Kief — Cannabis Pollen Explained
Kief is the fine, golden-green dust that collects at the bottom of a grinder: highly concentrated trichomes containing most of the plant's cannabinoids and terpenes. Fully legal in Switzerland when made from <1 % THC flower.
TL;DR: Kief = mechanically separated trichomes from cannabis flower. 2–4× more potent than the source bud, CBD 25–50 %. Extract with a 4-piece grinder, dry-sift screen (80–120 µm) or ice-water bubble bags. Use as bowl-topping, joint booster, pressed into hash or as an infusion booster. Legal in Switzerland from <1 % THC flower.
What is kief?
Kief (also called «cannabis pollen» or «trichome powder») is made of the resin heads of trichomes — the tiny mushroom-shaped glands on cannabis flowers and sugar leaves. They hold almost all cannabinoids (CBD, CBG, THC), terpenes and flavonoids of the plant.
Unlike bubble hash or rosin, kief is a solventless dry extraction: no water, no alcohol, no heat. Pure mechanical separation. That's why kief preserves the strain's full terpene profile.
Extraction methods
1. Grinder method: a 4-piece grinder with a kief screen (Space Case, Santa Cruz Shredder) collects trichomes automatically. After 20–30 g of ground flower you'll find 0.3–0.7 g of kief in the bottom chamber — the easiest daily approach.
2. Dry-sift: rub flower over a fine stainless steel screen (80–120 µm), ideally frozen (trichomes snap off more easily). Yield 3–8 % of flower weight, noticeably cleaner than grinder kief.
Potency & quality
CBD kief from Swiss indoor flower typically tests at 25–50 % CBD (vs. 8–15 % in the source bud). Colour: pale gold to blond = high purity; green = plant material, lower potency.
Quality check: fresh kief burns clean, leaves white ash and bubbles slightly under heat («full-melt»). Green, gritty kief with plant particles burns harsher.
How to use kief
Bowl topping: a pinch (0.1–0.2 g) on a packed bowl noticeably multiplies the effect. The classic use.
Joint boost: roll kief between two flower layers (don't coat the outside — combustion temperature is too high for the terpenes). Combine with a rosin strip on the outside for a «moonrock joint».
FAQ
How much kief will I get from 10 g of flower?
Grinder: 0.1–0.3 g. Dry-sift: 0.3–0.8 g. Bubble hash: 0.5–1.5 g, depending on the strain's trichome density.
Is kief stronger than flower?
Yes — typically 2–4× stronger, since inactive plant material is removed. CBD kief 25–50 % vs. 8–15 % in flower.
Is kief legal in Switzerland?
Yes, as long as the end product stays below 1 % total THC. Made from legal CBD flower for personal use, it's uncritical.
Can I smoke kief pure?
Possible but wasteful — it burns too hot and destroys terpenes. Better used as topping or pressed into hash.
How is kief different from hash?
Kief is loose trichome powder. Hash is pressed, compacted kief. Chemically identical, different texture.