THE CONCENTRATES ISSUE
LEAF NATION G U I D E
CONCENTRATES 101 When our neolithic ancestors first discovered the nutritious qualities of Cannabis seeds and began to forage for them regularly, they quickly noticed how sticky their fingers would get when they broke apart the flowers. It is from this sticky beginning that humans learned about Cannabis resin and began the process of refining and concentrating it into what we now know as hash. While generally speaking “hash” can refer to any number of concentrated resin products derived from the Cannabis plant, in today’s modern world we have developed a wide array of concentrated resin products that are worth understanding.
S T A R T I N G M AT E R I A L
COMMON CANNABIS CONCENTRATE CONSISTENCIES
Fire in, fire out. The quality and cure of Cannabis being turned into concentrates.
FRESH FROZEN FLOWER
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Generally labeled as ‘live’ – flowers cut and flash frozen immediately after harvest. The quick cut and freeze time captures the resin at the point of harvest and is made directly from the fresh frozen resin. If the flower’s harvest was timed correctly, then this yields an extremely flavorful concentrate very true to the aroma of the living flower itself.
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DRIED FLOWER Flower that has gone through the normal drying process, but generally not the curing process. Many concentrates can be cured after extraction, and therefore many companies do not cure the resin beforehand.
BIOMASS Primarily in the hemp industry, but also in large scale Cannabis companies. The waste plant material that accumulates in the harvest supply chain and typically added to edibles or topicals, but sometimes in lower quality concentrates and cartridges.
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SHATTER
PULL ‘N’ SNAP/TAFFY
BUDDER/BADDER
HONEYCOMB
Hard, flat and glass-like. Very common due to their relatively cheap price point and ease of use. Rigid oils that break apart like glass into chunks and can be dabbed or added to a bowl.
Similar to shatter, but instead of breaking apart they stretch in a manner similar to caramel or taffy candy. Slightly more difficult to work with due to its sticky nature, but can be dabbed, mixed into bowls, and are commonly rolled into snakes and placed into joints and blunts.
Oils that have not undergone the process of winterization – meaning that the fats, waxes and lipids of the plant still remain in the product. This creates a thick, moist and creamy oil that requires a tool to work with and is most commonly dabbed.
A dry and dense oil that crumbles to the touch and is relatively less sticky than most concentrates. Often takes on a honeycomb or Swiss cheese-like structure and is generally more rare in the market.
SUGAR
DIAMONDS
SAUCE
Semi-crystalline oil that resembles an incomplete syrup or a thick, wet sugar substance. Typically dabbed and requires a dab tool to use. Most oils will age into a sugar as the THCa will crystalize over time.
Pure THCa crystals that have been allowed to form from pure Cannabis distillates. These achieve the highest potency of THCa, but generally lack any other type of terpene or cannabinoid. Often mixed with terpene-rich sauces and dabbed.
Liquid oils left over as the THCa crystalizes out of solution. Typically very terpenerich, flavorful and fragrant. Usually vaped in a cartridge or used as a dipping sauce for more solid dabs. Generally the most difficult texture to work with.
WHOLE PLANT EXTRACT Also known as RSO, whole plant extract has not undergone any type of refinement process. Deep green and almost black in color. Can be eaten straight, but often mixed with food or formulated into edibles. Robust and highly medicinal, this product is not often dabbed.
STORY by TAYLOR MARTIN for LEAF NATION | PHOTOS by LEAF NATION STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS
