What are cannabis concentrates? How do you use them?
There are many forms of cannabis concentrates. They can be displayed in full view, such as weed oil in vaporizer cartridges. Other times, they are hidden in medicated balms or edibles.
You’ve come to the right place if you want to learn more about the many benefits of cannabis concentrates. We’ll be covering the most common cannabis concentrates, the various ways they can be consumed and how to choose the best product for you.
You can enjoy cannabis in many different ways with concentrates. They come in many textures and can be used in many different ways.
What are extracts and concentrates?
Cannabis concentrates are similar to orange juice concentrate in your freezer. They are made by distilling the best parts of cannabis. They contain all of the cannabinoids, terpenes and plant material. Concentrated marijuana has a higher percentage of cannabinoids than raw cannabis flowers.
The effects, aroma and flavor of cannabis products can be attributed to terpenes and cannabinoids. These compounds are found in tiny, sparkling structures called “trichomes” throughout the cannabis plant. The cannabis concentrate simply refers to a condensed amount of these trichomes. You can take any high-quality cannabis plant and see the trichomes for yourself. These frosty appendages cover the entire plant’s surface, but are particularly visible on the flower buds.
Concentrates allow you to experience the best aspects of cannabis in many different ways. They also come in many textures that can be used in various ways. Cannabis concentrates and extracts are available in different forms depending on how they were made. They can be taken as is, mixed in a joint for increased potency, or added to a batch of edibles.
The most sought-after cannabis compounds can be found in tiny, sparkling structures called “trichomes” throughout the cannabis plant.
What is the difference between an extract and a concentrate?
Although you may have heard extract and concentrate interchangeably, there is a subtle distinction between them. Extracts are a particular type of concentrate that is made with a solvent. While all extracts can be considered concentrates, they are not all extracts.
Vanilla extract, for example, is made by using alcohol to extract vanillin from vanilla bean pods. As with Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), cannabis extracts can also be made from alcohol. Other solvents can also be used, such as butane to make Butane Hash Oil or supercritical CO2 to extract cannabis wax.
Concentrates that are made without solvents can be produced by using physical or mechanical methods to remove and collect trichomes. Concentrates made without solvents include kief, dry sift and rosin.
Extracts and concentrates can come in many textures so it’s difficult to tell the difference just by looking at them.
How to use cannabis concentrates
Not all concentrates can be extracted, and not all customers of concentrates can be dabbers. Dabbing refers to heating an extract or concentrate until it vaporizes. This produces a potent vapor that the user can inhale. Concentrated cannabis concentrates are most commonly consumed by dabbing. This is why you will hear them called dabs. These products can be vaporized via vape pens or topicals.
To determine which concentrations or consumption methods are best for you, you must first think about what you want to achieve.
Top your flower for a low-maintenance boost in potency
Powdered kief can be added to your bowl, or wrapped in wax to increase the potency of your smokeables. This takes very little effort. These methods are easy to use and don’t require expensive tools. They also increase the potency of your smoke while adding flavor to the concentrate.
You can increase the potency of your smokeables by adding powdered kief or wrapping wax around your joint. It takes very little effort.
Dab for a fast-acting, potent high.
Most people refer to vaporizing cannabis concentrates using a dab-rig. The dab rig is a method that heats the nail or the equivalent of a bong, then applies the concentrate directly to the hot surface. This instantly turns the concentrate into an inhalable vapour. Dab rigs tend to be made of glass and have nails made from glass, ceramics, titanium, or even quartz. The traditional method involves heating the nail using a torch. However, there are many user-friendly electronic nails on the market.
Dabbing involves heating the nail or using a dab rig like a bong bowl to heat the concentrate. The concentrate is then applied directly to the hot surface and it instantly turns into an inhalable vapour.
Also, it is important to note that dabbing and high THC levels are not the same thing. High THC levels remain the norm. However, high-CBD concentrations and pure CBD distillate are growing in popularity.
A vape pen is a great way to get a light boost on the go.
Vape pens that are pre-filled with cannabis concentrates are discreet, portable, efficient, and convenient. Although they won’t get you as high with them as a dab the high is almost immediate. You only need a pre-filled cartridge, a battery, or an all-in one vape pen. The battery in the cartridge activates a heating element which warms the cannabis concentrate. The majority of vape pens can be operated by pressing a button, or in the case a buttonless pen by taking a drag out of the mouthpiece. Pre-filled cartridges or pens can’t be refillable. However, detachable batteries may be reused multiple times.
You can manually fill the chamber using a dab pen and attach it to a battery.
A dab pen is a better option for a customizable experience. A dab pen allows you to manually fill the chamber and attach it to a battery. This allows you to have the versatility of a dab pen and the portability that comes with a pre-filled vape pens.
Eat an edible for a long-lasting, smoke-free high
Although edibles are not often mentioned in the cannabis concentrate discussion, they should. Cannabis extracts make it possible to make both store-bought or homemade edibles. They are similar to vapes and don’t require any special equipment. They can deliver a powerful, long-lasting high, depending on how much you take. There is a major difference between edibles or inhalables. It is the time it takes to kick in. You will feel a high almost immediately when you inhale smoke or vapor. However, if you eat something edible, it may take up two hours for your high to manifest.
Topical creams can be used for targeted relief
Topicals, which are similar to edibles and cannabis concentrates, are often left out of concentrate conversations. Concentrated cannabis can be applied topically to provide relief from pain without the headhigh.
How to decode concentrate product descriptions
You’ve made the decision to vape, dab or smoke cannabis concentrate. Congratulations! You’re now ready to learn about the many terms used to describe these diverse cannabis products.
Although they don’t want to confuse you, weed brands need to provide enough information to help you identify the key characteristics and qualities of their products. A product called “Nug Run Blue Dream Shatter”, for example, tells you three things.
- Blue Dream was the strain used in the production of cannabis.
- The extract’s nug run is a sign that the plant material used was dried and cured.
- The extract is brittle and easily shatters.
The many names given to cannabis concentrates can be reduced down into a handful of categories, much like 2% Reduced Fat Ultra-Pasteurized milk is easier to describe. These are the following categories:
- The input material
- The extraction method
- The result is a texture
Material input
Collectively, the input material (or starting material) is what cannabis flower buds, stems, and leaves are called. The input material can affect the final cannabinoid or terpene profile. The final product’s potency and flavor can also be affected by the quality of the input material.
As mentioned above, nug run indicates that the input material is dried and cured flowers.
Trim run is when the concentrate was made from dried leaves taken from the harvested plant.
Whole plants indicate that whole dried cannabis plants were used for the input material.
Live resin is used for proving that cannabis was freshened or flash-frozen and not dried.
Method of extraction
Concentrates of cannabis are simply the accumulations of trichomes, the glands that store cannabinoids or terpenes. However, extractors can make it difficult to separate these trichomes from the beginning material. While some methods remove only one cannabinoid, such as CBD or THC, others preserve the entire range of compounds. There are two main categories of extraction methods that can be used by extractors: solvent and solvent-free.
Physical separation is a solvent-free process. The physical separation involves removing the trichome glands from the cannabis start material by using a physical action such as shaking or pressing. The trichome glands can be compared to fruit on a tree. Physical separation is similar to shaking the tree to remove ripe fruit. Dry sift is created by shaking cannabis through specific screens. This ensures that only the trichome head make it to the final product. Rosin is made using heat and pressure to extract the desired compounds from the plant. The principle of physical separation is that any direct physical action results the expression of trichomes.
Liquid solvent extraction. Each solvent extraction follows the same process: A liquid solvent is used for the separation of active compounds from the trichoma gland. The solution must then be refined until it contains only the desired compounds. Because these solvents are volatile, technicians use closed-loop extraction systems. This allows them to safely control temperature and pressure to get the best result. A vacuum system can be used depending on the solvent to ensure that all solvents are removed before consumption.
Texture
The most confusing terms (we’re talking about you, sauce, shatter and badder) describe the concentrate’s texture and appearance. Although most of these adjectives are intuitive, they can become confusing when they’re packed into product descriptions like Apple Fritter Live Resin Badder.
The resulting textures don’t necessarily indicate how the concentrate will taste to an individual. However, they can affect the overall experience. Budder may be preferred by some people because it is easier to scoop, while oil can be more flexible for others. There are no bad or good textures. It’s all personal preference.
Shatter is well-known for its glass-like, brittle texture. It can also be snap-and-pull. Imagine taffy candy being squeezed tight before snapping. Shatters are usually a bright amber to golden yellow color.
Badder and Budder have a slightly oily texture. Think of it as a thick cake batter or a stick butter. They are malleable and easy to use. You can use the butter-like consistency of the extract as a spread for blunts and joints or to dab with a dab rig.
Crumble is a crumbly version of badder or budder. It has a honeycomb-like consistency, similar to its name. It is similar to budder and badder but has a matte or dull look.
A concentrate with a similar consistency as wet, sappy Sugar is called sugar. It is not uniform in nature, and can come in a variety of colors from deep amber to bright yellow.
Sauce looks thick and viscous. Sauce can be any color, from dark amber to bright mustard. Sauce is very similar in consistency and color to sugar, but it has a prominent and uniform crystalline structure.
Crystalline is one crystallized form of cannabinoid. THCA and CBD crystalline, as their names suggest, are white crystals. They can range in size and density from small rocks to fine powder.