Honey is a favorite all-natural sweetener, antimicrobial, antioxidant and antibacterial substance and a byproduct of one of the hardest working species contributing to a healthy ecosystem. Bees just do their job – produce honey. But it isn’t all punch-in, punch-out collapse on the couch. These hardworking nectar-mongers are sipping on sweet, sweet juices all day long. And in some cases, the sweet juice of cannabis.
One day, along came Nicolas Trainerbees who claims to have trained his bees to feast on his cannabis buds and then create a dank honey. This is revolutionary if it doesn’t have any repercussions to the ecosystem. As long as we have a healthy balance of canna bees to flower-loving bees, I think we could all enjoy a little more chronic honey.
How Does Honey Infuse With Cannabis?
Naturally, bees are not attracted to cannabis. Bees like to feed on sweet nectar and are attracted to bright colors – both of which cannabis does not have. In severe flower oppression, bees may feed on a male plant that produces extra floral nectaries (sugar and water), which isn’t present in the females. This also explains why cannabis is a wind-pollinating plant. There are a few very unlikely possibilities of why these bees go wild for cannabis, but the most likely why Nicolas Trainerbees’ bees are fighting over every skunky cola is from a conditioning affect. Either the plants are doused in sugar water or they are rewarded with sugar water after feeding on the cannabis resin. Still, it is a successful process.
Does It Really Work?
After feeding on a bit of resin, it is only natural for the byproduct of these bees to contain traces of cannabis. Many report feeling calm but not high, and rightfully so because THC can only be activated into its psychoactive property by heat or alcohol (decarboxylation) which is not being produced by the bees. The honey coming from cannabis-feeding bees will have an affect much like a topical or raw juiced leaves – not psychoactive but healing (with components like THCA).
Does it harm the Bees?
All bees risk their lives for the Queen and community by building the hive and making honey. But, eating cannabis is not detrimental to bees or any insects for that matter because they lack a cannabinoid system. This means that their body does not produce an amino acid that creates the psychotropic affects that happen in mammals.
The Benefits of Cannabis infused Honey
This power duo has an endless list of benefits, starting with both of their delicious tastes and ending with their wondrous healing properties making them a compatible match. Separate, these two healing substances offer magical benefits listed below – and together, they offer an even sweeter combination. Since the bee-made cannabis honey is not containing the psychoactive properties, you may find more benefits in making your own. Recipe is at the bottom.
Benefits of Honey
Honey is known for its sweet, sticky taste. It is made up of about half fructose and half glucose of its 80% sugar content. The other 20% is made up of vitamins, minerals and other sugars. This sugar-alternative when eaten raw has a low glycemic index and load meaning it is absorbed and digested much slower than regular sugar. This can be a good option for people who want to avoid an insulin spike (but it doesn’t mean it is a replacement for overconsuming sugar in the first place). Among many others, here are the most common benefits:
- Contains natural antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and enzymes
- Immunity-booster
- reduce allergies
- antimicrobial
- heals wounds and scars
- nourishing face mask
- natural antioxidant
- fights bacteria
- tastes delicious!
Benefits of Cannabis
It has become easier and easier to find the many benefits of cannabis as its long prohibition goes into remission, but I thought it important to state the most important ones here in order to attribute its role in the beneficial cannabis honey substance.
- Antianxiety
- Calms nerves and muscle spasms
- Soothes arthritis and pains
- Treats depression
- Fights nausea
- Anti-inflammatory
Cannabis-infused Honey
Now for the power couple: Cannabis, meet Honey. They came together and became one, producing a delicious nectar packed with powerful benefits. The anti-inflammatory property of cannabis is ramped up by the antibacterial property of honey, making this substance perfect for an acne-fighting face mask or bug bite soothing cream. While cannabis fights nausea and honey boosts the immune system, cannabis honey is the perfect cold-kicking weapon to add to your tea. And, as an added bonus, with both ingredients having soothing and relaxing components, it can also help to soothe a sore throat from sickness or allergies. Here are just some of the main positives to incorporate cannabis honey:
- Throat soothing
- Fights colds
- Reduces inflammation
- Boosts immune system
- Relaxes nerves
- Calms digestion
- Induces sleep
- Heals wounds (even faster in combination with cannabis)
The Recipe: DIY Cannabis-infused Honey
So, there are always many different methods to things, but when it comes to cannahoney, I can only think of two at-home concepts that doesn’t require your own beehive: whole flower heat infusion or mixing concentrate with honey. The latter is much easier – just take your desired amount of concentrate and mix it with honey, though, the former is much more gratifying and less expensive if you grow your own grass. It is also the reason for this recipe below.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Honey
- 1-3 oz of your favorite bud (depending on your preferred potency)**
**Strain Tip: For taste optimization, I recommend to go for a strain with linalool, pinene or myrcene terpenes.
Tools
- Cooking pot or crockpot
- Cheese cloth or paper tea bag
Directions
- Wrap your bud in the cheese cloth or tea bag and secure it with string.
- Add you honey to the stove pot or the crockpot and set the heat to medium.
- Add the cannabis to your cooking honey and let it cook until the honey seems to simmer a bit. Then turn down the heat to low. It is okay for it to simmer but don’t let it boil.
- Let it cook for about 6 hours, then turn off the stove or crockpot and let the mixture continue to cook while it cools down.
- Remove the cheese cloth and allow to cool.
- Add the delicious final product to tea, baked goods and anything you cook using honey normally.
