How to Comprehend Cannabis Concentrates
Cannabis concentrates are everywhere. And we mean everywhere. Whether in the form of capsules, hash, tinctures or vaporizer cartridges — or dabbable oils, shatter or wax — they can currently be found in hundreds of products. Think cannabis oil cartridges. Think medicated muscle creams. You get the picture.
Processed from the cannabis plant with the intention of keeping only the plant’s most desirable compounds, while removing excess plant material and other impurities, cannabis concentrates possess a superior proportion of cannabinoids and terpenes when compared to natural cannabis flowers.
They can help increase the potency of those flowers too. Just try adding a few drops of concentrate oil into the next joint you roll, or sprinkling some kief or rosin atop the next bowl you lift your lighter to.
Okay, now that you’re aware of the nature of cannabis concentrates and a little bit about what they can do, here’s a quick primer for better grasping them.
1. Understand what they are.
Compared to the raw plant form of marijuana, cannabis concentrates offer a more potent high, quicker onset of action and a wider range of consumption methods. Depending on your consumption preferences and tolerance level, the ideal dose can vary widely from person to person — even product to product. Cannabis concentrates are diverse and utilized in a wide range of products. With a selection of options, you can make small adjustments to your cannabis experience, as well as discover the ideal combination of cannabinoids and terpenes that appeals to your taste, while also providing the most benefit.
2. Know the difference between concentrates and extracts.
All extracts are concentrates, but not all concentrates are extracts. While those terms get thrown around interchangeably, the primary difference between a concentrate and an extract is how trichomes (the gland that makes the cannabinoids and terpenes) are collected. Extracts are a type of concentrate created using solvents that essentially wash the trichomes off the cannabis plant. Concentrates made without the use of solvents are produced using mechanical or physical means to remove and gather trichomes.
3. Figure out how to talk about them.
Producers and manufacturers favour specific words and phrases to help identify key characteristics and qualities of cannabis concentrates. Certain terms may be used on labels and descriptions on concentrate products to identify everything from the type of cannabis plant materials used to make the concentrate, to the processing techniques, to the resulting textures.
“Input materials” refer to the cannabis plant’s flower buds, leaves and stems.
“Process type” refers to the variety of ways to separate the trichomes from the input materials.
“Consistencies” refer to the resulting varieties of forms once the cannabinoids and terpenes have been removed from the plant material.
“Dabbing equipment” is the appropriate equipment necessary to properly activate the concentrated cannabinoids and terpenes.
4. Learn more about textures and consistencies.
Terms like shatter, badder, crumble, sugar, oil and sauce refer to a concentrates’ appearance, including texture, color and malleability. In other words, these terms simply inform us about the look and feel of the concentrate. The following terms characterize the most common concentrate textures found in the market: shatter (known for its brittle, glass-like texture), budder and badder (oilier and softer in texture), crumble (a brittle version of budder or badder), sugar (any concentrate that has a similar consistency to wet, sappy sugar), sauce (thicker, more viscous in texture and looks stickier) and crystalline (a single, crystallized compound).
5. Settle on your preferred smoking method(s).
A cannabis concentrate can be consumed in a variety of ways, from sprinkling it on a bowl or adding it to a joint for added potency, to vaporizing them using a dab rig or portable vape pen. The ideal method for consumption depends on the type and texture of the selected concentrate, as well as the personal habits of the person consuming. When deciding which method will work best, first consider the tools you have at your disposal and the texture of the concentrate. Perhaps you’ve seen extracts like shatter and budder and wondered how best to smoke them? These extracts are malleable and easy to use in a dab rig, while powdery concentrates, such as kief and crumble, can be easily enjoyed by adding them to a more stable foundation like flower.
______________________________________________________________
This article was written by Chris Metler.
For more Blissed content please see our Instagram page @be.blissed
This article was published May 5, 2020.