Cannabis Concentrates Explained
Medical marijuana (MMJ) patients in the modern age could be considered spoiled compared to past generations of cannabis enthusiasts. The reason for this is because, with the evolved understanding of cannabis as a legitimate medical option and newer methods of ingestion, patients can obtain better results than ever in treating their ailments. One of the more recent paradigm shifts in treating medical conditions with MMJ is with cannabis concentrates. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this term, let’s dive right into an overview of common concentrates and how they are benefitting patients worldwide.
What Are Cannabis Concentrates?
Cannabis concentrates, also known as “extracts” refers to any substance created by extracting cannabinoids (chemicals found in marijuana that interact uniquely with the human body) from the cannabis plant. These concentrates come in many forms and contain various cannabinoid ratios depending on the method of extraction. The intent behind extracting marijuana compounds is to create a more condensed, potent version of the cannabis plant with increased medicinal capabilities. By extracting certain cannabinoids such as THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD (Cannabidiol), and many others, concentrates can target more specific medical symptoms and even treat ailments more effectively than smoking traditional loose-leaf cannabis.
What Forms Do Concentrates Come In?
How concentrates are formed depends entirely on how they are extracted. Though there are a wide array of products that can be made through a number of extraction processes, let’s take a look at a few of the most common.
Kief: The powdery remnants left over after grinding or crushing loose-leaf cannabis. Kief is also known to be called “pollen” or “sift” and consists of resin glands found in the cannabis plant’s trichomes (tiny crystals on the surface of marijuana buds). Typically, it is used to make hash but can also increase potency when added to ground marijuana in a bowl or joint.
Hash: As one of the most well-known concentrates, hash is made by compressing the resin of the cannabis plant. The aforementioned kief can be condensed using extreme pressure to form a harder, smokable substance with significant cannabinoid potency.
CO2 Oil: This concentrate has become a hot commodity for MMJ patients due to its convenience, discretion, and fast-acting treatment capabilities. Using carbon dioxide and intense pressure, a process called supercritical fluid extraction removes the essential compounds from the cannabis plant and converted into oil form. CO2 oil is highly concentrated with the desired cannabinoids and consumed by using a vaporizer, vape pen or pre-filled cartridges.
Butane Hash Oil (BHO): Butane extraction is used to make BHO, which is typically used for vaporizing or “dabbing”. Most often it will maintain a waxy form, but can also harden into a more crumbly, sometimes glass-like substance. BHO is one of the most potent extracts, having up to 80% THC content. This makes it a popular choice for those suffering from conditions such as chronic pain.
Tinctures: For MMJ patients not partial to smoking, tinctures are an excellent alternative. This liquid concentrate uses alcohol to extract the cannabinoids from the plant. Rather than filling a joint, pipe or vaporizer, tinctures are administered orally underneath the tongue. Just a few drops and the medicinal benefits of cannabis can be experienced by the non-smoking MMJ patients.
Creating cannabis concentrates is a highly involved procedure regardless of the substance. To avoid wasting precious cannabis products and to keep our patients safe, we recommend only consuming cannabis concentrates provided by experts from your local dispensary. They will also be able to help you choose which extract will hone in on your particular medical condition’s symptoms for optimal treatment.
We hope you found the above information helpful and we look forward to sharing even more with you on cannabis concentrates, products, political news and much more!
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