Marijuana Concentrates: What They Are and How to Use Them

Here at Mountain Annie’s, we carry hundreds of THC and CBD products, including marijuana concentrates.

Marijuana concentrates are produced by removing plant materials like chlorophyll and other compounds. What remains is a concentrate of cannabinoids such as THC and CBD, as well as other cannabinoids and terpenes.

Marijuana concentrates contain much more THC than flowers. While flowers can contain 10 to 25% of THC, marijuana concentrates usually have 50 to 80% THC. This makes them more potent, even in small quantities.

People who choose to consume concentrates tend to either dab them, vape them, or smoke them. However, you can also cook with them and prepare healthy dishes that have a touch of THC for relaxation and a sense of wellbeing.

How Are Marijuana Concentrates Made?

A marijuana concentrate contains all the beneficial qualities of marijuana without the plant matter. The initial concentrate that is produced is a sticky and gummy substance. It can be processed to produce various types of marijuana concentrates such as budder, shatter, crumble, and wax.

There is a difference between marijuana concentrates and marijuana extracts:

• As the name suggests, marijuana extracts are manufactured by extracting beneficial compounds with a solvent. The most common solvents used are CO2, ethanol, alcohol, or butane.
• Marijuana concentrates, on the other hand, are produced without a chemical extraction process. In this case, producers use other methods, usually mechanical or physical, to produce marijuana concentrates with the help of pressure, filters, and heat.

Because marijuana concentrates are far more potent than flowers, we advise customers trying them for the first time to start with a small dose to evaluate how their body reacts to the cannabinoids. Not everyone reacts the same way to marijuana and less is often more: THC may be biphasic—i.e., it creates one effect at a low dose and its opposite at a high one—so you need to start low, go slow until you reach the desired effect.

What Types Of Marijuana Concentrates Exist?

From shatter to wax, crumble, and budder, there are various types of marijuana concentrates on the market.

Shatter

Shatter is produced by butane extraction. Instead of mixing the cannabis concentrate, the producer lets it rest, thus giving it its transparent appearance. The end product looks like broken glass, hence its name. Its color is close to amber. Marijuana shatter is highly concentrated and can reach up to 90% THC.

Wax

Just like the name suggests, wax is stickier and gooier compared to shatter. It, too, is produced with butane extraction—albeit at lower temperatures than shatter—and has a golden hue. Given its sticky nature, marijuana wax is usually dabbed or vaped.

Crumble

If you leave the initial marijuana concentrate on low heat, the excess humidity evaporates, leaving behind a crumbly substance aptly called crumble.

Budder

Cannabis budder is something between crumble and wax. It is not as dry as crumble but neither is it as sticky as wax.

Marijuana budder is produced in a similar way to wax. However, at a specific point during the process, it is whipped to create the budder consistency.

Marijuana budder is easier to manipulate, contains many terpenes, and has a characteristic flavor.

How Can I Consume Marijuana Concentrates?

With so many different marijuana concentrate products, it’s no wonder that you have plenty of options on how to consume them.

Dab

Many people choose to dab their marijuana concentrate. Dabbing is a very efficient way to consume marijuana shatter, budder, wax, and crumble.

To dab, you need a dab rig with a nail that can be heated. Once you have heated the nail for around 30 seconds, you place your marijuana concentrate on it. The heat turns the concentrate into a vapor, which you then inhale. Dabbing marijuana concentrates produces immediate effects as the cannabinoids enter the lung capillaries and are directed towards the bloodstream.

If all that sounds confusing, we carry many dabbing accessories in our eshop and our physical stores. Just ask us for tips on using a dab rig!

Vape

If you feel that dabbing seems too complicated and requires privacy and discretion, then you can always vape your marijuana concentrate.

There are pre-filled marijuana pens that are easy to transport and quite discreet. Vape pens can either be equipped with a pre-filled cartridge or you can buy a dab pen that you can fill with the marijuana concentrate of your choice.

Cooking with Marijuana Concentrates

If you want to enjoy your marijuana in a more relaxed and informal way, then marijuana edibles are a great option.

You will find plenty of edibles such as gummies, cookies, tarts, brownies, truffles, drinks, and taffy in our eshop.

You can also create your own recipes with the marijuana concentrate you buy. This lets you choose the concentrate that best matches your needs. It is also a great way to experiment with marijuana and design recipes that work for you.

Use Decarboxylated Marijuana Concentrates

If you want to get the most out of your marijuana concentrate, choose decarboxylated marijuana. Decarboxylation, or “decarbing,” activates raw cannabis into an enhanced potent form by turning non-intoxicating THCA into the more effective THC.

Shatter, budder, wax, and crumble are decarboxylated forms of marijuana that let you start your cooking straight away.

Include Fats in Your Recipes

Cannabinoids are lipophilic—i.e. they are attracted by fat and repelled by water. Therefore, it is best to include some type of fat in your recipe. This way, the cannabinoids will be more bioavailable to your body, which means that your body will absorb them better.

You can use in your recipes healthy fats like olive oil, butter, avocado oil, coconut oil, or any other fat that works for you.

Don’t Overcook

When you overheat your marijuana concentrate, part of the cannabinoids and terpenes is destroyed. Whenever possible, use little heat, ideally below 300 degrees F. This way, you will benefit the most from your marijuana concentrate.

It Takes Longer to Kick in

When marijuana is ingested, it takes longer to kick in. That’s because the concentrate needs to travel through your digestive tract before it reaches the liver to be metabolized.

While inhaling or smoking cannabis produces almost immediate effects, ingesting it could take up to two hours for your body to register the presence of THC and other cannabinoids. So, don’t get impatient and up the dose prematurely or you risk harming yourself.

Of course, ingested cannabinoids linger longer in the body, thus giving you a longer feeling of relaxation and wellbeing.

Choose Your Method of Consumption

There are so many options when it comes to consuming marijuana concentrate that you may feel overwhelmed.

Our staff is always there to guide you and help you find the product that best works for you. Our expert budtenders will inform you on the various ways to consume marijuana concentrates and advise you on which of the more than 700 strains matches your health expectations.

Order your marijuana concentrates online and pick them up whenever it’s convenient for you. Your marijuana selection will await you, carefully packaged and prepared. You can also visit us at Ridgway, Durango, Silverton, and Cortez. We are open Monday to Sunday, 8:00 am–8:00 pm.