“You could only get Hashish or Hash Oil back in the day and you could not find it that often in certain locations so when you did get some it was a very special thing.”
Christopher the Cannabis Guru
Cannabis Concentrates Introduction
Hello and I am Christopher your friendly Cannabis Guru and I welcome you to Friday Concentrates. Every Friday we will discuss some type of cannabis concentrate from how it is made to how to properly use. Today is just the introduction into the wild world of Cannabis Concentrates. Concentrates, a.k.a extracts, are produced from cannabis trichomes, which contain the cannabinoids, terpenes, and the other compounds which give cannabis its recreational and medical effects.
Budder, shatter, wax, and resin—an unfamiliar person could get quite confused with cannabis concentrates. These high-potency cannabis products are rapidly becoming a preferred way to use cannabis because a “little” can go a long way. There are numerous of methods to create and process concentrates, and they can generally be placed into two categories: full-spectrum concentrates and isolates.
It is time to hit some concentrates and start our higher education. Here’s a quick guide to get you started.
What Are Concentrates?
The cannabis flower and sugar leaves are covered in trichomes [as seen in above photo], resinous glands that contain cannabinoids, terpenes, and the other compounds. Trichomes can be extracted from the cannabis flower, creating a concentrated form of cannabis. These concentrates can take on numerous forms, largely depending on the method used to create them.
Some cannabis concentrates include all cannabinoids and terpenes found in a cannabis plant, and those are known as full-spectrum concentrates. Other extractions purify and concentrate a single compound, to the point of isolating it to a potency near 100%—these are called isolates.
The advantage of using a full-spectrum cannabis concentrate is that all active chemicals have a synergistic effect when combined—this is referred to as the entourage effect. Most believe using a full-spectrum cannabis concentrate will have a stronger therapeutical impact than using an isolate.
STONER QUESTION OF THE DAY
What was the first cannabis concentrate you tried?
When used responsibly and sourced from a reputable dispensary, THC concentrates are safe. The extreme potency means you can use very little to experience intense effects, so you should still be if you’re new to the world of cannabis. If you’re trying concentrates for the first time, it never hurts to get a little guidance from an experienced cannabis concentrate user. Some cannabis concentrates are extremely potent—as much as 90 percent THC. You may literally only need to use a dose the size of the head of a pin or the size of a grain of rice.
Cannabis Concentrate Types
Hashish or Hash is a cannabis extract, made when trichomes, the resinous glands that line the surface of cannabis plants, are removed and processed into a concentrated form. It is usually brown or dark green in color and comes in a brick or ball.
Dry sift, also called dry sieve, is a collection of refined resin glands that have been separated from cannabis flower using a series of fine mesh screens. It’s essentially a refined form of kief.
Bubble hash, also known as ice water hash, is created by placing cannabis buds in ice water, which freezes trichomes. The mixture is then stirred or agitated, breaking off the trichomes, and the resulting liquid is filtered through a series of fine screen bags.The resin is then collected and dried, and the product is bubble hash. Its appearance and texture can range between dry and chalky, to greasy and oily.
Hash oil or Distillate may be solid or colloidal depending on both production method and temperature and are usually identified by their appearance or characteristics. Color most commonly ranges from transparent golden or light brown, to tan or black. There are various extraction methods, most involving a solvent, such as butane or ethanol.
You may also see distillate referred to as THC oil. Distillate is highly potent; you may only need a fraction of a drop to get high with a quality product. Most distillates are used along with an e-rig or dab nail, but they can also be used in vape pens or added to a cartridge.
Wax is, just as you would think, waxy. The consistency is dense, and sometimes a bit granular, and the color is typically golden and opaque. Wax may be added to flower for twaxing (wax and cannabis mixed), but it is most often smoked using a dab rig.
Live resin falls on the consistency scale between sauce and wax. Live resin is sticky and potent. It’s chock-full of natural cannabis terpenes because it is harvested after freezing the cannabis plant – using a solvent to extract the good stuff. Hence, the term “live.” Resins are ideal for vaping with a dab pen, but can also be used on a general dabbing setup with an e-rig or standard dab rig. What’s resin vs rosin? Both have similar consistencies, usage methods, and profiles, but rosin is created without solvents.
Shatter is a BHO concentrate and gets its name from the fact that it looks a lot like glass. The concentrate is like thin hard candy, and it has this telltale amber color when it is high quality.
Budder, badder, and batter are all essentially the same type of concentrate, and all are extremely potent, but there can be small differences between them. Budder has this smooth, whipped consistency that’s a lot like… well, butter. Budder is known for its high potency, but may not always have a lot of aromatics due to extra heating used beyond the extraction point. Batter and badder are sometimes a bit less smooth; some can be more saucy and loose and some can even have a bumpier consistency.
Also known as terp sauce, THC sauce or even “diamonds,” sauce is a sticky, syrup-like cannabis extract created by combining each strain’s specific terpenes with its cannabinoids (THCA, in particular). Sauce can also contain crystalline structures (THCa) depending on the cannabinoid profile and extraction stage, earning its previously stated nickname, Diamonds.
Crumble looks a lot like tiny clumps of sugar, but it is pretty dry and easy to handle. Crumble is perhaps the driest form of cannabis concentrate you can find, which makes it ideal for sprinkling on a rolled joint. Crumble can also be vaporized on a rig or dab setup as well. Cannabis sugar is similar to crumble, but is slightly wet, which means it is best used with a vaporizer.
How to Store Cannabis Concentrates
Cannabis concentrates can be highly sensitive to temperature changes and even exposure to sunlight or oxygen. Therefore, pretty much every concentrate you find should be kept in a cool or temperature-controlled environment, out of direct sunlight, and in an airtight container.
Most concentrates are dabbed, or flash vaporized, through a dab rig, but some concentrates can also be added to the top of a bowl of flower, or used to make edibles. Concentrates also commonly come as an oil in a pre-filled cartridge that can be attached to a battery for easy and discreet consumption.
Conclusion
If you have never used cannabis concentrates the cannabis world has just opened up to you. I would recommend if you have never used cannabis before I would not start with a concentrate. Concentrates are for the more experienced user and for those dealing with chronic medical issues like pain and cancer.
I have watched cannabis change in my past 40 years with the past 10 years concentrates are booming and you have no problem with finding it like in the past. You could only get Hashish or Hash Oil back in the day and you could not find it that often in certain locations so when you did get some it was a very special thing. Now it seems to be everywhere. Please be safe with what concentrates you purchase because if done with solvents and not done correctly can be very harmful to your health so be sure you know what you are consuming is safe. I am here if you have any questions so until tomorrow stay Herbaly Healthy & Happy. Please follow and take the time to give us a LIKE then post a comment because we would love to hear from you and Share this with your friends and family to help us educate on the Endo-Cannabinoid System and Cannabis as a Holistic Therapeutic that is all Organic and Natural, Chemical and Pesticide Free, Affordable and Easy to Access and Therapeutic while We Demand the Federal Government to Immediately Reform the law on Cannabis. We also Demand Big Pharma to stay out of our Wallets and we have a medication that actually Heals named Cannabis that does not contain those Harmful Side Effects like Liver Damge, Kidney Damage, or Death.
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