5 Great Concentrates for Beginners

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.

Cannabis concentrates have become increasingly popular in recent years for their incredible potency that you cannot find in other cannabis products.

But with the amazing amount of concentrate types on the market, it can be overwhelming for a beginner to navigate. Whether you’re a medical marijuana patient or a recreational user, there are many advantages to using concentrates, most notably the fact that you need significantly less to feel the effects, which can save you money.

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Concentrates is actually a broad term that refers to many types of cannabis products, but they all have one thing in common: it’s a type of cannabis that has been processed into some sort of concentrate form. The most common and prevalent concentrate out there are the vape cartridges, but there are so many more for you to explore.

More and more people are turning to concentrates, as opposed to traditional flower, purely for their potency. You can also consume them in so many different ways: dabbing, smoking, and even eating. But no matter which concentrate you choose, it’s always important to remember that you should start slow. It’s really potent, and it’s far too easy to get too high to actually ruin the experience. Gradually work your way up until you know the right dose that works for you.

However, here are the best concentrates for beginners to try:

• Kief: Keif, or dry sift, is made by extracting the trichomes from cannabis buds. This is a great concentrate to start with, especially if you are already smoking cannabis flower and want to take things further as it contains a lot more THC per gram compared to flower, but is still not as potent as other concentrates.

The trichomes of the cannabis flower are where the greatest concentration of THC, as well as CBD and other terpenes, is found. You can make your own kief if you have a three-piece grinder; The third component is crucial for collecting the bud debris, which is essentially what kief is. Once you have it, you can mix up the kief or sprinkle it into your joint or bowl. However, if you want to make it even more potent, squeeze it to create hash that you can smoke alone.

• Shatter: Shatter is an extremely common cannabis concentrate and the most accessible. Shatter has become very popular for its high THC content, ranging anywhere from 80% and higher, while standard cannabis buds average around 25%.

Splinter is easy to spot because it looks like glass and is amber or yellowish in color. It is made by covering cannabis buds in butane or some other solvent, after which it is cleaned to preserve its texture. You can consume shatter using a vaporizer made specifically for concentrates, although more experienced users will turn to dab rigs to get the most of its potency. Since shatter contains high levels of THC, you don’t need much to get a strong high.

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For beginners, shatter can be beneficial as you can break it down into smaller pieces suitable for dabs.

• Hash: Hash is a very popular and versatile cannabis concentrate. There are even some countries known for producing high quality hash like Morocco where it is part of their culture and is more popular than bud or flower. Hash is essentially a solid block of kief pieces pressed together.

Depending on the extraction process, hashish varies in color and shape. Hash is highly recommended for beginners as it is milder. While some concentrates may have 80% or 90% THC levels, hash ranges from 30% to 60%. Another reason hash is more appealing to first-time users of cannabis concentrates is its ease of use: it crumbles when lit with a lighter, so you can just grab the smaller pieces and add them to bowls or joints.

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Some people like to mix it with cannabis flowers or even tobacco. But some vaporizers on the market allow you to smoke hash for a smooth, strong hit. There are also many types of hash on the market including pressed ice hash and bubble hash to name a few.

• Budder: Also known as a batter or badder, this type of concentrate is unique for its malleable texture that tends to resemble cake frosting. Depending on the variety, however, they can look different, especially in terms of their texture and color, as they are produced using different extraction processes and starting materials. Some are the same color as butter, while others can be olive green. Some buds, on the other hand, are stickier, other strains tend to be crumblier.

Budder is consumed by dabbing as this process increases its potency. However, there are some cannabis users who prefer to sprinkle it onto a blunt or bowl, although it can also be vaporized.

• Live Resin: For cannabis users looking for a truly flavorful experience, you can’t go wrong with live resin. It is made using a unique process that requires freshly grown cannabis to be flash frozen prior to extraction. These buds are then gently extracted, carefully ensuring that their terpenes and cannabinoids are well preserved while giving you a highly concentrated product.

The drying and curing phase of cannabis usually ends with the loss of most of its spicy and fragrant terpenes, which are responsible for its flavor and aroma. However, making live resin means that these steps are skipped entirely, allowing you to enjoy some truly delicious flavor while vaping resin.

Conclusion

Many people are afraid of trying concentrates, but there’s really no reason to be afraid as long as you start small and slow. We hope that with this guide we’ve helped you narrow down the ideal concentrates to start your journey with.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.