Marijuana Concentrates, Production, and Use

Step aside bongs and joints, there is a new kid in town. Well, actually, several new kids. There is hash, vapes, oil, rosin, and shatters. The list is, in fact, growing so rapidly that smoking herb will soon become an outdated thing.

In 2018, for the first time in history, marijuana concentrates outsold cannabis flower in California, comprising 37% of all marijuana sales. According to the BDS Analytics report, concentrates outperformed cannabis flower by 4% last year. This is a big jump from the year 2014 when marijuana flower dominated 67% of the nascent Colorado market.

Concentrates are now widely available and their popularity continues to grow. For beginners, questions may arise regarding marijuana concentrates, production, and use.

With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at the different types of marijuana concentrates, including shatter, wax, crumble, and oil. This short, yet comprehensive guide on marijuana concentrates will help you with your search. So, continue reading…

What Are Marijuana Concentrates?

A cannabis concentrate is a highly potent Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrated mass, which is most similar in appearance to either butter or honey. Thus, it’s better known as “budder” or “honey oil” on the street. Other street names include ear wax, wax, butane hash oil, shatter, dabs, butane honey oil (BHO), errl, black glass, and 710, which is basically the word “OIL” flipped and spelled backward.

Cannabis concentrates, extracts, and oils—these are all umbrella terms, under which sits a depository of several different products: hash, vape oil, dabs, CBD oil, tinctures, etc.

An oil, extract, or concentrate is any product derived from marijuana flower processed into a concentrated form. However, each type of oil is unique. Now, you may be thinking why even bother with cannabis concentrates when you can have cannabis flower. Well, flowers might be a good option, but with concentrates, you don’t have to smoke. Simply vape or ingest marijuana concentrates for a completely smoke-free dose.

Also, marijuana concentrates are separated from plant material in order to create a clean and smooth inhale when vaporized. They are efficient and it doesn’t take a lot to achieve your desired experience.

Types of Marijuana Concentrates And Production

BHO (Extraction Method)

Butane Hash Oil (BHO) is made with the help of butane, which serves as a solvent and extracts the juicy terpenes and cannabinoids.

It’s not a complicated process, but is dangerous and not recommended for beginners to try at home, especially if you don’t know how to detox the entire process properly. BHO is popular with users as it provides concentrates high in THC. Also, BHO is used in the production of several other concentrates, including nug run, budder, hash, shatter, etc.

PHO (Extraction Method)

Propane Hash Oil (PHO) describes the extraction method, except this time, we’re discussing propane, not butane. The process is almost exactly the same. Some prefer it over BHO as it can be made into a nifty budder (a buttery/creamy concentrate) with vigorous whipping.

CO2 (Extraction Method)

Concentrates aren’t always made with Butane; CO2 comes in handy, too.

In simple terms, CO2 gas is forced several times via a container with cannabis in it. As CO2 passes through the plant, it liquifies, picking up terpenes and cannabinoids. When the process is complete, the residue is put aside in a separate dish.

This normally produces somewhat runny oil which may come in a container or syringe. There is a distinct difference in terms of taste compared to BHO. However, that mostly depends on personal preferences.

Crumble

During the main creation process, while BHO is whipped or vacuumed, the wax turns into a soft, fragile substance that easily crumbles. Based on how much it’s been broken down, Crumble must break into appropriate sized dabs before each session.

Shatter

One form of BHO, shatter is a fairly stable, glass-like concentrate that shatters into multiple pieces (90% of the time). Most shatter is smooth and solid. Others tend to be a bit sticky. People are always on the lookout for Shatter as it is considered to be the purest of all marijuana concentrates.

Wax

Usually yellowish-brown in color, a “dab” of wax is smoked via a vaporizer or water pipe. Wax is arguably the stickiest form of marijuana concentrate that should only be used with a nifty dab tool. The term “dab” originates from wax concentrates.

Rosin The most recent and popular type of marijuana concentrate available in 2019, rosin is derived from either lower-grade water kief/hash or dried cannabis trim/buds. The strange fact about rosin is it can be made with a parchment paper, hair straightener, and a little hand-applied pressure—and that’s all it requires. Therefore, it resembles an oil-like extract or golden shatter that looks the same as solvent-extracted shatter or pressed high-quality water hash.

Water Hash

There are multiple methods used to create water hash, and therefore, such products have different forms (e.g., bubble hash, ice wax, solventless wax, and others).

The basic method is this: cannabis (dry or fresh-frozen) is mixed with ice and cold water, then shifted mechanically or manually to break off the now fragile trichome heads.

How Are Marijuana Concentrates Used?

Topping the Flower Wrapping wax around your joint or adding powdered kief to a bowl is the most cost-effective way to use marijuana concentrates. You aren’t required to buy any expensive tools to dab oil. At an affordable cost, you can boost the potency of your smoke, as well as add some extra flavor from your concentrate.

Dabbing

This method involves heating a nail (made from glass or ceramic), then applying the cannabis concentrate onto the hot surface, and instantly converting it into a solid vapor for consumption. Using a dab rig to vape is by far the most popular way to consume concentrates.

Wrapping Up

So, these were some of the best and most popular types of marijuana concentrates available out there. If you made it this far, it’s safe to say that you’ve learned pretty much everything about cannabis concentrates, different types, and how each of them is used.

Remember, it’s always good to consult with a doctor before getting your hands into any of the concentrates mentioned in this article. If you have any queries, feel free to leave us a comment below. We’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions regarding marijuana concentrates.

Kathrin Garner is an enthusiastic journalist and writes article on social issues. As an activist, she takes part in NCSM program, which is a discussion platform on the relevant cannabis topics. So, if you want to know how to detox from weed, feel free to contact her. Also, she is a volunteer at Marijuana Detox. She searches for current issues, and writes about it to a wide range of readers.