What do you do with your used bud after a vaping session? If your answer to this question is to simply put it in the trash, then we’re here to tell you: you’re doing it wrong!
Did you know that your vaped weed still contains plenty of cannabinoids and terpenes, (meaning you can still get a good hit if you use it again)? ABV weed is a really versatile ingredient that can be consumed easily in many ways, including through making tea and a variety of other ABV edibles, including peanut butter and AVB coconut oil.
Your vaped bud has already been decarbed, which means that it’s ready to consume instantly without baking, and you’ll still get a good high. Read on to find out more about ABV, why it’s so versatile, and how you can get involved by making your own tea from your leftover vaped bud.
What Does ABV Mean?
First of all, it’s important to understand what ABV actually means. ABV refers to ‘already been vaped’, and is a term used to refer to the leftover weed from a vape session. You might also hear vaped weed being referred to as AVB, which is a term used to mean ‘already vaped bud’.
But what actually is ABV? Those who enjoy using a dry herb vaporizer will know that at the end of each session, you’re usually left with a yellowy-brown herb – which is your vaped bud. It’s the vaporized bud that once used to be ground cannabis flower.
What many don’t realize, however, is that this dried bud is likely to still be full of cannabinoids and terpenes, which means it can still have plenty of further uses. Vaping isn’t the end of your herbs life: there’s still plenty of strength left in your vaped weed!
What Happens During the Vaping Process?
One of the benefits of vaping is that it’s often considered a safer alternative for those who like to smoke weed. During the vaping process your weed goes through a special, non-direct type of heating; think the difference between roasting in the oven and grilling over an open flame. This results in a tasty and aromatic vapor that doesn’t contain any of the nasty byproducts that are produced during combustion – the process that occurs when you smoke a joint.
Most vaping devices, such as pens, will use a convection heating element, rather than a combustion one. Combustion occurs at really high temperatures, usually anything above 455 Fahrenheit. It’s this burning process where the dangerous by-products are released.
Alternatively, convection devices tend to have a baking effect on the herb, where it is heated at lower temperatures. Vaping is able to extract all of the beneficial compounds from the herb, such as cannabinoids and terpenes, by moving hot air through them. You’ll be able to adjust the temperature on most modern vaporizers, to suit your vaping preferences.
Despite having already been heated, AVB weed is usually still quite potent, which is why it can be used again in a number of different ways. In fact, the vaping process actually acts as an activator for your weed, meaning that you won’t need to bake it before using it in things like edibles or ABV capsules.
During the vaping process, your fresh weed undergoes a process called decarboxylation, which is a really important first step when making cannabis-infused products, intended for consumption.
In scientific terms, all cannabinoids in fresh weed have an extra carboxyl ring or group attached to their chain. This means that before you decarb your herb, the cannabinoid known as THCA will be the most prevalent in your cannabis flower.
Although THCA isn’t harmful and is reported to have a number of known benefits, it’s not intoxicating – which means you won’t get any sort of hit or high when you consume it.
In short, you need to convert the THCA present in your plant into THC, through decarboxylation, before you can get a great high. Smoking and vaping instantly decarbs any weed, as it involves applying a lot of heat to the herb. This means that your ABV weed is, by nature, decarbed – making it an incredibly versatile and often potent substance!
Factors That Affect the Strength of Vaped Weed
There are a number of factors that can affect exactly how strong your vaped weed is, and it’s important to bear in mind that it can be quite hard to tell the potency of your herb. For this reason, we’d recommend not consuming too much at once.
Additionally, the strength and freshness of your original fresh bud all also have an impact on the remaining strength left in your vaped weed. The more THC present in the herb to begin with, the better the chance of having a pretty potent vaped bud.
How Long It Was Vaped For
One key factor that will affect how strong your ABV weed ends up being is how long it was vaped for. If you’ve had a long, social vaping experience with friends, it’s likely that you will have consumed most of the THC present in your herb already.
Alternatively, if you’ve had a quick solo session, it’s likely there’s a lot of potency left in your vaped bud. As a general rule, the longer the session, the lesser the strength.
Vaporizer Temperature Settings
Another important factor that will have a big effect on the lasting strength of your vaped weed is the temperature settings on your vaping device.
The lower the set temperature, the more likely it is for there to be a higher amount of cannabinoids left in your herb. Alternatively, if you vaped your bud at a high temperature, your ABV is likely to be weaker, as you will of consumed a lot of the THC present already.
On average, you’ll usually have somewhere between 5-30% of the THC content of your dry herb leftover in your ABV. It’s hard to know exactly how much potency is in the herb, which is why it’s really important to check the strength with a small dose, to begin with, to avoid any negative side effects.
How to Make ABV Tea
Making tea with ABV is a fantastic way of using your baked flowers and herbs. What’s more, it’s really easy to do and doesn’t require much effort.
Tea made with ABV has a lot of advantages compared to other cannabis edibles. It’s easy to adjust your dose to your preferences, doesn’t require any complicated cooking, and is super quick. ABV is the best type of herb to use in tea, as it’s already been decarbed – making it ready to use straight away.
Follow this step-by-step guide if you’re interested in making your own tea at home:
- Add tea leaves and ABV into a tea strainer. Top tip: choose a flavored tea to help mask some of the taste from the vaped bud, if you’re not a fan.
- Add hot water and allow the tea to brew. Leave for as long as you like, depending on how strong you like your tea!
- Strain the tea leaves and AVB, and pour into a cup.
- Add some honey, sugar, or sweetener, according to taste.
- You can also add milk too if that’s your preference.
Remember, when adding AVB weed to your tea, it can be really hard to tell how much you’re consuming, as they take quite a long time to break down in the blood. A good rule for edibles, in general, is to take a small amount and wait at least an hour or two before having any more – especially if you’ve never tested the strength of this AVB weed batch before!
It’s also possible to use other types of weed, such as Kief, to make tea. If you’re interested, check out our guide on
(full warning first, though: it might not be to your tastes…)Other Ways To Enjoy ABV Weed
Making Cannabutter or Cannabis Oil
Another popular way of consuming AVB weed is to make a batch of ABV butter (also known as cannabutter), or to turn it into cannabis oil (such as coconut oil). Cannabinoids bind really well to fat and are also fat-soluble, so it can be an incredibly efficient way of using your vaped bud. What’s more, eating and using ABV butter is conspicuous, versatile, and not to mention tasty!
The process for making cannabutter and for making oil is really similar, making it interchangeable depending on what you’re planning on making. As you’ll be using AVB weed, the process is super straightforward, as you won’t need to decarb your herb first.
To make cannabutter, follow this simple ABV recipe:
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine water and butter (or coconut oil).
- Once the butter is melted, add your ABV. Mix well, and cover with a lid.
- Simmer the mixture on low heat for a few hours (usually around 4), and stir occasionally.
- After this time, strain the mixture into a container, and allow it to cool.
You can use this method to create different types of butter and oil. For example, why not try making your own AVB coconut oil for cooking or dressing salads. Cannabutter is also a fantastically versatile ingredient, for baking and cooking alike.
Add to Other Drinks
You might be glad to know that tea isn’t the only drink that you can use your ABV in. You can also try adding it to other hot drinks, such as hot milk, hot chocolate, and even ABV coffee.
For many, adding a sprinkle of ABV to their coffee grounds is a great way to start the day. Simply add ABV in with your beans and strain through a coffee filter before serving. You might want to use additional flavors such as caramel or sweetener, to help mask the taste, if you prefer a strong coffee flavor.
For a really simple way of infusing your ABV in hot drinks, why not make your own ABV bags that you can simply add to hot water. All you need to do is open up a regular tea bag, and add your ABV directly in with the tea – or empty out the tea and replace it with vaped bud. Use a piece of string to tie the bag shut, and simply seep in hot water alongside coffee or hot chocolate!
Mix into Ice Cream
Why not get experimental with your ABV consumption and try mixing it into your ice cream?! Why not try blending in a handful of your already vaped herb when making up your own ice cream mix, or simply sprinkling it on top of your favorite shop-bought tub.
The naturally decarbed nature of AVB makes it super easy to use in pretty much any type of food, including things like ice cream. What’s more, the natural sweetness of ice cream will help to improve the flavor and taste of your AVB, as it can be quite potent.
Bake into Edibles
One of our favorite AVB recipes involves baking it to create ABV brownies and other edibles. Baking your ABV into edibles is a brilliant way of ensuring you use your leftover weed, whilst masking any unpleasant flavor.
To use ABV in baking, all you need to do is add a sprinkle to your edible mixture – be that brownies, cookies, or peanut butter – and mix well to combine. Remember: Since your post-vaped weed is already decarbed, it can be essentially eaten out-right if desired, so feel free to get creative!
Smoke It
Whilst this could defeat the purpose of vaping your weed in the first place – as many choose to avoid smoking for health purposes – it is in fact possible to smoke ABV.
Smoking AVB isn’t as potent as smoking fresh herbs, and it can have a strong and harsh flavor. Nevertheless, for those who enjoy a more mellow high, and don’t mind the taste of ABV, smoking your already vaped weed could be a good second use for your herb.
FAQs
Why Does Eating ABV Weed Have an Effect?
When being vaped, your weed is going through a process of decarboxylation. This means that the existing THCA in your weed is being converted into THC – the good stuff that you need in order to get a good hit.
Although some of that THC will get used during the vaping process, it’s unlikely that you’ll use all of it – meaning that there should still be a good amount of THC left in your bud!
This is why using AVB in edibles should have a good effect, although this will depend on how long your weed had been vaped for, and the temperature used.
What Color Should ABV Weed Be?
A good way of telling if there are any cannabinoids left in your ABV is by its color. The darker your ABV, the less beneficial ingredients will be left.
Usable ABV – that vaped on a low heat – is likely to be a yellow or brown color, but it shouldn’t be a deep brown, or black. At this point, it’s unlikely you’ll get any sort of hit from consuming ABV.
Is ABV Weed the Same as AVB Weed?
ABV refers to ‘already been vaped’, whereas AVB refers to ‘already vaped bud’.
Both terms are used by the cannabis community interchangeably – they mean the same thing!
Does ABV Weed Taste Nice?
In short, not really. Some people enjoy the potent taste of ABV, but for most, it’s not the nicest flavor.
For this reason, it’s best to use your AVB in recipes and edibles that have strong flavors that will help to cover up the taste of ABV. We would recommend flavored tea and making edibles high in fat and sugar such as brownies and cookies.