Cannabis concentrates are gaining popularity in the cannabis community, but the growing number of choices may leave even the most avid enthusiasts a bit confused.
The basic concept of cannabis concentrates are that they are concentrated THC or CBD extracts from cannabis flowers and can have many times more cannabinoids than your regular dried flower. The potency of some concentrates can reach up to 90% THC, which often increases the effects of the THC on the user.
There are many different ways to consume and use cannabis concentrates. Here’s a list of known and lesser-known forms of concentrates:
1. Hashish
Hashish is a type of concentrate that originated in North India and is one of the most popular and widely used concentrates. There are a variety of different kinds of hash, and the type of hash is determined by the way it was made. Hash can be smoked in a bong or pipe, infused into joints, or consumed in the form of an edible.
2. Kief
Kief is the powder-like substance that collects at the bottom of a grinder (Learn more about grinders here). Kief is relatively easy to work with and has a variety of different uses. You can use Kief by sprinkling it in a joint or by packing a bowl with a mixture of both kief and flower. Kief is typically more potent than flower, though less potent than most other types of extracts.
3. Moon Rocks
Moon rocks are a crazy blend of three different forms of weed, and arguably one of the coolest ways to use concentrate. Moon rocks are nugs dipped in cannabis oil, which are then rolled in kief. If you make and decide to use moon rocks remember that it is essential that you do not grind it, because the oil will stick to the grinder and the kief will fall off and lose its potency. If you’re looking to use moon rocks, simply break them into pieces with your fingers and then roll it into a joint or load into your pipe or bong.
4. Rosin
Rosin is also known as weed wax, and it is cannabis resin in solid form. It is made by applying pressure and heat to flowers to extract the resin. Many people are brave enough to make their own resin at home, by pressing a flower wrapped in parchment paper between the two plates of a hair straightener. One of the most popular ways to use rosin is to make a twaxed joint or blunt and wrap a snake shape of wax around it.
5. Hash oil
Hash oil is the oil extracted from the cannabis plant. It tends to have a higher concentration of THC than regular buds. Hash oil can be made in a variety of ways, but in most cases some type of solvent is used to separate the oil from the rest of the plant. Hash oil can be smoked or used in edibles.
6. Shatter
Shatter is one of the purest cannabis concentrates on the market. Most often, it is made using the same general process at Hash oil with a special solvent that extracts THC from flowers. Shatter looks like tinted glass and has a hard candy-like consistency. It is incredibly potent and can have upwards of 80% THC. It is relatively flavorless and may be difficult to work with, but it is most commonly used in dab rigs, vapes, and bongs.
7. Sugar Wax
Sugar wax is usually made through the same general process as hash oil and is shiny, sticky, and crumbly. It is most commonly used in a dab rig, and many people prefer it for its flavor and consistency.
8. Budder
Budder falls somewhere in between shatter and wax in terms of consistency, and it is most commonly made using the same broad process. Budder can be used in a bong, a pipe or added to a joint or blunt.
9. Crumble
The most common method of making a crumble is very much like the process of making any other wax but at a lower temperature. Crumble is very easy to use, simply scoop it up and pack it into a bowl. It also works great in a dab rig also known as a concentrate rig which is a pipe or bong made specifically for smoking concentrates. Ensure you keep your crumble in a cool dry place, as it can easily and quickly lose moisture.
10. Live Resin
Live resin is the newest in cannabis concentrate technology. Freshly harvested buds are frozen and then the resin is extracted from the flowers. This method of extraction is complicated and requires laboratory equipment so it’s best to buy live resin at your local dispensary.
11. CO2 Oil
This type of oil uses carbon dioxide to extract the resin. The end product is a pure, liquid concentrate that’s usually used in vaporizers and vaping pens. CO2 extraction leaves more terpenes in the concentrate, which means more flavor and even more medicinal benefits.
Concentrates are set apart by their high THC content and the fact that they can easily be combined with another form of marijuana or used on their own, making them popular in the cannabis community. No matter what form it is in or what method of consumption you choose, cannabis concentrates are an easy and super effective way to get high.
