As marijuana use is on the rise globally, people are trying out new methods for consuming this wondrous plant. Hence, cannabis concentrates.
If this is the first time you’re hearing about cannabis concentrates, stick around. The main focus of this article is to provide you with information about this cannabis product so you can take full advantage of consuming recreational or medical marijuana in a whole new way.
And for seasoned marijuana consumers who have visited their fair share of dispensaries, this article will help you differentiate between the types of cannabis concentrates even better.
In the end, we’ll focus on whether you can eat cannabis wax, and if eating such can cause psychoactive effects.
What Are Cannabis Concentrates and How Do You Consume Them?
Cannabis concentrates are products made by processing the cannabis plant, so only the most desirable compounds like cannabinoids and terpenes are kept, and excess plant materials are removed. Compared to the natural cannabis flower, the proportion of cannabinoids and terpenes is much higher in concentrates.
In general, THC levels in concentrates vary between 30-80% (some of them over 90%), which is the main reason why they’re becoming more popular. They not only yield a more potent high when compared to smoking the cannabis flower, but they’re also characterized with a higher rate of absorption in the body, and as a result, the effects are felt sooner. The high can last anywhere between 1 to 3 hours, depending on the person and their tolerance level.
Most commonly, cannabis concentrates are used on their own in a vaporizer or a dab rig (dabbing has become one of the most popular consumption methods). However, they can also be used together with the cannabis flower, by sprinkling kief on top of your joint, or adding a few drops of cannabis concentrate to your flower.
Differences Between Concentrates and Extracts
The main difference between concentrates and extracts is how the trichomes are collected, therefore all extracts are concentrates, but not all concentrates are extracts.
The Main Extraction Types
Extracts are created by using solvents like alcohol and carbon dioxide that wash the trichomes off the cannabis plant, while concentrates use mechanical or physical ways to remove trichomes.
Physical Separation – Concentrates
Concentrates are made by physically removing the trichome glands by shaking or pressing. The most popular examples of concentrates include rosin, dry sift, and kief.
Liquid Solvent Extraction – Extracts
Extracts are made by using a liquid solvent to separate the active compounds from the trichomes, and the solution is refined until the desired cannabinoid consistency is achieved. Popular extracts include Butane Hash Oil (BHO), Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), and CO2 extracted cannabis wax, which all come in the form of shatter, badder, budder, and crumble.
How Are Different Textures Made?
Different concentrate textures are achieved with additional steps done before and after the extraction process.
Shatter
Shatter is golden-yellow to bright-yellow in color with a glass-like texture. It’s also one of the most versatile textures since badder and crumble initially start as shatter. Shatter is created using solvent extraction methods and is consumed by vaporizing with a dab rig and inhaling the smoke.
Badder and Budder
Badder and Budder have a sun-yellow or bright-orange glossy coloring with a butter-like consistency that makes them oilier and softer. They are made from shatter that’s whipped under low temperatures in order to redistribute the air molecules. These textures can be spread on joints and blunts or dabbed with a dab rig.
Crumble
Crumble has a honeycomb consistency with colors similar to those of budder or badder and a matted shade of yellow. THC crumble is made by whipping shatter, and then purging it in an oven at low temperatures in order to dry the concentrate.
Distillate
Distillation enables the separation of cannabinoids based on their boiling points and is done by exposing decarboxylated extracts to heat and vacuum.
Consumption Methods
Marijuana concentrates can be consumed in various ways, from adding them to a joint for increased potency, to using a dab rig or vape pen. It all depends on the preference of the user, and the type of cannabis concentrate. To help you differentiate between different marijuana concentrates, we’ve included the most common methods for smoking or vaporizing them.
Topping
This is one of the most cost-effective methods of using marijuana concentrates. You can top your joint with wax, add wax on top of a bong, or add powdered kief to a bowl or joint.
Topping your other cannabis products with cannabis concentrates will increase the potency of your flower and add extra flavor as a result of the terpene concentration in the concentrate. This method doesn’t require any fancy equipment, only the equipment you have at home, and your cannabis concentrate on top of the cannabis flower.
Dabbing
Dabbing is the most popular way of consuming cannabis concentrates. It’s done by vaporizing the concentrate with a dab rig. The “nail” (glass, ceramic, or titanium surface) of the dab rig is heated and the concentrate is applied on the hot surface which instantly turns it into vapor. The vapor is then inhaled by the user.
Using Vaporizers
This method is the most discreet when it comes to consuming marijuana concentrates. The most common form of vaping is using a vape pen which consists of prefilled cartridges that are attached to a battery. When the heating element of the cartridge comes in contact with the battery, it heats the concentrate and it’s ready to be vaped.
Vape pens are used by pressing an on-button and inhaling from the mouthpiece of the cartridge. The cartridges aren’t refillable and should be changed with new ones after the concentrate runs out, while the battery can be reused many times.
Making Edibles
Even though ingestion isn’t a common consumption method when it comes to consuming cannabis concentrates, you can make edibles with your concentrates. You can use the concentrates instead of cannabutter or cannabis oil, to make delicious weed brownies, just make sure your decarb the cannabis concentrates beforehand.
What Is Marijuana Wax?
Marijuana wax is one of the most potent forms of cannabis concentrates that are available on the market today. Also known as cannabis wax, Butane Hash Oil (BHO), and honey oil, it’s used for both medicinal and recreational purposes. Cannabis wax is made by extracting the THC with butane or other solvents which results in a wax product with THC levels between 30%-90%.
Can You Eat Cannabis Wax?
The time has come to answer the question: Can you eat dabs (aka wax, shatter, amber, honeycomb, or budder)? Well, even though this is not very common, yes, you can eat cannabis wax. However, this isn’t the best way to consume marijuana wax because you won’t experience the effects of weed without the decarboxylation process.
Decarbing is essential for the conversion of the cannabinoid acids THCA and CBDA into tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). After decarbing, THC has its psychoactive effects, and CBD has its sedative and anti-inflammatory effects, and you have the option of adding your weed wax to your edibles.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a high and you want to try eating weed wax, you need to remember that cannabis needs to be decarbed before it can give you any psychoactive effects. Therefore, decarbing your concentrate before adding it to edibles is very important.
On the other hand, some concentrates like RSO have been decarbed during the making of the oil, so these can be added to your food or drink without any additional decarbing.
Depending on what type of concentrate you want to try, do your research and find out the best method of consumption for you. This way, you can make the most out of your experience with eating weed wax. And if you’re looking for info on THC oil, check out our post on whether you can eat vape oil or not.
