Cannabis concentrates or “extracts” come in many shapes and forms and can be consumed in a variety of methods.

These concentrates are derived by distilling the most desirable parts of the plant that contain all of the cannabinoids and terpenes of the flower, without any of the plant material.

Some forms of cannabis concentrates include: Shatter, Oil, Budder/Badder, Crumble, and Topicals.

Cannabis concentrates can be ingested through several different methods. Dabbing is one of the most popular methods, which involves using a rig to vaporize the concentrate.

Simpler methods include using a THC vape pen with either refillable or disposable cartridges, or by adding the concentrate on top of your bowl or spread across a joint.

There are 3 main methods for extracting cannabis concentrates from the plant:

1. Hydrocarbon Extraction: this method involves using Butane and other similar compounds to extract plant-based chemicals from the plants such as cannabinoids and terpenes. This method is also used outside of the cannabis industry to make essential oils and oil-based fragrances.
2. Ethanol Extractions: this method involves using a solvent and dripping it over the buds to extract the desired chemicals from the plant. The solvent is later dissolved, leaving behind the concentrated product.
3. Supercritical CO2 Oil: this method involves using a highly-pressurized form of CO2 that is dripped over the bud (similar to Ethanol Extractions) to extract the desired parts of the plant. The bonus to this method is that it leaves no harmful byproducts behind and produces a thin substance that is great for vape pens.

Cannabis Concentrates can come in any of the following varieties:

1. Shatter is a brittle, glass-like substance that can be broken up or have a snap-and-pull consistency. Shatter typically has a golden brown/yellow/amber colour throughout.
2. Crystalline/Diamond concentrates are a single, crystallized cannabinoid of either THCA or CBD. These are very powerful forms of concentrates and come in white crystals that vary in size and density.
3. Hash concentrates are made by extracting the trichomes of the cannabis plant using physical manipulation and temperature changes and do not use any solvents or chemicals. Some commons form of Hash include Bubble Hash and Dry Sift Hash.
4. Live Rosin concentrates are made from ice water hash that is pressed out using heat and pressure. Live Rosin has a waxy texture that is quite thick, and it’s taste is incredibly flavourful as its doesn’t lose any of the terpenes in the process. Because it uses no solvents, the process results in an extremely pure substance packed with flavour.
5. Budder/Badder concentrates consist of a soft, oily substance that is reminiscent of a stick of butter and is very easy to handle. You can easily dab or spread this substance on your joints due to how malleable and easy to handle it is.
6. Crumble concentrates has a similar composition to Budder but it is more brittle in nature. Crumble has a similar colour as well but comes in a much more dull finish.
7. Sauce concentrates are thick and viscous substances that can come in a multitude of different colours from deep amber to bright yellow. It has a uniform crystalline structure that can be seen throughout.