Cannabis Concentrates: What Are They And How To Consume

Today, the word “concentrates” is used as an umbrella term for a variety of products. Sometimes it is used for extracts, while other times, it is used for infusions created from the extracts.

One notable difference between concentrates and extracts is that concentrates are generally not processed. Meaning they are usually served in raw form without subjecting them to any chemical decomposition or integration.

That being said, let’s give you a brief about what these concentrates are and how they are used.

Oils and Salves

The first and perhaps the most popular form of concentrates is the oils and salves.

You would have perhaps come across CBD oils and salves in full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or isolated compositions. These are, indeed, the most sold products on the market.

For your information, oils are usually vaped, whereas salves are generally used topically. And it is also noteworthy that only the full-spectrum oils and salves are considered concentrates. The other two varieties are typically clubbed under extracts.

Hash and Kief

Other popular forms of concentrates include Hash (hashish) and Kief.

To your surprise, these concentrates are the easiest to prepare and are usually smoked. If you’re wondering how to smoke hash, then let us tell you that there are as many ways to smoke hash as you can think of. You can roll it up in a joint, infuse it in a pipe, or smoke it up using a bong.

The same is valid with kief. It is also usually smoked up like pot and other forms of weed. But in recent years, these concentrates are also being infused into edibles to be ingested.

Shatter and Wax

Concentrates can also be dabbed as wax or shatter. Typically, shatter, or wax is produced by heating and increasing the density of the extracted oils.

Since these concentrates are heated and denser than other concentrates, they are typically high in potency. For instance, 1 gram of shatter can easily replicate the effects of 10 grams of hash or oil.

Shatter, and wax are also preferably smoked or, better said- dabbed, using a bong. It is usually melted before picking it up on a dabbing tool. And then, it is torched to convert the concentrates into dense vapors.

How to Differentiate your Concentrates from Extracts?

Now, the critical question is, how do you know if you are buying a concentrate or an extract, or something entirely different.

The first and most important thing to learn about your product is to know its ingredients and manufacturing process.

Generally speaking, manufacturers mention the process of preparing a concentrate and the strain it is prepared from on the label.

Suppose the label does not mention ingredients or processes. In that case, you should look for mentions such as full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or isolates. And also, look at the strain it is prepared from.

If the strain used is broad-spectrum or isolated, then you might be buying a concentrate with the same composition. In contrast, if the strain used is a full spectrum breed and still, you find the label to be broad-spectrum or isolated, then you are probably buying processed extracts.

On this note, we hope that this article has briefly helped you understand the concentrates, what they are, and their types. And also, how to consume them.

Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below.