What Is Rosemary – Smoking Rosemary – Risks – Benefits – Effects – Drying Rosemary – Conclusion
Smoking rosemary is one of those things that should be left for more special occasions, especially if you are drying and rolling your own joints with the herb. Rosemary is such a powerful culinary herb that will provide a sensational experience when used in a herbal blend.
Other herbs like chamomile and lavender are known to give you a very pleasant and relaxing feeling when smoked. The same really goes when smoking rosemary. It can help with reducing anxiety and also offer a lovely aroma to the room and surroundings.
There are many different smokable herbs out there, here we list some of best ones, 10 Smokable Herbs With Great Benefits.
What Is Rosemary
The rosemary herb is originally from the mediterranean. Here it is still widely planted and used in the cuisine. It’s in the same family as both mint and sage. It has a pretty strong and aromatic flavor to it that yields it very good to be used in cooking. The natural oils will start coming forth when you heat the rosemary.
With hints of pepper, mint and even lemon in the raw form those flavors seem to be enhanced even more when you light a cigarette filled with it. Besides being used so widely in cooking then rosemary has also seen a lot of use in medicinal cases. The plant, like sage, was believed to help with sickness and disease because of the aroma it had. Which is partly true since rosemary is known to be rich in antioxidants.
Harvesting And Smoking Rosemary Leaves
If you have rosemary growing at home and wish to use it the next time in a herbal blend to smoke then you first need to harvest some. This is best done by cutting off a twig of rosemary and dragging the leaves from it.
Afterwards you should at very low temperatures try and dry the leaves. That will help maintain the aroma and concentration in the leaves so smoking it won’t be a disappointment.
It’s still not that common to smoke rosemary but paring it with cannabis seems to be the more common option instead. This will help enhance and provide a very citrusy and almost spruce like flavor to the blend.
When rolling the blend you should lightly crush or chop the leaves of rosemary. That will make it easier to roll the cigarette. It also has the added effect of activating some of the naturally present oils in the rosemary.
Can Smoking Rosemary Be Bad For You
Like smoking anything it will be bad for you. You are inhaling something called carbon monoxide. This is a really toxic fume which will eventually cause your body to have a higher risk of developing cancer.
Since you are also getting carbon monoxide into your lungs, some of that will stick with it and eventually cause you to have respiratory issues. We should mention that smoking rosemary won’t provide more harm than any other herb really, and it’s definitely a better option than smoking cigarettes.
Cigarettes have plenty of harmful chemicals in them that makes them both addictive but also incredibly bad for the body. So herbal cigarettes like rosemary ones are a much better option instead.
These herbal cigarettes are not regulated by the FDA which makes it very difficult for you to ensure that what is in the herbal cigarettes is actually what it is. Instead you could make your own cigarettes to ensure that you are smoking what you are expecting.
Note that if you are either pregnant or breastfeeding then you should avoid smoking cigarettes such as rosemary ones or any cigarettes for that matter. The impact it can have on the child is severe.
Benefits Of Smoking Rosemary
There are benefits to smoking rosemary despite what we mentioned previously. The herb has a lot of medicinal benefits when used in its raw form, but will offer a lot too when smoked. Below are some of the ones we particularly like.
- Enhancing memory and cognitive ability
The rosemary has actually been called a “remembrance herb”. It has been used to preserve one’s memory and also boost the activity in the brain. Rosemary was for most of history used for spiritual and ceremonial purposes instead of smoked or eaten like today. The aroma seemed to provide a boosted level of concentration, speed and even accuracy.
- Anti-inflammatory effects
Rosemary is known to be an anti-inflammatory herb that even provides antioxidants for the body. Which is why rubbing rosemary on open wounds or infections was such a popular method for many centuries. It can help with blood circulation and reduce pain even.
- Neurological protection
An incredibly interesting effect that rosemary can have on the body’s protection against brain damage. This is one of the most unique abilities the herb has. There is something in the rosemary which is called carnosic acid. This compound is known to help brain recovery and fight free radicals in the brain.
- Helps with eye health
Rosemary is like we learned rich in carnosic acid. This can apart from helping the brain also help with eye health. It can help treat infections and inflammations concerning the eye, like macular degeneration.
The Effects Of Smoking Rosemary
Most of these herbal cigarettes that are becoming popular these days provide more or less the same effect. It will give you a relaxing and calming effect. Same goes for smoking basil or even mint.
When you are introducing cannabis in with the rosemary then you will notice that the calming effect is even more amplified. The two herbs seem to play really great together.
As for studies sourdoning smoking rosemary there really isn’t much to be can cite. Instead we have to make relatively logical assumptions as to why some of the experiences are happening. The relaxing and stress reducing effect is most likely from something called terpene caryophyllene. This compound is actually present in a lot of different herbs, even in cannabis and thyme. It helps regulate the blood system which leads to reduced stress too.
Drying Your Rosemary For Future Use
Drying rosemary leaves is a really easy process. You first need to get your hands on some rosemary ofcourse. After you have your sprigs of rosemary we recommend dragging the leaves entirely. The stem is not really that nice to smoke and will instead offer a very bitter flavor and aroma.
Lay out the leaves on a tray and dry in a dehydrator or your oven at about 80 – 90 fahrenheit. This is low enough so all the flavor and aroma components will stay in the rosemary and you will have a lovely experience smoking it.
Store it in a very dry place where no moisture will be able to enter. That will help increase the longevity of the rosemary leaves.
Summary And Conclusion
Rosemary is very possible to smoke and enjoy at home. The herb will provide you with a very relaxing and calming feeling. Rosemary is know to help regulate the blood in the body which often leads to less stress and the feeling of being calm,
But smoking too much of rosemary will give a numbing effect and also increases the risk of cancer. Carbon monoxide is produced when igniting something. These fumes can be really harmful to the body and will lead to respiratory issues eventually.
All in all, these herbal cigarettes are a much better option if you are a smoker. It will have a lot less negatives around it compared to the regular and mainstream cigarettes.
Mint cigarretes are becoming more and more popular these days. But making your own with rosemary is actually quite the treat.
Additional Information
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