The concentrates display can be one of the most mesmerizing in any provisioning center, offering dazzling options in various textures, hues, and styles. But with so many varieties of concentrates and extracts on display, it can also be challenging to know which one you should try. That’s why we’ve created this guide to 15 of the most popular concentrates you’ll encounter when you visit Iconic Wellness & Provisioning.
15 types of cannabis concentrates you can shop for in Michigan
Not sure what’s what when it comes to concentrates? Not to worry! This list of common cannabis concentrates gives you the scoop on what you’re looking at and why it’s worth taking home.
Keep in mind while going through this list that some of the concentrates here may overlap with one another (for example, live resin is a particular type of butane hash oil — more on that below!)
1. Dry Sift (Kief)
- How it’s made: Mechanical separation
- Consistency: Fine dust
- THC Content: ~30% – 60% THC
Dry sift, often called kief, results from the mechanical separation of trichomes — the resin glands that contain that majority of cannabinoids and terpenes found in the plant — from cannabis flower. You’ve probably seen kief in the bottom of your grinder or left on your hands after touching bud.
At the provisioning center, dry sift is made by agitating cannabis flower over a fine mesh screen until the trichomes fall through. The trichomes are collected and ready to roll. While this concentrate is easy to make, it’s also rather potent, so like all concentrates, a very small amount goes a long way.
2. Hash
- How it’s made: Mechanical separation
- Consistency: Solid brick
- THC Content: ~30% to 60% THC
Hash is a classic concentrate that’s been around for thousands of years. It can be made from dry sift by subjecting it to heat and pressure to compress it into a solid brick of trichomes.
Like dry sift, hash is significantly more potent than dry flower. It’s also convenient for consumers to use, as you can simply shave off a piece of the brick to smoke or vaporize it along with dry flower.
3. Butane Hash Oil (BHO)
- How it’s made: Hydrocarbon extraction
- Consistency: Viscous, sap-like oil
- THC Content: >90% THC
Butane hash oil (BHO) is a popular cannabis extract made using hydrocarbon extraction, and particularly butane, as the name suggests. BHO is a thick oil reminiscent of tree sap. It’s also extremely potent, containing 90% or more THC. BHO is known for its incredible versatility, and it can be post-processed into a variety of the other concentrates that appear on this list. It’s also commonly loaded into vape cartridges for use with vape pens.
4. CO2 Oil
- How it’s made: Supercritical CO2 extraction
- Consistency: Viscous, sap-like oil
- THC Content: >90% THC
CO2 oil is made through the process of supercritical CO2 extraction, in which carbon dioxide is subjected to cold temperatures and pressure to suspend it in a supercritical state. In this state, it acts as a liquid and a gas at the same time. In this phase, the CO2 becomes an efficient solvent that can pull cannabinoids and terpenes from cannabis flower. Unlike other extraction methods, though, it doesn’t require the removal of residual solvents after the oil is extracted. Like BHO, CO2 oil is highly potent, often exceeding 90% THC content. It is also commonly used in vape carts.
5. Shatter
- How it’s made: Solvent extraction
- Consistency: Thin, glass-like solid
- THC Content: ~80% – 90% THC
Shatter is a processed variety of solvent-based extracts, most commonly hydrocarbon extraction. To create shatter, concentrated cannabis oil is poured into a thin layer on a sheet and allowed to dry and harden. The result is a glass-like sheet of extract that can be broken up into small shards, hence the name shatter. Like the oil it’s made from, shatter is rather potent, but it’s much easier to handle since it comes in solid pieces instead of a sticky, sap-like liquid.
6. Crumble
- How it’s made: Solvent extraction
- Consistency: Dry, crumbly solid
- THC Content: ~80% – 90% THC
Like shatter, crumble is created by subjecting cannabis extract to specific post-processing techniques. Following extraction, the cannabis oil is left in a vacuum oven for longer than other types of concentrates, which results in a drier consistency. Some manufacturers will also lightly whip crumble to create an airy consistency. The result is a solid extract that crumbles into fine pieces under a slight bit of pressure. This can make it somewhat difficult to handle, but you might like the way crumble evenly combusts or vaporizes.
7. Budder
- How it’s made: Solvent extraction
- Consistency: Thick, smooth solid
- THC Content: >90% THC
Yet another variety of extract that is produced by post-processing oil, budder offers a thick, creamy consistency much like the food for which it’s named. Manufacturers make budder by agitating cannabis extract during the purging process during extraction. Then, budder is subjected to heat and pressure to remove residual solvents.
Budder is easy to handle as it can be easily manipulated using a dab tool, and it won’t fall to pieces like crumble. However, without the right tools and storage containers, budder can be quite sticky and messy.
8. Bubble Hash
- How it’s made: Ice water extraction
- Consistency: Dry, sandy solid
- THC Content: ~50% to 60% THC
Bubble hash (also known as ice water hash) is produced using a mechanical separation technique known as ice water extraction. While it’s not technically extraction, the ice water method involves the use of near-freezing water to wash cannabis flower and separate the trichomes from the plant material. The trichomes are then sifted through a series of fine mesh bags, collected, and pressed into bricks and freeze dried into bubble hash. Bubble hash is a solventless concentrate that offers high levels of potency, along with significant retention of the plant’s natural, flavorful terpenes.
9. Rosin
- How it’s made: Solventless extraction
- Consistency: Thick, gooey liquid
- THC Content: ~75% – 85% THC
Rosin is a solventless extract produced from bubble hash. It involves a device known as a rosin press, used to apply heat and pressure. After the bubble hash is dried, it’s placed between two vice-like plates of a rosin press. These plates are heated and pressed together, melting the trichomes in the bubble hash and squeezing out a thick, viscous oil rich in both cannabinoids and terpenes. Rosin is a great choice if you love to taste terpenes.
10. Live Resin
- How it’s made: Solvent extraction
- Consistency: Gelatinous, roe-like solid
- THC Content: ~75% – 85% THC
Live resin refers to a solvent-based extract that is produced from fresh frozen cannabis flower. When the flower is harvested, it is immediately preserved by freeze drying it, so it retains nearly all the cannabinoids and terpenes it contained at the time of harvest. That fresh frozen flower is then put through hydrocarbon, ethanol, or CO2 extraction to produce a live resin oil that is densely packed with terpenes.
11. Pull and Snap
- How it’s made: Solvent extraction
- Consistency: Stretchy solid
- THC Content: ~80% – 90% THC
A unique variety of shatter, pull and snap is more malleable and stretchy than its glass-like cousin. Pull and snap is made by subjecting BHO to more intense dewaxing than shatter, which results in a taffy-like consistency. It is just as potent as shatter, but some consumers may prefer the way pull and snap combusts or vaporizes compared to shatter.
12. Sauce
- How it’s made: Solvent extraction
- Consistency: Liquid with crystals
- THC Content: ~60% – 90% THC
Sauce is a type of extract high in terpene content, usually consisting of a terpene-dense liquid “sauce” that contains crystalline THCA. When consumed, the terp sauce provides a flavorful, aromatic experience, while the crystal THCA decarboxylates into THC and provides a potent high. Sauce is particularly popular with consumers who want a high level of terpenes, either for flavor, therapeutic benefits, or both.
13. Sugar
- How it’s made: Solvent extraction
- Consistency: Fine, crystalline powder
- THC Content: ~60% – 90% THC
Sugar is similar to sauce in that it contains high levels of terpenes, but lacks the liquid consistency that makes it difficult to handle. Resembling moist sugar, this fine powder is relatively easy to manage and offers both the potency and big flavors that earned sauce its popularity among terpene enthusiasts.
14. Diamonds
- How it’s made: Solvent extraction
- Consistency: Solid crystals
- THC Content: ~99% THCA
Diamonds are crystalline structures that form in an extract when it’s purged slowly over a matter of days. These diamonds are nearly pure THCA, meaning they offer a super potent consumption experience when vaporized or combusted. Once heated, the nearly pure THCA converts into THC, making diamonds an almost distillate-like product. Diamonds are sometimes sold separately, but are also commonly found in terp sauce.
15. Rick Simpson Oil (RSO)
- How it’s made: Solvent extraction
- Consistency: Thick, dark liquid
- THC Content: >90% THC
Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) is an activated extract ready to ingest orally – you don’t need to heat it up, smoke it, or vaporize it. Originally created by Rick Simpson, this thick, dark oil comes loaded in a syringe, making it easy to measure dosages and consume. Unlike the other types of cannabis concentrates on this list, RSO can be eaten directly out of the syringe or added to cold food or drink. It even has its own recommended regimen for consuming it. It’s particularly popular among consumers who prioritize the therapeutic benefits of cannabis. If you have a high tolerance, RSO may be a good fit, too.
How to consume concentrates
There are several ways to consume concentrates, including:
- Combine with flower: Most (though not all) of the concentrates on this list can be combined with flower to consume just as you normally would. For example, hash and dry sift can be added to a bowl, while many liquid concentrates could be brushed on the outside of a joint or blunt for a more potent session.
- Vape carts: Some concentrated extracts, like BHO or CO2 oil, can be used to fill vape carts. These vape carts can be screwed into a compatible vape battery like a universal 510 thread or a pod-specific battery like Stiiizy, making for a portable, discreet way to consume cannabis oil.
- Dab rigs: Concentrates can also be “dabbed” using a dab rig, which is a glass pipe that features a metal “nail.” The nail is heated with a blowtorch and then a small amount of concentrate is applied, where it’s instantly vaporized. This is the way extracts have historically been consumed, and it remains a common method for crumble, budder, and shatter, to name a few.
- Electronic dab rigs: Electronic dab rigs have modernized the process of dabbing, offering you the option to ditch the blowtorch used with a traditional dab rig setup. Instead, an electronic device heats an “e-nail,” making it much easier to apply your extract — especially when you’re on the go.
- Dab pens: Dab pens take ease of consumption to a whole new level, enabling you to load a small amount of extract into a simple portable device that resembles a typical vape pen. Instead, these devices are designed to work with extracts like wax, crumble, and budder, rather than just cannabis oil.
The exception to the above, of course, is RSO. Aside from this activated concentrate, the other types of cannabis concentrates you find in the dispensary need to be smoked or vaporized in order for them to work.
Shop at Iconic Wellness for expert guidance and wide selection
When it comes to concentrates or any other type of cannabis product, Iconic Wellness has your back. Shop our wide-ranging selection with expert budtenders by your side so you know exactly what you’re going home with every time. Whether you want to explore our live resin, rosin, or wax, we’ll walk you through each product and what it’s good for. Or, if you’d prefer flower, our deli-style selection allows you to pick precisely the buds you’d like to bring home. At Iconic Wellness, there’s something for every customer, so stop in our Michigan dispensary locations at Sturgis, Lowell, or Gaylord today!
