What are concentrates?

October 29, 2018

Concentrates are cannabis-derived extracts that contain highly concentrated amounts of the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and numbers of other cannabinoids and terpenes. The cannabis plant has complex compounds, or chemical substances, that can be used in a multitude of products. These compounds affect the look, smell, flavor, and textured Das well as physiological or psychoactive effects of cannabis products.  
Different types of concentrates are made using different methods:

1. Kief

Kief is the basic concentrate. Kief is made using the trichomes (the crystalline structures coating the outside surface of the flowers) broken away from the dried plant material, usually via specialized filtering screens. Kief is generally considered a lower-quality extract, but some top-flight extractors can produce an extremely clean and flavorful product using the dry sieve method. THC content can range from 20 percent to 60 percent.
 

2. Hash

Hash made from the cannabis plant has been around for centuries, and there are plenty of processes in which hash can be made. Ice water extraction is one of the most common processes used to create the quality non-solvent hash. The main goal and fundamental idea behind the ice water extraction process is to isolate the trichome heads, which house the essential oils of cannabis, from the stalks and plant matter that carry little-to-no medicinal value.
 

3. Supercritical CO2 Oil

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a supercritical fluid, meaning it converts into a liquid form when pressurized. At the same time, CO2 is a pure chemical substance that occurs naturally and leaves behind no residues. In fact, supercritical CO2 extraction is already a standard extraction method for the food, dry cleaning and herbal supplement industries. It is a common food additive as well.
 

4. Butane Hash Oil (BHO)

Butane Hash Oil, commonly referred to as BHO, is a type of cannabis concentrate made using butane as the main solvent. While a number of variables can determine the final consistency of BHO (mostly temperature), people use different names when referring to each of the different consistencies. Shatter, for instance, refers to the glass-like consistency that often snaps or “shatters” when handled. Budder, honeycomb, crumble, and sap are also used to describe the different textures, though they all fall under the category of BHO.
 

5. Rosin

Rosin has been gaining a lot of traction in the medical cannabis community as of lately and for good reason. Rosin is a solid form of resin that is obtained by adding pressure & heat to vaporize volatile liquid terpenes, typically with an industrial heat press (or even a hair straightener for small batches).
The rosin technique is quick, simple and affordable, allowing anyone to create a quality solvent-less hash in a matter of seconds. To get started making Rosin, you only need a few basic tools in order to create a quality finished product, but not nearly as many as you need with other extraction techniques.

 

Now let's talk about how to use the concentrates, again there are a few ways one can use them:

 

1. Vaporizers

Vaporizing is one of the healthiest methods for inhaling marijuana concentrates. You can vaporize almost any form of the concentrate, such as kief and hash, excluding edibles. You can purchase disposable concentrate cartridges specially designed to attach to portable vaporizers known as vape pens. Vaporizers are specifically manufactured to heat THC to the optimal vaporization point so you can experience the purest high without unnecessary waste or toxins.

 

2. Oral

Most concentrates, such as hash, are not ready to be consumed orally. In order to feel the effects of THC, the cannabinoid must be activated through a decarboxylation process. Bubble hash and butane hash oil (BHO) can also be mixed with butter, glycerin, drinking alcohol or oil to create an edible form of the concentrate.

 

 

 

3. Bowls

You can find concentrate bowl attachments for bongs and bubblers. Place the hash at the bottom of the concentrate bowl and then heat it using a stick, known as a glass wand, which vaporizes the concentrate upon contact. Glass wands are just one form of the burning tools used for smoking concentrate out of bowls. Other heating methods fail to vaporize efficiently, which causes combustion and carcinogenic smoke. These alternatives include soldering irons, butane lighters, and hemp wicks. While hemp wicks don't vaporize, they can help you avoid the harmful chemicals released from butane lighters.

 

4. Dabs

Dabbing is one of the most popular methods for consuming marijuana concentrates.  To dab, heat up the skillet using a torch, drop the concentrate onto the heated glass surface and then inhale the smoke through the chambers of the bong or rig. Dabbing burns concentrate at temperatures very close to THC's vaporization point -- making dabs one of the healthier smoking methods. However, dabbing often results in a very intense high, so we recommend only those who are veterans with marijuana to try this specific method.

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