Exploring Dabs: What Are Cannabis Concentrates?
By now, you’ve probably heard people raving about cannabis concentrates. From dab rigs to vape cartridges, concentrates have taken the cannabis world by storm. But with so many different kinds of concentrates to choose from, and with so many confusing names to keep track of, many newcomers to concentrates can quickly become confused. Keep reading and we’ll tell you all about cannabis concentrates and what you need to know about them.
What Are Cannabis Concentrates?
Concentrates are just what they sound like – concentrated forms of cannabis. Kind of like the concentrated fruit juice in your fridge or the concentrated isopropyl alcohol you use for cleaning.
Concentrates are extracted from cannabis flower buds and hash. Because they are concentrated, they contain many more cannabinoids and terpenes than the material that they are extracted from. For example, shatter can reach as high as 85% THC, while distillate can reach as high as 99% THC.
It’s important to note that all concentrates are extracts, but not all extracts are concentrates. However, the two terms are mostly used interchangeably.
How Are Concentrates Made?
Most concentrates are made using one of two extraction methods: solvent-based or solventless. Some concentrates, like hash and kief, are made using simple methods like shaking or grinding loose the trichomes from the flower (kief), and then squeezing them together (hash).
True to their name, solvent-based extracts use a solvent to flush the extract out of the source material. Some processes use butane, others ethanol, and others CO2. Once the solvent is run through the material, it is purged from the mixture using heat, leaving behind a final product that should theoretically have no traces of solvent left whatsoever.
Solventless extraction methods produce concentrates without the use of solvents. For example, distillate is made through a distillation and winterization process. While rosin, another solventless extract, is made by applying heat to plant material and then squeezing it with a press in order to squish out the extract.
The Many Different Kinds of Cannabis Concentrates
There are many different kinds of concentrates. Here are some of the cannabis concentrates that you’re most likely to find at our dispensary.
Shatter: A thin, brittle, and glass-like concentrate named for its tendency to shatter into many tiny pieces when handled.
Rosin: A solventless extract that is sticky and relatively solid. Features a high terpene count and is very flavorful.
Live Resin: An extract very rich in terpenes and flavor. Made using a unique process that freezes fresh flower and skips curing, preserving as much of the natural flavor of the cannabis plant as possible.
Distillate: A unique concentrated oil made using a complex process that systematically strips the extract of almost all compounds before reintroducing some of them.
Budder: Not to be confused with cannabudder (infused budder that is cooked), budder is a waxy concentrate that closely resembles butter.
Crumble: A thick, waxy concentrate that crumbles apart in your hands. Crumble is much easier to work with because of its more solid and less sticky consistency.
Kief: A collection of potent and flavorful cannabis trichomes that fall off of flower when it is ground.
Hash: One of the oldest concentrates around with a rich and storied history. Made by squeezing together trichome crystals into thick little bricks.
If you’re an OK medical marijuana patient, you can find an exciting assortment of concentrates at one of our Tulsa dispensary locations: