Cannabis concentrates is a form of cannabis where the cannabinoids in the cannabis plant are purified or extracted. When making them, the goal is to remove unnecessary components to make something that primarily has cannabinoids and terpenes. Thus, its THC content is very high, measuring up to 90 percent. In terms of appearance, they can look like amber-colored glass to oil to a wax-like texture.
There are many kinds of cannabis concentrates, which are differentiated by their appearance and texture. They might have more similarities than differences, but they all meet the basic definition above. Listed below are some of the more well-known types of cannabis concentrates.
- Shatter. It is made using butane extraction and purified until it looks like amber-colored glass. Sticky and loose, you snap it and pull it apart like you would taffy, which is why it is called shatter.
- Wax. This concentrate has a wax-like texture. It is similar to shatter but it is a bit stickier and softer. It can only be consumed by vaping or dabbing, and you need a tool to do so.
- Live resin. Unlike common concentrates where the cannabis is dried and cured, with live resin, cannabis is frozen right after harvesting. Thus, it contains more terpenes with a better flavor profile. It is dark yellow in color and is a bit wetter than wax.
- Live rosin. This is made without solvents, only pressure and heat, and has the same approach as live resin. Basically, it is rosin with more terpenes. Its lack of drying means that is more moisture than usual in the cannabis.
- Distillate. This is a kind of concentrate where only cannabinoid is present. It also does not have terpenes, so it does not have the usual aroma of cannabis. It comes in oil form as is very potent is terms of CBD or THC content.
- Kief. This is pure trichome dust found in the bottom of multi-level grinders. It has terpenes and the full cannabinoid spectrum, bit there should be no risk of solvents and other chemicals in it.
- Taffy. A rosin concentrate with a consistency similar to taffy, it does not use solvents in its manufacturing process. Its consistency is not completely solid, making this is a good choice for dabbing.
- Hash oil. Thick and oil-like, this concentrate is made from hashish that contains CBD, THC and other cannabinoids, along with terpenes. Basically, it can be called marijuana oil. It has various types distinguished by the extraction method used.
- Budder. This concentrate has a batter or butter-like consistency, making it suitable to spread on joints. They are easy to dab and usually has a yellow to orange coloring.
- Crumble. It is similar to badder or budder, but its texture is more crumbly with a similar color but duller finish. This concentrate is sometimes called honeycomb because of its appearance and texture.
There are lots of options for consuming cannabis concentrates. However, the most common methods are smoking, vaping and dabbing. The option that you pick will largely depend on your personal preference. Get to know more about these consumptions methods below.
- Smoking. To smoke concentrates, place the product in a joint, bong or pipe, light it up and inhale the smoke that comes out. One downside of this method is that smoking can have negative effects on your lungs, even when it is weed.
- Vaping. With vaping, the concentrate is heated to its vaporization point without combusting it. This reduces the harmful chemicals that become smoke, making it more efficient than just smoking the product.
- Dabbing. This is similar to vaping, except the vapor is produced by heating a nail and applying the material to it. The heat from the nail immediately vaporizes the concentrate, allowing you to inhale it using a bong-like attachment.
Cannabis concentrates have lots of terms used to describe them, along with methods on their usage. But once you have grasped the basics, you should have no problems distinguishing and using them. Concentrates offer a great way to level up your consumption, giving a more intense high using less material, and opening up a whole new world of marijuana to further explore.
