curious about concentrates

Long time bud smoker here ... in fact, I'd say I'm an _expert_ bud smoker ... and lately I've gotten curious about concentrates.

I see dispensaries carrying all kinds of hash, wax, oil, etc. Some of these concentrates have sky high THC levels like 10X what you get with buds.

What is the difference in the effects of medicating with a concentrates v. a flower? Is the high different in the way an edible high is different than smoking/vaporizing? Or is it just that you need less for the same effect?

Also, do you always mix these concentrates with buds when you smoke them?

And what's the difference between wax/oil/hash? It seems kinda gimmicky to me.

WTF are shiva crystals?

Hash is a generic term, like concentrates. The way the THC is extracted, the strain, portion of the plant used, and the expertise of the maker all determine the quality & different kinds of concentrates.

BHO is the typical way you will find that wax/oil are made. BHO - Butane Hash Oil. You can see plenty of youtube videos, but essentially butane is used to draw the THC into solution through a tube into a glass container, then evaporated off. Depending on the strain you'll get a taffy-like consistency - all the way to a wet-sand like product. Better quality examples will be golden to reddish in color, and should not contain any green chlorophyll residue. Some people prefer CO2, but it's more difficult and more expensive to make. Water/bubble hash is the common type that's brown, black or greenish and it's made with water and ice. I used to see finger hash which was made from the resin that got on harvest workers fingers.

The high is decidedly different in my opinion. Stronger, shorter - and a little weirder. On a skillet or globe, a big hit can knock your ass to the floor - it happened to me and I have witnesses.

wax is to cannabis what free-base (crack) is to cocaine. I hate to put it that way, but deal with reality.

Baldy has provided some key info on concentrates...they are essentially the "super-crunched down" version of cannabis' compounds.

The KEY with concentrates...they are ALL different and you would be VERY lucky to find ANY type of consistency amongst them. Sometimes they will be brown, sometimes yellow, sometimes loose, sometimes rock hard, etc...and that could ALL be the result from the SAME producer!

Most concentrates; and REMEMBER THIS PART, are made through a BHO or Bubble Bag process using TRIM MATTER. Now, this is not to say that you cannot find good cannabinoids in trim matter; however, what you usually find LOTS of is excess chlorophyll and plant bi-products (from pre-harvest flushing and other cultivation products; organic or not). Some people think that becoming "paranoid" after consuming a bit of a certain strain means that it is SUPER loaded with THC or CBD...nah. The reason people experience negative symptoms has to do with smoking or consuming organic matter that is NOT compatible with the human brain!! We have cannabinoid receptors in our brains; therefore, our brains process the 60+ different cannabinoids present in the strain and deliver various medicinal results. We do NOT have chlorophyll receptors!! See where I am going with this?

So...a GOOD concentrate is one that is made consistently in the SAME manner with the SAME results...more importantly; look for the most PURE version. In all reality, the most pure concentrates are somewhat transparent (almost opaque white/clear). When you can draw out JUST the trichomes, you are in luck...most concentrates draw out too much garbage.

Here at Epsilon; we make tinctures using a patented purification process that involves cleansing our product prior to extraction (removing excess chlorophyll and bi-products) and we also developed a way to activate MANY of the somewhat "unknown" cannabinoids (60+) that most folks dont even know exist!! THC and CBD are NOT responsible for the majority of the medicinal effects produced in the body...they are simply two active cannabinoids that "boost" the effects and efficiency of the OTHER 60+ cannabinoids...those are all responsible for different medical treatments.

We do NOT produce BHO, wax, crystals, or any of those other random and strange "Concentrates" that you see all over the MMJ community...most of them are made using harmful chemicals. You might as well be cooking up meth. Using BUTANE to extract cannabinoids may be effective; however, it is a guaranteed way to hurt yourself; whether internally or externally from a damn explosion! Our TINCTURES are made using proprietary combinations of several strains; we have spent over 6 years studying various pure lineage strains to develop formulas that can work STRONGER, FASTER, and more POTENT than anything else you will come across. While most of the tinctures/concentrates on the MMJ market are a "short-lived" and super strong experience...ours are very "long-lived," even stronger (but without paranoia or negative feelings), and the medicinal benefits are tremendous.

ALWAYS ASK YOUR COLLECTIVES about their concentrates in DETAIL. Find out what strain they are made from, HOW they are made, if there are chemicals used in the process, HOW they determine their "claims" of potency, etc-etc. Please do not smoke/vape ANY concentrate that you cannot fully trust and understand. You best route to go on is sub-lingual tinctures to get a pure cannabis effect.

Solid info here. Thanks for the detailed posts.

Epsilon, are your tinctures under the Epsilon brand name? Are they available anywhere in the Bay Area?

This is all very interesting. I appreciate you guys taking the time to share your knowledge.

Baldy, what's a 'skillet or globe'? Are you medicating with the concentrate alone or mixing it with flowers?

Would appreciate the opinions of the bud cognoscenti here on Rick Simpson Oil. Also, have any studies been done on concentrates wrt the downsides? I have made some negative observations about dabbing after trying it a couple times, and at first couldn't stand up after 1 hit. P. intense, and I know of teenagers who are into it. I'm in my seventies, and I can assure y'all this ain't grandpa's weed.

One other question. Is it all owing to tolerance, or is it possible that in the quest to maximize THC content many of the cannabinoids that enhanced the experience 50 years ago have been lost along the way?

Does one get as much satisfaction from frozen concentrated orange juice compared to fresh squeezed?

Seriously though, in your case I'd try some of the pre-filled vape pens that are fairly common in dispensaries now days as they are not going to be as intense of an experience for sure compared to dabbing. Any of the ones that are using Glycol or Glycerin including O-Pen have the about the same potency as good flower (20%) due to the fact they are cutting with glycol. There is another one I know of (Happy Jack disposable) that does not use Glycol and is much stronger (60%) but even so .......... it is not as intense as dabbing, so there are a few options out there.