OREGON:  Cameron Yee opened a gallon-sized plastic bag of dried leaves from a popular strain of cannabis called Lemon Haze. He thrust his hand into the bag and gave the leaves a vigorous stir.

As recently as a few years ago, the small leaves snipped from harvested cannabis flowers ended up in the trash. After all, when it comes to marijuana, the flower is the star.

But when Yee’s fingers emerged coated in greenish dust, he was delighted.

“That is fantastic,” he said, eyeing the THC-rich crystals that will end up in one of his company’s concentrates.