The Hottest Cannabis Trends For 2022
When the United States step into a market, they tend to make it grow quickly and exponentially, with the good and the bad that comes with it. And this exactly is what happened with our beloved plant, cannabis. Once considered by the mainstream as a clandestine recreational drug for college students and pot-heads, it is now regarded as a sophisticated herbal medicine capable of sprouting a multi-million-dollar market. Note that in the newspeak you don’t use the phrase “get high” anymore, but a more politically correct “get medicated”. Read about some of the hottest cannabis trends for 2022 in this article.
As a consequence of the growing US market, the whole western world is starting to consider legalization; don’t we always do what the US does, after all? So, it really seems that the legal weed market is destined to grow in 2022; let’s see then which are the hottest upcoming cannabis trends for this year.
High-efficiency dry herb vaporizers | Butane vaporizers
As more and more people start to use cannabis for its medicinal properties, there’s an increasing demand for devices capable of delivering the cannabinoids contained in weed without the need for combustion. This demand is fulfilled by dry herb vaporizers. Vaporizers are essentially small ovens that heat up the weed without burning it. They produce a cannabinoid-rich vapour that does not contain nasty chemicals and gets you high without affecting your lungs too much.
There are several brands producing vaporizers of all sorts. They range from high-tech electronic desktop vaporizers such as the legendary Volcano by S&B to small, efficient butane-powered vaporizers such as the Dynavaps. We’ve talked extensively about vaporizers in our blog; take a look at this article, for example.
Butane vaporizers such as the DynaVap (among others like Vapman and Sticky Brick) offer an unmatched level of vaping pleasure
Gourmet edibles | Cannabis-infused foods
Edibles are a great way of using cannabis without having to burn it or vaporize it. They are directed mainly to those users that do not want to affect their lungs, bronchi and throat in any way, or for those users that want the extra kick provided by edibles. Edibles can be found in many forms: gummy bears, ice cream, pizzas and other snacks, but also gourmet cheeses and liquors. When you ingest cannabis, your liver will transform THC into a more psychoactive compound called 11-hidroxitetrahidrocannabinol. No wonder edibles are among the hottest weed trends for 2022!
High-end glassware | Artistic bongs and rigs
Bongs, dab rigs, nectar collectors and other glass tools are definitely a big trend among the cannabis community, and this trend is destined to continue growing in 2022. There’s an increasing number of users that prefer bong hits over joints. This is because bongs are more efficient and deliver cleaner hits. Dabs and concentrates became very popular over the last couple of years, further increasing the demand for bongs and rigs. People love to show off their dabbing setups and are prepared to spend quite a bit of money to have that perfect dab hit they are looking for.
Cleaning products for glass | Quick and easy cleaning solutions
Having found the perfect dabbing setup is something that’s worth sharing with the cannabis community. A quick look on r/dabs and you’ll see how much people love to show their glassware. But nobody wants to see a filthy, reclaim-covered rig! This is one of the reasons why efficient glass and bong cleaning products will become quite a thing in the coming months. The old school cleaning method with alcohol and salt does work well indeed, but some products can achieve better results in less time and restore your bong to factory-clean in seconds.
There’s nothing like a crisp, fresh hit from a clean bong. Plus, shiny glass always adds to the wow factor.
High tech extractions and concentrates
Big companies in the cannabis industry are constantly looking for better, more efficient ways of separating cannabinoids from plant matter. The results are concentrates and extractions that are high in THC and other cannabinoids, such as shatters, waxes, oils and distillates. Having cannabinoids in this form allows for unlimited versatility: concentrates can be dabbed, used in edibles, used in carts. They can be vaporized, smoked, ingested (and boofed, lol).
The biggest factories are capable of processing pounds of material per cycle, so they need advanced machinery to make clean extractions and to recycle the solvents used. Expect super-polished extracts in the future and a growing number of companies producing advanced tools and equipment for extraction.
Cannabis-related technology | Freeze-dryers
Fresh-freezing plants is the perfect way to preserve all of the terpenes and flavour profile the plant has at the time of harvest. Freeze-dried plants are then used to make concentrates, usually high-grade full-melt hash, live resin and other gourmet-level delicacies. The freeze-drying process also helps to preserve the trichome heads and to make them separate from the plant easily, thus increasing the yields when sifting or washing. Freeze-dryers are popular among big companies but are becoming increasingly popular among privates. The trend is destined to continue in 2022, with smaller, more efficient, cheaper freeze-dryers available on the market.
Home-made extracts | Rosin presses
Making extracts at home is relatively easy. Rosin, for example, really doesn’t need anything more than a hair straightener and parchment paper. However, people are constantly looking for ways to improve efficiency and yields. This pretty much boils down to having more pressure and bigger heat plates compared to hair-straighteners. An increasing number of companies is specializing in small, home-use rosin presses that occupy very little space while being able to produce high-quality extracts. Have a look at these rosin bags for making your own dabs.
Rosin extraction bags for making your own cannabis concentrates (dabs)
DME extraction | Alternatives to butane
In the 2010s, BHO was quite a thing. BHO is essentially a butane-based extraction that aims at stripping cannabinoids from the plant while leaving plant matter, lipids and waxes behind. There are two big problems when extracting with butane: flammability and residues. DME, the acronym for dimethyl ether, attempts at solving the second problem; it is generally purer than butane and tends to evaporate well without leaving traces behind. It is, nevertheless, highly flammable. After getting some hate in the past couple of years, more users nowadays seem to be opting for DME instead of butane. A trend on which to keep an eye on in 2022!
High-grade hash | Bubble hash, live resin, dry sift
With all the high-potency concentrates appearing on the market over the last decade, you’d think hash is a thing of the past. But hash itself is a form of concentrate, and a very good one if properly done. Some high-grade hash can reach a cannabinoid content of 60% and higher. Hash is made without using solvents; hence the final product is pure and preserves all of the flavours of the herb. 6-star full melt hash melts on the banger just as rosin does, without leaving traces behind. In a nutshell, hash quality depends on the process used by hash makers to separate trichome heads from everything else. A true form of art, high-grade hash making will definitely be a hot topic in 2022.
Research into other cannabinoids
THC, CBD, CBN, CBG… there’s a plethora of cannabinoids in weed. The newest trend for 2022 seems to be related to Delta-8. Delta-8 is a cannabinoid that fills the gap, in terms of effect, between the mostly-physical CBD and the psychoactive THC. Delta-8 highs are more mellow; hence, this specific cannabinoid is appreciated by noobs and by people that toke during the day butneed to keep the productivity levels high. To other users, Delta-8 simply is a fad, destined to wear out with time. One thing’s sure; we will be hearing more about Delta-8 in 2022.
Rare strains | Upcoming strains for 2022
Breeders are constantly searching for the perfect cannabis plant. They do this by choosing the best strains and phenotypes and breeding them to create hybrids that embody the qualities they’ve been looking for. The trend for 2022 is to create strains with distinctive flavour profiles and consistent resin production. The Tropicana family, the Gelato family, Peanut Butter Breath, Garlic Cookies, Apple Fritter seem to be some of the hottest, most sought-after strains for 2022. Later on in 2022, look out for strains like Glueberry, Strawberry Cookies and Orangeade.
Landrace strains | Classic weed strains on the rise in 2022
Landrace strains are the mothers of all other strains. Colombian Red Dot, Durban Poison, Malawi Gold, Mazar I Sharif, Acapulco Gold, Lamb’s Bread just to name a few. Breeders search more and more for landraces, as their genetic carries a huge variety of phenotypes with distinctive terpene profiles and specific cannabinoid contents.
Landraces tend to grow more vigorously in their own environment, but with just a little bit of breeding they can become hybrid flavour-bombs capable of adapting to any indoor and outdoor environment. In 2022, weed enthusiasts can expect landraces to appear more often on the shelves of the best dispensaries and cannabis clubs.
Automated cultivation systems | Grow rooms, high-tech leds and spacebuckets
Cannabis is so much more than a plant; it’s a way of life. Some users will take this way of life very seriously, and wouldn’t consider getting high on anything else but homegrown buds. Growing your own cannabis allows you to take full control of every aspect of the production, from seed to cured buds and extracts. Plus, growing some decent cannabis isn’t very hard; no wonder why so many users decide to grow at home.
This is why more and more companies offer high-quality products to make growing cannabis as easy and automated as possible. The newer LED lights make temperature management much easier, for example, and can handle both the vegetative and the flowering stages. Automated irrigation systems make sure the plants are never thirsty. There are a couple of companies attempting to make fully automated grow boxes, although no serious product has been launched on the market so far. 2022 might just be the year for this to happen? In the meantime, check out the r/spacebucket thread on Reddit!
Terpenes
We understand much more nowadays about terpenes, cannabinoids and entourage effects. Thanks to research, it became more evident than ever that cannabinoids alone do not produce the same effects they’d produce in combination with the aromatic compounds in cannabis, called terpenes.
Research into terpenes proved that these chemical compounds have promising medicinal properties, including the ability to fight viruses and bacteria. This is why terpenes will be among the hottest weed-related topics in 2022. There are three most abundant terpenes in cannabis. Limonene, with its distinctive citrus aroma, is known to boost immunity and promote focus and attention. Caryophyllene, with its zesty bite, can bind to CB2 receptors in the endocannabinoid system and have the ability to ease inflammatory states. Myrcene, abundant in hops and responsible for the distinctive musky aroma of skunk-related strains, has effects on mood and relaxation.
Water filtration for joints and blunts
What's new about water filtration? Not much, there have been devices for many years that allow you to add filtration to your joint by making the smoke pass through water before inhaling it first. This is basically a joint bubbler or a mini-bong, but the concept of filtering your joint's smoke is gaining a lot of popularity now that people are more and more concerned about their health. One of the best ways of adding water filtration to your joint or blunt, is by using your favourite bong with a Bongify Multi Adapter that allows you to stick your joint or blunt right into the bong.
Smoking a blunt through a bong using the Bongify Multi Adapter Lite
Our wish for 2022: Psilocybin clinics?
Psilocybin is the psychedelic compound contained in some mushrooms. While not being directly related to cannabis, psilocybin should by all means be kept in high regard among therapeutic phytochemicals, just (if not more) as cannabinoids. While governments around the world try their best to keep psychoactive compounds illegal, we believe that these substances are a true blessing from mother nature.
According to many, psilocybin has the potential to heal us from the spiritual and psychological diseases of the modern era. From a purely scientific standpoint, it has shown its ability to promote neuroplasticity, (the ability of the brain to essentially rewire itself in a more functional way) fight against mental illnesses, and promote neural growth. From a spiritual standpoint, it has been used since the dawn of humanity as a tool to connect with nature and other living creatures, as well as with our inner self.
Our wish for 2022 is that humanity as a specie will find the courage to overcome stigma and prohibition on natural psychedelics, so that we could harness their power and use it to heal our soul, for our own good and the good of the planet as a whole.
