Navigating the world of cannabis concentrates for sale can be confusing and overwhelming. To keep it simple, just remember this: All extracts are concentrates, but not all concentrates are extracts. Does that make sense?
Most users desire only a few notable characteristics from cannabis, regardless if it’s for recreational or medicinal use. They typically want the sensations/effects, the taste, and the aromas. And there are only a handful of naturally occurring chemical compounds that are responsible for these characteristics. Sure, they get more complex, but let’s keep it simple to start.
Cannabinoids are responsible for the effects that cannabis has on the human body. These include compounds like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). There are more, but those are the key ones to remember.
For people who also want the taste and smell attributes, they want the plant’s terpenes. There are also known therapeutic benefits to terpenes, but primarily terpenes are looked at as being responsible for that characteristic scent and taste.
Let’s Start with Cannabis Oil: What is it?
Cannabis oil is an extract. It goes by many names: hash oil, honey oil, and more. But it’s really all the same wrapped up with a different type of marketing. It is simply an extracted oil from the cannabis plant.
Hemp oil is not cannabis oil. They are made from the same plant but different parts of it. In countries outside of Canada, hemp oil is legal, but cannabis oil may be illegal. This is because the compounds found in the plant illicit different reactions.
Since cannabis oil is an extract, it takes the best parts of the plant and condenses it into a small package. It’s a liquid form package. Inside the oil, there is all the good stuff: resins, terpenes, and cannabinoids. These gems are responsible for the key attributes most consumers want from cannabis.
Taking the cannabis plant from its original form and turning it into isolated compounds involves many steps. The cannabis flower is the bud of the plant. It is the original state in which it is harvested and dried, so that the buds can be consumed. From the flower, raw oil can be extracted. This is unrefined.
A refined cannabis oil is when extract has been processed so that the wax or lipids are removed. Further along this spectrum is a distillate oil. This is when the refined oil extract is further processed to fraction off the cannabinoid and isolate the plant’s properties. Lastly, a cannabinoid isolate is a processed, single compound.
With all that said, it means that cannabis oil can be a term used to describe many things. A full spectrum cannabis oil on the other hand is the rawest form. It is closest to the original plant but in an oil. This has the widest array of chemical compounds.
Is Cannabis Oil Different from an Extract?
Unlike oil, extracts often undergo a more complicated process. There are extracts that use solvents. There are also extracts that are solventless.
Solvents are used to draw out the chemical compounds. These solvents are commonly butane or carbon dioxide. The most common and one of the oldest extraction techniques is with butane. This process makes butane hash oils, or BHOs.
Solventless extracts do not rely on chemicals. Instead, they use the mechanics of pressure, temperature, and filtration. With these methods, extracts like hash and rosin can be created. People who are adverse to the use of chemicals and prefer a more organic approach often appreciate solventless concentrates. These are even seen as artisanal in the approach. There are myriad natural cannabis concentrates for sale online to choose from.
The main difference between an extract and an oil is that an extract is refined. Remember the description of the spectrum of the whole plant to the processed, single compound? An extract is on the end of the spectrum that is furthest from the original product (the cannabis flower). It is like taking a whole food and turning it into a pill. You are still able to reap the benefits of the food, but the benefit is now isolated. If you want it, then you need one pill. If you want a different benefit, you take a different pill.
There Are So Many Cannabis Concentrates for Sale: What is it, Really?
A cannabis concentrate is a large umbrella term. This encompasses and refers to all extracts. By definition, it is a concentrated mass of a cannabinoid, like THC. You can find cannabis concentrates for sale that range anywhere from 40 to 100 percent THC content. These concentrates are usually more expensive and very small. A strong but powerful amount might be as minute as the size of a coin.
Waxes like budder, crumble, or shatter are concentrated. These can be dabbed or vaped. Some of them can also be smoked.
Moonrocks or sunrocks are also concentrated. They are buds that have been dipped in oil and rolled in kief. These are specialty products that are very potent.
Distillate and tinctures are also considered concentrates. This is because they can contain concentrated liquid amounts of cannabinoids. These are often used by weed drink manufacturers. They can also be added to drinks or foods at home if you want to make your own edibles. Additionally, tinctures are applied sublingually for quick-acting effects.
There is hash, dry sift, live resin, rosin, and more—the goes on and on. Many of these are made in very different and complex ways. They all are concentrated and potent. Really, there is something for everyone out there depending on how you want to consume it, what you want the experience to be like, and the intended effects.
Concentrates and Extracts: Something for Everyone
The bottom line is that any oils, extracts, and cannabis concentrates for sale are potent. None require you to smoke them in order to benefit from their effects. They are also all concentrated. Remember the key point at the start? All extracts are concentrates, but not all concentrates are extracts.
All of them can be more potent than cannabis flower by dosage. Their concentration of chemical compounds in a small package means they pack quite the punch. It’s important to stay informed and safe when trying these. Do your research and, if you are a beginner, then take it slow.
