How to Use Cannabis Concentrates

Cannabis lovers now have tons of choices when it comes to the kind of cannabis they use. And while some will prefer cannabis flower strains, cannabis concentrates are preferred by many due to their potency, unique texture, and versatility. Concentrates come in many different forms, all of which can be used in various ways for an extra strong and hard-hitting effects. If you know how to use cannabis concentrates, you can experience the full effects of THC in an intense psychoactive high.

There are many different ways to use cannabis concentrates. Many vape pens and vaporizers have specially designed chambers which allow for the heating up and vaporizing of different kinds of concentrates. If you want to take things a step further, you can also use a dab rig– a special tool designed specifically for use with concentrates. You can also mix concentrates into a joint or bowl to add a high-THC kick to any joint, bong or pipe. All of these methods can give you stronger effects than just smoking or vaping weed.

When it comes to buying concentrates, there’s a lot of choices. Different kinds of concentrates use different extraction and preparation processes, hence the differences in texture and taste. Here’s a guide on how to use cannabis concentrates, how to choose the right one, where to buy them, and what to expect.

What are Cannabis Concentrates

There’s a whole lot of variance these days when it comes to types of cannabis. Cannabis strains alone can come in all kinds of strains, generally divided into indica, sativa, and hybrid. However, cannabis concentrates have even more variance.

Cannabis concentrates are concentrated products made out of regular cannabis strains. These are products which process the flower product to only keep the most important parts. They usually take away the plant matter and keep the trichome content, which is full of cannabinoids and terpenes.

Concentrates can come in many different forms based on how they’re made. Many are extracted using solvents such as alcohol, butane, and propane. Others are more simple and simply compress the resin content of weed together. Whichever way, cannabis concentrates contain a much higher level of concentrated THC than strains of flower cannabis. This means that a small amount can give you a very strong high.

Some popular forms of concentrates include hash, shatter, and wax. However, there are tons of different kinds of concentrates which you can now legally buy. You can also get concentrates of various different strains depending on the kind of effects you want. They’re well-suited to users who want a stronger form of cannabis. You can also use them in multiple ways, whether you vape, dab or smoke them.

Types of Cannabis Concentrates

New extraction methods are being found all the time and, as such, you can find many different kinds of cannabis concentrate. Some are more solid in form, some more liquid, and some are somewhere in between. Regardless, all of these can give you a very strong high and the type you should use often depends simply on which suits you the best. Here are some of the popular types of cannabis concentrates you can buy.

Budder – Budder is one of the most popular cannabis concentrates. It’s made by covering weed in solvents to leave a high-THC cannabis extract. It’s a fairly pliable concentrate which often has the consistency of soft wax. This makes it ideal for breaking apart for use in a vaporizer or dab rig.

Caviar – Similar to the food it gets its name from, weed caviar is made up on various small pieces of concentrate pressed together. It’s potent, flavorful, and very versatile when it comes to its uses.

Crumble –  Weed crumble is a more rigid form of cannabis concentrate. It gets its name from its hard and crumbly texture which is often compared to honeycomb. You can burn crumble to break it apart for use in a vaporizer, dab rig, dab pen or to mix in with a joint. This is another one of the most popular concentrates due to the potent levels of THC and terpenes it contains.

Diamond – Diamond concentrates are another solvent-based extract which turns weed into a soft and crystal-like form. Diamond is very easy to scoop up for use in various ways. It’s a fairly unique concentrate which may users enjoy for its strong effects and flavorful qualities.

Hash – While many cannabis concentrates are solvent-based, hash is a more straightforward kind of concentrate. In fact, you can make hash yourself simply by rolling the resin from weed together in your hands. However, high-quality hash uses more complex preparation processes to result in an extra strong concentrate. It comes in a hard, brown, brick-like form. Hash is also very easy to burn and break apart for use in a joint or bowl, although you may also want to vape or dab it. Popular forms include Afghani hash and Lebanese hash.

Kief – Kief is the dust left from the trichomes of cannabis flower. Regular users can actually find kief in the bottom of their grinder. However, you can also use tools to extract more kief from weed or simply buy kief. Kief is useful as it’s very easy to add to other products for an added kick. You can also press kief together to create hash.

Live Resin/Rosin – Live Resin is a soft and liquid-like form of cannabis concentrate with very high levels of THC. Like many other solvent-based extracts, it’s high in cannabinoid and terpene content and you can enjoy it in many ways.

Moon Rocks – Moon Rocks are a unique kind of concentrate that’s actually fairly easy to make yourself. They’re made by taking buds of cannabis flower, dousing them in hash oil, then rolling them in kief. This results in a triple-threat of cannabis with extremely powerful effects that’s easy to smoke or vape.

Shatter – Along with hash, shatter is by far one of the most popular cannabis concentrates available. It’s very easy to recognize by its glass-like form. It’s hard with a golden-brown color and often covered in holes like cheddar cheese. You can literally shatter this concentrate apart and vape or dab the pieces. You can also melt it down into a softer form to mix in with herbs.

All of these concentrates are available to buy online for delivery from WCCannabis.ca. While concentrates may seem more expensive than flower, they give you great value for money as it only takes a small amount to produce powerful THC effects.

How to Use Cannabis Concentrates in a Joint

Although many users prefer to vape or dab concentrates, one of the easiest ways to use them is by mixing them in with cannabis buds. You can actually add all kinds of concentrates to a joint to create extra-strong THC smoke.

However, cannabis concentrates generally won’t burn well on their own. As such, you’ll need to mix them in with your ground up weed. This creates a kind of entourage effect where you get the effects of your cannabis flower along with an added kick of potent THC from the concentrate.

Simply add your weed to a joint like normal and sprinkle your concentrate on top. This is particularly easy to do with broken up hash or crumble. Soft, melted concentrates like shatter or diamond are also good for this. You can also simply sprinkle some extra kief on top.

How to Use Cannabis Concentrates in a Bong/Pipe

Much in the same way as you can use concentrates in a joint, you can also add them to a bowl. Whether you use a regular handheld bong, a larger water bong or a simple pipe, you can add some concentrates for more potent effects.

The same rules apply as adding concentrates to a joint. Using concentrates on their own won’t work so well and may even melt the concentrate into your bowl. As such, add your cannabis flower first then add some concentrates on top. When you light up and smoke, you’ll get the extra effects of the concentrates.

How to Vape Cannabis Concentrates

One of the best ways to use cannabis concentrates is via vaping. Many users prefer vaping over smoking as it is said to cause less damage to your lungs. It’s also beneficial for your high- a 2018 study found that vaping actually produces stronger effects than smoking when the same products are used as your body absorbs more of the THC. As such, vaping is ideal for cannabis concentrates.

You’ll need a vape pen or vaporizer that’s suitable for use with concentrates. Some vaporizers are designed for use with all kinds of products, including concentrates. Others include interchangeable chambers, meaning you can add a chamber for use with concentrates.

Vaping is very simple. All you need to do is add a small piece of cannabis concentrate to your concentrate chamber, set the temperature, and press the button to create potent cannabis vapor. A temperature of around 380°F – 400°F is generally recommended for concentrates to get the best of the cannabinoid and terpene content.

How to Dab Cannabis Concentrates

Dabbing is a more complex method of vaporization used specifically for cannabis concentrates. You’ll need some special equipment to dab concentrates, but it can result in even more hard-hitting and fast-acting effects.

In order to dab concentrates, you’ll need a dab rig. This is a special kind of vaporizer which includes a dab nail. You can buy a dab rig or buy dabbing attachments to use with a regular water pipe. You’ll also need a blow torch and dabbing tool.

You use your dabbing tool to take a small amount of your chosen cannabis concentrate and apply it to the nail. You then use the blow torch to light the nail and take a hit. Inhaling from a dab rig will hit you much harder than a regular vape or bong, so be prepared.

Dabbing gives you the most potent effects of concentrates and, as such, many concentrate enthusiasts use a dab rig to enjoy their products. You can use many kinds of concentrates and instantly get extremely strong effects using this method.

How to Use Cannabis Concentrates in Cooking

You can also cook with cannabis concentrates. Many people use cannabis flower to create their own cannabis edibles, but concentrates can be just as useful.

The easiest way to cook with cannabis concentrates is to add your concentrate to butter, oil, lard or other types of fat. The cannabinoids will be absorbed into the fats and create cannabutter or cannabis oil which you can use in all kinds of edible creations. You may want to bake with this or simply apply it to your food.

You may need to take a couple of steps to ensure your concentrates are ready to cook with. It can help to put your concentrates in an oven at 225°F for around 20 minutes. After this, you can melt them in a saucepan along with butter, oil or other fats. You will end up with highly potent cannabis butter which is perfect for use with edibles. Be careful not to use too much, as edibles can be extremely potent.

Why Should You Use Cannabis Concentrates?

There are tons of cannabis products now available. However, there are some particular advantages to using cannabis concentrates.

One of the main reasons users opt to use concentrates is their potency. Cannabis concentrates extract the cannabinoids and terpenes from the rest of the plant matter. This leaves you with nothing but the most potent components which are primed to make you high. Concentrates with high terpenoid content are also much more flavorful, making them very enjoyable to vape.

Concentrates can also be very versatile. You can use them in many ways and get intense effects. What’s more, it only takes a small amount of concentrates to get an extra-strong dose of THC. As such, they’re very cost-effective products that provide something unique to regular flower strains.

Conclusion

Whether you prefer shatter, wax, hash, kief or other extracts, there are many ways to use cannabis concentrates effectively.

Dabbing is the best option to get the most out of your concentrates, but adding them to a joint or pipe along with flower can be just as enjoyable. While you may prefer alternatives such as potent cannabis edibles or cannabis oils, there are many different concentrates to try and many different ways to try them out.