Similar to that orange juice concentrate in the back of your freezer, cannabis concentrates are the product of distilling down the most desirable parts of the plant. They contain all the cannabinoids and terpenes of cannabis flowers and none of the excess plant material. Ounce for ounce, marijuana concentrates have a far greater proportion of cannabinoids and terpenes than raw cannabis flowers.
Cannabinoids and terpenes are responsible for the effects, aroma, and flavors you might experience with any cannabis product. They are found throughout the cannabis plant in small, sparkling structures called trichomes. A cannabis concentrate is simply a condensed accumulation of these trichomes.
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How to consume cannabis concentrates
In the same way that not all concentrates are extracts, not all concentrate customers are dabbers. Dabbing is the process of heating a concentrate or extract to the point that it vaporizes, producing a highly potent vapor the consumer can inhale. Dabbing is the most common consumption method associated with concentrated cannabis, which explains why you'll hear concentrates referred to as dabs. But these products can also be experienced via vape pens, tinctures, topicals, edibles, and more.
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For a low-maintenance potency boost: top your flower
Adding powdered kief to your bowl or wrapping wax around a joint can up the potency of your smokeables with little extra effort. These methods don't require any of the expensive tools necessary to dab, while still increasing the potency of your smoke and adding extra flavor from the concentrate.
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For an intensely potent, fast-acting high: dab
When most people talk about consuming cannabis concentrates, they're typically talking about vaporizing the concentrate using a dab rig. This method consists of heating the nail, or the dab rig equivalent of a bong bowl, and then applying the concentrate directly onto the hot surface, instantly turning it into an inhalable vapor.
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For a long-lasting, smoke-free high: eat an edible
Edibles rarely make it into the cannabis concentrate conversation, but they should. Store-bought and homemade edibles alike are made possible by cannabis extracts. Much like vapes, they don't require special equipment and are easy for new consumers to try. And much like dabs, they can provide a long-lasting, potent high depending on the dose.
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