- Local
- Community
- Journalism
Support the independent voice of Denver and help keep the future of Westword free.
Dear Stoner: Can bees pollinate marijuana? Would it get them high if they did?
Weed Keeper
Dear Weed Keeper: According to the beesearch we’ve read, insects don’t have endocannabinoid systems — the receptors we have in our bodies that react to CBD, THC and other cannabinoids from the plant. Without those receptors, bees don’t get stoned from pollinating weed (unfortunately for them, because bees could sure use a little stress relief right now), but that doesn’t stop them from doing it.
Like orange blossom, clove and other flowers that beekeepers use for persuading bees to make honey, the cannabis plant can also be a main source of nectar or pollen for bees, though further beesearch shows that they view the plant as more of a last resort. Still, there are companies popping up with hemp and marijuana honey, claiming to be made from bee nectar collected off cannabis plants. While these CBD- and THC-infused honeys usually have cannabinoids added to the honey before they’re packaged and sold to consumers, legit beekeepers say the straight-from-the-hive stuff is still very much infused. You can find THC honey in Colorado dispensaries and CBD honey in health food stores.
Send questions to marijuana@westword.com.
Keep Westword Free... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Denver with no paywalls.
