How to Pick the Best Cannabis Concentrates for Patients

Cannabis concentrates are products containing the resin or cannabinoids that have been extracted from the plant, rather than the whole flowers themselves. Concentrates can be made manually without the use of solvents or by using solvents to strip the cannabinoids and terpenes from the flower. There are numerous methods used for these processes. 

Concentrates contain much higher levels of THC than dried bud. It's essential that you speak with a qualified doctor to make sure you understand how to use concentrates safely and to best aid your medical condition.

Which Concentrates for Which Symptoms?

High-quality cannabis concentrates have a place in the management of many symptoms. An understanding of the differing effects of THC and CBD will help you tailor your concentrate selection to your condition.

Preliminary research has been done on the use of specific cannabinoids and marijuana products for selected medical conditions. However, there is still much more to be explored, especially regarding the effects of high-potency marijuana use over time. This makes it imperative for you to keep your medical marijuana card up to date, so that you benefit from the latest research findings as soon as they are passed on to doctors.

Solventless Concentrates

Solventless concentrates are made via manual processes to separate the trichomes (or the resin contained therein) from the cannabis flower instead of using chemical solvents. The mainadvantages of solventless extracts over solvent-based concentrates for medical cannabis patients include the following: 

1. There is no risk of solvent residue (potentially making them safer).

2. Higher quality starting materials are used, as manual processes don’t remove contaminants, and the final extract must still pass quality control testing.

3. The end product contains a cannabinoid and terpene profile that is similar to that of the source plant. This is useful when you’re after general symptom relief, as full-spectrum concentrates provide all the benefits of the plant.
   

Tip: Solventless concentrates are generally thought of as being more natural or wholesome, but there are still risks that need to be taken into consideration. The source plant needs to be of high quality, and you should ask for the certificate of analysis from the dispensary before purchase. This verifies that your concentrate is free from mold, pesticides, yeast, and heavy metals.

The most common manual extraction methods are:

Dry Sift/Kief

Dry sift is the simplest way of separating trichomes from the plant. This is achieved by rubbing dry flower or trim over a specially designed screen with holes so small that only the trichomes fall through, removing the excess plant material that remains above the screen. 

This process is repeated with two or three smaller screens until it is sufficiently refined. The resultant pile of sift under the final screen is the end product. This is the easiest at-home method for patients wanting to make their own concentrates.

Bubble Hash

Bubble hash, also known as ice-water hash, is where the flowers are agitated in a bath of ice-water, which knocks the trichomes off the chilled cannabis plant material. The trichomes are filtered out through a graduated series of screens by size, then dried, resulting in a clean hash that is free from dust and more potent than whole flower. This is also a good at-home method for those wanting a pure product.

Rosin

Rosin is made using heat and pressure applied to dried bubble hash, dry sift, or whole flowers. Rosin is sticky, making it suitable for dabbing.

Whole-Flower Rosin

The whole-flower method involves pressing flowers into rosin. The flower heads are torn apart into smaller, popcorn-sized pieces. These pieces are then packed into rosin bags and pressed, releasing the cannabinoids and terpenes from the trichomes, as well as the fats and oils from the plant. These fats and oils lead to a “greener” flavor and cause the color to darken, making it a less popular option these days.

Hash Rosin

Hash rosin is pressed from bubble hash, or ice-water hash, as it's also known. If live bubble hash is used (made from fresh-frozen plant material), you end up with a “live” rosin that contains the same terpene profile as the trichomes at the time of harvest. 

As this method of pressing includes only the trichomes and not the fats and oils from the plant, many cannabis connoisseurs prefer rosin made with this method as it is of higher potency and tastes cleaner. If making hash rosin at home, this is a more time-consuming and fiddly process, but one that cannabis enthusiasts gravitate toward as the better cannabis concentrate. 

Solventless Vape Oil

Solventless vape oil is the rosin (derived via any method) that has been made to be runnier (less viscous) and then dispensed into vape pens. Rosin is typically liquefied via any one of these three methods: winterizing the rosin, mixing it with a wax liquidizer, or heating the rosin for 24 to 48 hours. This is a great way to turn your dabs into a vapeable form, for when you need to treat your symptoms quickly and with little fuss.

Solvent-Based Concentrates

Solvent-based concentrates are those that use solvents, such as mixes of propane and butane, to extract the cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant. This method produces more concentrate from each plant than solventless methods, making it more cost-effective for both manufacturers and consumers.

There are two types of solvents used, polar solvents (ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, and CO2) and nonpolar solvents (butane, propane, and hexane).

Nonpolar solvents are more commonly used, as they produce a cleaner extract. This is because they dissolve the cannabinoids and terpenes and leave the less desirable compounds behind, like chlorophyll.

As with solventless concentrates, there are a variety of solvent-based concentrates to choose from, based on your needs and preferences.

Live Resin

Live resin is the solvent-based version of live rosin and is usually dabbed. To make live resin, you start with fresh-frozen flower, then use solvents to extract the cannabinoids and terpenes.

Your plant material is placed in a column and chilled (below -13 °F).

Your chosen solvents are passed through the column, separating the resin from the plant material by dissolving it. If you want more terpenes in your resulting crude oil, you should use a higher ratio of propane in your propane-butane mix, which pulls out the terpenes.

The oil drips out of the column through a filter and passes to a collection tank.

To purge the solvents, the temperature is raised to between 70 °F and 85 °F. The evaporated solvents are captured for reuse.

Butane Hash Oil (BHO)

Butane hash oil (BHO) refers to any solvent concentrate made using butane for extraction. BHO comes in a range of consistencies, including wax, shatter, budder, diamonds and sauce, and oil. 

Wax

Wax has a soft, crumbly texture and is opaque in color, similar to candle wax.

During the purging process, the oil is agitated or whipped, bringing air into the product, which creates its soft and opaque qualities. The waxy consistency is due to purging at a slightly higher temperature.

Shatter

Shatter is a cannabis concentrate with a brittle, glass-like texture that shatters easily.

The texture is created by rapidly cooling the oil into thin sheets.

Badder and Budder

Budder is soft, buttery, creamy, and malleable, more so than wax. Badder is softer and more pliable, like thick cake batter.

Both concentrates have air whipped into them and are purged at a controlled temperature to achieve the desired consistencies.

THC Diamonds and Sauce

Cannabis diamonds consist of THCA crystals in a terpene sauce. The initial solvent extract separates into the two components. It is purged at a low temperature to preserve terpenes while encouraging THCA crystal formation. 

Diamonds are sold separately or in combination with the terpene sauce, which adds flavor.

Solvent-Based Vape Oil

Solvent-based vape oil is a broad category of concentrates, packaged for use in vapes, as the runnier texture makes them suitable for this use. These concentrates include BHO, CO2 oil, and distillates, among others. Choose the oil that is stronger in the compounds you need, whether THC for nausea, pain, and appetite, or CBD for anxiety, insomnia, and inflammation.

Full-Extract Cannabis Oil

Full-extract cannabis oil (FECO) is extracted using food-grade alcohol as the solvent. It contains all of the compounds available from the source plant, rather than filtering some out. 

FECO includes the cannabinoids THC, CBD, CBG, CBC, CBN, and others as they occur naturally in the strain used, as well as terpenoids and flavonoids. Your doctor will advise you on whether this combination of compounds is more helpful for your symptoms than a purified extract featuring a single compound.

Rick Simpson Oil

Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) is a full-spectrum concentrate, similar to FECO, though generally made using isopropyl alcohol as the solvent. It contains up to 75% THC. 

This THC content, in combination with other cannabinoids, is said to create the entourage effect in which the combination of compounds creates benefits greater than the individual compounds alone.

Distillate

Distillate is made from cannabis oil that is then purified even further to leave only the THC. Once the resin is made, it is boiled at the temperature required to keep THC while boiling off all other cannabinoids. This leaves an almost pure THC oil behind. CBD distillate is also available, though THC is the norm.

Distillate is a good choice if you want just the THC without the other cannabinoids. However, this does increase the risk of experiencing anxiety during your high, without the other cannabinoids there to provide a more balanced experience. 

Distillate has also had the terpenes removed, so it won't have a cannabis flavor and scent anymore. Some manufacturers put the terpenes back into the concentrate to restore its flavor, while others add artificial flavors such as blueberry.

Factors to Consider When Choosing

When choosing a concentrate, it’s important to consider whether a live or cured concentrate is best for your needs, the potency that will help you manage your symptoms best, and your flavor preferences.

Live vs Cured Concentrates

A live concentrate is one that started with the plant being fresh frozen to preserve all of the compounds as they were at the time of harvest. In contrast, a cured concentrate is made from cannabis that has been dried and cured, with the terpene profile changing over time and the THC becoming more potent.

Early and experimental studies are showing that certain terpenes may help with inflammation-based pain, inflammatory bowel symptoms, and cardiovascular health. A lower THC content may also make live extracts less psychoactive. 

Cured concentrates rely on the punch from the higher THC, so they’re best for severe pain, nausea/vomiting, sleep disorders/insomnia, breakthrough flare-ups, and those who have built up tolerance. 

Please be mindful that higher THC is associated with an increased risk of anxiety, paranoia, and psychotic episodes, so avoid high-THC products, or discuss with your treating doctor if you’re vulnerable to these conditions.

Potency

Concentrates in general are much more potent than flower. However, there is still a range within the concentrates category. Distillates are almost pure THC, while dry sift contains whole trichomes (containing a range of cannabinoids and terpenes) with small particles of plant matter mixed in. This makes dry sift significantly lower in THC by weight compared to distillate.

Remember, though, that THC content is not the end of the story. Whole-trichome concentrates, regardless of whether they started with live or dried material, provide a more rounded experience due to no particular compound being stripped out, whereas isolates (like distillate) are more potent in the compound they are made for, as those compounds have been selected while others have been removed, making them more specific for your use case.

Flavor

Whole-plant concentrates have a "greener" flavor due to the chlorophyll content, live concentrates (made from the trichomes only) have nuanced flavors from the undegraded terpene profiles, and distillate has had the terpenes removed, so it's near flavorless.

Pros and Cons of Concentrates

Concentrates are a great way to enjoy marijuana and tailor your use to your medical needs. It’s also a bit of fun to explore the different types, most popular methods, and find your favorites. 

You can more precisely achieve the symptom relief you're after, as you have more control over which cannabinoids you consume for their particular properties. Concentrates also last you a long time, as a little goes a long way.

The downsides to concentrates are the higher price point and the potential risks of solvent residue, or mold and pesticides from the source plant (which is why we recommend asking for the certificate of analysis). Due to the potent nature of concentrates, the risk of getting too high is also greater, as is the risk of developing tolerance more quickly, resulting in less help for your symptoms. 

How to Consume Cannabis Concentrates

There are several ways to consume cannabis concentrates, including vaping, smoking, ingesting (though edibles and gummies), sublingually (under the tongue), and transdermally (through the skin).

FAQs

Where Can You Buy Cannabis Concentrates?

Your local dispensary will have a variety of concentrates for you to browse, or your prescribing doctor may advise a specialized MMJ dispensary to visit using your MMJ card. Laws vary depending on which state you are in, so be aware that concentrates may not be available everywhere.

How Should You Store Cannabis Concentrates?

Concentrates, like any cannabis product, need to be kept away from light, heat, and moisture. Proper cannabis concentrate storage practices lengthen their lifespan and keep them potent for longer.

If you live in a warm climate or need to store your concentrates for a longer period, the fridge is the best place. Wrap the concentrate in parchment, then put the parchment inside a vacuum-sealed container to keep moisture out. 

How to Dose Cannabis Concentrates

Always start with a small dose, or the amount you were prescribed, and see how that affects you before taking more. For dabs, half a grain of rice is a good starting amount.

Sifting the Diamonds From the Sauce

There are many benefits to using concentrates, both solventless and solvent-based, ranging from price point to flavor, potency, consumption method, and use case. There’s a concentrate for everyone and every need.

Making informed choices and starting slowly is always best when trying a new concentrate or method of consumption, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced consumer. With your doctor’s help, you will eventually find what works best for your medical needs.