Concentrates are considered a new phenomenon to the cannabis industry and can be an effective way to gain the benefits of medical marijuana. Concentrates are just as the name suggests, and it’s a concentrated type of cannabis that is sold in different forms. Concentrates are a very potent form of cannabis filled with a lot of the flavor and a “high” that is desired by medicinal cannabis users. Cannabis concentrates have become very popular among recreational and medical cannabis users alike.

What are concentrates

A cannabis concentrate is a leftover material that results from the removal of unnecessary plant matter while leaving the cannabinoids and terpenes from the original plant untouched. Its production process involves concentrating the plant material into a much smaller and soft substance. The high potency of cannabis concentrates is due to their high THC levels which can reach 90% THC.

Types of Cannabis Concentrates

There exist different types of concentrates which each concentrate being different from the other. The common types of concentrates include.

Shatter: Most concentrates originally begin as shatter before being transformed to other forms. Shatter has a brittle and glassy nature, but other varieties can have elongated, stretchy, elastic-like characteristics as well.

Budder: Also known as “badder, this type of concentrate has high amounts of terpenes and provides a creamier and buttery consistency. Budder is produced by heating shatter at low temperatures so that air can pass through it.

Crumble: Crumble goes through a similar production process as budder, but unlike budder, crumble is dried in a vacuum oven to make it more crumbly and less brittle than other forms.

Crystalline: This form of concentrate is similar to coarse sugar or salt crystals and it’s physically transparent or semi-transparent. It’s called crystalline because it looks like crystal.

Distillate: Distillate results from exposing a winterized and decarboxylated extract to heat and vacuum. The process separates the cannabis compounds based on their boiling points.

Sugar: Sugar is similar to regular sugar except for the fact that it’s wet and sappy. Sugar is multicolored and comes in crystal sizes which range depending on the manufacturing process.

Sauce: Sauce has a greater viscosity and silkiness than sugar. This concentrate is more uniform and provides a great consistency.

The goodness of Concentrates

Medical marijuana concentrates are more potent than their flower concentrates and may offer quicker and more potent effects when used for pain, inflammation, anxiety, or other ailments. Concentrates usually have THC levels ranging between 55% – 75% with some concentrates going as high as 90% or more. Flower concentrates usually have lower THC levels of about 10% – 25%.

How to Use Concentrates

Medical marijuana patients can benefit from concentrates in several ways but before benefit from concentrates, you have to know how to use them.

Concentrates can best be smoked with specialized equipment such as a “dab rig” or “nectar collector”.

Also, you can use concentrates with vapes or electronic cigarettes and vaporizers. These devices have a burner that will quickly melt the concentrate making it inhalable.

Bottom line

Concentrates can highly satisfy your medical marijuana needs. But due to its expensive nature and complex manufacturing process, most users can’t afford it and use alternatives such as flowers.