As Utah’s cannabis industry continues to grow, there are more ways than ever to try this magical plant.
In the last year, cannabis concentrates such as dab, wax, and shatter have become a popular choice among Utah medical patients. Vaporizing and inhaling these concentrates are referred to as “dabbing” within the cannabis community. When people dab, they are heating a highly concentrated form of cannabis and inhaling the vaporized oil which gives an immediate and intense effect.
What Is a Cannabis Concentrate
Before getting into the different types of concentrate, it’s important to gain an understanding of what constitutes a concentrate. It can be assumed from the name “concentrate” that these products are concentrated forms of the cannabis plant. Similar to essential oils, this means the plant material has undergone a process to isolate a more potent form of the medicinal or oils. This process, called extraction, involves removing the excess plant matter so that only cannabinoids and terpenes remain.
It should be noted that cannabis concentrates are often highly potent and high in THC specifically. A typical cannabis flower has a THC content that ranges from 10 to 25 percent, but this group of products can go up to 90 percent or more.
Due to that fact, dosing is important, make sure to consume the right amount for chronic conditions like neuropathic pain or PTSD.
A tip from KindBud 🡪 Concentrates and extracts should be avoided by beginners – vape cartridges included. Concentrated products are often highly potent and high in THC and can cause an uncomfortable, but temporary, first experience.
How Concentrates Are Produced
Concentrates are typically made from cannabis by using two methods: solvent and solventless.
Solvent methods can be further divided into two groups: butane and carbon dioxide. Regardless of what solvent was used, all concentrates will need to go through a process called “purging” to remove the chemicals before it’s consumable. On the flip side, solventless concentrates use heat, pressure, and filtration to extract the cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant. Solventless extraction takes more time and effort, but some patients consider it a more natural and artisanal method.
With that said, one method isn’t necessarily better than the other. The main difference in these forms comes from the consistency of the product and how one prefers to consume it.
Cannabis Concentrate Varieties
Shatter
Shatter gets its name for its glass-like consistency since it often shatters into little pieces when broken apart. Being known as one of the purest forms of concentrated cannabis, shatter is generally clear or amber in color. It is also smooth, solid, maybe a little sticky, and is made into thin sheets much like hard candy. This type of concentrate is made using BHO extraction, meaning butane is the main extraction solvent. It also goes through an additional filtration process to really ensure it’s a pure and potent product.
Wax
This concentrate, unlike shatter, is waxy in nature. The consistency is much like candle wax and certain kinds need to be handled with a dabbing tool because they can be extremely sticky.
There are slight variations of wax concentrates – budder, badder, crumble – ranging from those that are less sticky and crumblier to wax that is more honey-like in texture. The variation and the consistency have to do with the heat and moisture levels used during the extraction process.
Budder
Gooey waxes are made from moisture-rich oils and are referred to as budder.
Budder truly does look and feel a lot like butter. It is softer and quite spreadable, much like softened table butter. Badder can take on a lot of different hues, one might find budder that is tinged with a greenish-brown tone or completely golden.
Badder / Batter
Whipped waxes have a consistency that looks a bit like cake batter or thick frosting. Badder is much stickier and thicker than budder. The concentrate can range in hue from lighter blonde to deep gold.
Crumble
Brittle waxes are often called honeycomb or crumble. Crumble is dry and soft. Crumble is characterized by its unique, crumbly texture, as opposed to the fluidity of most other concentrates.
Diamonds
Diamonds are one of the more expensive extracts due to its time-consuming method of creation. After the extract is purged, it’s left to sit in a cool, dark place for a few weeks. The mix separates and the result is crystals that are pure THCA, the precursor to THC, and a liquid that’s full of terpenes. These crystals are extremely potent and prized by cannabis connoisseurs.
Live Rosin
Live Rosin is a solventless extract because it entails the straightforward method of using heat and pressure to extract the concentrate. This method is considered by some to be able to preserve the most terpenes and cannabinoids.
Live Resin
Live resin does use solvents in its processing. The extraction process often uses chemicals such as butane and propane in its manufacturing to separate the cannabinoids and trichomes. Live resin involves flash-freezing the cannabis plant buds immediately after they have been harvested.
The reason for this is so that the compounds do not have the opportunity to degrade, which results in the THC’s potency being isolated and preserved.
Vaping Cartridge Oil
Concentrates produced with CO2 instead of butane are referred to as oils. This is due to their runny and thick consistency. Cannabis oils are commonly found in vape pen cartridges or in syringes and they have a unique taste that differs from concentrates containing BHO like wax and shatter. Oil is the most common concentrate to find in the strictly CBD variety and is also commonly used to make edibles.
RSO (Rick Simpson Oil) Syringe
R.S.O is named after its creator, Rick Simpson. While CBD oil has little to no THC, RSO oil is quite the opposite and is very high in THC, ranging from about 60 to 90 percent. Rick Simpson created this concentration to combat his skin cancer. Whole plant R.S.O. is produced utilizing a vacuum distillation process, which distills out the solvent and preserves terpenes which would otherwise be lost to open air distillation. RSO should not be inhaled. RSO typically comes in a small syringe and should be taken orally or used topically on the skin.
DABBLING in Equipment
When it comes to consuming your dab products, you have several different options. Some types of dabs, such as wax, can be sprinkled directly onto the top of a dry herb, and then vaporized as per usual. However, when it comes to dabbing, most patients prefer to use a dab rig that was specifically designed to optimize delivery. When venturing into the world of concentrates, a few essentials are needed to make sure that the experience starts off on the right foot and remains consistent.
Electric Dab Rig
An electronic rig, or e-rig, is a full rig that heats dabs through electronic means and is powered by a battery that needs to be charged through a standard wall outlet. An example is the Puffco Peak Pro.
The entire rig is electronic and can be set to specific temperatures, depending on the consumer’s preference. It is a full rig and not an attachment, as is the case with e-nails.
“A tip from your KindBud 🡪 Burning and Smoking cannabis with a flame is illegal in Utah. Be sure to purchase an “electric” dab-rig when you’re ready! We cannot “smoke”, but we can “vaporize at a lower temp and inhale.”
Electric Dab Pen
A dab pen is something which is used purely for the consumption of dabs. A dab pen is made up of the same components as a vape pen and works more or less in the same way.
The dabs placed into a dab pen should be of a thin enough consistency that it can be heated to vaporization point without combusting (burning). The dabs are placed directly onto the coils and heated so it melts down onto a wick which then absorbs the product. The wick then heats up the material to create a vapor which is then inhaled.
Electric Dab Dipper / Dab Knife
A dab dipper is a unique and multi-functional electric concentrate vaporizer for portable dabbing and vaping. Dipper features a powerful 900 mAh battery. The innovative Vapor Tip Atomizer is a convenient and simple way to dab without a rig and torch or any loading.
Ultimately, the preference for different types of concentrates depends on the individual. While certain types of concentrate, like shatter and rosin, are regarded as being more desirable, they may not suit everyone the same. Exploring different brands, textures, and other characteristics are the best ways to get to know your personal preferences. Happy dabbing!
