannabis-infused alcohol, or therapeutic products like topical creams, the stems and leaves of the cannabis plant can oftentimes be just as valuable as the buds. Here are some ideas that can help you make the most of your cannabis plants.

• BREW CANNABIS ALCOHOL

Cannabis-infused alcohol is actually very easy to make, and very fun to consume. Weed can be infused into food-safe, high-proof alcohol like vodka or everclear. Simply place the stems and alcohol into a mason jar. Let it sit for a week in a dark, cool place, shaking and mixing daily. The longer you let it sit, the more THC that will be infused into the alcohol. Don’t forget to run it through a filter before drinking so as to avoid swallowing any stems!

• MAKE BUBBLE HASH FROM TRIM

Bubble hash is a more potent, concentrated version of marijuana that is often produced in miniature bricks or squares. This delectable concentrate is a pleasure to smoke or vape. It is prepared by vigorously washing stems and trimmed leaves with ice water. The water is then strained through numerous filters, leaving behind bubble hash to be dried and smoked.

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• MAKE CANNABUTTER FROM THE STEMS

Because of its potency and convenience, cannabutter is an active ingredient in many commercially available edibles. It is a versatile ingredient that can be used in countless recipes for baked goods. To make cannabutter, simply grind up your stems, place them in a pan with your butter, and allow them to simmer together for roughly 45 minutes.

• MAKE TOPICAL CANNABIS CREAMS

Topical marijuana products have begun to gain mainstream traction for their ability to soothe a variety of skin conditions. Topicals are absorbed through cannabinoid receptors in the skin, allowing them to work locally, and producing no psychoactive effect. Topical creams and salves are often used for skin problems such as inflammation, acne, blisters, and psoriasis. Check the web for easy, do-it-yourself topical recipes that can convert your leftover trim into topical solutions.

• MAKE CANNABIS OIL FROM THE LEAVE

THC is an oil-soluble compound, meaning it can be extracted from the plant and mixed with carrier oils. Cannabis can be infused into oils like coconut oil and olive oil. These oils can be consumed on their own, placed into capsules, or can be mixed into recipes as an oil or butter substitute.

• VAPE THE TRIMMED LEAVES

Trimmed sugar leaves have significantly less THC content than cannabis buds. However, this does not mean that they won’t get you high. You will just have to smoke or vape more of them to get there. Make sure to dry them out and grind them up before vaping or smoking.

• USE THE TRIMMED LEAVES TO MAKE THC CAPSULES

Trimmed leaves can be converted into oils to be placed into capsules. These capsules are a convenient and discreet dosing method. They are typically odourless and can be easily carried and consumed without arousing suspicion. Capsules can also be made from ground-up, decarboxylated buds.

EDIBLES

Edibles are a fantastic alternative to smoking weed. They will help you stretch your stash by producing a much longer high than you can get from smoking. The average edible high lasts between 4–6 hours, and sometimes longer. By comparison, smoking marijuana typically produces a high that only lasts 2–3 hours. Moreover, most people need to eat very little cannabis in order to get high. Even just a quarter gram of mid-range weed is enough for most people to experience a lengthy trip.

Consuming edibles is one of the most health-conscious ways of getting high. Apart from the ingestion of calories, there are practically no downsides to edibles. Most importantly, they will protect your lungs from the toxins and carcinogens found in smoke.

Edibles are delicious, versatile, and discreet. Converting your weed into cannaoil or cannabutter provides you with a great deal of flexibility and convenience. Weed-infused oil and butter can be mixed into a variety of recipes, and can even be eaten on their own.

BUY IN BULK

One of the easiest ways to save money on marijuana is simply to buy more at once. Dealers and distributors love to give discounts for bulk purchases. Selling in bulk allows distributors to move product off their shelves quicker, cut down on storage costs, and process more product. Dispensaries would much rather get rid of 28 grams at once, rather than going through the painstaking process of selling 1 gram, 28 times. You can take advantage of this by buying your cannabis in bulk and saving some money per gram.

When buying in bulk, remember that proper storage is crucial to keeping marijuana fresh and potent. Make sure to keep your bud in an airtight container, stashed in a dark, cool place. Humidity should be carefully considered when storing marijuana. Too much humidity could lead to the growth of mould, whereas too little could dry your bud out over time.

CONSIDER A VAPORIZER

Vaporizers are an incredibly efficient way of consuming cannabis. With vapes, you will only have to consume a fraction of the weed you normally would in order to get high. The major downside with vaporizers is the up-front cost. Most vaporizers are quite expensive to purchase, especially high-quality ones. However, the money you will save on weed in the long-term will make the purchase well worth it. Additionally, unlike smoked weed, vaped weed can be put to other uses after being vaporized.

EXTRA BENEFIT: REUSE VAPED WEED

Many people simply toss out their vaporized weed after getting high, yet vaporized weed can still be put to good use.

One way to make the most of your already-vaped bud is to bake it into edibles. Baking edibles with already-vaped weed is super convenient because vaporization decarboxylates weed. This means that the remaining THC in your vaped weed is already activated. As such, you don’t even need to place your vaped weed in the oven to make edibles with it. Vaped and decarbed weed can be utilised raw, or ground up and incorporated into other foods or liquids. Vaped bud can also be squeezed into capsules for more accurate and convenient dosing.

With a little work, vaped weed can be converted into cannaoil and cannabutter. This will allow you to prepare edibles that do not taste like vaped weed or plant matter in general. This may seem complicated, but the process is actually surprisingly simple. Apart from weed and oil/butter, all you will really need is a pan, an oven, and a stir stick.

Lastly, already-vaped weed can simply be smoked as if it were fresh. Keep in mind that your vaped bud will be significantly less potent than fresh bud. As such, many people prefer to mix it in a bowl with fresh weed. That way, you can get high while saving some money in the process.

ROLL YOUR JOINTS CORRECTLY

Learning how to roll better joints, and how to light them properly, is something every regular smoker should take the time to do. Doing so can help you make the most of your joints by eliminating waste.

The sign of a good joint is a nice, slow burn that lets you fully enjoy all it has to offer. The most important way to make it do that is to ensure that your joint has good form. Making two more creases on each side of the main fold is a good way to give your joint some rolling flexibility. This will not only allow you to pack your weed in much easier, but it will also give you a better chance to roll the joint up evenly. Moreover, when you tuck your weed inside of the paper, make sure that it is evenly distributed. This will allow for slow, even burning.

A filter can be a great addition to any joint. It will prevent the weed from being pulled into your mouth while smoking, and subsequently being wasted when you spit it back out. Not only that, but filters make joints easier to handle and smoke.

Lighting a joint properly is crucial to getting a nice, even burn. Remember to twist the tip of your joint before lighting it. This will allow the paper to overlap, making it burn slower and allowing it to burn more evenly from the very start. When lighting, do not hold the joint in your mouth. Instead, hold it between your fingers, and roll it around slowly as the flame is being applied. When it is lit, inhale, and allow the burn to move up the joint naturally. Remember not to hold the flame too close to the joint while lighting. This will very likely lead to an uneven burn.

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USE A ONE-HITTER

One-hitter pipes are great for saving marijuana. This is because they help you to better manage and conserve your weed. These pipes can usually only hold 0.1–0.3g at once, depending on their size. Having to re-pack your bowl after every hit will force you to consider whether you really want or need one more. It is hard to smoke too much weed or to get too high using a one-hitter.

Moreover, the weed inside of a one-hitter is immediately used up when lit, and does not have the opportunity to continue burning. Unlike a joint, which continues to burn and release smoke into the air, a one-hitter will typically only produce enough smoke for inhalation.

If you are looking for a one-hitter pipe that can help you to better conserve your weed, consider Zamnesia’s Lock-N-Load One Hitter Chillum Pipe. It was explicitly designed for privacy and efficiency. This pipe features a twist cap capable of eliminating odour and improving portability, making it a better choice than most other one-hitter pipes on the market.

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Adam Parsons

Professional cannabis journalist, copywriter, and author Adam Parsons is a long-time staff member of Zamnesia. Tasked with covering a wide range of topics from CBD to psychedelics and everything in between, Adam creates blog posts, guides, and explores an ever-growing range of products.

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