CBD concentrates: everything you need to know about the different types and their extraction and manufacturing methods

Some find that flowers, however premium, have a drawback : they rarely exceed 25% CBD. That's good, but not enough for some. That's where a whole new world comes in: the world of concentrates with products containing up to 80% CBD!

Hash is one of them, and while it is the most widespread, others, including some less well-known ones like moonrock, wax, crystals, shatter, terpsolators, crumbles or isolates, are just as worth exploring.

In this article, we offer a closer look at CBD concentrates, their advantages, disadvantages and methods of consumption, which are as different as the concentrates themselves.

What is a CBD concentrate?

The term "CBD concentrates" encompasses all products derived from the extraction of active molecules found in hemp flowers. Specifically, various techniques are used to separate cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids from the plant material. Each technique has its own characteristics and yields a different result, with varying textures, flavors, and potency.

The two families of concentrates

Within the group of CBD concentrates, two subgroups are often distinguished:

Solvent-free extractions

Extracted primarily through mechanical processes, solvent-free methods are often considered more natural. This subgroup includes most resins, rosin, and moonrock.

Solvent extractions

Solvent-based extractions are derived from chemical processes, using chemical reagents for BHO (butane honey oil) or supercritical CO₂ for crystals, isolates and terpsolators.

The resulting extracts are often highly concentrated, but the process must be carried out meticulously, particularly in the case of BHO, as it requires ensuring the removal of chemical reagents from the final product. This category includes shatter, wax, and crumbles.

 

 

Consuming concentrate rather than flowers: what difference does it make?

The proportion of active molecules in flowers varies between 10 and 30%; the rest is plant matter and constituent molecules (chlorophyll, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, residual water, lipids/waxes, etc.). This means that approximately 70 to 90% of the consumed material has only a limited impact on the perceived effects. Its primary influence is on the consumption experience itself.

With concentrates, it's the complete opposite: the 10 to 30% of active molecules that make up the flowers are extracted to create a product in its own right. This type of product regularly reaches 60 to 90% concentration, so it has a much more pronounced effect in terms of sensation and produces a completely different consumption experience.

In practical terms, to obtain 1g of pure CBD, you need 4g of flowers at 25% CBD, whereas you only need 1.25g of moonrock at 80% CBD. This means the product is more expensive to buy, but more economical in the long run, as a smaller amount is enough to reach the same CBD level.

 

CBD resins, or hashish

 

Certainly the best-known and most widely used CBD concentrates , CBD resins have been produced since time immemorial. Traditional pollen extraction techniques involve rubbing the flowers by hand or on a sieve. These techniques, still used in several countries around the world, such as India and Morocco, are used to obtain most traditional hashish and charas. However, other solvent-free techniques have since emerged. These include ice-o-lator, or ice water extraction, and static sift, an extraction method using static electricity.

The molecules thus extracted are often referred to as CBD pollen before undergoing a pressing step, hot or cold, which gives the resin its final form.

The texture of the resins is often crumbly, more or less malleable depending on the CBD concentration, and more or less oily.

The color ranges from light brown to black, depending on the concentration and the extraction and pressing techniques used.

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CBD Moonrock

 

moonrocks moonrockCBD dusty, rock-like appearance, hence its name, moonrock.

The process applied to CBD flowers generally achieves high concentrations of 60, 80 or even sometimes 90%.

The moonrockconcept was a resounding success, inspiring many imitators and creating a multitude of variations. Among them:

 

• Small small bud moonrock : the same principle is applied to small flowers, producing small concentrated "kibble".
• Icerockicerock icy color. Depending on the case, this color may result from the final coating stage using CBD isolate powder. In other cases, it comes from cryogenically frozen CBD pollen.
• Moonstone moonstone : This is a variant of moonrock and coating, often described as softer, with a lighter hue and a more lemony taste.
• Sun rock : another variation of moonrock, made from an outdoor flower. The CBD concentration of sun rock is often slightly lower, and its price reflects that.

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Rosin and Live Rosin

Rosin and live rosin (its version made from fresh CBD flowers) are relatively recent extraction methods. The first mentions of these CBD concentrates appeared in the early 2000s, but it was in 2015 that it truly gained popularity, when Phil "Soilgrown" Salazar perfected the process for his dispensary and publicly shared his trials and results.

The technique is appealing because of its simplicity: simply press a CBD flower between two heated plates. For dried flowers, the temperature is generally between 160°C and 200°C. In the case of live rosin, made from fresh material, the heat used is lower, ideally below 90°C, to best preserve the cannabinoids and terpenes. The technique is so simple that it can be done at home using just a hair straightener.

Under the combined effect of heat and pressure, a resinous concentrate naturally flows from the flower, with CBD levels reaching 60 to 80% depending on the flower used .

BHO concentrates

BHOs , also known as hash oils, from which wax, crumbles and shatterare derived, are quite similar, although their texture and concentration vary depending on the extraction method and post-processing.

BHO techniques developed slowly throughout the 70s, 80s, and 90s, mainly through experimentation in the underground scene. They gained new momentum around the turn of the millennium when a contributor identified as Indra B. Gurung (John Henry Davis) published a method called the “Hash Honey Oil Technique” on the Erowid library, describing the use of butane as a solvent to extract cannabis resin.

This publication played a major role in the online dissemination of so-called “open-blast” hydrocarbon extraction processes, which popularized the idea of ​​making your own concentrated oils, even though these techniques are very dangerous. Fortunately, it wasn't long before “closed-loop” systems were developed in the 2000s: equipment that contains, recovers, and recycles solvents in a closed circuit, thus making the process safer.

CBD Wax

CBD wax is a concentrate obtained through hydrocarbon extraction, recognizable by its softer, opaque, and slightly creamy consistency. To make wax, the purified cannabinoid concentrate must be heated and worked to maintain this soft and slightly sticky texture.

CBD levels vary depending on the raw material and refining process, but they are frequently between 60 and 80%. Wax often retains a significant portion of the terpene profile, giving it an aromatic intensity appreciated by consumers. Its malleability makes it easier to handle than shatter, while still offering a high concentration of cannabinoids and a very distinctive taste.

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CBD Crumble

CBD crumble, sometimes called “honeycomb,” is distinguished by its dry, crumbly texture, the result of a specific technique.
Once the CBD is extracted, it is purified to remove waxes and impurities, then gently heated under vacuum to eliminate any solvent residue. As it cools, the CBD takes on a dry, crumbly texture.

CBD concentrations typically range from 60% to 80%, depending on the quality of the raw material used. This type of CBD concentrate is often appreciated for its stability at room temperature and its ease of use. Aromatically, it may have a slightly less intense profile than a wax richer in terpenes, but this is highly dependent on the processing method and storage conditions. Like other BHOs, it combines high concentration with a low volume of residual plant material.

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Shatter CBD

 

shatter is recognizable by its translucent appearance and hard, brittle texture. Unlike wax and crumble, the extract is minimally processed after extraction: it retains its crystalline and compact structure, giving it a "broken glass" appearance, hence its name.

CBD levels can reach 70 to 90%, especially when it comes from a high-level refining process. Shatter is generally appreciated for its visual purity and high concentration. However, its rigid texture can make it slightly less practical to handle than wax or crumble.

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Supercritical CO₂ extractions

Unlike BHO, supercritical CO₂ extraction is not an innovation specific to the cannabis industry. It is a technique developed in the 1970s for the food and pharmaceutical industries. It is notably used for decaffeinating coffee and extracting natural flavors. It is primarily valued for its precision and for using carbon dioxide as a clean, non-toxic, and recyclable solvent.

The first traces of its use in the context of cannabis date back to the early 1990s, but it became widespread in the 2010s with the progressive legalization of medical and then recreational cannabis in North America.

 

CBD isolate, crystals and terpsolator

 

 

CBD crystals, isolate, and terpsolator are all fairly similar products . Essentially, they all involve creating an isolate, then several additional steps to obtain crystals, and then further steps to obtain terpsolator.

To obtain isolate, the process begins by extracting the CBD concentrate and then undergoing several refining steps to remove waxes, terpenes, and other cannabinoids. The result is a white crystalline powder typically containing over 99% CBD. Highly valued for its neutrality and purity, isolate is tasteless and allows for precise dosing. It can be used as is, as well as to create oils, capsules, cosmetics, and food products.

To create crystals, a crystallization step is added to the purification process. This doesn't change much in the taste or composition of the concentrate, only its general appearance in the form of small crystals.

Finally, for terpsolators (or terpsolates), it involves mixing CBD isolate or crystals with between 10 and 30% terpenes to obtain a stable and pure product with taste and an interesting aromatic experience.

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How to consume CBD concentrates?

CBD concentrates can be consumed in different ways , depending on their texture, concentration, and the desired experience.

Vaporization (dabbing)

The most common method involves vaporizing the concentrate using a suitable vaporizer or dab rig. The concentrate is heated to a high temperature to produce a vapor rich in cannabinoids and terpenes. This method allows for rapid absorption and a more pronounced effect than traditional flower, due to the high CBD concentration.

Adding to a flower

Some consumers choose to add a small amount of concentrate to CBD flower in a vaporizer. This technique increases the potency without completely altering the consumption experience.

Infusion and incorporation

Thanks to their purity and neutral taste, CBD isolates and crystals can be incorporated into culinary preparations or diluted in a fat, such as vegetable oil or butter. Since CBD is fat-soluble, it naturally binds to fats.

Some precautions

Since concentrates are significantly more potent than flowers, it's recommended to start with small quantities. The quality of your vaporizer and the product's origin are also essential, especially for concentrates extracted using solvents