What Is Keef?
Keef is one spelling of kief. Kief is the powder of resin glands that break off cannabis flower. Those glands are trichomes. Sift dried flower over a fine screen and the trichome heads pass through. The result is a pale, sticky powder. Kief holds a higher share of cannabinoids and terpenes than the flower it came from.
Trichomes: Where the Cannabinoids Sit
Cannabis plants grow three trichome types: bulbous, capitate sessile, and capitate stalked. Capitate stalked trichomes hold the largest resin heads. Each head is a small globe on the end of a stalk. THC, CBD, CBG, and terpenes form inside that globe. Heads measure about 50 to 150 microns across, which is why mesh size controls what lands in the pile.
Buying Guide: Trichome Powder - Best CBD Store
How Kief Is Made
- Dry sift. Flower moves over stacked mesh screens. Screens of 70 to 150 microns catch heads and let leaf matter fall away.
- Ice water. Cold water and agitation separate trichomes by density. The wet product is bubble hash until it dries.
- Grinder catch. The bottom chamber of a three-chamber grinder collects kief with no extra work. Yield runs about 1 to 3 percent of flower weight.
Kief, Hash, and Extracts
Kief is loose powder. Press kief with heat and pressure and it becomes hashish. Solvent extracts made with butane, ethanol, or CO2 are a third category. Kief keeps the plant's natural waxes and oils. Extracts strip most of them out and push cannabinoid content higher.
THC Limits in Hemp Kief
Under the 2018 Farm Bill and USDA hemp rules, hemp must test at or below 0.3 percent total THC on a dry weight basis. Hemp kief concentrates trichomes, so THC rises along with CBD. A batch that passes as flower can fail as kief. Buy from sellers that post a certificate of analysis (COA) for each batch. Read the total THC column, not just delta-9 THC.
Decarboxylation
Raw kief holds acidic cannabinoids: THCA and CBDA. Heat removes the acid group. An oven at 220 to 240 F for 30 to 45 minutes converts most of it. Skip this step and edibles made with kief will not deliver the effect a buyer expects.
Storage
Trichomes degrade with heat, light, and air. Store kief in a glass jar with a tight lid. Keep it in a dark place below 77 F. Terpene content drops after a few months at room temperature. Powder left in an open grinder chamber loses potency faster than sealed kief.
Dosing and Legal Status
No standard dose exists for kief. Concentrated trichomes mean a small amount carries the cannabinoids found in a larger amount of flower. Start with 10 to 25 mg and record the response. The FDA has not approved cannabis for any medical use. Hemp kief is legal at the federal level only when the batch tests at or below the 0.3 percent total THC threshold.