If you’re a regular cannabis consumer, chances are you’ve smoked your fair share of flower. You may even have dabbled in edibles. But even daily smokers may not have experienced cannabis concentrates. While concentrates aren’t actually new, they’ve exploded in popularity since the mid-2000s. Below, we’ll cover everything you ever wanted to know about cannabis concentrates!
What Are Cannabis Concentrates?
Although there are several unique types of cannabis concentrates on today’s market, they do share some similarities. All concentrates seek to achieve a single goal. They seek to remove plant matter like glucose and cellulose from cannabis flower. The leftovers—mostly cannabinoids and terpenes—comprise the ingredients in cannabis that make you feel high.
Different Types of Cannabis Concentrates
Ok, so we know that concentrates want to remove plant matter from the goodies in cannabis that actually make you feel things. But how processors go about it differs. Some use solvents. Some extract both cannabinoids and terpenes, while some only target THC.
Below, we’ll explore some of those traits in the most popular types of cannabis concentrates today.
Butane Hash Oil (BHO)
When you think of “dabs,” chances are you call an image of butane hash oil (BHO) to mind. BHO comes in a variety of forms, including “budder,” “wax,” “shatter,” and more.
Despite its varying textures, high-grade examples of BHO generally share some similar traits. For one, they’re usually an orange-gold or tan-gold color. In addition, they’re generally translucent, letting some light shine through them.
You can use a dab rig or vaporizer pen to consume BHO. Most types of BHO have a high THC concentration ranging from 60 to 90 percent. That’s not all, though. Most types of BHO are “full spectrum.” That means they also contain a slew of secondary cannabinoids and terpenes to enhance their traits.
Rosin
Rosin has several similarities to BHO. First, both of them have the same appearance. Like BHO, rosin has a golden, translucent hue. Rosin also has a similar THC concentration to BHO, and by definition is always a full spectrum extract.
However, BHO uses a solvent (butane) to extract THC and cannabinoids. In contrast, rosin only uses heat and pressure. High-grade rosin makers generally make bubble hash from flower and then apply heat and pressure to it to create rosin.
CO2 Oil
If you want to take dabs but you’re not sure about smoking a concentrate made with butane, CO2 oil may be for you. Extractors use a similar process to make CO2 oil as BHO. But instead of using butane as a solvent, they substitute a substance called supercritical CO2. As a result, CO2 oil claims to be one of the cleanest extracts available.
Distillate
Distillate is one of the purest types of cannabis concentrate available today. If you thought BHO clocked in high at 90 percent, buckle up. Common THC concentration for distillates reaches 99 percent purity. Some types of distillate may appear as a white powder or crystal, while others look like a clear wax.
Stock Up on Cannabis Concentrates
Did one of the cannabis concentrates we mentioned above strike your fancy? Why not try it out yourself? Stop by the people at your favorite Sacramento marijuana dispensary to check out our premium selection of concentrates. Or, skip the storefront and order delivery concentrates online.
