The term “concentrate” has become one of the most ubiquitous, yet confusing words in the cannabis industry. It can refer to any number of products, from tinctures and cannabis oils to high potency dabs, like shatter and wax. No wonder so many people get confused!
In this article, we’ll provide you with an overview of the most popular (solventless) concentrates, including Kief, Hash, Rosin, and Moon Rocks. But first, let’s clear up some confusion over the differences between extracts and concentrates.
What’ the Difference Between an Extract and a Concentrate?
All extracts are concentrates, while only some concentrates are extracts. Confused? You’re not alone! There’s a huge source of confusion among novice cannabis consumers — and even the most seasoned users. Most people use the terms interchangeably. And, depending on who you ask, you may get varying definitions, many of which (to varying degrees) are valid. To minimize confusion, we’ll use the most accepted definitions:
The essential differences between extracts and concentrates depend on how they’re produced, specifically how the trichomes are collected.
Concentrates are made with or without solvents, heat, or high-pressure to accumulate the trichomes. Concentrates may use animal fats, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, vegetable glycerin, vegetable oils, or water. If they’re made without high-heat or pressure, they’re made using a physical or mechanical process.
Examples: Kief, Hash, Rosin, Moon Rocks
Extracts are produced with high-pressure and heat with solvents like carbon dioxide (C02) or a hydrocarbon-based solvent.
Examples: Shatter, Live Resin, BHO, PHO, Rick Simpson Oil (RSO)
Types of Cannabis Concentrates: Kief
Simply put, kief refers to the small and sticky crystals you see all over your flower. Mainly, you’re seeing the resin glands on cannabis trichomes. Kief may also be called dry sift or pollen. You can smoke kief any number of ways, from sprinkling on a bowl to sprinkling your joint with it (see image above).
Kief is so easy to produce, even the most novice cannabis consumer can make their own kief without any special equipment. All you need to do is use an herb grinder with three chambers to collect the kief crystals on a screen in a small compartment. Three-chamber grinders do this automatically.
Types of Cannabis Concentrates: Hash (or Hashish)
If there’s any concentrate that is true OG, it’s got to be hash. Hash has been in the game since the beginning of time. Almost literally! Hash is made from kief. This concentrated is produced by compressing powdery kief. Hash is less potent than many other types of concentrates, but it has a long and rich heritage across the world.
Types of Cannabis Concentrates: Rosin
A solventless concentrate, rosin, is produced using heat and pressure to isolate the trichome heads and resinous essential oils. This results in a solid form that is one of the safest and easiest concentrates to dab.
Using lower temperatures and higher pressure produces more the most terpene-rich and least adulterated form of rosin. Notably, one of the most interesting things about rosin is that compared to other concentrates, it most closely resembles the starting material.
Types of Cannabis Concentrates: Moon Rocks
We’re not 100% sure about the origins of Moon Rocks, but we’re pretty sure they were popularized by Kurupt.
If you haven’t tried Moon Rocks and you’re a cannabis enthusiast, you’re in for a treat! Typically, Moon Rocks are made by dipping (or spraying) dank, sticky buds in hash oil, then topping them off by rolling the “rocks” in kief shake. The result is a highly potent nug with 50 percent (or more) THC.
Other Types of Concentrates: Extracts
You should now have a solid grasp of concentrates, including:
- The differences between extracts and concentrates
- The essentials on the most popular concentrates
Other forms of concentrates, which are more specifically called “extracts” include:
- BHO
- C02
- Crumble
- Honeycomb
- Live Resin
- Oil Tinctures
- PHO
- Rick Simpson Oil (RSO)
- Shatter
You can find all the concentrates in this article at your local Have a Heart location.
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