Concentrates: Cleared Up
Penn Health Group's guide to concentrates.
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What Are Medical Marijuana Concentrates?
Medical marijuana concentrates are oils that are extracted from the marijuana plant and contain high amounts of cannabinoids, terpenes and other compounds.
Cured vs. Live Concentrates
These terms are always thrown around, but what’s the difference? The difference is the type of flower that is used. Cured concentrates are made from dried, harvested flower, while live concentrates (also referred to as live resin) are made with fresh frozen, live flower.
Keeping up with Consistencies
Medical marijuana concentrates come in a variety of different consistency options. They are made through different processes which causes them to range in texture and color. Here’s a breakdown of the different consistencies available in Pennsylvania.
Badder/Batter: Badder comes in cured and live varieties and its consistency and color vary from batch to batch. After extraction, the oil is whipped with heat which makes it anywhere from a cake frosting texture to a thick sticky sauce with sugar beads, and is typically yellow to deep golds in color.
Budder: Budder is known for being easy to handle and full of flavor. Like badder, budder is also whipped after the extraction process. However, it is done without the presence of heat, which gives this concentrate its golden glow and smooth consistency.
Crumble: Crumble is one of the driest medical marijuana concentrates available. The crumbly texture comes from the low heat and slow processing time that is applied to dried or fresh frozen material. Crumble is chunky, flaky and varies in color from pale yellows to golds.
Crystalline THCa: Crystalline THCa are beautiful semi-translucent cannabis crystals. The crystals are formed when different heats and pressures are applied to cannabis sauce, which is why your crystalline is sometimes glazed with terpy goodness! When properly processed, Crystalline THCa is one of the purest forms of medical marijuana concentrates.
Sauce: Sauce can be live or cured and its structure is manipulated through controlled temperature and a build up of pressure that forms flavorful, terpene rich oil and cannabinoid crystals. The process is done slowly in order to control the crystals’ size which is what causes sauce to widely vary in texture. The consistency can fluctuate from a runny syrup to a thick, grainy honey and vary in color from yellows to deep amber
Sugar: This kind of medical marijuana oil is normally made through a method of extraction that is similar to how sugar is extracted from sugarcane. The process causes the terpenes and cannabinoids to crystalize, which preserves the flavors and aromas and gives the oil its texture. Sugar can be cured or live and ranges in color from ambers to yellows and has a wet, crystal texture that is sometimes in a honey-like puddle.
Wax: Wax can be soft yellows or honey colored, and varies in consistency from soft, moist, crumble-like chunks to sticky peanut butter. These textures are created by slowly cooling the extracted oils which enables them to keep their form and be less likely to fall apart.