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Jeff Zorn is the founder of Cannabis Training University (CTU), an online cannabis school with 50,000+ students since 2009. CTU is an IACET Accredited Provider, and its courses cover cannabis cultivation, business, medical cannabis, budtending, cooking, extraction and industry regulations.
2. Dabbing devices, often referred to as rigs, consist of essential parts including a nail and a dome.
3. Badder wax can be consumed by using a dab tool and inhaling the vapor from a heated surface.
4. Certain cannabis concentrates, like the Drool Syringe RSO, are available in wax form.
5. Cannabis concentrates can contain extraordinarily high THC levels ranging from 40 to 80 percent.
6. Cannabis concentrates can be up to four times stronger in THC content than high-grade marijuana, which normally measures around 20 percent THC levels.
7. The average THC content of cannabis concentrates ranges from 55-70% per gram. Washington lab data put extracts at 68.7% THC on average vs 20.6% for flower (Smart et al. 2017).
8. Because concentrates are so much higher in THC by weight, a typical serving is a much smaller amount of product than flower.
Cannabis concentrates are quickly becoming one of the most popular categories in the cannabis industry.
These products provide extremely high levels of cannabinoids and terpenes, a form that holds a much higher share of cannabinoids and terpenes than flower.
Cannabis concentrates are a highly concentrated form of cannabis, with a much higher THC percentage than traditional plant material.
Whether you are brand new to concentrates or looking to refine your knowledge, this comprehensive guide will walk you through what they are, how they are made, how to consume them, and the safety considerations to keep in mind.
While traditional cannabis flower is often compared to concentrates, smoking remains the most popular form of cannabis ingestion, but concentrates offer a more potent alternative.
Cannabis concentrates are highly potent extracts derived from the cannabis plant, designed to deliver a concentrated form of THC and other cannabinoids, primarily from the trichomes.
These products, commonly referred to as marijuana concentrates, have grown quickly in popularity, and they come in many textures and formats.
From honey oil and hash oil to wax, shatter, and live resin, each marijuana concentrate offers a unique combination of texture, potency, and flavor.
The concentrated mass of cannabinoids and terpenes found in these products means a serving is a much smaller amount by weight than traditional cannabis flower.
Whether you’re interested in the smooth, flavorful hit of live resin or the glass-like purity of shatter, understanding the basics of cannabis concentrates is essential for finding the product best suited to your needs and preferences.
Trichomes are the small, resinous glands on the flower that contain cannabinoids like THC and CBD, as well as the terpenes responsible for aroma and flavor.
The resulting substance is much more potent than the original plant material. While cannabis flower may average 15–25% THC, concentrates can range anywhere from 40% to over 90% THC, making them significantly stronger.
The goal of concentrating cannabis is to deliver high potency in a smaller quantity while preserving or enhancing the plant’s unique chemical profile.
Depending on the extraction method, concentrates can be full-spectrum (retaining a wide range of compounds from the plant) or more refined, isolating THC, CBD, or other specific cannabinoids.
The extract process can involve distillation, pressing, or solvent-based techniques to isolate cannabinoids and terpenes, resulting in a variety of potent and flavorful concentrates.
There are dozens of different cannabis concentrates, and new varieties continue to appear as extraction methods evolve.
R.Greenleaf has 16 locations across New Mexico for cannabis concentrate purchases, and offers a weekly Wax Wednesday promo where customers save 10% on all Pharmers Quality Go Pens.
The use of cannabis concentrates stretches back thousands of years, with early civilizations such as those in India, Persia, and China crafting hashish by compressing the resinous trichomes of the cannabis plant.
This ancient form of concentrate was valued for its medicinal, spiritual, and recreational properties. The modern era of concentrates began in the 20th century, marked by the development of butane hash oil (BHO) and other solvent-based extraction techniques.
These innovations allowed for the creation of potent products like hash oil and honey oil, revolutionizing the way users could experience cannabis.
Today, the industry has expanded to include both solvent-based and solventless methods, such as rosin pressing, resulting in a diverse array of concentrates with varying consistencies, potencies, and flavors.
This evolution reflects both advances in extraction technology and the growing demand for high-quality, specialized cannabis products.
The world of cannabis concentrates is incredibly diverse, offering a range of products to suit different preferences and experiences.
Some of the most popular types of cannabis concentrates include wax, shatter, live resin, rosin, and hash. Each type is crafted using specific extraction methods that influence its texture, THC content, and overall potency.
For example, live resin is celebrated for its rich terpene profile and fresh, aromatic flavor, making it a favorite among users who prioritize taste.
Shatter, on the other hand, is known for its glass-like consistency and high purity. Wax and rosin offer a softer, more pliable texture, while traditional hash provides a classic, earthy experience.
The type of cannabis plant used, along with the extraction and processing techniques, all play a role in shaping the final product.
By understanding the different types of cannabis concentrates, users can understand how each product is made and what is on its label.
Shatter: Known for its glass-like, brittle texture, shatter is usually amber or golden in color. It is made using solvents such as butane or propane. Shatter is highly potent and favored by dabbers for its purity. Shatter is a form of BHO (butane hash oil), which is also commonly referred to as butane honey oil.
Wax and Budder: These extracts are softer and more pliable than shatter. They range in consistency from sticky wax to smooth, whipped budder. They are created with similar solvent extraction techniques but purged differently, resulting in their unique textures.
Live Resin: Produced from freshly harvested, flash-frozen cannabis plants, live resin retains a high terpene content, delivering exceptional flavor and aroma. This makes it one of the most sought-after concentrates for connoisseurs.
Distillate: Created using molecular distillation, distillate is highly refined and can be nearly pure THC or CBD. It is often used in vape cartridges, edibles, and tinctures because it is versatile and often flavorless. Distillate is a type of cannabis oil, known for its potency and versatility.
Hash Oil: A liquid form of concentrate, hash oil is versatile and can be used in vape pens, edibles, or topically. Hash oil is also referred to as cannabis oil, and is recognized for its high THC content.
When dabbing or vaporizing these concentrates, the user heats the product on a hot surface or device, which produces vapor for inhalation.
Rosin: Made by pressing dried cannabis flower, kief, or hash between heated plates, rosin offers a clean, solvent-free product.
Rosin is made with heat and pressure only, so no solvent is used. Some slang or street names for concentrates include ‘ear wax’ and ‘black glass’, which refer to certain types of cannabis extracts similar to wax or shatter.
Live Rosin: Made from freshly frozen cannabis instead of dried flower, live rosin offers the same solvent-free advantages as regular rosin but with higher terpene retention. This results in a flavorful, aromatic product.
Bubble Hash: To begin making bubble hash, use ice water and agitation to separate trichomes, which are then collected by filtering through fine mesh screens. The result is a resinous concentrate that can be smoked, vaporized, or pressed into rosin.
Moon Rocks: These are cannabis flower buds coated in hash oil and rolled in kief, creating an extremely potent product.
The creation of cannabis concentrates is rooted in science, specifically the extraction of cannabinoids and terpenes from the cannabis plant. This process can involve solvents like butane or CO₂, or solventless methods such as heat and pressure.
The goal is to separate and concentrate the most desirable compounds, resulting in a product with a much higher cannabinoid percentage by weight.
The potency and consistency of cannabis concentrates depend on several factors, including the strain of the cannabis plant, the extraction method used, and the quality control measures in place during production.
Advances in extraction technology and lab testing have led to products with higher purity and more consistent test results from batch to batch.
At the heart of every cannabis concentrate is a complex blend of cannabinoids, terpenes, and other natural compounds from the cannabis plant.
THC, the primary psychoactive component, makes up most of a typical concentrate by weight, while other cannabinoids such as CBD and CBG are also present, in amounts that vary by product (see the lab label).
Terpenes, which give cannabis its distinctive aroma and flavor, also play a significant role in shaping the user’s experience and may even influence the effects of the concentrate.
The precise chemical makeup of a concentrate can vary widely depending on the extraction method and the original cannabis strain, giving users a broad spectrum of options to explore.
By understanding the chemistry behind cannabis concentrates, users can make more informed choices and appreciate the nuanced differences between products.
There are multiple ways to enjoy them, each providing a different experience. Users can ingest marijuana concentrates through a variety of methods, depending on their preferences for discretion, potency, and convenience.
Dabbing: Dabbing involves heating a nail or banger on a dab rig, which is a type of water or oil pipe, and applying a small amount of concentrate. When the user takes a dab, the concentrate is heated to produce vapors, which are inhaled.
Some users prefer dabbing for its convenience and the ability to hide use, as the process can be more discreet than traditional smoking.
Vape Pens and Cartridges: Pre-filled cartridges containing distillate, live resin, or other concentrates are popular for convenience and discretion. Vape pens and electronic cigarettes are commonly used to ingest marijuana concentrates, especially among younger users.
These methods are smokeless and often odorless, making them easy to hide and preferred by users seeking discretion. Vape pens use pre-filled cartridges, often of distillate or live resin.
Edibles and Infusions: Concentrates can be infused into butter, oils, and other ingredients to create potent edibles like brownies, gummies, or chocolates. Infusing marijuana concentrates into food and drinks is a popular method of ingestion, allowing users to discreetly ingest marijuana concentrates.
For example, hash brownies are a classic edible where decarboxylated hash or concentrate is mixed into brownie batter.
Tinctures and Sublingual Drops: Concentrates can be suspended in alcohol or oil to create tinctures. These are usually consumed sublingually (under the tongue) for faster absorption.
Topicals: concentrates infused into balms, lotions and salves, applied to the skin.
Water or oil pipes, including oil pipes, are also popular devices for consuming marijuana concentrates, as they provide an efficient and sometimes discreet way to ingest these substances.
Many users prefer smokeless and odorless methods, such as vaporizers and electronic cigarettes, because they are easy to hide and reduce the risk of detection.
The vapors produced by these devices allow users to ingest marijuana concentrates quickly and discreetly.
mg THC = grams × Total THC % × 1,000 (write the percentage as a decimal, e.g. 70% = 0.70). Example: 0.5 g of a concentrate tested at 70% Total THC = 0.5 × 0.70 × 1,000 = 350 mg THC. For edibles, use the edible potency calculator.
Extraction methods determine purity, potency, and safety.
Cold Methods: Ice water extraction (bubble hash) and rosin pressing use minimal heat and no solvents, preserving terpenes and cannabinoids. CO₂ extraction is another clean method often used in commercial production.
Hot Methods: Butane hash oil, ethanol, and RSO (Rick Simpson Oil) use higher heat and solvents. These methods can create highly potent concentrates but carry risks if improperly made.
Not all concentrates are created equal. Safety depends on how they are made and tested.
They are highly potent extracts of cannabis trichomes that contain concentrated cannabinoids and terpenes.
The main categories are solvent-based (shatter, wax, live resin, distillate) and solventless (rosin, live rosin, bubble hash).
This depends on your goals. Live rosin is favored for flavor and purity, while distillate is prized for precision and versatility.
Solvent extraction (butane, propane, CO2, ethanol) is licensed-lab work in legal states (e.g. WAC 314-55-104). Rosin and ice-water hash are solventless methods.
They are brownies infused with cannabis concentrate such as hash or oil.
Yes, freezing helps preserve potency and freshness.
Solvent concentrates (shatter, wax, live resin, distillate) are extracted with a solvent such as butane, propane, CO2 or ethanol. Solventless concentrates (rosin, live rosin, bubble hash) are made with heat and pressure or with ice water, and no solvent.
Common street names for cannabis concentrates include “ear wax,” “black glass,” and “butane honey oil.” These street terms are often used to refer to different types of marijuana extracts in informal or underground settings.
The term “710” is a code word for cannabis oil because when you flip “OIL” upside down, it reads as “710”—in other words, “OIL” spelled backwards. This code is popular in cannabis culture to discreetly refer to concentrates.
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