Seeking alternatives to smoking cannabis is becoming more common, driven by concerns about lung irritation during the pandemic or a desire for a different experience, especially among non-smokers. Exploring cannabis concentrates presents a diverse array of options, each with its unique characteristics. For those curious or interested, here’s a comprehensive beginner’s guide to cannabis concentrates.
What is a Concentrate?
A cannabis concentrate is the result of a process that transforms the cannabis flower into a pliable mass. This process yields various forms, such as oil, butter, wax, or crystal, each with its own street name, including budder, dabs, hash oil, and more. The primary goal of this process is to significantly increase the potency of THC or CBD, often reaching up to an 80% high-grade impact.
Concentrate Process
Concentrate processes aim to eliminate all elements of the cannabis plant except the potent cannabinoids. This is achieved through solvent systems or non-solvent systems.
- Solvent Systems: Using liquids like butane, CO2, ethanol, or propane, this method dissolves the plant material, leaving behind THC, CBD, and terpenes. However, it poses fire risks and chemical transfer concerns.
- Solvent-free and Solventless Extracts: Solvent-free products claim to remove solvent residue, while solventless extracts are processed without solvents, using methods like heat and pressure, ice-water processing, and grinding.
Examples of Concentrates
- Budder or Badder: A buttery cannabis wax with high potency, often used for dabbing, vaping, or adding to various smoking methods.
- Bubble Hash: Produced through freezing and pressing cannabis buds, it results in a mud-brown residue rich in trichomes, suitable for various applications.
- CO2 Oil: Cannabis is subjected to carbon dioxide pressure to create a non-flammable, amber-colored liquid oil, used sublingually or added to recipes and beverages.
- Crumble: A dry, spongy product with up to 90% THC potency, suitable for dabbing, vaping, or adding to joints.
- Isolates: CBD or THC isolates involve complex processes to produce crystalline powder, offering medicinal effects without THC psychoactivity.
- Rosin: Made using heat and pressure, Rosin is a highly concentrated extract popular for dabbing and various consumption methods.
- Shatter: A brittle and potent amber product resulting from a butane solvent process, primarily used for dabbing.
Cannabis users and producers continue to innovate, creating inventive ways to deliver both medical and recreational benefits. Each concentrate comes with variations and multiple production methods. It’s crucial to recognize the potential potency and approach consumption cautiously, starting with small amounts.
The world of cannabis concentrates is rich and diverse, offering a plethora of options for users seeking alternative consumption methods.