Trichome powder in one paragraph
Trichome powder is the sifted resin glands of hemp or cannabis flowers. Processors call it kief, dry sift, or hash powder. The powder holds the cannabinoids and terpenes the plant built during flowering. It is not ground flower. It is the glands separated from leaf, stem, and bract.
What trichomes are
Cannabis plants grow three trichome types. Bulbous trichomes are small and sit near the surface. Capitate sessile trichomes have a short stalk. Capitate stalked trichomes have a long stalk and a round head. The stalked type holds most of the resin.
Glandular heads measure about 50 to 100 micrometers across. That size drives screen choice. A 70 to 150 micrometer mesh passes the heads and blocks plant pieces.
How trichome powder is made
- Harvest the flower and dry it, or freeze it fresh.
- Rub or tumble the material over a mesh screen.
- Collect the powder that falls through.
- Sift it again over a finer screen to drop plant bits.
Water and ice do the same job in a bucket. Ice makes the resin brittle. The glands sink, plant matter floats, and the maker scoops the resin out and dries it.
What is in the powder
Raw trichome powder holds acidic cannabinoids. Hemp sift carries CBDA. High-THC cannabis sift carries THCA. Heat converts CBDA to CBD and THCA to THC. Lab reports for dry sift often show total cannabinoids between 20 percent and 60 percent by weight. The number moves with cultivar, screen size, and how many passes the sifter ran.
Terpenes sit in the same gland. They evaporate. Store powder in a sealed jar, away from light and heat.
Decarboxylation numbers
Home decarb for sifted resin runs 105 to 120 C (220 to 250 F) for 25 to 40 minutes. Watch the color. Excess heat burns off terpenes and degrades cannabinoids.
Label and legal checks
Hemp must test at or below 0.3 percent THC on a dry weight basis under the 2018 Farm Bill. Concentrating trichomes raises THC in the finished powder. A sift made from compliant flower can test above the limit. Ask for a batch COA before you buy.
Read the COA rows for cannabinoid potency, pesticides, heavy metals, microbials, and residual solvents. Solvent extracts need a solvents panel. Dry sift and ice water hash do not.
Some sellers use the term trichome powder for a blend of CBD isolate and added terpenes. That product is not sifted glands. Its COA shows one cannabinoid and a terpene list.
Quick answers
- Kief and trichome powder name the same material in most listings.
- Mesh size controls purity. Finer screens give cleaner powder and lower yield.
- Powder potency runs above flower potency.
- Store sealed, dark, and cool. Use within 6 to 12 months.