Honey Bees and Cannabis-What’s the buzz?

Cannabis and bees? Isn't it rhyming?

They're not just rhyming, but they're also trying to help each other. Humans aren't the only ones who appear to be drawn to the marijuana plant. It turns out that bees, too, enjoy the buzz, albeit for a slightly different reason. Very little research appears about how honey bees interact with cannabis plants containing levels of THC appropriate for recreational or medical use.

A new study by researchers at Cornell University published in the journal of Environmental Entomology finds that bees are super attracted to the cannabis plants because they can’t get enough of its sweet, sweet pollen. The study found that the taller the cannabis plants are and the larger area they cover, the more bees will flock to that farm, with taller plants attracting 17 times more buzz than the shorter ones. What’s even cooler is that there are 16 different varieties of the marijuana plant that could support these bee populations. But even as bees seem to love the cannabis plant, they can’t actually get high off it since insects aren’t known to have any cannabinoid receptors.

Those findings are kinda confusing when you consider that cannabis neither has a nectary taste nor the vibrant colours that generally catch the attention of bees. However, the bees are more into the male plants that usually grow alongside the flowering female ones that produce the bud you put into your bongs, but have no psychoactive properties.

So What is  a Cannabis Honey?

From what I understand, cannabis honey results from a usual process. After flying over a cannabis plant, honey bees make cannabis honey, right? Close encounters of the THC kind. To produce the cannabis-infused honey the bees harvest cannabis resin from the plant’s flowers and then bring it back to the hive, where it’s processed as it would be with normal nectar. Many have thought of this concept before, however, were afraid that it couldn’t be done, that cannabis flowers could not be used for making honey and that it could potentially be harmful to the bees.

After two years of research and testing, French beekeeper Nicholas Trainer demonstrated that the plant's flowers have no negative impact on bees. His research discovered that cannabinoids have no effect on bees because they lack an endocannabinoid system.

Benefits of Infusing Cannabis into Honey

Infusing honey has been practiced for over 3,000 years. Honey is an extremely versatile base with a large number of healing properties. Adding different herbs and blends of herbs can create a powerful combination that can prevent and fight illness and diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and even helps skin wounds heal faster. 

Cannabis also has a range of medical benefits due to naturally-occurring chemical compounds found within the plant. Terpenes, which provide the tastes and aromas in weed and other plants, have properties thought to combat inflammation, and fungal infections among other ailments. Cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), have been found to contain many healing properties, including pain relief, anti-convulsant, and studies suggest it may even help combat certain types of cancer.  

Combining honey and cannabis is thus an excellent way to reap the nutritional benefits of these two superfoods.