Concentrates take the best properties of the marijuana plant and place them into small, powerful packages. Hash oil and tinctures are concentrates that have been around for thousands of years. They have origins in India and China. A more modern concentrate is Butane Hash Oil or “BHO.” BHOs are relatively new and have only been in known use for approximately the past 30 years. These are all different types of cannabis concentrates now for sale in Canada — aren’t you excited with the possibilities?
Why don’t we take a look at all these different types of concentrates, focusing specifically on wax and shatter. Wax and shatter are two of the most popular, because they are highly dabbable. If you have a dab rig, you likely already know a thing or two about wax and shatter.
Butane Hash Oil (BHO)
First let’s tackle the basics. Butane hash oil (BHO), are solvent based and solventless concentrates. A solvent based concentrate like BHO uses butane as a solvent to form a concentrated solution. Other common solvents used in concentrates are carbon dioxide, ethanol and propane.
BHOs form concentrates that most closely resemble the look of butter or honey. They are known by various names, such as: budder, dabs, crumble, butane honey oil and live resin.
Cannabis wax and shatter are two of the more common BHOs. You can find these cannabis concentrates for sale online and they are best used by experienced cannabis users. They can contain cannabinoids such as CBD and THC in very high potencies.
What Is Wax?
Cannabis wax is a broad term which mostly describes the nature of the concentrate. It can be consumed by smoking or dabbing. The name comes from it being similar in physical consistency to candle wax. Wax as a term can be used to describe various textures, like: shatter, crumble, honeycomb and budder.
These subcategories specify the physical properties of the wax. Shatter is glass like. Crumble crumbles. Honeycomb has holes like a bee’s honeycomb. Budder is whipped looking like a cake’s buttered frosting.
How Is Wax Made?
Wax is made by heating the marijuana plant with a solvent (butane) in a closed-loop extraction method. The resulting mixture is heated at low temperatures and whipped in order to remove solvent residual (butane).
Since this whipping is often done by hand it gains an aerated look on the peaks. This gives the wax a dry and crumbly texture. The wax can vary in moisture content which will make it look wetter or oilier. The finishing techniques of whipping and drying will also impact the physical appearance of the final product.
What is Shatter?
Shatter is a transparent, honey coloration and can “shatter” similar to glass. Sometimes it is also considered a subcategory of wax.
How Is Shatter Made?
Shatter is made from the trichomes of the cannabis flower. The trichomes of the cannabis bud are separated using butane. The trichomes are collected and heated to remove the butane. This newly created substance is mixed and becomes shatter. Since butane is a gas it could be dangerous if left in. Not to mention it is also flammable!
Due to the use of the highly flammable gas butane making shatter at home is not recommended as it could yield catastrophic results. There have been reported injuries and deaths from people trying DIY recipes they found online. This is why it’s recommended to buy safe, professional cannabis concentrates for sale online.
A Word of Warning
Overconsumption is not recommended. Shatter is highly potent. It is reported to contain 80 to 90 percent THC content depending on the variety. In contrast, cannabis flowers contain roughly 20 to 30 percent THC. This means it takes far less shatter to reach a high when compared to the plant form.
Dose matters and increasing the amount of THC will have profound effects. The effects come into play quickly and can last for several hours. At the end of the day it is still just concentrated marijuana but you do not want to over do it and regret it later.
What Are the Different Ways to Use Wax and Shatter?
Some people prefer to take a small amount of wax and add it to a joint for an extra hit of THC. But dabbing is perhaps the most common way to consume wax and shatter.
Shatter is consumed through smoking and inhalation. This is done by heating it up by adding a small piece into a pipe, hash pipe, bong, joint, vaporizer or dab rig. Dabbing takes place by using a dab rig, tool, torch, water and concentrate (wax or shatter).
A dab rig has all the same components as a traditional water pipe or bong. The method is pretty much the same as well. However, instead of a bowl it has a nail and dome. How these two components are heated up and used is the main difference. We suggest following recommended instructions for your own dab rig to ensure this is done in a safe manner. Beyond dabbing there are many variations and ways to customize but those are the basics.
Butane Hash Oils are not intended to be consumed orally. Due to the matter of being created with butane, a dangerous gas. There is risk of poisoning as it is difficult to know 100% that all of the butane has been removed from the product. Therefore, shatter, wax and other BHOs should not be made into edibles.We recommend buying cannabis concentrates for sale online.
Let’s Recap the Differences: Wax Versus Shatter
Wax and shatter can be pleasurable and potent concentrates when used correctly. They take little quantity to produce extreme highs so they’re not for the faint of heart. Since they are both BHO concentrates there is not much different between them. Wax can actually be a term to describe shatter as well.
They can both be used as a dab and the most notable difference is how they look due to the different means of production. You can find both cannabis concentrates for sale online. The main differences come down to how they are made and, consequently, how they are stored.
Shatter is trickier to produce but more shelf stable. This means it will last longer. Since it is brittle it can be more difficult to handle, measure and use.
Wax takes less effort and precautions to be made. However, it’s form is less stable than shatter so it will degrade quicker. Since it is more supple than shatter it is easier to handle, measure and use. It is similar to working with a consistency like refrigerated butter or hardened coconut oil.
The difference in effects comes more down to the type of properties they contain. The names are meant to be descriptive to help the buyer decide on these properties but often they can confuse novice users. Read the product description and often the name will make more sense. It often will bring insight by the name of the cannabis plant used to make the concentrate, the processing method, texture and recommended means of consumption.
