As we enter the cannabis world, we keep hearing three little words: concentrates, oils, and extracts, all matched with cannabis. Today, we’re going to explain what these three words mean. Let’s dive in.
What are cannabis concentrates?
A concentrate is a potent extract obtained from the cannabis plant. They are processed to keep only the most desirable compounds of the cannabis flower while removing excess plant material and other impurities.
With the use of solvents, professionals can extract the concentrated chemicals in the cannabis plant and separate the most important compounds from the plant itself. The resulting mixture is made up entirely of chemicals (mainly cannabinoids and terpenes), distilled into a completely pure and potent form. This process is called extraction and it guarantees that the ingredients you want are the ingredients you get. That way, you can decide which concentrate to get whether you’re looking for a concentrate that maintains the highest potency of THC or with the highest potency of CBD (as we explain in this article, they are NOT the same thing!).
Think of cannabis concentrates like the perfect orange juice. You squeeze the fruit to obtain the best part – the juicy goodness. However, you still need to filter it out in order to leave out unwanted materials, like seeds, pulp, or peel. When you are finished with this extraction, your orange juice is ready to drink.
What is the difference between concentrates, oils, and extracts?
As a wise man once said, “all extracts are concentrates, but not all concentrates are extracts”. The difference lies in the process:
- Extracts are obtained using solvents, through liquid solvent extraction.
- Concentrates are obtained without using solvents, through physical separation.
Liquid solvent extraction uses – as its name suggests – a liquid solvent to separate the active compounds from the plant, leaving a solution that enters a refining process. Physical separation means that the chemicals from the cannabis plant are removed through physical action, like applying pressure, heat, or motion.
The result from each can vary in consistency, potency, and method of use.
Most popular cannabis concentrates
No matter what you’re looking for, cannabis concentrates are present in an immense variety of products: from weed oil cartridges for vaping, to tinctures and even medicated muscle creams to relieve pain. The main difference between concentrates is that they are either solvent or solventless products.
A few of the most popular cannabis concentrates today are:
- THC Oil
- CBD Oil
- Tinctures
- Kief
- Hash
- Live Resin
- Wax
- Budder or Badder
- Distillates, Isolates & Crystralines
Solvent concentrates
As we explained before, all solvent concentrates come from a liquid extraction process. Chemical solvents like ethanol, CO2, butane, or propane are used to create a liquid solution as a final result.
The most popular solvent concentrates are:
- Wax & Budder
- Live resin
- Diamond
- Shatter
- Honeycomb
- Oils
- Tinctures
Let’s talk a bit about each of them:
Wax & Budder
Wax is the most popular type of concentrate on the market. It’s a hand-whipped product that normally has a dry and crumbly consistency. Budder is another type of wax, but with a higher moisture content. This makes it more malleable, similar to a stick of waxy butter.
Live Resin
Resin is created in a process similar to wax, but with a finished product with strong cannabinoid and terpene profiles that resemble those of the live plant. Due to this, it normally carries strong flavors and aromas similar to the cannabis plant.
Diamond
This type of concentrate looks similar to diamonds. THCA crystalline is a pure, refined product made through solvent extraction.
Shatter
A sticky, solid cannabis concentrate. It gets its name because it normally “shatters” into pieces when used.
Honeycomb
This type of concentrate is a type of wax. Its appearance resembles that of a honeycomb, with hexagonal patterns. Hence its name!
Oils
As its name suggests, oils are a type of solvent concentrate that’s very popular in the cannabis world. You can find both THC or CBD concentrates, depending on the type of effect and use you are looking for.
Tinctures
Tinctures are created with oils, be it THC or CBD concentrates. They come small dropper jars and can have added flavors to increase the variety and fun.
Solventless concentrates
As we mentioned above, solventless concentrates are those obtained without the use of a solvent chemical. Solventless extraction products have a higher potency than solvent ones. This is because no since no solvents are added to the process, the chemical structure of the plant remains unaltered. This results in rich terpene and cannabinoid profiles in the final extraction.
The most popular solventless concentrates are:
- Kief
- Hash
- Rosin
- Distillate
Let’s discuss each of them.
Kief
This is the simplest and most traditional concentrate. It has a very fine, powdery texture and is often a light brown color. You can also find live kief, which is similar to kief but it’s process is slightly different, resulting in a more potent product, full of aroma and flavor.
Hash
Hash is basically a type of hard-pressed kief. It’s a sticky, breakable resin with a dark brown color. You can find different types, including finger hash, bubble has and grinder hash.
Rosin
This type of concentrate is created through heat and compression. It’s a sticky substance with a clear, yellow-golden color. It’s similar to shatter, but with a more viscous consistency. Much like resin, you can also find its “live” version, called live rosin.
Distillate
Distillates are a refined, distilled version of a cannabis extract. They are created through high-end equipment that vaporized the THC and CBD found in the cannabis flower. This process is repeated until only pure cannabinoids remain, without any solvents or organic plant matter.
Which is better?
Although both types of concentrates are considered safe (since a lot of testing and approval needs to take place before releasing any type of product), many prefer solventless options due to their lack of added chemicals, their more natural approach, and higher potency.
But in the end, it’s up to you. As long as you make sure that the product you are consuming is safe, legal and verified, you should have no problems at all.
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