Cannabis Concentrates 101: What Are Cannabis Concentrates?
Whether you’re exploring recreational or medicinal marijuana products, you may come across the term “cannabis concentrates.” These are popular products and may be the right choice for you. Below, we’ll dive into cannabis concentrates, including how they’re made, the different types, and recommended ways to consume them, to help you make an informed decision about which cannabis product is right for you.
What Are Cannabis Concentrates?
Cannabis concentrates are the result of a marijuana plant extraction process. During the extraction process, you get a substance that’s rich in cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. This substance is typically high in potency, making it an ideal product for some users. Marijuana extracts contain a purer form of cannabinoids.
Types of Cannabis Concentrates
As you’re exploring cannabis concentrates, you’ll likely come across a wide range of terms, which can make it difficult to find the right concentrate for your needs. Below we’ve compiled a list of some of the more common types of cannabis concentrates:
- Shatter: Shatter is one of the purest concentrates, getting its name from its glass-like structure that can cause it to easily shatter.
- Crumble: This substance tends to crumble more easily because the wax becomes brittle during the vacuuming process.
- Sugar: This concentrate is made from the dried flower of a cannabis plant and has a consistency like wet sugar. Its flavorful aroma makes it very popular.
- Budder and batter: A whipped version of Shatter, this substance has a rich aroma and contains equal parts cannabinoids and terpenes.
- Sauce: Sauce has one of the more robust flavors on the market, derived from its high level of terpenes.
- Wax: This is the stickiest form of all concentrates, with a waxy texture that forms as a result of agitation in the extraction process. The “dab” method works best with wax concentrates.
- Kief: Kief is a popular choice if you like to grind the cannabis flower yourself.
- Hash: Hash can have tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels of up to 90%, making it one of the most potent extracts available. Hash comes in dry and oil forms.
- Pearls: You create Pearls by soaking the cannabis plant all the way to the flower stem. Also known as “dab beads,” pearls are quite potent and have easy-to-follow dosage recommendations.
- Rosin: Rosin typically comes from dried marijuana buds and is one of the simplest concentrates to prepare, making it one of the more popular choices.
- Jelly: You make this type by mixing a form of hash known as “bubble” with hash oil. The result is a substance with the consistency of jelly that’s more potent than bubble hash or hash oil.
- Rick Simpson Oil (RSO): RSO has a tar-like consistency and is extra potent, making it a popular choice if you have a high tolerance to THC, the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana.
- Dablets: Dablets are a newer concentrate consisting of measured pieces of cannabis concentrate enclosed in a mineral-based ceramic. Dablets can make dabbing, an inhaling process, simpler.
- Diamonds: Diamonds come from mixing cannabinoids and terpenes in a rotary evaporator, which filters out the plant pieces. It’s quite new on the market but has quickly become very popular.
How Are Cannabis Concentrates Made?
There are two primary methods for creating cannabis concentrates: solvent-based methods and solventless ones. In a solvent-based extraction, an evaporative chemical breaks down the trichomes, separating the cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant itself. Once the process is complete, you’re left with a concentrated batch of trichomes. Solvent-based methods are efficient and cost-effective in terms of gathering the most essential compounds of the plant. Common solvents include ethanol, butane, carbon dioxide, and olive oil.
Solventless extraction doesn’t use any of these solvents. Instead, a mechanical press applies pressure and heat to the plant. This method crushes the trichome heads, which forces the resin to separate from the trichomes. The end product is a viscous liquid that’s rich in terpenes, cannabinoids, and some other minor plant compounds.
How To Use Cannabis Concentrates
To consume cannabis concentrates, you have a few options. First, there’s dabbing. Dabbing involves heating the cannabis concentrate to a high temperature and then inhaling it to gain the maximum benefits. Dabbing is far more potent than using a flower in its basic form, so you should start with a small amount and work your way up. To dab, you’ll need a water pipe called a dab rig, a nail, a mini torch that uses propane, and the cannabis extract of your choice.
A more cost-effective method is vaping because you use all the concentrate without any waste. To vape your cannabis concentrate, you can use a vape pen, which you can easily buy in most areas. Simply place the cannabis concentrate in the heating chamber and inhale the resulting vapor.
Finally, you can use a bowl to inhale concentrates; however, this is one of the less popular methods. All you need is a bowl, some kind of lighter, and a concentrate (typically a wax). Then, place the wax on top of a flower bud, hold a lighter to the wax, and wait for it to melt together.
Cannabis Concentrate vs. Extracts
Extracts are essentially a specific type of concentrate. They result from using a solvent during the extraction process, while concentrates come from mechanical or physical processes. This means that all extracts are a form of concentrate, but not all concentrates are extracts.
Explore Cannabis Concentrates at UpLift Ohio
If you’re interested in trying cannabis concentrates or want to learn more about them, our team at UpLift Ohio is here to help. We have a wide range of concentrates, and our knowledgeable staff can help you select the right one based on your needs. We also offer the best quality cannabis for your medicinal needs, helping you to feel your best. Get started today by browsing our website and placing your order online. You can also contact us at any time with questions or visit one of our locations in Milford or Mount Orab.
