Concentrates 101: Everything You Need to Know About Cannabis Concentrates

Concentrates 101: Everything You Need to Know About Cannabis Concentrates

Among the different categories of cannabis, concentrates are comparatively less popular yet are the most potent form of weed. These contain higher concentrations of cannabinoids, terpenes, and trichomes and can further take numerous forms depending on the extraction method. 

This is because vape pens, infuse topicals, and even edibles are filled with different types of concentrates. However, pure forms of concentrates are typically consumed via inhalation and vaping through the medium of different tools, such as dab rigs, a dab tool, a quartz nail, etc. 

In this article, we will be discussing different types of concentrates, their extraction method, and more. 

How are Concentrates Extracted? 

There are two major ways cannabis concentrates are extracted: solvent-based and solventless methods. A solvent-based method makes use of solvents like ethanol, CO2, and butane to take plant material of their resinous trichomes (it includes all the important compounds). These solvents are run through the plant and then purged out from the final mixture. 

This method is expected to take out the pure extracts of cannabis without any traces of solvent. On the other hand, solventless methods extract concentrates without using any solvents. For example, a rosin press takes out terpene-rich rosin and is repressed at very low temperatures through a 25-micron screen. A rosin press uses heat and pressure to extract all the effective cannabinoids and terpenes. More and more consumers prefer solventless concentrates because they are guaranteed to not contain any traces of solvents. 

Different Types of Cannabis Concentrates 

Below are some of the common types of concentrates that you must have heard of and seen in cannabis dispensaries: 

• Live Resin 
• Rosin
• Shatter
• budder/badder
• Crumble
• Cannabis essential oil
• Hash/hashish 
• Kief
• Honeycomb
• Hash oil
• Terp sauce 
• Crystalline 

How to Consume Concentrates? 

If you’re a cannabis enthusiast, you must have heard of ‘dabbing’ which is the process of vaping potent forms of extracts through a dab rig, a vaporizer, or smoked out of a pipe. Out of all, dab rigs enjoy a dedicated following. A dab rig is like a glass water pipe, similar to a bong, but instead of having a bowl to hold the extract, they have a nail that holds the dab. Once the extract hits the hot nail, it starts turning into vapor, which is then inhaled by using the mouthpiece. 

Another way to consume concentrates is through dab pens and conventional vaporizers. Though these methods are known to produce less flavorful smoke, they are portable and a more convenient option for regular users. 

Lastly, one can also consume extracts through different smoking methods, such as bongs, pipes, and joints. You can mix concentrates with other forms of cannabis to make your mixture more potent and enjoy a quality smoking experience. 

Bottom Line

The world of concentrates might be dizzying, but it’s worth exploring, especially for cannabis lovers. The primary thing you need to consider while consuming concentrates is that concentrates contain higher percentages of THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component of plant cannabis. So, if you’re new to cannabis, go slow and low with concentrates.