What To Do With Leftover Leaves: 12 Surprising Ways to Use It

Do you know what to do with leftover leaves? Cannabis foliage isn’t just pretty: you can also do many things with it. Although most users prefer to use the buds to create various canna-products, the leaves are also a viable option.

There are dozens of ways to use excess marijuana trimmings and stalks. These plant parts are perfect for recycling, and you can use them to make edibles, THC drinks, cannabutter, hash, topicals, extracts, and much more.

Ready to become a foliage expert? Keep reading to discover the various applications of leftover cannabis leaves.

What to do with leftover leaves: 12 great ideas on what to do with weed trimmings

Let’s dive in!

1. Smoke leftover leaves

Despite what many people think, you can smoke marijuana leaves. Simply dry the foliage to prepare it for consumption. Although both fan leaves and sugar leaves are suitable, the former won’t make you that high due to its extremely low THC content.

2. Vape them

Some reports state that vaping is healthier than smoking. Although there are no confirmed studies, it does offer some benefits.

The heat doesn’t burn the sugar leaves, so vaping cannabis leaves allows you to consume their cannabinoids and terpenes safely. It also helps you avoid the harshness of chlorophyll-heavy smoke.

Consider mixing the foliage with dry trim for more intense effects. You can also crush it up with some buds to stretch your supply.

3. Eat the leaves raw

Wondering what to do with weed trim? Eating raw leaves is an excellent version of stoner food and a way to use weed trim. This method won’t get you high, but adding the herb to drinks and dishes creates extra flavor.

Cannabis leaves are like kale and other assorted leafy greens. You can use them in morning smoothies or as a garnish. The decarboxylation method removes any potential psychoactive effects.

The possibilities are endless when eating marijuana leaves raw. Users famously mix fruits rich in vitamin C with the herb to enhance the terpenes and cannabinoids. Depending on your preferences, you can consume either type when looking at trim vs. shake.

4. Use your trimmings for edibles

Another great application for leftover weed trimmings is to use them for edibles. Weed brownies are one of the most popular options. You may have even heard of canna pizza. 

Baking your leaves into edibles provides a tantalizing high. Cannabis trimmings can be mixed into almost any food, whether baked, cooked, blended, or as a garnish.

5. Make a homemade THC drink

Some of the best THC drinks contain leftover leaves. These beverages are straightforward to make and delicious to consume. You can make various weed-infused drinks, including a weed shake, smoothie, lemonade, coffee, or tea.

THC infused lemonade

THC juice recipes allow you to reap the benefits of THC and provide a light high. Add your marijuana trimmings to a juicer along with the ingredients to make lemonade. Pop in some other fruits and vegetables for extra flavor.

Infused tea

One of the most popular methods is to make tea with weed stems. This drink provides a mellow high for users that prefer something less intense. You can make weed stem tea in six steps:

1. Add half a tablespoon of butter to your trim and mix well.

2. Seal the mixture with a tea ball or infuser in an empty tea bag. 

3. Bring two cups of water to a simmer in a pan.

4. Steep the infused bag for about 30 minutes.

5. Add milk or honey of your choice to increase the flavor.

6. Remove the mixture and let it cool. Once the drink is ready, strain it, and enjoy.

Bhang

People have made bhang for over a thousand years, as it’s an ideal way to use leftover marijuana leaves.

A bhang recipe typically requires cannabis-infused paste, usually from an indica-heavy strain. It generally calls for trimmings along with regular types of leaves.

Mix them with spices and milk for the perfect beverage. Some users also add coconut milk, yogurt, or ground down dried fruits and nuts.

Coffee

You can make marijuana-infused coffee at home by following a few simple steps:

• Grind the trim and boil a pot of water with a small amount of coconut oil.

• Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the ground marijuana.

• Leave the mixture on low heat for around 45 minutes to an hour, occasionally stirring.

• Strain the liquid and prepare your coffee as usual.

6. Craft cannabutter from trimmings

Make cannabutter at home using sufficient dry or wet trim to create a rich substance. Opt for this mixture instead of regular butter when cooking for something different.

Make sure you use decarb trim when infusing it with butter. Strain your mixture through a sieve to separate the good stuff from the plant matter. Use coconut oil for a vegan alternative.

7. Make homemade hash

Making hash at home is another idea on what to do with cannabis fan leaves and sugar leaves. This method is one of the less popular ones, as it requires some effort, but it’s well worth it in the end.

There are two primary routes you can choose from: bubble hash or pollen hash.

Pollen hash

You can produce pollen hash from compacted kief. This term refers to loose trichomes, which contain all the sought after terpenes and cannabinoids.

Collect kief by using a pollen sieve in a grinder with a silkscreen frame. Rub your cannabis leaves against the screen, and watch as a fine layer of kief falls off.

Once you collect the ideal amount of kief, press it together to create hash blocks. Use a pollen press to aid you in this step.

Bubble hash

Use ice-cold water to dislodge the trichomes from your weed trimmings, then filter the substance through fine mesh pouches.

Once you collect the kief, press the mixture into hash blocks. The bubble hash method produces pure kief, so it should bubble and melt when heated.

8. Use weed leaves to make topicals and salves

Cannabis beauty products are increasing in popularity, with companies creating topicals, creams, and salves. Research shows that cannabis users have made balms for years, especially since the skin easily absorbs these lotions.

Learn how to decarb weed before starting your topical-making journey. Finely grind your leftover weed leaves and infuse them with ingredients like coconut oil or beeswax.

Adding essential oils like sandalwood or lavender could help relieve tension. Lemon and cinnamon may offer a potential boost in immunity. Rosemary and peppermint reportedly enhance energy.

9. Make your own oil, rosin, and dab extracts

Making oils, rosin, and dabs is an ideal way to use excess cannabis trim. Extracts are a great way to consume cannabis without smoking or vaping it.

Oil

Cannabis oil is like cannabutter and has plenty of uses in the kitchen. It boasts a healthier fat content, especially when mixed with olive oil.

Keep a 2:1 ratio of oil and ground trimmings. Heat gently for a few hours to ensure it infuses adequately. Strain through a cheesecloth once it’s ready and add to your meal of choice.

Rosin

Rosin is a concentrate created by exposing marijuana to pressure and heat to force out the cannabinoids and terpenes. This use of cannabis leaves is relatively easy and has been around for decades.

All you need is a hair straightener, parchment paper, gloves, and a container. Press the leaves or trim against the parchment paper using a mesh bag to filter out plant particles. Heat it until you hear a sizzling sound.

Collect the rosin with a dabber and place it in the container of your choice. Your rosin is now ready to consume.

Dabs

You can create dabs using weed leaves, but they may have a lower potency than if you opted for buds. Use unbleached coffee filters, isopropyl alcohol, and a metal sieve to make your dabs.

10. Produce a cannagar

A cannagar is a cannabis cigar, easy to smoke, just like a joint. Grind your buds or leaves as fine as possible and use a mold to set the powder in the shape of a cigar. Cure your cannabis in a dry, cool place.

Use leftover leaves to wrap the mixture so that the cannagar burns evenly. Some users claim this is the cleanest smoke ever.

11. Create makeshift rolling papers

Making rolling papers out of cannabis leaves may seem strange, but it’s viable. It takes a bit of practice to master this technique, and it’s worth trying out.

Use fresh leaves to wrap the weed and let it set. This method is like a cannagar, but without the signature cigar shape.

12. Make compost from fan leaves, stems, and trimmings

If the other cannabis leaf uses aren’t for you, simply composting the extra trimmings is ideal. The leaves provide additional nutrients to the soil and its living organisms.

Using this compost when growing your next batch of weed plants is a perfect way to complete the life cycle. It helps you give back to the environment and recycle products. Create compost tea to feed your other plants and enrich their quality.

What to do with marijuana leaves: Reduce, reuse, recycle

Before you throw away excess marijuana leaves, refer back to our guide for a range of applications. You can use the foliage in various ways, from eating it raw to making topicals and extracts. Note how to store fan leaves and trimmings for the best outcomes.

Visit our seed store for a wide range of premium cannabis seeds. We stock a variety of strains to suit your every need. Grow your own plants and discover the various uses of cannabis leaves for yourself.