Concentrates, also referred to as extracts, refers to forms of cannabis that have been reduced down from flowers or ‘buds’ to a concentrated substance made primarily of the active ingredients responsible for cannabis’ physical, psychological, and medicinal effects. The specific ratio of cannabinoids (THC, CBD, CBG, etc) and terpenes (that give cannabis its smell and flavor) create each strain's unique effect profile. Various methods of creating extracts aim to preserve this ratio and profile. Some newer forms of concentrates aim to enhance or customize the effect, flavor, and feel of the product by carefully altering the levels of cannabinoids and terpenes present in the final product.
Isolates are a form of concentrate that is limited to a single substance like THC isolate(THC crystals or powder), CBD isolate, CBG isolate or even specific isolated terpenes could be considered isolates. Isolates are mostly used by companies in the creation of products or by more advanced users and those who prefer to mix their own specific compounds for specific effects.
Types of Concentrates for Dabbing and Vaping
Luckily concentrates have been named based on their appearance and consistency, while sometimes indicating their extraction method, which makes things easier to understand.
Oil or Hash Oil - Many concentrates could be considered hash oil that is hard at room temperature like wax and shatter. The terms can also specifically refer to extracted oils that are a thick liquid at room temperature like CO2 oil.
CO2 Oil/Extract - A hash oil extracted using carbon dioxide, temperature, and pressure to produce a more liquidy oil. Many CO2 extracts lack the full flavor gained with other processes so terpenes are often added back in, obtained from another source or extracted separately from the original flower material.
Wax (1 Gram of Green Crack)Wax - A hash oil that has been whipped and heated to create a consistency more like wax. Wax or crumble is desirable because it’s easier to handle, it breaks into small pieces for easy use and doesn’t stick to everything. If wax gets too warm for too long it will melt down into a more sticky oil and then as it cools it may become more of a shatter or more of a thick oil type substance.
Budder / Badder - A wax with a more moist consistency often due to higher terpenes.
Crumble / Honeycomb - A wax with a dryer consistency.
Shatter (1 Gram of Cinderella 99')Shatter - A premium form of Hash Oil, that has been minimally processed after extraction and has been prepared at specific temperatures to achieve its consistency. The name comes directly from its consistency, very dense and often brittle, it can literally shatter when trying to break it apart. Temperatures are kept low during its creation keeping evaporative losses of terpenes and cannabinoids to a minimum making it one of the purest, most flavorful, and most complete full spectrum concentrates.
Rosin - Considered one of the highest grade extracts available due to it’s mechanical extraction process that involves no solvents. Rosin is also one of the most expensive because it is created in smaller batch sizes. Rosin is typically more of a butter or jelly like consistency and is excellent for Dabbing or for use in concentrate pens.
Live Rosin A Rosin produced from freshly cut and immediately frozen cannabis flowers. This process preserves additional terpenes that may evaporate out during the drying and curing process regular flowers go through before they are turned into Rosin or any other extracts. This is the most expensive extract to produce and therefore fetches the highest price.
Terp Sauce - More liquidy Rosin or Live Rosin containing more terpenes but less THC for a smoother more flavorful hit.
Diamonds - Rosin or Live Rosin with larger THC crystal formations "Diamonds" with a thinner coating of terpenes allowing for a more intense hit and quicker effect.
Dabbing and Vaping
Vaping refers to heating concentrates or flower to a point that the compounds are activated and released in the form of vapor while not heating the material to the point of burning. Lower temperatures are associated with better flavor, higher temperatures can yield stronger "hits" but also increases the creation and release of more medically questionable compounds with the vapor. As a rule of thumb, the lowest temperature that gives the user the desired result should be used. Example of Basic Dab Rig
Dabbing is a process of vaporizing concentrate using a special heated bowl referred to as a ‘nail’ and gently touching or “dabbing” the concentrate to the nail while the user inhales the released vapor.
Best products to use for Dabbing: Shatter, Wax, and any type of Rosin. These concentrates have the fullest effects and the best flavor. Newer CO2 based waxes, oils, and shatter that have terpenes re-added are good, but I personally feel like you are not getting the fullest effect, or the most authentic effect compared to Shatter and Rosin.
Concentrate Pen or Dab Pen - A vaping apparatus with a chamber attached to a battery. Concentrate is inserted into the chamber and a button is pushed to heat the concentrate into a vapor which is inhaled much like an e cigarette.
Best products to use in a concentrate pen: Shatter, Wax, and type of rosin(Jelly) for the same reasons as dabbing.
Vape Pen/Cartridge - Similar to a concentrate pen but more like an e-cigarette, what we’re referring to here is a battery with a cartridge containing an oil or liquid type substance. These most often come pre-filled from the store though users can purchase and fill their own empty cartridges as well.
Best product to use in a Vape Pen: CO2 Extract with Cannabis Derived Terpenes. For filling a vape pen, this extract has the best consistency without having to add an additional solvent. It can usually be purchased in a syringe and with a little heat it will become very liquidy to allowing the easy filling of vape pen cartridges or devices. More recently specially processed rosin is being used in vape cartridges without any additional solvents. Other concentrates can also be used but usually have to be diluted with a solvent such as MCT oil to make them flow correctly through these devices.
General Usage Tips for Vaping/Dabbing Concentrates and Extracts
One of the huge benefits of concentrates is that most users need very little to obtain their desired effect. This also means it’s easier to overdo it with concentrates compared to smoking or vaping traditional flower.
When trying a new product always start with a very small amount and wait about 10 minutes to gauge the effect.
Once you get a feel for a particular product you will know how much you need to use in one sitting.
Tolerance can build quickly for THC, regularly overdoing it can cause you to need more per sitting in the future to achieve the same desired effect. So again, I recommend starting out easy and to have fun exploring the effects, flavors, and subtleties of the product you are using.
A recent Politico article discussed the issue of non medically trained "Budtenders" recommending specific strains of cannabis and cannabis products vs doctors, pharmacists, and other medically trained professionals making those recommendations. I actually think on average a Budtender is going to be a better fit for patients; please continue reading for my complete opinion on the matter.
In my opinion, Cannabis, including both Marijuana and Hemp should be viewed more like a supplement than a drug. Formulations of supplements vary, as do strains of cannabis, and humans response to both vary greatly. A medical professional says try this supplement, it may help, gives them a list of precautions, and then patient then starts the journey of figuring out if it works and what works best for them by speaking to friends and looking on the internet, potentially trying multiple products before settling on if it works and which one works best. I see no problem with this being exactly the same for cannabis, and to the contrary, I even see it as a necessity, more so than for most other supplements due to the vast variety of cannabis plants and product formulations..
Cannabis isn't a one size fits all solution and probably never will be, and though we should strive for consistency in specific products and their labeling, a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, nor a budtender know exactly how each patient will react to a specific product until the patient tries it. That doesn't mean they don't have insight into what will work because they do based on the vast amount of user reviews and reports for each specific strain as well as the general classification of each strain as indica, sativa, and hybrid.
Bud tenders are there to get people started by getting them familiar and comfortable with the terminology and getting them some options to try. Patients should be researching the strains available to them to see what other users say about those strains, particularly in relation to the issues they are trying to address. Patients should try a variety of strains and the bud tenders simply give them a starting point, and later perhaps further direction based on their feedback.
For those who haven't been to a dispensary, bud tenders are not telling people, you have this condition so this product will cure it. They give you a general idea of how their products are being used by other patients, how it affects them(the budtender) personally, and what you could try first. For the most part that system is working well as it has been for years. I've found that a pharmacist or medical professional is often the worst person to be making strain recommendations for two primary reasons, first they lack the experience and second hand knowledge that other users and budtenders have, and second their opinion(and that's all they can give) is taken with too much authority by the patient while the bud tender's recommendation is viewed by patients as more of an opinion with the idea it may take some time to find the best solution.
If my pharmacist hasn't used at least 100 different types of cannabis themself, then I don't really think they have enough of an understanding of cannabis to be recommending anything more than the local bud tender with no medical background but who has read user reports from the products they sell. A budtender who has sampled over 100 different types of cannabis and socializes with others who have also, will have a better understanding of the uniqueness of both the variety of plants and the individuals responses to them. Pharmacists and doctors give specific answers to specific questions and most patients take those answers as law, but that's not how cannabis works, a good bud tender will assist people on their journey of finding the best answer for them which will be specific and personal to each patient.
"There's a lack of scientific evidence right now for anyone to be able to state exactly how much dosage an individual needs," said Dominick Zurlo, who directs New Mexico's Medical Cannabis Program. Given barriers to robust science, he said, it's the people working in the medical marijuana field and acquiring experience who "are going to be the people who have the best information."
Commentary: Those who follow us probably know by now we are strong supporters of home-grow rights for medical marijuana in Florida for the following reasons:
Affordability: Patients are currently paying about 4 times the price for Medical Marijuana in Florida than they do in Colorado. For some Florida patients this comes to $1500+ per month. Many patients have low or limited income and growing their own could be the only way they could afford this potentially life saving medication.
Availability: With 100s of popular Marijuana strains out there, and only a subsection available in Florida, there is no guarantee they will be available consistently to patients. In fact limited availability is a fact of life in the Florida Medical Marijuana market, products sell out, patients have to try another product or another form which may not work as well for them, at premium prices no less. Home grow will allow patients to grow their own consistent supply of the specific variety of Marijuana that works best for them. One example, Trulieve is the only place to offer Strawberry Tangie, and they have not had it available for more than 6 months and we don't know if they ever will again.
Juicing: Believed to be one of the safest most effective methods for using medical Marijuana for Cancer treatment and prevention while delivering an array of nutritional and health benefits, Juicing requires fresh plant material on a daily basis which can best be achieved by allowing patients to grow their own at home. Juicing done properly does not get the patient "high" and carries a lot of beneficial substances you lose out on from other forms of processed Cannabis. I compare juicing marijuana to wheatgrass on steroids and believe in the future it will be vastly popular with mainstream users who are not looking to get high but more generally to improve their own health, especially with your "Health Nuts" and "Gym Rats".
Enter the Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee, which has multiple members who support the patients right to grow their own marijuana, including a Doctor that advocates juicing as the most effective cancer preventative for some patients; as he has testified to in court. While it does seam they have put the foxes in charge of the hen house, the board's purpose is to expand patient access and improve the states policies in relation to Medical Marijuana and this is a highly educated pro medical marijuana group that could push for policies that really benefit Floridians.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried has released the names on her newly-created Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee, which will "help improve the state's medical marijuana policies," she said in a statement. "I'm proud to establish the advisory committee to help expand patient access, and to advance and modernize policies to move Florida into the future of medical marijuana," Fried said.
