Hey Broskis and Brosephinas! 🤟🏼
Amanda here, and today we are going to be talking about my FAVORITE way to medicate, CANNABIS CONCENTRATES.
So, what are they already!?
For a basic, to the point definition: A concentrate, oil, or extract is any product derived from cannabis flower, that is processed into a concentrated form. Like most plants in nature, the cannabis plant has essential oils. You’ll notice most weed has that signature smell, but each strain has subtle differences in scent and taste.
But, each type of extracted and/or processed cannabis concentrate is unique. These include, but are not limited to, distillate, RSO, hash (I love hash so much.), tinctures, shatter, diamonds, crumble, HASH ROSIN (my favorite), and so much more!
I’ve been following a few extractors on Instagram, for a couple of years now, and from what I have seen, it usually takes about 3.5 grams, or as you might know it, an 1/8th of flower, to make more or less, 1 gram of concentrate. Therefore, it is stronger than regular flower when medicated with..
There isn’t just one way to have cannabis concentrates either. Take cannabis flower for example: you can light it with a flame and use combustion to smoke it, or you can vaporize it. With concentrates, you can ingest it either on its own (like a tincture) or in a capsule, dab it, smoke it ON TOP of your flower, vaporize it, put it in a cartridge, you name it!
The most common type of way to medicate with cannabis concentrates is known as “dabbing” and involves using an “oil rig”. I.E., a smaller sized bong used for cannabis concentrates. Along with your rig, you need a quartz bucket/nail/banger and a glass cap to go on top. Heat your banger with a butane torch anywhere from 350 - 700 degrees, add the concentrate, and inhale from the water pipe.
There are also E-Rigs. These are battery powered water pipes, that do the heating for you. A couple are the "Puffco Peak" and "Focus Carta V". They are super portable, and there are several different ones on the market. I have several videos on my Instagram where I dab. Feel free to check them out! @handsgruber710
So, I think we should get to the different types of concentrates, and what they’re uses are. Shall we?
1. BHO (Butane Hash Oil), is a popular method of extracting the valuable compounds from the cannabis plant to essentially create a cannabis concentrate. This produces shatter, wax, diamonds, sauce, and things of that nature. Photo credit goes to Leafly.com!
To make this, the plant matter is "washed" with butane. As it passes over the plant, the solvent carries chemical compounds like terpenes, cannabinoids, lipids, and more from the plant. Once this step is complete, more work is needed to remove the butane solvent from the final product.
The main dangers with BHO, are IF the final product was purged completely of the solvent used in extraction, or the initial cannabis product was “dirty”. As long as everyone does their due diligence, you should be safe.
Most hash rosin is made by squishing ice water hash instead of flower at the right temperature and pressure levels. The flavor and effect are out of this world, and if you’re sensitive to having solvents in your dabs, this is the route for you!
3. Distillate is made through a process called “molecular distillation”. Commonly used to make acetone, gas or diesel fuel from petroleum, molecular distillation is a popular cannabinoid extraction method. Distillate is often what you find in vape pens. It essentially leaves all the cannabinoids, and is the closest thing to “pure” THC in that form.
4. RSO (Rick Simpson Oil): If you know about Medical Cannabis, you have probably heard of Rick Simpson. He claims to have covered his basal cell carcinomas with cannabis concentrates, and they disappeared. IN FOUR DAYS. He then dedicated his life to it! You can find recipes online to make your own at home, but it involves cannabis flower (he recommends indicas), isopropyl alcohol, a deep bowl, a spoon, and some patience! Photo: trythecbd.com
Here is the guide I used when I took RSO I few years back. RSO wasn't for me, but it may be for you!
“For one patient, the goal is to gradually consume 60 grams of Rick Simpson Oil over the course of a 90-day period.
Week 1: Start with three doses every day
Each dose should be about the size of half a grain of rice and should be administered once every eight hours (in the morning, noon, and night). The first dose will be about ¼ of a drop of RSO.
Weeks 2 through 5: Double your dose every four days
The average person will take between three and five weeks to reach the full dosage of one gram of RSO per day.
Weeks 5 through 12: Take one gram of RSO daily until you’ve consumed the full 60 grams.
Eventually, the patient will be taking about 8-9 rice-sized drops of RSO every eight hours.
The taste of the RSO may be slightly bitter or unpleasant, so patients may prefer to ingest the oil by swallowing it directly or mixing it with other foods, such as bananas, to help mask the taste.” leafly.com
Well. That was a lot of info, so I think I’ll leave you with that! I'm gonna go smoke a hash bowl! ‘Til next time!
Later!
Photo: Amanda @handsgruber710
Afghani hash snake, on top of Cinderella 99 cannabis flower.