Key Takeaways:
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- It can be challenging to start using cannabis concentrates due to the new words, terms, and names, but purchasing concentrates typically comes down to your preferred method of consumption.
- Cannabis concentrates can contain twice the THC concentration, if not more, than the typical cannabis flower and offer a much more potent cannabis experience.
- There are multiple ways to consume cannabis concentrates, such as dabbing, ingesting, sublingually, and vaporizing.
Even those well versed in cannabis culture may lack in-depth knowledge of concentrates. The reason behind that is simple: concentrates are complicated. They come with various technical-sounding terms, various forms of consumption, and almost an entirely different subculture.
These differences lead some to debate the benefits of concentrates vs. flower. However, there’s no real need to pit these different forms of cannabis consumption against each other. It’s better, instead, to dig a bit deeper and understand why some prefer concentrates and where they may offer advantages over traditional forms of cannabis.
Concentrates Contain More THC
To understand concentrates, it’s probably best to start at their inherent difference. Cannabis concentrates are more potent than flowers as they contain a higher percentage of THC or other cannabinoids. Most cannabis flowers that you buy, for instance, contain no more than 25% THC, and they often hold much less than that.
Concentrates, on the other hand, can consist of up to 90% THC. In some cases, it can even hold more than that. Generally, though, concentrates hover somewhere in the 50-80% range.
This, of course, means that cannabis concentrates can have a much more dramatic effect on your body than smoking a pre-roll or from a pipe. This can be beneficial for those looking for a more effective therapeutic response from their cannabis.
If you’re new to concentrates, it’s always best to start at the lower end of the scale before working your way up. Should you find yourself overwhelmed or dealing with negative effects, you should make sure to note the THC concentration level of your purchase and stay well below that number going forward.
Concentrates Have a Different Language
Perhaps the most challenging door to unlock when it comes to entering the world of concentrates are the new names and terms you have to learn to understand what you’re purchasing. That’s because the term “concentrate” really only refers to the end product: concentrated THC. There are many methods of extracting THC to create this concentrated product, and there are many substances and textures that might form concentrates.
That is, concentrates can go by a variety of names:
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- Budder
- Crumble
- Hash
- Honeycomb
- Oil
- Rosin
- Sap
- Shatter
- Wax
These names are typically defined by the final texture of the concentrate. Budder, for example, resembles soft butter that’s easily spreadable. Shatter, on the other hand, looks like shattered glass. While many concentrate fans have a preferred texture, it should be noted that the extraction process and method of consumption better define that preference.
There are two ways of extracting THC: with solvents and without. Solvent-based extractions use a chemical compound, often butane, carbon dioxide, ethanol, or propane, to strip the cannabis plant of cannabinoids like THC. The mixture of cannabinoids and solvent is then exposed to another chemical process that results in concentrated cannabinoids.
Solventless extractions, though, use physical methods to create concentrates. These physical methods often involved intense pressure, high temperatures, or filtration systems. As there is no use of chemicals with this extraction method, it’s considered a more natural way of creating concentrates.
When you’re shopping for concentrates, you’ll likely encounter all of the above terms. To make it simpler for yourself, it’s best to know how you’d like to consume the concentrate and ask your budtender to suggest something that works well with that method.
Concentrates Are Consumed Differently
Smoking cannabis is among the easiest methods of getting it into your system. All you need is a pipe, a lighter, and some ground-up flower, and you’ve got yourself an effective cannabis delivery system.
Concentrates, though, can be consumed in a variety of ways:
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- Dabbing
- Ingestion
- Sublingually
- Vaped
Dabbing requires a separate tool that may make it a more effective method for those already experienced with concentrates. Once you get the hang of it, though, it allows you to consume extremely high doses of THC. You often feel the full effects of the concentrate’s potency much quicker when you dab.
Ingestion involves the use of ingestible oils. They can be mixed into foods or drinks to make edibles or concentrate-infused mixtures. The ingestible oils may also come in the form of a capsule that you swallow.
Sublingual ingestion involves the use of a tincture. You’ll drop the concentrate beneath your tongue and hold it there for around a minute before swallowing. This can get the concentrate into your system quicker than edibles.
Some vaporizers are equipped with the ability to vape concentrates in the form of hash or oils. In some cases, you may be able to mix the concentrate with the ground flower, too. When using this delivery method, it’s important to know the exact capabilities of your vaporizer before making a purchase.
Concentrates Aim to Offer A Purer Product
Anyone who has used a water pipe knows that smoking cannabis flower can be a dirty business. Parts of the plant, such as the stem, can combust and create unhealthy and distasteful smoke and tar. This can damage your lungs and dirty your smoking equipment.
Concentrates, though, strip away that plant material to create a product that’s far closer to pure THC. This means that when you smoke concentrates, you’re not inhaling the unhealthy smoke that comes from combustible plant matter.
Additionally, cannabis flowers can contain environmental contaminants, pesticides, and other pollutants. The extraction process of most concentrates will remove all of these harmful byproducts of cannabis cultivation.
It should be noted, though, that some extraction methods may have their own issues when it comes to what remains in the consumable product. You should always look for laboratory-tested products, as that will better indicate whether any solvents from the extraction process remain in the concentrate.
Concentrates Aren’t Always as Flavorful
Cannabis flowers have distinct flavors and aromas that add to the overall experience. That’s due to the fragrant oils of the plant called terpenes. These terpenes can add notes of fruit, pine, and earthiness, which explode into a luxurious bouquet every time you open your cannabis storage.
However, terpenes are very sensitive to heat. As many extraction processes use heat to remove the cannabinoids from the cannabis plant, terpenes often aren’t well represented in cannabis’ concentrate form.
Still, as technology improves, some extractors are finding ways to get terpenes to survive the process or add them later. Also, some concentrates, such as resin, actually enhance the flavor.
What to Use to Smoke Concentrate
Resources For Beginners
Bad Gramm3r Can Answer Your Concentrate Questions
At Bad Gramm3r, we sell high-quality concentrates at our dispensaries in Wasilla and Palmer. As Mat Su Valley’s preferred cannabis shop, we also carry a diverse line of flower strains and prerolls. Stop by our locations today, so we can answer any of your questions about cannabis concentrate and recommend products based on your needs. Contact us online or call one of our dispensaries in Alaska!