The Complete Marijuana Concentrate Guide
One of the most popular kinds of marijuana products you can buy today is Marijuana Concentrates. They might not be as commonly used as products like weed, but concentrates are a popular choice for users who want something stronger than regular strains of flower. They pack significantly more THC than weed and are great for smoking, vaping, and dabbing.
No matter what kind of concentrate you use, you can rely on them giving you a potent high. Concentrates are made by extracting the THC and cannabinoids from cannabis and separating it from the rest of the plant matter. As such, you’re left with an extract that’s often anywhere from 80-99% in its THC content. It only takes a very small piece or a dab of a cannabis concentrate to get a hard-hitting high, and you can use them in many ways.
Marijuana Concentrates come in a diverse range of forms. Some of these go back years, such as Hash, which is one of the oldest kinds of marijuana products made by compressing the resin from weed together. Others, such as Live Resin, are fairly new and innovative, using complex lab equipment to create some of the strongest, purest, and most flavorful cannabis extracts on the market.
With so many different kinds of Marijuana Concentrates and multiple ways to use them, beginner users might not know where to start. Here’s the Complete Marijuana Concentrate Guide covering everything you need to know.
What Is A Marijuana Concentrate?
A Marijuana Concentrate is a type of marijuana product, made by extracting THC (and often other cannabinoids and terpenes) to result in a much more concentrated form of the substance. While strains of marijuana flower (or weed) usually contain around 15-25% THC, concentrates often reach as high as 80-90% THC, with some being up to 99%.
Concentrates come in various forms, with some popular choices including Shatter, Wax, Hash, Rosin, Live Resin, Budder, and Kief. These products can take on many different forms- some are hard and brick-like whereas some are extremely soft and easy to scoop up and mix in with other products.
Different concentrates are made using different extraction processes. Some of these are simple enough to do yourself. For instance, Rosin can be made simply by applying heat and pressure to weed with a straightener. Hash can be made by rubbing the resin from weed together in your hands. However, most concentrates you’ll find in stores are online are made using high-quality lab equipment, resulting in some of the purest and most potent cannabis products you’ll find.
Since these products are, by nature, extremely high in THC, they can also give you an extra strong high. You only need a very small amount for strong effects, and you can choose to vape it, mix it into a joint or bowl or even use a special piece of equipment known as a Dab Rig which gives you the most powerful hits. Many veteran users enjoy using concentrates due to just how strong they are.
The Difference Between Weed And Concentrates
Weed and Concentrates are two of the most popular forms of marijuana, and Concentrates are even derived from all kinds of strains of weed. Both of these products are viable options and most users will want to try out both. But what are the biggest differences that should guide your choice?
The main difference between weed and concentrates is that concentrates are much stronger. Although concentrates are made from weed, they extract the most potent parts of the plant- mainly the THC- and concentrate it into a highly powerful form. Gram for gram, weed is much cheaper than any given concentrate, but the concentrate will have significantly higher levels of THC, meaning you need much less to get the same level of high.
Of course, they’re also extremely different in form. Weed comes in the form of dry marijuana herbs which you can easily grind and roll into a joint, pack into a bong or pipe or use in a vape. Concentrates take on a range of forms- some are glass-like, some are sticky, and some are like rocks. Many concentrates, such as Wax, Oil, and Shatter, get their name from their consistency.
While the form of concentrates might confuse first-time users who are used to weed, they’re also easy to use in a variety of ways. Some concentrates require you to burn them first to make them more pliable and break a small piece off. Some are already soft and waxy or sugar-like, making it easy to scoop up and apply to a vape chamber, dab nail or even mix into a joint or bowl.
Different Types Of Marijuana Concentrates
Marijuana Concentrates are particularly diverse. There are many kinds, each made using unique extraction processes and hence taking on different consistencies. They can also vary in their THC and terpenoid content. Here are some of the most common types of marijuana concentrates.
Shatter - Shatter is one of the most popular and commonly used kinds of cannabis concentrates. It’s particularly recognizable due to its glass-like form. It comes in amber sheets which are easy to shatter apart. It’s great for vaping and dabbing, and you can also take pieces of shatter and put them in a joint or bowl.
Hash - Hash is another one of the most common concentrates, known for its solid, brick-like consistency. Hash can be made simply by rubbing the resin from weed together. However, high-quality blocks of Hash are created using more complex processes. You can burn hash and crumble it apart for all purposes. It comes in a few different forms, such as Lebanese Hash.
Oil - Not to be confused with THC Tincture, Oil, Hash Oil or Honey Oil is a type of marijuana concentrate made using solvents. As you can deduct from the name, it comes in an oily form which makes it very easy to scoop up and add to a joint, bowl, vape chamber or dab rig. It’s especially potent and retains much of the cannabinoids and terpenes from marijuana.
Kief - Kief is a simple kind of concentrate which doesn’t involve any complicated extraction process. Kief is the high-THC resin dust that falls from your weed when you grind it. You can collect kief from your grinder and spread it across other products in a joint, bowl or vape chamber. You can also buy high quantities of Kief to use in whatever way you wish.
Budder - Budder is another common kind of concentrate which is usually soft, creamy, and buttery. It’s also closely related to Crumble, which is crumbly and honeycomb-like in its structure. You can find many different strains of Budder and use it for smoking, vaping, and dabbing purposes. It’s a strong concentrate that’s extracted using solvents.
Rosin - Rosin (not to be confused with resin) is another top concentrate that’s very easy to make. Making Rosin simply involves applying high heat and pressure to cannabis, which will bring out a soft, amber extract. You can make it at home using a hair straightener, but equipment like Rosin Presses are usually used for high-quality Rosin.
Live Resin - Live Resin is one of the most advanced and potent kinds of cannabis concentrates. It involves flash-freezing fresh cannabis before extraction. The resulting product has extremely high levels of both THC and terpenes, making it flavorful as well as strong. It’s one of the best types of concentrates you can use.
Vaping Marijuana Concentrates
Vaping concentrates is arguably the best option for using them. While it’s not as hard-hitting as using a Dab Rig, it’s much simpler to set up and still gives you powerful effects without being too overwhelming. Plus, all you need is your choice of marijuana concentrate and a handy vape.
First, you’ll need a vape pen or vaporizer with a chamber designed for cannabis concentrates. Some vapes are only compatible with vape oils, and some are designed for use with dry herbs. However, many vaporizers nowadays can be used with marijuana concentrates, and some even have interchangeable coils so you can enjoy concentrates as well as other products.
Apply a small amount of your chosen concentrate to the chamber of your vaporizer. Each vaporizer works differently, but usually, all you have to do is set your chosen temperature, press a button on the side, and wait for your product to heat before taking a nice, smooth vape hit.
Vaping is a fantastic way to enjoy your marijuana concentrates. Research shows that vaping is stronger than smoking. It’s also convenient, discreet, and gives you more of the flavor of your product. Plus, with many vape pens out there designed for getting the best out of marijuana concentrates, it’s always a good way to use them.
Dabbing Marijuana Concentrates
Dabbing is a method of consumption that’s specifically used for marijuana concentrates. It involves using a special piece of equipment known as a Dab Rig to vaporize your concentrates and take an extremely strong hit. Even some experienced users will be blown away by the strength of dab hits in comparison to smoking or vaping.
Before you can dab your concentrates, you’ll need a Dab Rig. A Dab Rig is similar to a bong, only instead of a bowl, it has a banger or dab nail. Bangers come in many different forms, such as Quartz, glass, and titanium. Quartz bangers or nails are usually considered the best- they won’t crack under high heat and bring out more of the flavor of your dabs.
You’ll also need a blow torch. You use the blow torch to heat the nail thoroughly before applying a small piece or a “dab” of your chosen marijuana concentrate. The concentrate will vaporize instantly due to the high heat, and you’ll then be able to take a hit from the mouthpiece.
If you’re looking for extra powerful hits, dabbing is a great method to use. It can be done with all kinds of cannabis concentrates and gives you the effects of THC in full force. However, for some users, buying and setting up their Dab Rig can be inconvenient and the strong effects can be overwhelming.
Smoking Marijuana Concentrates
While many users vape or dab marijuana concentrates to get the strongest possible effects, smoking concentrates is also an option. You will have to mix your concentrates with some weed for them to burn properly. However, this can provide unique effects and also opens up a few new options for you.
One option is to mix concentrates into a joint, spliff or blunt. Apply your ground weed first, then apply some small dabs of concentrate over the top or mix it in evenly. How you should mix them in depends on the kind of marijuana concentrate you use. For instance, Hash is easy to crumble up and mix with weed whereas Shatter is usually added by applying small lines over the top.
Alternatively, you can mix your concentrates with your weed in the bowl of your pipe or bong. Just like with rolling a joint, apply your weed first and then mix your concentrates in. Be careful not to use too much- concentrates are very strong and even a small dab can make your hits much more powerful.
Smoking is a fairly decent option for using your concentrates. While vaping and dabbing are stronger, smoking is often more convenient. Plus, by mixing different strains of weed and concentrates together, you can end up getting an interesting psychoactive experience when you smoke.
Conclusion
Marijuana Concentrates are a top choice for users looking for powerful recreational effects, strong medical benefits, and unique products that can be used in multiple ways. It comes in many forms, from Shatter to Hash to Rosin, and can be used in multiple ways.
Concentrates are much stronger than weed and boast very high levels of THC. You can mix concentrates with your weed in a joint or bowl. You can also vape or even dab concentrates for extra-strong effects. You can find a range of concentrates and other marijuana products available for delivery online from Leaf2Go.ca.