A CBD concentrate is an extract from a hemp plant with a high level of cannabidiol. CBD concentrates are fairly new in the market but they are slowly becoming popular.
The hemp plant contains several chemical compounds. When a CBD concentrate is prepared, most of the chemical compounds are removed, and so are impurities, leaving behind highly potent CBD.
CBD concentrates can be consumed in several ways: vaping, dabbing, mixing with food and drinks; and they usually cause rapid and powerful effects.
Before you buy a CBD concentrate, you might want to know what extraction method was used. Generally, non-toxic supercritical C02, not solvents like butane and ethanol, make for the best quality of CBD concentrates.
How Do I Consume a CBD Concentrate?
For the longest time, the only way of consuming CBD concentrates had been by using dab rigs, but this method wasn’t ideal in every situation. Thankfully, we now have numerous ways of consuming CBD concentrates.
CBD concentrates contain zero THC, and they are also lacking in taste and odor; but this is because most of the chemicals in hemp plants, including terpenes and flavonoids, get eliminated during preparation.
Some manufacturers infuse artificial terpenes into CBD concentrates to enhance flavor. The biggest advantage of CBD concentrates is that overdosing wouldn’t affect you negatively.
Smoking
CBD concentrates can be smoked on their own or along with marijuana to water down the effects of THC. If the concentrate is crystalized, you have to crush it into a powder and roll it into a smokable stick.
The CBD-rich smoke flows into your lungs, whereupon it’s absorbed into your bloodstream and taken to your brain, causing strong effects.
If you like marijuana, you must know that excessive smoking can get you mighty high, so that you grapple with things like altered senses, mood changes, memory loss, and hallucinations.
You can mix CBD concentrate with THC concentrate to minimize the adverse effects associated with THC.
Dabbing
This is a popular method of consuming CBD. It involves flash vaporizing the CBD concentrate so that the user inhales the vapor with either a dab pen or dab rig.
This method is not very different than vaping, but it has been around for much longer. The dab rig is heated, vaporizing CBD concentrate, and then smoked with a pipe.
In vaping, the temperature can be controlled, because the heat is usually conducted, but traditional dab rigs comprise glassware and a naked heat source, thus there’s the risk of overheating.
Thankfully, we now have electronic dab rigs and dab pens, which allow for temperature control. Overheating dabs is hazardous because it can lead to the release of carcinogens.
Edibles
Infusing CBD into edibles is very popular among the working class. Just bring infused cupcakes to your workplace and your boss won’t suspect you’re consuming CBD, unlike having to place an oral syringe on your mouth.
Some people are not fond of CBD concentrates saying that they lack taste and odor, and if you’re one of these people, you can add CBD concentrates into your favorite recipe, thus making it fun to ingest.
But be careful not to overcook the concentrates. To preserve the full potency, you may want to just sprinkle the concentrate over your foods or into your drinks as opposed to cooking it.
Although this method makes for a fun way to consume CBD, the effects can neither be fast nor powerful, because digestion slows down CBD absorption and waters down the potency.
Homemade Creams
There are several CBD benefits for skin; it enhances collagen production, makes your skin glow, eliminates pimples, etc.
CBD concentrates have a great gelling property that allows them to mix well with most other substances.
And so, you may pulverize the CBD concentrate into a fine powder and then mix it with essential oils and a base liquid to create a homemade topical for cosmetic or sanitizing purposes.
Sublingual
Sublingual CBD ingestion makes for fast and powerful effects. It involves placing the CBD concentrate underneath your tongue.
The CBD gets absorbed into your bloodstream and carried off to the brain, and the effects come in pretty quickly.
This method appeals mostly to people with busy routines or those in environments where other ingestion methods are not ideal.
What is the Difference between an Extract and a Concentrate?
The terms “extract” and “concentrate” are used interchangeably, but do they mean the same thing?
All extracts are concentrates, but not every concentrate is an extract. Extracts are created with solvents like alcohol and C02 that strip the hemp plant of trichomes, but solvents aren’t necessarily used while preparing concentrates.
The rosin and kief concentrates are prepared without the use of solvents.
How are CBD Concentrates Made?
The most common method of making CBD concentrates involves the use of solvents like ethanol and butane.
But for best results (and cleanliness and safety) you had better use non-toxic supercritical C02 extraction.
The following is a step-by-step procedure of how companies make CBD concentrates by using non-toxic supercritical C02:
Step 1: Grinding up the organically-grown industrial hemp and putting it in a large vessel connected with the extraction equipment.
Step 2: High-pressure C02 is blown into the industrial hemp at low temperatures; beating out CBD from the hemp plant.
Step 3: Impurities and unwanted chemical compounds are eliminated, and pure CBD concentrate is formed.
How Can I Make CBD Concentrates at Home?
Yes, you can make your own CBD concentrates at home, but without the supercritical C02 extraction equipment, it won’t be the best quality.
Step 1: Put the hemp flower in a bowl, cover it with alcohol, and then stir.
Step 2: Filter out the plant material so that you’re left with a concentrated CBD solution.
Step 3: Heat the solution until the alcohol evaporates and you’re left with a tar-like substance.
What are the Different Types of CBD Concentrates?
Customers have varying tastes, which is why manufacturers provide different types of CBD concentrates.
- CBD Shatter: made out of CBD isolate and mixed with terpenes.
- CBD Wax: makes for a high CBD bioavailability.
- CBD Live Resin: full-spectrum CBD; contains terpenes and fatty acids.
- CBD Budder: highly potent and same consistency to butter.
- CBD Crumble: highly potent extract with also CBG and CBN.
What are the Factors to consider when buying CBD Concentrates?
The cardinal rule is to always buy CBD concentrate extracted via non-toxic supercritical C02 means. Toxic CBD concentrates usually contain solvent residuals.
Most cannabis stores are online-based; which makes the buying process even easier, but before you buy CBD, make sure it is legal in your country.
One of the advantages of online-based stores is that you have a chance to see what previous customers are saying. And so, take a moment to skim through the reviews.
One of the mistakes people do while buying CBD concentrates is going for the cheapest product they can find.
Huge companies can afford to lower prices a little bit because of economies of scale, but a recently-formed company with low-priced products should be viewed with suspicion.
Is this supposed to mean that the higher the price the better the quality? By no means! Always perform your research to avoid being ripped off.
Most customers are reckless and they barely check the labels. That’s so irresponsible. You want to look at everything, and especially, determine the percentage of CBD.
The ideal CBD concentrate contains 90% – 99% CBD. The lower the percentage of CBD, the more impurities and wax there may be.
Overdosing on CBD, unlike marijuana, cannot negatively affect you. But even then, don’t start with copious amounts, but rather start with small doses, and make adjustments depending on how your body reacts.
Why Do Certain People Respond Better to Dabbing as Opposed to Oral Ingestion?
It’s long been established that CBD can be vital in both preventing and treating) various health problems, including sleep disorders and anxiety.
But it seems that the outcome is dependent upon the ingestion method. While some people have the best results via oral ingestion, others need to dab.
And so, you might want to try out various methods of consuming CBD concentrates, and stick with the method that gives you the best results.
For instance, if you’re a senior citizen, and you use CBD to manage a health problem like back pain, you might notice that dabbing is more effective than consuming CBD edibles.
What are the Different Textures of CBD Concentrates?
CBD concentrates are available in different textures and types. These are the three main textures of CBD concentrates:
- Sugar: this CBD concentrate has the same texture to wet sugar and clashing colors.
- Sauce: it’s thick, viscous, and sticky; and its colors are uniform.
- Crystalline: it looks like white crystals with varying density and size.
Can CBD Concentrates Treat Obesity?
If you are obese, you can use CBD concentrates to get in shape; they suppress appetite and boost metabolism, transforming your body into a calorie furnace.
Of course, you also have to engage in some physical activity and maintain a balanced diet to achieve your weight goals.
CBD concentrates help manage other health conditions like pain, acne, depression, and epilepsy.
