Trim cannabis: definition, wet trim vs dry trim and valuation

The post-harvest process of removing foreign plant material from the cannabis flower. Trimming may also be referred to as manicuring.

What is trim?

The term «trim weed» refers to cannabis from which the leaves have been removed. Proper trimming techniques result in higher quality and a more visually appealing final product.

Can you smoke to lose weight?

People generally avoid smoking trim because the weed is coarser, can irritate the throat and lungs, and cause headaches. In addition, trim isn't as potent as flowers.

What to Do with the Trim

We need to distinguish between two types of trim based on their value: the fan leaves (large, fan-shaped leaves, few or no trichomes, very low value) and the sugar leaves (small leaves near the flowers, covered with trichomes and resin (which has a significantly higher value). For recovery in the form of concentrates or kief, only the sugar leaf is worth keeping and processing. The fan leaves go straight into the compost or can be used to make tea, as described in our article on cannabis stems and branches.

The leaves cut stems that are close to the flowers, otherwise known as sugar trim, may be covered with trichomes and are a viable source of material for concentrates and other uses, if processed correctly. These leaves may have a lower THC content by weight, but physical and chemical extraction techniques make it possible to harvest the active resin from sugar leaves to produce edibles, excerpts, or concentrates.

For millennia, this was achieved by physically shaking the leaves through sieves, which removed the trichomes, which are used to make hashish, or hashish. Chemical extraction using solvents such as butane or liquid carbon dioxide (the same solvent used to decaffeinate coffee) is a modern method used by extraction laboratories to make butane hash oil (BHO) or CO2 oil.

Concentrates made from trim are called « trim-run« .

Types of trim

There are two main approaches to pruning: wet or dry. Dry pruning requires that the branches be allowed to dry completely for a certain period of time before they can be pruned. Wet pruning skips this drying process and allows you to start trimming immediately after harvest. Both techniques have advantages and disadvantages.

Wet cutting is faster and easier because the sugar leaves come off right away. If workers wait until the flowers are dry to cut them, these leaves curl up around the flower and are harder to reach. However, the downside of wet cutting is a reduction in flavor, since the cannabis dries more quickly and has a higher chlorophyll content, which gives it a grassy taste.

Dry cutting, on the other hand, reduces the potential for a grassy flavor, as the flowers dry evenly during the slow drying process. The reduction in chlorophyll is attributed to a decline in the plant’s metabolic processes—which include chlorophyll and starch production—during the drying period. The drawback of dry cutting is the care required to remove unsightly leaves and stems from the dried flowers without breaking them or dislodging the resin-laden trichomes. Both techniques carry a risk of mold growth, but this risk is greater with the dry method, as humidity must be closely monitored.

Trimming Methods

Regardless of whether you prefer wet or dry pruning, the process of removing unwanted plant material from flowers can be done by hand or with a machine. Manual trimming involves the use of clean, sharp scissors or shears and must be performed carefully, taking into account how each cut affects the final product. Hand-trimming cannabis allows growers to express the artistry of their craft by sculpting each flower to bring out its full potential. Leaves and sugar stems are removed to expose the plump bracts beneath.

Trimmers can set up their workstation to collect the trichomes that are shaken off during the trimming process. Latex gloves worn during trimming are often kept to collect the residual cannabis resin that sticks to the fingertips of the gloves. Trimming can be done over a fine sieve to collect the kief located below. After use, the scissors are scraped with a razor blade to remove any residue from resin cannabis.

Mechanical trimming eliminates the human element from this process. Automatic cutting machines are used to remove the excess plant material surrounding the flowers.

Just as with wet and dry trimming, machine and hand trimming each have their advantages and disadvantages. Hand trimming is more precise, better protects the trichomes from accidental removal, and creates jobs. It is also more expensive and time-consuming. Machine trimming is fast and reduces labor costs, but it is less precise and can result in the loss of trichomes and the absence of byproducts containing unwanted plant material, such as leaves and stems. Most machine-trimming devices are only suitable for wet trimming, although some claim they can also be used for dry trimming.

How to Trim by Hand

The elimination of big colas Removing the main stems of the plants should be the first step in manual pruning. The process of removing colas is also known as disassembly or separation of colas of the plant.

Once the colas have been removed, the fan-shaped leaves are the next target to be removed, since these large leaves do not contain any significant trichomes. After removing the fan-shaped leaves, the flowers are ready for a more thorough trim. At this stage, the flowers are pruned into the desired shape, and any remaining fan-shaped leaves are removed. Once an individual flower meets the agreed-upon standard, the trimmers move on to the next one.

Dried cannabis is quite susceptible to the growth of pathogens and mold. It is crucial that the scissors used in the trimming process be thoroughly sterilized between harvests. To reduce the risk of mold growth, relative humidity must be carefully monitored and maintained at 50 %. If humidity exceeds this level, moisture begins to accumulate, and mold is more likely to develop.

But if the moisture content drops below 50%, the plants dry out too quickly, resulting in an unappealing final product that burns unevenly. A smell of ammonia during the drying process may indicate the presence of anaerobic bacteria due to a lack of air circulation. By ensuring the room is well-ventilated, you should be able to prevent the formation of harmful anaerobic pathogens.

Trimming is the crucial step between cannabis cultivation and the final product. Cannabis trimmings indirectly reach the consumer because they serve as the raw material for producing extracts such as BHO, theCO2 oil or the distillate.