Hash and cannabis concentrates contain the most THC, so even a little will go a long way. These cannabis products have been created to intensify THC potency and help consumers make the most out of their marijuana consumption.
Hash has been around for thousands of years. It originated in Persia and Central Asia before it made its way through the Middle East and eventually Europe.
The original hash processing was done by hand without any other additives or chemical processing. People understood where the most THC was to be found and created products that would maximize this precious cannabinoid.
Nowadays, many THC concentrates exist, each with its own properties, texture, and color. Different processing methods will create more bristle or more resinous concentrates. Their main advantage is that they typically contain more than 70% THC, so even the tiniest quantity will deliver all of THC’s potential.
Hash Was the Original Concentrate
People have known about cannabis for centuries. They used it for its anesthetic properties and for recreational and medicinal purposes.
As they better understood how cannabis worked, they tried to find a way to increase its potency without having to chew or eat immense quantities of marijuana leaves and flowers.
People in India started rubbing the cannabis between their fingers, thus removing its resin. The resin is where most of the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids reside. Stripping took time, but in the end, they would get enough resin to create what they called ‘charas’—a small ball of concentrated cannabis.
Other civilizations preferred to sieve the plants and heat them under the sun. This evaporated most plant matter and left behind the trichomes that contain many beneficial compounds of cannabis. The process produced a powder that was then heated to create cannabis concentrate.
Compared to today’s technology, original hash production methods were rather rustic and primitive. A lot of beneficial compounds were lost during the production process and the end product often contained impurities.
People slowly applied their knowledge of chemistry to deliver a more precise production process of hash and cannabis concentrates. The discovery of tobacco from the Americas in the late 15th century introduced the idea of smoking cannabis through a pipe, just like tobacco.
As hash and other THC concentrates spread into the Middle East and Europe, people started experimenting with smoking them or vaping them through a narghile, also known as a hookah, bong, shisha, or water pipe. These single- or multi-stemmed instruments were used for heating or vaporizing and then smoking tobacco, cannabis, and hashish. Thanks to the fact that smoke passed through a water basin before inhalation, this resulted in a consumption method that was closer to vaping rather than smoking.
These days, you can find various THC concentrate products in dispensaries across the United States. Their THC content varies, depending on the extraction process and their texture fluctuates from liquid, gooey, and sticky to solid and glass-like.
Shatter, Budder, Crystalline, and Wax Explained
All concentrates are dabbed and inhaled with a vape pen. They can also be smoked with a bong. The THC enters the bloodstream through the lung capillaries and takes effect almost immediately. It stays in the system for 60 to 90 minutes until it slowly gets metabolized and broken down by the cannabinoid enzymes in our body.
Shatter
Shatter is produced with the help of a butane-based solvent to extract THC from cannabis. It has a glass-like consistency and texture and is usually dabbed. It contains between 70 and 90% THC and, as a result, is highly potent.
Budder
Budder is the butter of the world of cannabis. It has a buttery texture and, just like shatter, is made with butane. However, following the THC extraction, budder is further agitated, heated, and put under pressure to produce its characteristic buttery texture.
Budder is thought to contain up to 99% THC but has a shorter shelf-life than shatter. It should be bought in small quantities and you should renew your stock once you have finished your previous budder.
Badder or Batter
Badder or batter is made in the same way as budder but with different pressure and heat at the last stage. It also has a spreadable texture and is widely used for dabbing.
Wax
Just like its name suggests, wax has a waxy texture. Like the rest of the THC concentrates, cannabis wax is extracted with butane solvents. Wax, budder, badder, and shatter differ in the processing after the THC extraction, namely the amount of heat and pressure that is applied. Wax has a pliable, thick but soft texture that makes it perfect for dabbing. It contains up to 90% THC.
Crystalline THC
Crystalline THC has the texture and look of a crystal. Crystalline THC uses an extraction method that strips THC alone off the plant matter. With no other cannabinoids or terpenes present, crystalline THC is the purest form of THC available. However, it misses out on the possible benefits of other cannabis compounds and concentrates.
Crystalline THC is odorless and looks like coarse sugar, hence its resemblance to crystals. It consists of 99% THC.
Crystalline THC can be added to edibles but also heated on a dab and inhaled.
How Can I Consume My THC Concentrates?
If you want to inhale your THC, you will need a dab rig or a vape pen.
A dab rig works by heating a nail for half a minute until it reaches the right temperature. You then apply your THC concentrate onto the hot nail. The heat evaporates the concentrate, which is turned into smoke. You then inhale that smoke through your lungs.
Alternatively, you can use a vaporizer or vape pen to inhale your THC concentrate. The vape pen heats the concentrate and you then inhale the vapors.
Trust Hillside Natural Wellness for Your THC Concentrates
THC concentrates require processing. Since most products are produced using butane-based solvents, you want your THC concentrate to be clean and contain no traces of butane or other solvents.
Our stock of THC concentrates has been thoroughly checked for purity. The quality of the products on our shelves is constantly inspected and we only carry THC concentrates from reputable brands that run quality controls and third-party lab tests on every batch.
