Kief (from

Moroccan Arabic Moroccan Arabic ( ar, العربية المغربية الدارجة, translit=al-ʻArabīya al-Maghribīya ad-Dārija ), also known as Darija (), is the dialectal, vernacular form or forms of Arabic spoken in Morocco. It is part of the Maghreb ...

كيف ''kīf'', "Joy, pleasure"), sometimes transliterated as keef, also known as ‘’Dust’’ and "Chief" a.k.a cannabis crystals among other names, refers to the pure and clean collection of loose

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...

trichome Trichomes (); ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a p ...

s, which are accumulated by being sifted from cannabis flowers or buds with a mesh screen or

sieve A sieve, fine mesh strainer, or sift, is a device for separating wanted elements from unwanted material or for controlling the particle size distribution of a sample, using a screen such as a woven mesh or net or perforated sheet materia ...

. Like some other

cannabis concentrate Cannabis concentrate (also called marijuana concentrate, marijuana extract, or cannabis extract) is a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and/or cannabidiol (CBD) concentrated mass. Cannabis concentrates contain high THC levels that range from 40% to ...

s, it contains a much higher concentration of

THC Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis and one of at least 113 total cannabinoids identified on the plant. Although the chemical formula for THC (C21H30O2) describes multiple isomers, the term ''THC' ...

and other psychoactive cannabinoids than that of the cannabis flower from which it is derived. Since it contains a higher level of THC, many consumers choose to add collected kief to their cannabis for a more intense "high"; by the same token, this preparation may induce unwelcome levels of intoxication. Traditionally, kief has been pressed into cakes of hashish for convenience in storage, although it can be

vaporized Vaporization (or vaporisation) of an element or compound is a phase transition from the liquid phase to vapor. There are two types of vaporization: evaporation and boiling. Evaporation is a surface phenomenon, whereas boiling is a bulk phenom ...

or smoked in either form. After the kief is collected it is heated and pressurized, resulting in hashish. In Morocco, kief also refers to a traditional mix of finely-chopped cannabis and indigenous tobacco, which is distinctly different from trichome powder. It is usually smoked in a long pipe called a

sebsi A sebsi or sibsi ( Berber: ⵙⴱⵙⵉ) is a traditional Moroccan cannabis pipe with a narrow clay bowl called a ''skuff'' (or ''shkaff''), with a fine metal screen. To this a hardwood stem is attached, which may be up to long. The sebsi has ...

. In other countries, such as the US and those of

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

, kief is used to make products via infusions. Some examples are baked cookies, brownies or other edibles. Due to its potency, however, some users consume only a small quantity of kief in order to limit its effects.

Gallery

File:Keif.jpg, Kief collected from a grinder with a screen File:Kief Weed THC.jpg, Kief collected from a sieve File:Kief (yellow).jpg, Approximately one gram of screen-sifted cannabis

s, commonly referred to as ''kief'' File:TRICHS.jpg, Kief collected from a coffee grinder

References

{{Cannabis resources Cannabis culture Cannabis in Morocco Cannabis smoking Preparations of cannabis

Gallery

See also

References