Dabbing

Dabbing

Cannabis concentrates and extracts: a quick overview

Cannabis is a plant full of valuable terpenes, cannabinoids and fragrant resin. This blog post describes different ways to extract the desired compounds.
Cannabis extracts and concentrates provide effective ways to get high, or absorb your fix, if you prefer to think of it that way. There's evidence that mankind has been using cannabis extracts since the 18th century, but man has been using cannabis as a remedy for much longer in the history of the world.
It's a fact that cannabis tinctures were often consumed by the upper classes and royalty. Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom and Ireland, for example, used cannabis extracts to treat various health disorders, and to rule her empire in a relaxed manner, of course. Her Majesty would have been one of Royal Queen Seeds 's best customers had we launched our CBD genes and oils a few centuries earlier. Anyway, better late than never.
We're seeing the emergence of various new types of concentrates, ever since the legal cannabis movement in the U.S. allowed the industry to blossom and, quite literally, flourish. This blog post aims to give interested cannabis enthusiasts a quick overview of the different types of cannabis concentrates.

WHAT ARE CANNABIS CONCENTRATES IN GENERAL?

It may seem like a silly question, but why not define what we're talking about before diving into the details. The technical process of extracting the active ingredients, such as THC or CBD, from the cannabis plant is often more or less the same with the different types of concentrates. Most of the time, temperatures play an important role, meaning that plant material is often exposed to low or high temperatures, in order to collect as many trichomes or glands as possible.
There is a wide variety of concentrates available, due to the different types of carrier substances and extraction methods used. The chosen carrier substance, as well as the specific method, gives the cannabis extract a certain texture, flavor, potency and appearance.

A BRIEF DIGRESSION: TRICHOMES

It makes sense to talk about trichomes in the context of extract production. It's a good idea to buy a good magnifying glass on the internet, so you can observe the growth and development of trichomes on your buds. The small magnifying glasses that jewellers use to examine the quality of diamonds work well.

Let's get back to trichomes, which come in three different basic types:

1. Bulbous trichomes

These are the smallest trichomes, only 25-30 microns high. The stem and head are made up of just 1 to 4 cells. As the plants approach full maturity, they usually form a tiny bubble with a little resin inside.

2. Cystolith trichomes

These trichomes are present in much higher quantities than bulbous trichomes. These trichomes appear to have no real stem, as if they were placed directly on the plant. The gland is generally made up of 8 to 16 cells, giving this type of trichome a total diameter of around 25-100 microns.

3. Stemmed trichomes

These trichomes are also known as glandular trichomes and are perfect for any type of extract or concentrate production. They are the largest, with a size of 150-500 microns, and are responsible for the production of the majority of cannabinoids. Extract production generally works thanks to the fact that the heads of captive stem trichomes can be easily separated from the stem. The reason behind this is a layer of cells separating the head and stem of a trichome. This cell layer is easily broken and the trichome heads are recovered in a carrier substance.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONCENTRATES AND EXTRACTS

1. BHO (Butane Hash Oil)

Butane Hash Oil or BHO is the generic term for things like shatter, wax/budder, crumble and pull-and-snap, things to which we'll return later. What looks delicious and powerful is usually delicious and powerful! Consumers known as "dabbers" commonly use BHO to achieve the desired effect, without having to smoke large quantities of weed. The organic compound butane (C4H10) is used to extract terpenes, CBD and THC from plant material. Butane is extremely flammable, requiring a certain amount of expertise to produce BHO. But obstacles are made to be overcome. And THC levels of over 80% should be motivation enough.

2. Bubble Hash

This is the most common way for amateur growers to produce delicious, high-quality hash. You can buy all kinds of kits on the Internet, all of which work on the principle of exposing the buds and cuttings to very cold water, with ice cubes or crushed ice. The very low temperatures help to extract the trichomes from the plant material. By filtering the cannabinoid-filled liquid through various bags fitted with different-sized grids, homemade hash can be produced. Eau-Glace hash is also a good alternative to cannaberre, when large quantities of post-harvest prunings need to be processed.

3. Hasch Gelé Frais (Live Resin)

Hasch Gelé Frais or Live Resin is a growing phenomenon among hash growers. It can be another option with a few advantages over the classic water-and-ice method. This method is popular because it can produce comparable quantities of hash with the same amounts of plant material, but of a much higher quality. Flavours are much closer to the original aromas of the plant material, as only freshly harvested plants are used in the case of live resin. By only cooling the flowers to around 4°C, without freezing them, ice crystals do not form in the plant cells. And with no ice crystals to burst the cell walls, resulting in the release of large quantities of chlorophyll in the finished product, we can observe a much purer quality and better taste. Here's a link to a blog post with more information on live resin.

4. Kief (or dry filtering)

The extraction method used to produce kief is quite simple and works mechanically, without any solvents or carrier substances. This is why most herb mills have an individual compartment at the bottom. By passing the dry plant material through different sized screens, the trichomes are mechanically forced to separate from the heads or pruning residues. Having some natural "angel dust" in your stash, to spice up a joint from time to time, is certainly very enjoyable.

5. Wax (or Budder)

Wax is a wonder to smoke. The name comes from the fact that these extracts have a soft, waxy consistency. Butane is forced through the plant material, resulting in the extraction of much of the essential oils and active ingredients. After evaporation of the residual butane, a highly potent wax is obtained, with THC levels sometimes exceeding 90%. Smokers and patients who have problems with high THC tolerance due to frequent consumption only need to smoke very small quantities of wax to obtain the desired effects.

6. Shatter

This type of Butane Hash Oil uses the same extraction method as that used to produce wax or budder. The big difference is the consistency of the finished product in a stable, glass-like form. It can be broken into small pieces, just like glass. Shatter is produced by applying higher temperatures at the end of the BHO process, which results in the removal of more moisture from the wax, giving a highly potent shatter.

7. CO2 Oil (often CBD Oil).

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