To Vape or Not to Vape?

Determining Which Method of Extract Consumption is Right for You

 

By: Jamie Solis

For anyone with an established tolerance to flower or a medical need for high potency cannabis compounds, look no further than concentrates. These cannabis extracts are popular for containing extremely high doses of the plant’s valuable cannabinoids like THC and CBD. Oil, shatter, budder, hash, wax—no matter what you call it, these products bear similar qualities, making “concentrate” an all-encompassing term.

Whether someone is curious about the most effective way to consume extracts while battling epilepsy or cancer, or they are just looking to ingest concentrates recreationally, there’s something for everyone. We will weigh the benefits of both vaporizing and orally ingesting cannabis extracts, and we will share which types of concentrates are best for each need.

Vape It

There are countless benefits of vaporizing. First, inhaling the healing vapors of cannabinoids provides fast relief for various ailments. Vaporizers are also chosen by patients, because it is less harsh on the lungs than smoking flower, especially when you choose a clean wax that is free from plant matter and other undesirable materials. Out of the many types of vaporizers currently available, the most prominent on the market are vape pens and dab rigs.

Discretion and Convenience

A vape pen is a small handheld device that vaporizes cannabis for the operator at the push of a button. These pens have become one of the trendiest and most convienent ways to consume concentrates. Not only are they easy to use on the go, but pens are also discreet, allowing you to medicate almost anywhere. Vape pens are such a growing phenomenon that ordinances have passed to ban their use in many cities. However, partake somewhere well-ventilated (typically outside), and you should be able to enjoy your medication without being hassled.

The growing trend of the vape pen is responsible for the virtually unlimited selection of pens available. This means there is a device compatible with almost every type of concentrate, from CO2 oils in its raw form to waxes, shatters and more. There are even some pens available for purchase at local collectives that are pre-filled with rich cannabinoid extracts. What’s more convenient than that?

Dab On

There are several dabbing techniques, but taking a dab usually resembles using a metal wand to drop a portion of concentrate onto a heated nail, where it is then sucked through a glass chamber filled with water and exits into the lungs of the operator. While it does sound like an exciting endeavor, dabs are serious medicine, and aren’t recommended for anyone intimidated by their prompt and intense effects. Dabbers are not afraid to travel far outside of their bodies to reach an effect never previously attained. Instead, that is often the goal with dabbing. The swift and strong onset of a dab is especially useful for patients hoping to alleviate chronic pain or nausea, among many other ailments.

Those with the confidence that it takes to give dabbing a shot will benefit from starting with a concentrate that is easy to manipulate on the wand. For this purpose, waxes, budders and shatters are easiest to maneuver and much more manageable to work with when compared to oils. Also, trendy dabbing techniques like dunking (where you drop a ball of concentrate onto the hot nail—slam dunk!) are near impossible to execute with oil because of its sticky consistency. So, if you plan on showing off, a clean wax will serve you right.

Oral Ingestion for Ailments

Adults and children with a multitude of diseases tend to favor the benefits of consuming cannabis orally. Typically, extracts are swallowed after they are encapsulated into pill forms, or the proper dosage is squeezed out of a syringe or dropper. Consuming hash this way has gained in popularity, especially to patients diagnosed with terminal illnesses. Bedtime is a popular time to orally ingest concentrates, because it allows a patient to take heavy and accurately consistent dosages, all the while the patient is fast asleep before the effects set in.

This technique is also less harsh on patients’ lungs than the alternatives that involve inhaling vapor. Unlike with edibles, swallowing a concentrate is free from extra calories and high amounts of sugar. This is ideal for patients with diabetes who require the long lasting effects of edibles but can’t handle the other aspects of medible treats. Typically, the encapsulated concentrates highlighted in the news are oils like Rick Simpson Oil, Charlotte’s Web Hemp Oil and others. However, different types of concentrates like waxes and shatters are also taken orally by patients everywhere.

There is a plethora of options when it comes to consuming concentrates. The choice a patient makes really comes down to their personal preference. Needs and wants will differ from person to person, so be sure to make the decision that will improve your overall quality of life.

 

Originally published by Culture Magazine on July 3, 2014: http://ireadculture.com/article-3978-to-vape-or-not-to-vape.html

Rules of Extraction

Where Do Concentrates Come From?

 

By: Jamie Solis

Seven-ten is celebrated by connoisseurs devoted to OIL (710 backwards and upside-down), which is a term used synonymously with wax, shatter, tincture, concentrates, dabs, budder, hash, etc. Although they are often grouped together, not all concentrates are created equally. In fact, there are many ways to strip the trichomes off the cannabis sativa plant, and it all starts with the extraction process. CULTURE is prepared to answer the unknowns by describing some basic extraction processes that use solvents like butane and isopropyl alcohol, as well as solvent-less ice water. We will also highlight which steps account for the end products differing between oil, wax and shatter.

SOLVENTS

Although popular, using flammable solvents like butane, hexane, ethanol, naphtha or isopropyl alcohol to extract cannabinoid, terpene and terpenoid rich resin can be downright dangerous, especially when it is done by amateurs in makeshift laboratories. There is a risk of explosion even if manufacturers take the necessary safety precautions, the product heeds a serious health risk of toxicity if any residual chemicals are inhaled, ingested or come into contact with skin. Basically put, leave the hash making to the professionals who use Class 3 edible solvents and properly purge the product from contaminants.

Butane and isopropyl alcohol are both solvents that are commonly used. Extraction of resin using butane starts by the manufacturer forcing butane through the cannabis material, stripping the plant matter of rich and essential cannabis oil.

Using isopropyl alcohol to separate extract from the plant typically starts by freezing the plant matter and alcohol. If the producer’s goal is simple honey oil, then one option is to pour the alcohol into the cannabis material and let it sit for a long period of time. (If the oil is going to be worked into wax or shatter later on, then they would probably rinse the cannabis with alcohol for about 30 seconds.) Following this, the maker will strain the plant matter from the alcohol mixture and evaporate the alcohol out from the concentrate. Whether the solvent used is butane, isopropyl alcohol or many other options, the end result should be honey oil, also known as BHO or hash oil. From here, the next step can be purging the oil, but there are additional steps to follow for a more refined wax or shatter.

Whipping the oil using various processes that typically involve heat will transform it into wax, also known as budder. This process adds some air into the substance, allowing for a more user friendly concentrate. Still high in terpenes, budder is flavorful and has about 70 percent THC.

If properly executed, a second extraction process of the oil will remove any unwanted substances like water and fats, and the result will be shatter, which is also called glass. With a smooth texture and clarity, shatter has over 80 percent THC.

SOLVENT-LESS

Ice water extractions have one of the best reputations for purity and safety. Unlike with solvents, water and ice cause a mechanical separation of the cannabinoids and essential oils. The resulting ice wax will have the appetizing flavor of the crystals you’re extracting instead of plant materials like chlorophyll. On top of an amazing taste, the cannabinoids in any batch of properly executed ice wax consistently test in the high 70s- low 80s.

While the process of extraction is key, it is also essential to start with high quality product, especially when it comes to making hash using ice water. This is because you can run low quality cannabis product using solvents and still get a decent product. However, in order to make the top of the line ice wax, it is necessary to start with top of the line, organically grown material that is free from molds, pests, mildews, fungicides, pesticides, etc.

Often we’re so quick to get our hands on whatever concentrate is out there, we’re not paying attention to the class of waxes, oils and shatters going into our bodies. Be sure to demand only the best, because there are people working to perfect extracting only the best from the adored cannabis sativa plant.

 

Originally published by Culture Magazine on July 3, 2014: http://ireadculture.com/article-3979-rules-of-extraction.html