What kinds of cannabis concentrates are there?

If you’re stepping into the world of cannabis concentrates, there are so many different types and textures that you’ll need to familiarize yourself with. We’re here to make that job easy for you.

Here’s a quick guide on cannabis concentrates, and the various kinds of them that you’ll be dabbing and vaping.

What are cannabis concentrates?

Cannabis concentrates are the hash and oils we consume through dab rigs and vaporizers. They are also used to make edibles and topicals.

The benefits of extracts are that they contain all the compounds in cannabis that provide the feelings we love, and none of the plant material that usually acts as background noise to our flavor and effects.

Cannabis concentrates are made with sophisticated extraction machines. There are both solvent-based and solventless concentrates that produce a whole world of different textures for you to dab and vape.

What are the different types of cannabis concentrates?

Before we talk about the textures of concentrates, let’s discuss the various extraction methods, and types of concentrates that are turned into the various oils, waxes, shatters, and budders that we’ll discuss later.

Butane Hash Oil

BHO is short for butane hash oil. It is a type of solvent-based extract, made from the use of butane to separate trichomes from the cannabis plant material. It is then processed into oils that are very high in THC potency, often reaching 80-90% THC. It has dwindled in popularity over the years, as dab enthusiasts have migrated towards rosin preferences.

CO2 Oil

CO2 is obviously carbon dioxide. It is another chemical solvent used in supercritical extraction that strips cannabis plants of their trichomes/compounds and most often turns them into CO2 oil for vape pens. CO2 uses a closed-loop extraction system.

Isolate

Isolate is a solvent-based type of concentrate that isolates a specific compound, like THCA or CBDA, after trichome separation from the plant. From there, heat can be applied to make the product 99% THC or CBD. Isolates take a crystalline/powdery form, which is why they are also called diamonds.

Distillate

Distillate is essentially the same thing as isolate, but in an oil form versus a powder. It is most commonly used in vape pens, with terpene additives for flavor. Distillates are also used to manufacture edibles and increase potency in infused pre-rolls.

Resin

Resin is the sticky, “sappy” texture on your fingers after touching cannabis buds. It is also called trichome sap and can be used to make a variety of other concentrates. 

Cured resin

Cured resin is a solvent-based type of resin made from dried and cured cannabis plants. Depending on the extraction process, cured resin can take many forms/textures. Most people dab this concentrate.

Live resin

Live resin is resin that uses fresh frozen plants as starting material. Instead of drying and curing plants, operators will freeze them immediately after harvest to lock in terpene content. It creates a pretty flavorful type of dab and vape.

Rosin

Rosin is a solventless concentrate. It is made by applying heat and pressure to dried and cured cannabis, most often with devices called rosin presses. You can also make rosin at home by pressing a lot of cannabis plants on wax paper with a hair straightener. Rosin is mostly consumed as dabs, it is becoming more popular for vapes and edibles.

Live rosin

Live rosin is rosin that uses fresh frozen plants as starting material. Just like rosin, it is seen as the closest possible representation of a strain’s original chemical profile, due to no solvents being used in the process. Dabs, vapes, and edibles made with live rosin are super delicious.

Kief

You’ve probably heard of dry sift hash, but just know it is as kief. It is also called dry sieve hash. The terms can be used interchangeably.

Dry sift hash is a solventless concentrate made by using mesh screens to separate trichomes from dried cannabis flower. It is commonly used to top bowls and add to infused joints.

Bubble hash (Ice water hash)

Bubble hash is a solventless type of hash that uses ice water to separate trichomes from plants. For this reason, it is also called ice water hash. The reason it is called bubble hash is because of how it bubbles when you dab it. Full-melt hash is the highest quality of bubble hash.

What are the different textures of concentrates?

Now that you know the various types of concentrates, let’s discuss the many textures they may take.

Wax

Wax is an overarching term that refers to many different types of concentrates. It is named wax, for having a waxy texture, and is the result of solvent-based extractions that use hydrocarbon solvents like butane, propane, and ethanol. 

Shatter

Shatter is a hardened, glass-like form of concentrates. It is also called pull-n-snap because of its stretchy, pullable texture. Shatter is most commonly formed through BHO extraction. Most shatter is smooth and some shade of amber/gold in color. Shatter is pretty obsolete in the current extracts market.

Butter/Budder and Batter/Badder

Butter/budder is a whipped form of concentrates. It’s loved for being easy to shape and work with. One of the most popular forms of cannabis concentrates right now is live rosin budder. Batter/badder is pretty much the same thing as butter/budder, but with a little bit more runny texture.

Crumble

Crumble has a soft, brittle, and somewhat powdery texture to it. It is called crumble because of its dry and crumbly feel. Crumble is another one that’s made through solvent-based extraction. You don’t really see crumble around too often these days.

Sugar

Imagine a scoop of sugar ranging between deep amber and a shiny yellow, with a little water poured on it—that's what this loose, wet, semi-crystalline cannabis concentrate looks like, and is understandably called sugar or sugar wax.

Often extracted using butane hash oil from either dried or frozen flower buds, sugar concentrates tend to have rich flavors.

Sauce and Jam

Sauce has a sticky, liquid texture to it. It is full of terpenes and oftentimes will have THC diamonds on top of it. It is very similar to jam, and the terms can be used interchangeably.

Jam is basically sauce, but a little bit thicker. Oftentimes the terms are used interchangeably.

With all of these different types and textures of concentrates, it’s important to remember that quality relies on who made them and how not just what they look like.