Calling all herbal smokers, tobacco smokers, cannabis smokers, mushroom smokers (we don't advise smoking mushrooms, but people do it!), smokers of anything at all: MULLEIN IS YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND AND SHOULD BE BLENDED INTO EVERYTHING YOU SMOKE.
Mullein's an herb with the latin name Verbascum thapsus. It can grow up to 6 feet tall, it has soft, hairy leaves, and it shoots up tall stalks of yellow flowers. Chances are you've seen it growing along railroad tracks and other disturbed, urban areas.
While all parts of mullein can be considered medicinal, the leaves are what you want to smoke. If you're purchasing mullein leaf to smoke, you'll want to both make sure it's organic and that you pick out any hard, stem bits first (but save the stems for tea, more on this later). If you're harvesting leaves fresh from a mullein plant that you KNOW is growing in clean soil and is away from polluted roads, check out our post on how to dry fresh herbs for smoking. You'll also want to harvest leaves from a first-year mullein. Mullein's a biennial, meaning it has a two year life cycle. You'll know if mullein's in its first year of growth if it doesn't have a tall flower stalk. This photo is what you DON'T want to see:
So why should smokers of all plants add mullein to their smoke? And why are ALL of our smoking blends formulated with mullein?
Combusting plant matter and then inhaling that smoke is heating and drying to your respiratory system, whereas mullein is a cooling herb that helps drive moisture to the lungs. This means mullein helps to keep your body in a state of balance while smoking, which is great because it's when we're out of balance that we begin to feel discomfort.
If you're a cannabis smoker, you've probably experienced cottonmouth before. In addition to the hot and dry nature of smoke itself, THC sends signals to our endocannabinoid receptors to limit saliva production, making cannabis an extremely drying herb. Because of this, stoners should ESPECIALLY be adding mullein to their flower since it helps keep your juices flowing.
Mullein also helps to relax your airways, making it easier for you to breathe more slowly and deeply. This relaxes nervous tension as well. Take a moment to feel how you're breathing right now by putting one hand on your chest and the other hand on your stomach. Are your breaths short and high in your chest, or low and deep in your stomach? If you're breathing in your chest, mullein can help move your breath downwards.
Flavor-wise, you honestly probably won't even be able to tell that mullein is in your smoke. This makes it especially easy to add to any blend since it won't disrupt whatever terpene profile you got going on. The only difference you'll feel is added smoothness. Your lungs will thank you.
Other than adding mullein to your smoke, mullein is an herb smokers should work with in tincture or tea as well for the reasons outlined here. It'll be especially moisturizing in tea, making it a great accompaniment to your smoke sessions.
Interested in taking a deeper dive into why mullein is such a great herb for smokers? You can read more in our zine, Puff Into The Present Moment, where we get a bit more technical.
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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