Even if you’re newer to cannabis, chances are you’ve heard of concentrates before. But you may not know the specifics about these extracts. Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. If you’ve ever wondered what the best type of cannabis concentrate to dab is or where you can buy them online, this post is for you.
What is a Cannabis Concentrate?
In the most basic terms, a cannabis concentrate is any type of product containing cannabinoids (and usually terpenes) made from cannabis flower. Essentially, it’s cannabis with as much plant matter removed as possible.
While countless types of concentrates exist on today’s market, they generally fall into one of three broad categories.
Butane Hash Oil (BHO)
Butane hash oil (BHO) is one of the most common types of concentrates on the market today. Extractors make it by washing cannabis flower with butane. This strips terpenes and cannabinoids from the buds, leaving them in a wet slurry. Then, extractors purge the butane, leaving the concentrate behind.
BHO usually appears as a golden or tan color, and may come in one of several different consistencies. Typical formats include:
- Shatter: With a hard, brittle consistency, shatter gets its name from the way it breaks like glass when you apply pressure.
- Wax/Oil: A viscous, gooey substance, this type of BHO can come in many forms, ranging from crystals submerged in a liquid to a dripping, semi-solid consistency.
- Live Resin: This is some of the highest-quality BHO available today. Cultivators flash-freeze cannabis plants immediately after harvest to preserve cannabinoids and terpenes, and create a premium concentrate that’s usually light in color and the consistency of a thick sauce.
- Crumble: Occasionally called “sugar” due to consistency that resembles a clump of brown sugar, crumble is made up of many small, granular particles that stick together— forming a cohesive yet fragile whole.
CO2 Oil
CO2 oil is similar to BHO. Extractors create both concentrates using solvents. However, manufacturers usually tout it as “cleaner.” That’s because the solvent for these extracts is CO2, not butane. They do generally vaporize a little cleaner than BHO, which is why many companies use CO2 extracts in their pre-filled vape cartridges.
Generally, CO2 oil doesn’t come in the same forms as BHO does. Instead, it occurs most often as a viscous liquid akin to BHO wax. Less commonly, you can find CO2 extracts in a crystal form.
Rosin
A relatively new type of concentrate on the market, this extraction method is gaining popularity. Extractors create rosin with heat and pressure, not solvents. As a result, it’s also considered an extremely clean extract.
To create rosin, an extractor first needs to make bubble hash. Then, they apply heat and pressure using a tool called a rosin press. These tools are essentially industrial-grade hair straighteners, with heated metal plates that push together, creating pressure.
How to Use Concentrates
Concentrates may be the best thing to happen to cannabis since the development of bubble hash. But there’s one pitfall of these potent extracts. It’s not as easy to smoke concentrates as it is to spark up a bowl or joint. Instead, you’ll need to use some specialized equipment so you can “dab” the concentrate.
Dabbing is perhaps the most notorious way to consume concentrates. The term applies to inhaling vapors created from heating concentrates, oils, and other extracts. And while dabbing may not seem that different from smoking at first glance, there’s one major factor that separates the two.
While smoking uses fire to combust cannabinoids and terpenes, dabbing doesn’t. Instead, dabbing requires users to vaporize a concentrate. That may not seem like a big difference, but it is. Research has suggested that vaping can actually produce more potent effects than smoking cannabis. This seems to be particularly true for new or inexperienced cannabis users; if this is you, make sure you start low and slow when vaping!
Get the Gear: Dab Rigs
Specifically, the act of “dabbing” usually also includes a specialized smoking device called a dab rig. Dab rigs are similar to bongs, but with a slight twist. Instead of using a typical bong bowl, they have a unique piece of equipment. Known as a “banger” or “nail,” these pieces of gear are made specifically for vaporizing concentrates.
Best Type of Concentrate for a Dab Rig
BHO is usually the best type of concentrate to dab. Since they’re not as difficult to clean as other concentrate vaporizers, the faint residue they may leave behind isn’t much of an issue. Live resin is always a good choice!
Best Types of Concentrates for Dab Pens
When choosing the right concentrates for dab pens, you need to keep one thing in mind: cleaning. Cleaning a dab pen is a much bigger task than cleaning a banger. And unfortunately, you’re going to have to do it a lot.
That’s why you want to use dabs that don’t leave much residue after you use them. Two good, low-residue concentrates are CO2 and rosin. Rosin is always a great choice here, since it burns fairly clean, is usually fairly potent, and also contains a plethora of naturally-occurring cannabinoids and terpenes.
This isn’t to say that you can never use BHO in a dab pen. In fact, you absolutely can use BHO in your dab pen, and many people do. Just be aware that it’s going to involve extra cleaning. It’s a good idea to carry some cotton swabs around with your dab pen to wipe away all residue after each use.
Buy Cannabis Concentrate Online from These Michigan Dispensaries
Think it might be time to stock up on your own cannabis concentrates? It’s easy to buy cannabis concentrates online from local dispensaries. Browse adult-use or medical products online at your local dispensaries in Ann Arbor, Muskegon, Utica, and (medical only) Traverse City. Then, choose a pickup time and stop by to pay for your order. It’s the simplest, fastest, and easiest way to get cannabis in Michigan.
Resources Used by Writer:
Vaping more powerful than smoking:
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/vaping-cannabis-produces-stronger-effects-than-smoking-cannabis-for-infrequent-users
What is Dabbing?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8078006/