What Are Cannabis Concentrates?

Cannabis concentrates come in a range of shapes and sizes. Sometimes they’re out in the open, like cannabis oil in vape cartridges, and other times they’re hidden in medicinal balms and foods.

Those who want to learn everything there is to know about cannabis concentrates have come to the right place. Here, we’ll go over the most popular forms of cannabis concentrates, the various ways you can ingest them, and how to choose the perfect product for your needs.

What are concentrates and extracts?

Cannabis concentrates, like the orange juice concentrate in the back of your fridge, are the result of distilling down the most valuable elements of the plant. They have all of the cannabinoids and terpenes found in cannabis flowers but none of the plant material. Marijuana concentrates contain considerably more cannabinoids and terpenes per ounce than raw cannabis flowers.

Concentrates allow you to experience the greatest components of cannabis in a variety of ways, and they come in a range of textures that may be consumed in a variety of ways. Cannabis concentrates and extracts can be ingested on their own, sprinkled on a joint to improve strength, or precisely included in a batch of edibles, depending on the final shape they take.

Is there a difference between a concentrate and an extract?

Although you may have heard the terms concentrate and extract used interchangeably, there is a distinction between the two. Extracts are a sort of concentrate that is made with a solvent. So, while all concentrates are extracts, not all extracts are concentrates.

Vanilla extract, for example, is made by extracting the desired flavor component, vanillin, from vanilla bean pods using alcohol as a solvent. As in the case of Rick Simpson Oil, alcohol can also be employed to create a cannabis extract (RSO). Other solvents, such as butane for Butane Hash Oil (BHO) and supercritical CO2 for cannabis wax extracts, may also be used.

Concentrates made without the use of solvents are made by removing and gathering trichomes mechanically or physically. Concentrates manufactured without the use of solvents include rosin, dry sift, and kief.

Because extracts and concentrates have different textures, it’s impossible to tell them differently just by looking at them.

How to consume cannabis concentrates

Not all concentration buyers are dabbers, just as not all concentrates are extracts. Dabbing is the technique of heating a concentrate or extract until it vaporizes, resulting in an extremely potent vapor that the customer can inhale. Dabbing is the most prevalent technique of consuming concentrated cannabis, which explains why concentrates are referred to as dabs. However, these products are also available as vape pens, tinctures, topicals, consumables, and other forms.

Consider what you want to achieve before deciding on which concentrations and consumption methods will work best for you.

For a low-maintenance potency boost: top your flower

Adding powdered kief to your bowl or wrapping wax over a joint can significantly increase the strength of your smokeables with minimal effort. These ways do not necessitate the purchase of any of the costly dab tools, while enhancing the intensity of your smoke and adding more flavor from the concentrate.

For an intensely potent, fast-acting high: dab

When most individuals discuss consuming cannabis concentrates, they usually refer to vaporizing the concentrate with a dab rig. This method involves heating the nail, or the dab rig equivalent of a bong bowl, and then applying the concentrate straight to the hot surface, rapidly transforming it into an inhalable vapor. The majority of dab rigs are composed of glass, with nails made of glass, ceramic, titanium, or quartz. While the classic process entails heating the nail with a torch, there are now several user-friendly e-nails available.

It’s also important to note that high THC levels and dabbing are not the same thing. While high THC levels remain the norm, dabbable high-CBD concentrates and pure CBD distillate are becoming increasingly popular.

For a light high on the go: use a vape pen

Vape pens with pre-filled cartridges are a discreet, portable, and effective way to consume cannabis concentrates. While they won’t get you as high as a dab, the high will hit you practically quickly. All you need is a pre-filled cartridge, a battery, or an all-in-one vape pen to get started. The battery in the cartridge powers a heating element, which warms the cannabis concentrate. Most vape pens are activated by pressing a button or, in the case of a buttonless pen, by simply inhaling through the mouthpiece. Pre-filled cartridges and pens cannot be refilled and must be abandoned once the concentrate has run out, whereas detachable batteries can be kept and reused numerous times.

For a more customizable experience, consider using a dab pen. With a dab pen, you manually fill the chamber with any type of concentrate and attach the chamber to a battery. This method gives you the flexibility of a dab rig and the portability of a pre-filled vape pen.

For a long-lasting, smoke-free high: eat an edible

Edibles are rarely mentioned in the context of cannabis concentrates, but they should be. Cannabis extracts enable both store-bought and handmade edibles. They, like vapes, do not require any specific equipment and are simple for beginner users to experiment with. And, like dabs, depending on the dose, they can offer a long-lasting, strong high. The primary distinction between edibles and inhalables is their onset time. If you inhale vapor or smoke, your high will be felt nearly immediately; if you consume an edible, your high may take up to two hours to become apparent.

For targeted relief: try a topical 

Topicals, like edibles, are often kept out of concentrated conversations. Concentrated forms of cannabis, on the other hand, may provide targeted treatment without the head high when applied topically.