I need to concentrate to learn to use concentrates!

The hippie era was full of “drugs” of every size and shape; unfortunately cannabis was considered one of those “drugs.”  Here in 2020, we’re fortunate to be able to legally use cannabis as the medicine we know it to be.  That doesn’t mean there aren’t still versions of it in every size and shape.  Missouri patients have far more options today in using cannabis than ever before and for those who are quick to adapt to new and different types of products and consumption methods, we absolutely must talk about concentrates.

Concentrates are products made from the cannabis plant which have been processed in a way which keep only the most desirable compounds from the flower.  It’s important to note that concentrates are, well, concentrated.  The potency of concentrates is much higher than that of straight flower, and for those in extreme pain, these might be a go-to in order to tackle it.  But concentrates aren’t just simply available in one formulation.

Let’s get you caught up on the vernacular of concentrates – the nouns if you will:

Shatter – resembles brittle glass, is typically transparent, shatters on contact, but can also have properties like elastic.

Budder & Badder – made from shatter, which is whipped under low temperatures to invite air in and redistribute it, which makes it have a consistency like frosting. (also referred to as wax)

Crumble – badder or budder are thrown into a vacuum oven with low heat to dry it, and frequently resembles honeycomb. (also referred to as wax)

Distillates – typically oils or tinctures, many extracted via alcohol or solvents

Kief – non-solvent concentrate, this is the powder in the bottom of your grinder

Rosin – non-solvent concentrate, made by heating and pressurizing kief

There you have the whats.  Wondering about the hows?  Let’s get the methods down – the verbs:

Dabbing – requires extremely high heat and a “rig” of some form – usually a metal nail or some version of that and a handheld torch

Vaping – smoking’s less heated cousin, this method is used with distillates and some concentrates

Smoking – a large number of those who favor kief and rosin use it as a supplement to a bowl of flower, or added to a joint to up the potency

Cooking – concentrates like the waxes are more frequently being used in making edibles, as a result of the less plant-like taste sometimes experiences when using decarbed flower.

Concentrates offer options for patients and while some require new equipment and others you already have in the bottom of your grinder, it can’t be repeated enough to make certain that you start slow, keeping in mind that you’ll be using far more potent forms of cannabis and you’ll want to see how you react to the difference.