Everything You Need to Know About Concentrates

Whether you’re an inexperienced or experienced weed consumer, you’ve probably come across the term “concentrates” a few times. Concentrates are other forms of cannabis which offer a relatively higher potency compared to its herbal counterpart.

In terms of affordability, cannabis concentrates might make consumers shell out more money than when buying marijuana strains. Despite this factor, people who purchase concentrates in Canada still prefer concentrates over marijuana flowers any day. Why? Because cannabis concentrates also have numerous benefits and advantages which the traditional marijuana flowers can’t provide.

In this article, learn more about cannabis concentrates and decide for yourself if they’re your cup of tea or not.

What is Cannabis Concentrates?

The primary goal of extracting from dried, trimmed, or freshly-harvested marijuana flowers to produce concentrates is to remove all unnecessary plant components. The method of making cannabis concentrates is done in different ways focusing on keeping the most beneficial components found in the plant such as terpenes and cannabinoids.

Because of this, the outcome is a highly potent mixture depending on which compound the flower is dominant. Concentrates also come in a variety of shape, form or size. And although these different forms can be distinctive, the extraction process also plays a huge role in their potency.

One of the popular advantages of concentrates is its high bio-availability which means, once it’s consumed, dabbed, or smoked, the effect can happen instantaneously. This can also last around one to four hours, or maybe even more, depending on the kind of concentrate and also the person.

How Are Concentrates Made?

In the past, where technology was nowhere near as good as it is now today, the method of making concentrates only involved manual procedures by rubbing the flowers together and scraping the trichomes.

Presently, cannabis concentrate extraction has seen a significant change over the past century. With state-of-the-art technology, anyone can make concentrates with the use of everyday household supplies like a hair straightener. However, for mass production, commercial machines are also available for online dispensaries and physical stores.

There are two major ways of making concentrates. One involves the use of a solvent for extraction, and the other one doesn’t involve any solvent at all. Some of the most common solvents used in cannabis extraction are carbon dioxide, propane, alcohol, and butane. As you may know, when ingested, these solvents are dangerous to the human body. Hence, the non-solvent-based method is the safest way to make and consume concentrates.

Solvent Method

The solvent method utilizes the above mentioned solvents to separate the THC content from the marijuana strain. After extraction, some concentrates need to be heated to remove the solvent and make it safer to consume or smoke. Apart from that, some solvent-based methods are also hazardous especially when performed in a mundane facility with no proper safety precautions. Some examples of solvent-based concentrates are:

Oil

Wax

Budder

Liver resin

Shatter

Distillate

Honeycomb

Rick Simpson oil

Non-Solvent Method

This method of extracting concentrates uses sub-zero temperatures to separate the resin glands or THC content from the marijuana flowers. The application of heat and pressure also take part in making these kinds of concentrates as well. In general, since most of the terpenes are retained after extraction, these non-solvent extracted concentrates are usually more aromatic and flavorful. Although there’s relatively no significant difference in the potency of the finished product, this type of method is somewhat popular to people who are more cautious of the chemicals that they intake. Due to zero residual solvents after extraction, consumers are ensured that they are smoking, eating, or applying the most organic form of cannabis products. In addition, the quality of the concentrates from non-solvent-based extraction also depends on the quality of the initial marijuana flower. So potency is also measured on how strong the dried or fresh flowers are. Some examples of non-solvent-based concentrates are:

Kief

Bubble Hash

Dry sift

Rosin

Where to Buy Concentrates in Canada?

Buying concentrates in Canada is now made easy, safe, and secure through online marijuana dispensaries. One such acclaimed name in the industry is Green Society. With an extensive line of cannabis strains and products, you may register to their website and choose from any of their high-quality marijuana products. Some of their cannabis concentrates are:

Distillates:

High Terpene Full-Spectrum Extracts:

Live Resin:

High Heat Extracts Live Resin

Extracts:

Phoenix Tears:

Shatter:

How to Use Concentrates

There are three common ways to use concentrates. One is with cannabis using a bowl, a bong, or a pipe. You can add them to the flowers which make this method the easiest way to smoke a concentrate.

Another way is to use a vaporizer. If you’re a neophyte in the world of concentrates, vaping might suit you as you’ll have full control on how much concentrate you can vape through heat adjustments. Vaporizers are extremely easy to use as well. All you have to do is load and push the button to inhale.

The final method of using concentrates is through dabbing. With the use of rigs and attachments, consumers like this approach because they can customize their dabbing session. A rule of thumb is that the flavor is better if the rig is smaller.

How to Store Concentrates

Storing cannabis concentrates is a subjective preference. The most common ways to store concentrates utilize silicone containers, parchment papers, plastic containers, and glass containers. As mentioned, it’s up to the consumer on what kind of storage paraphernalia is used. However, it’s critical to store cannabis concentrates in an airtight container. Also, ensure that they are in a cool and dark l, so the freshness is preserved.