EssentialShatter
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 marijuana, 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.
If you’re looking for a hard-hitting high, shatter is likely the perfect concentrate for you.
EssentialWAX
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. Wax is normally yellowish in color and can be smoked out of both a rig or vaporizer.
There are slight variations of wax concentrates ranging from those that are less sticky and crumblier to wax that is more honey-like in texture. This variation in the consistency has to do with the heat and moisture levels used during the extraction process.
Gooey waxes are made from moisture-rich oils and are referred to as budder. Brittle waxes are often called honeycomb or crumble.
No matter what type of wax you choose, you’ll be satisfied with the results.
EssentialSugar
One of the many extract textures that can be produced, identified by its viscous, grainy, and wet quality. Sugar is typically used like any other extract and is usually desired for its high terpene profile. Many solvent-based extracts will sugar up over time if they are not winterized.
EssentialDiamonds
Let’s break it down. THCA is THC acid, the precursor to THC, the most abundant and intoxicating cannabinoid found in cannabis. When exposed to heat, non-intoxicating THCA converts to intoxicating THC and produces that classic cannabis high. Diamonds are another term for the crystalline structures that form in sauce, a cannabis concentrate with high levels of terpenes and a runny texture. Put two and two together and you get a term for the THCA-rich crystals that form in sauce.
EssentialBudder / Badder
Budder tends to retain a smooth consistency like butter or cake frosting, while badder can sometimes have a looser consistency closer to sauce. Others look more like crumble with a bumpier texture. Budder and batter concentrates can be made using trim, cured nugs, or a freshly harvested plant (live resin). The appearance of these types of concentrates can range from greenish-brown to buttery gold. Badders, batters, and budders produced from high-quality cannabis tend to be bright blond and have strong but smooth flavors.
First things first, before getting into the different types of concentrates readily available to you, it’s important to gain an understanding of what a concentrate is. You may have assumed from the name “concentrate” that these products are concentrated forms of marijuana.
This means that the cannabis plant material has undergone a process that leaves you with a more potent form of the good stuff. This process, called extraction, involves removing the excess plant matter so that all you have left are the cannabinoids and terpenes.
Cannabinoids and terpenes are what this plant is known for. The two main cannabinoids found in Marijuana are THC and CBD. While THC levels can vary between strains, or even different batches, concentrated extracts are often highly potent and high in THC.
THC is the psychoactive cannabinoid that is responsible for giving you that euphoric high while CBD is the non-psychoactive one known for its range of healing benefits. You are able to purchase concentrates that are both cannabinoids together or that are CBD exclusive, depending on what you’re looking for.
Terpenes are responsible for the aromas that come with marijuana that we all know and love. And keeping these intact during extraction leads to a more enjoyable experience.
There are different methods of extraction, but the most common are the BHO, or hydrocarbon extraction, and CO2 extraction. These different methods of extraction produce a variant of products, which we will break down for you next.
You may have heard the terms concentrate and extract used interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference between the two. Extracts are a specific type of concentrate made using a solvent. So, while all extracts are concentrates, not all concentrates are extracts.
For example, vanilla extract is produced by using alcohol as a solvent to pull out the desired flavor component, vanillin, from vanilla bean pods. Alcohol may also be used to make a cannabis extract, as is in the case with Rick Simpson Oil (RSO). But other solvents may be deployed as well, like butane for Butane Hash Oil (BHO) and supercritical CO2 for cannabis wax extracts.
Concentrates made without the use of solvents are produced using mechanical or physical means to remove and gather trichomes. Rosin, dry sift, and kief are all examples of concentrates made without the use of solvents.
Since extracts and concentrates come in a variety of textures, you always can’t tell them apart just by looking at them.
In the same way that not all concentrates are extracts, not all concentrate customers are dabbers. Dabbing is the process of heating a concentrate or extract to the point that it vaporizes, producing a highly potent vapor the consumer can inhale. Dabbing is the most common consumption method associated with concentrated cannabis, which explains why you’ll hear concentrates referred to as dabs. But these products can also be experienced via vape pens, tinctures, topicals, edibles, and more.
In order to decide which concentrates and consumption methods will work best for you, first consider what you’re looking to accomplish.
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