What is cannabis concentrate?

Cannabis concentrates are known to have extremely high THC level which ranges from 40% to a whopping 80%. Only the most desirable terpenes and cannabinoids are kept in the concentrates thus immensely increasing the potency of the buds. You can vaporize them with a vaporizer or use a dab rig (the most popular mode of consumption). Before discussing all the popular cannabis concentrates for 2020, it needs to be said that concentrates come in different textures and can be consumed in different ways. One of the prime advantages of using concentrates is the immediate onset time as well as its enormous potency compared to any other form of cannabis.

Types of Cannabis concentrates

Kief

Kief aka Sift is the most common cannabis concentrate which comes in the form of a golden-green powdery substance. Once the flowers are finely ground, only the THC rich trichomes are left behind- this is precisely what Kief is. Next time you smoke a bowl make sure to sprinkle a pinch of kief on top of your buds and feel the difference.

Hash

Hash is nothing but well pressed sift which is made from compressing the resin of the trichome of the buds. Created entirely out of trichomes, hash tends to be very sticky and can be broken apart with ease. There are various kinds of hash you’ll find in the market such as bubble hash, finger hash or hashish from the grinder. The dark brown hashish smells as delightful as it tastes.

Rosin

Rosin is yet another sticky marijuana concentrate that is made by heating and compressing the tichrome rich buds. What differentiates it from the hash is the fact that while hash is made just with trichomes, the entire bud goes into the rosin. They have a clear and golden appearance but are way more vicous and sticky than hashish.

Live Resin

This is yet another gluey and waxy cannabis concentrate which offers more powerful terpene smells and flavors than any other concentrates and its THC or CBD level could fall somewhere between 80%- 90%. The entire cannabis plant is used for the production of live resins which are then cryogenically iced up just after the harvest thereby preserving all the terpenes which are generally lost during the process of drying and extraction.

Weed Wax

Weed Wax is the generic term to denote certain kinds of marijuana concentrates that come with a gluey and wax-like texture. Weed wax looks very similar to candle wax. However, weed wax might refer to a number of cannabis waxes which we will be discussing.

Shatter Wax

This is a solid but gluey weed concentrate that literally shatters into pieces during picking up a dab. One of the most easily recognizable cannabis concentrates, shatter wax is way less messy than its resinous counterparts. It looks like wine colored shattered glass shards and can absolutely make your day.

Honeycomb Wax

Not much different from shatter wax, this one comes with tiny holes just like a honeycomb. It’s got a translucent look with a honey-amber tinge.

Crumble Wax

Crumble wax just as the name suggests is weed wax which is crumbled and broken. Since they tend to break, crumble wax can be somewhat difficult to handle than other kinds of wax which account for its diminishing popularity.

Badder Wax

Badder wax or budder wax is one of the thickest weed waxes and has the look of frozen honey. This wax is created at a high temperature after which the resin is whipped extensively during the process of extraction.

Pull and Snap

Closely resembling the texture of shatter wax, pull and snap has the consistency of a toffee. Rather than breaking into pieces, you’d need to pull them out from a parchment paper. They tend to stretch while being pulled resulting in a ‘snapping’ sound.

Tinctures

The process of tincture making involves the use of a solvent for extracting the cannabinoids and terpenes from the cannabis plant. What differentiates it from CBD or THC oil is the presence of alcohol which is used as the solvent and which is also there in the end product. They are stored for several weeks before being strained and used. The greenish tincture which has all the good parts of cannabis plants can easily be sourced from your local dispensary.

THC /CBD and Hash Oil

THC and Hash Oil refer to all kinds of oil extracts of cannabis.

Butane/ Honey Oil/ BHO Oil

BHO or Butane Hash oil is a kind of resin taken out of the marijuana plant where the solvent being used is butane. Previously it used to be made by a process termed as ‘blasting’ or ‘open blasting’ which is no longer in use. These days a more sophisticated process called Closed Loop Extraction is being used to extract BHO. 

CO2 Oil

Carbon dioxide supercritical fluid extraction technology which is used in the making of CO2 oil is a rather new method of processing cannabis concentrates. This method is also being used to create a range of concentrates such as waxes, shatters, saps, crumbles and oils for vaporizers.

Rick Simpson Oil

Rick Simpson Oil which is much more viscous than weed tinctures is mostly used by patients of cancer. According to Rick Simpson, the creator of this oil and famous cannabis activist, this oil when applied to cancer spots on skin can clear the spots in a few days. It comes with more THC than other forms of concentrates. 

Distillate

This runny oil known for its versatility and potency can easily be used for dabbing, vaporizing, and for mixing in edibles. They are created after an extensive process of distillation which makes the end product completely pure and refined.

Crystallines and Isolates

The purest concentrate you can find in the market, Isolates and Crystallines come with an active cannabinoid content of 99.9%.

However, use with moderation since the high THC level is known to cause instant high and when taken copiously can cause extreme changes in behavior. Now that you can surely flaunt your knowledge of cannabis concentrates to whoever is interested, all you need to do is head to your local weed shop in Canada and try out some of the concentrates mentioned in the list.