Is it safe to eat cannabis seeds? The short answer is, yes. You can eat any seeds you stumble across in your cannabis flower. You will not sprout a tiny cannabis plant in your stomach, and cannabis seeds don’t contain enough THC to get you high. Cannabis seeds are safe to eat.
But that leads us to several more questions about cannabis seeds. Why would you find them in your weed, to begin with? Also, do cannabis seeds have a nutritional or therapeutic benefit like you can get from potent bud-like Black Diamond Kush?
If you have questions about marijuana seeds, this is your detailed long-read with all the answers. Below you will discover the similarities between weed seeds and hemp seeds, the latter’s nutritional benefits, and first up, the problem with seeds in your weed.
A Botanical Brief on Cannabis Seeds
Cannabis sativa is a flowering plant that requires a male and a female to reproduce. The plants only produce their sexual parts near the end of their lives, in the flower stage. However, this is a bit of a misnomer because the male plants do not produce flowers.
Female plants produce flowers, and male plants produce sacks containing pollen. In natural settings, the pollen sacks reach maturity, open, and disperse their genes into the wind. If the pollen researches a nearby female plant, it will fertilize the flowers. A fertilized flower will eventually develop seeds within a botanical feature called the calyx. The end of the reproductive cycle is the release of seeds, typically as the plant dries out at the end of the season.
In rare circumstances, you may encounter a hermaphrodite. This cannabis plant is both male and female, and can pollinate itself should it mature. Highly stressful growing conditions can also create a hermaphrodite cannabis plant.
Why Are There Seeds in Your Bud?
If you hear popping and snapping as you put a lighter to a nicely packed bowl, it’s a sure-fire sign you have at least a few seeds in your bud. Does that mean it’s not smokable? Absolutely not. Although too many seeds often dictate a lower quality product, it is still totally smokable.
If you find a seed or two in your cannabis, it will not impact potency, flavor, or overall quality.
Why are there seeds at all? For starters, a grower may not have caught a male plant before pollen release, or it could have turned into a hermaphrodite due to stress. But a few seeds do not change the properties you value most.
But, what happens if the bud is all seeds? Many seeds impact quality because it makes it difficult to grind, roll, and smoke. It’s not as fun to work with super-seedy buds, compared with a premium seed-free flower. Yes, a seed-riddled flower is safe to smoke, but not as desirable.
Hemp Versus Marijuana: Why It Matters for Seeds
The species Cannabis Sativa covers all medical marijuana (containing THC) and hemp varieties used for industrial and commercial applications. That means when you wear a shirt made from hemp fiber or smoke super potent Black Diamond Kush, it’s technically the very same species, just different strains.
Why does this matter when we are talking about if it’s safe to eat weed seeds? Have you ever heard of hemp hearts? Hemp hearts are a super-food, packed with nutrients. Heart hearts are the soft tissue within the shell of hemp seed. Remember, hemp and marijuana are technically the same species, so the seeds are almost identical.
While cannabis cultivators focus all their efforts on producing female plants, and seedless flowers, it’s very different for some hemp cultivators. Some hemp farmers want to produce as many seeds as possible because they sell the seeds as nutrient-dense food and ingredients.
If you find a cannabis seed in your bud, inside is technically a cannabis-heart or a hemp heart. It may contain trace levels of THC, but otherwise, a cannabis seed is a hemp seed and vice versa.
The Health Benefits of Hemp Seeds
In all likelihood, you will never find enough seeds in mail order marijuana to even consider the nutrient content. And truthfully, any top-shelf weed you buy in Canada, including Black Diamond Kush, won’t contain any seeds. Growers in Canada have a long history of cultivation, and they rarely end up with a seedy-nug.
But if you did want to reap the nutritional benefit of cannabis seeds, aka hemp hearts, where can you get them? Head down to your local health food store to purchase in bulk. You don’t need to be over the age of majority, show ID, or follow any other legal regulations when buying. Hemp seeds contain no THC and are legal to buy, sell, and consume across Canada.
Why would you want to sprinkle a handful of hemp hearts on your breakfast cereal or salad? Because the soft interior of cannabis seed, the heart, is jam-packed with nutrients and vitamins. Here are a few of the health benefits:
- High in Protein
Hemp hearts are a valuable protein source, especially for vegetarians and vegans. Technically speaking, hemp seeds are about 25 percent protein, making them more valuable than man other seeds like flax and chia seeds.
- A Source of Healthy Fats
We need a balanced ratio of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids in our diets. Hemp hearts contain roughly a 3:1 ratio, and are a healthy source of these essential fatty acids. These tiny cannabis seeds are also a healthy source of polyunsaturated fats as well.
- Fiber, Fiber, Fiber!
One of the key elements to a healthy digestive system is ensuring you are eating enough fiber. Fiber helps the system function smoothly and reduces the risk of constipation. Unsurprisingly, hemp seeds are a great way to boost your daily fiber intake. The whole hemp seed (shell and heart) contains both soluble and insoluble fiber.
It is Safe to Eat Cannabis Seeds, But You Technically Want Hemp Hearts
If you happen to find a seed in your mail order marijuana, there is no need to panic. Cannabis seeds are safe to smoke or eat, although you’ll likely find the experience a bit more pleasant if you simply pick it out (and plant it!).
And remember, both seeds from medical marijuana and seeds from hemp plants are essentially the same seed! That’s because both THC-rich plants and CBD-rich hemp plants are both strains of cannabis sativa.
If you want to eat cannabis seeds, just purchase hemp hearts in bulk at any grocery store or health food market. These tiny, nutty, tender hearts are high in protein, essential fatty acids, and fiber.
