As a cannabis coach, I make an effort to educate myself about the culture...this includes trying things that are new to me or are products that are harder to get.
It’s All About Research and Development
(No really, it is. Lol!)
As a way to mark this time period in cannabis history, I’m going to show you 3 different types of cannabis concentrates that are very popular (currently) in North America, so that you can see what I see.
- Live Resin
- Terp Juice, Distillate
- Shatter
A cannabis concentrate is exactly what it reads like.
A very condensed, concentration of cannabinoids or exceptionally potent plant medicine.
All concentrations are allegedly supposed to clock in at 95%+ THC or CBD (depending on the strains of cannabis that were used to make the concentrate).
It is generally accepted that 10 grams of flower will produce a gram of concentrate on average
This (of course) is very strain dependent and I have read that as little as 4 grams can produce a gram of concentrate. (Lucky, I’d say.)
At any rate, concentrates do require more flower buds to produce but their potency is exceptionally strong.
As a result of their powerful effects, only a tiny amount of of a concentrate is needed to properly dose the plant medicine.
The cannabis enthusiast will generally administer this type of plant medicine in tiny amounts which are called ”dabs”.
Dabs can be ingested through vapour that’s been created by heating a concentrate with a hot nail and running it through a water-filled bong to cool it. Alternatively, dabs can be heated in special ceramic vapourizers and the vapour they produce can be inhaled.
The hardest product to acquire (by far) was the LIVE RESIN
It was also the most expensive at $100 CAD a gram
Yeah, this little glass jar cost $100!
My understanding of the process involved in producing a live resin is that the flowers are picked at peak resin production and then frozen in that raw state before the THC or CBD is extracted from it.
This captures more of the terpenes and flavonoids along with the cannabinoids which are all found in the cannabis plant’s flowers when they are at the peak of their growth. The flowers used to make these live resins are not dried or cured.
This live resin was made from a strain of cannabis called Master Kush.
It’s aroma and taste was a pungent citrus that I perceived as being very lemony with a hint of woody spice.
I liked the whole experience and it was smooth on the back of my throat. It produced a gentle body relaxation without a severe couch-lock. This made physical function, still an option.
I dosed a small amount of live resin in the ceramic bowl, of a battery operated vaporizer.
As you can see, only a tiny amount of live resin is required. I used a toothpick to insert it, into the middle of the chamber of my vapourizer’s bowl.
In part 2 of this concentrates post, I will continue to show and review the distillate and the shatter.
I welcome your comments and I invite you to follow me on my journey...I’m always testing cannabis products for their efficacy.