Concentrates
Textures of Cannabis Concentrates
The diversity in textures isn’t just for aesthetics or novelty; it offers consumers different ways to experience cannabis. Whether you're dabbing shatter for a high-potency hit, crumbling some wax into a joint, or infusing budder into your flower, each texture provides a unique journey. It’s about matching the texture to the consumer’s preference—whether that’s flavor, ease of use, or potency. The extraction type, post-processing, and starting material all combine to create the rich world of cannabis concentrates.
The world of cannabis concentrates is vast, and the texture of each product provides clues to its potency, flavor, and use. From crumbly to glass-like, here’s a breakdown of the most common textures, their appearances, and how they can be used:
Glass-Like and Brittle Textures
1. Shatter
Appearance: Think translucent, amber-colored sheets of glass. It snaps like brittle candy when you try to handle it.
Use: Dabbing is the way to go. Its hard, fragile texture means it’s not great for sprinkling into joints or bowls, but on a dab rig, it shines.
Why So?: Shatter’s glassy form is a product of butane extraction, which purges solvents at cool temperatures. This method stabilizes the extract, turning it into that iconic, glass-like consistency.
Extraction: Butane Hash Oil (BHO) is the star here. After extraction, the product is purged at lower temperatures to avoid excessive moisture, resulting in the brittle texture.
2. Crumble
Appearance: Think of a crumbly, cheese-like texture. It’s drier than shatter and breaks apart easily, but without the sharp brittleness.
Use: Crumble’s dry nature makes it versatile. You can dab it or easily sprinkle it into a bowl or joint without much hassle.
Why So?: The drier texture is the result of purging the concentrate at low temperatures for extended periods. It allows the concentrate to lose moisture and dry out.
Extraction: BHO is the usual method, with a focus on longer purging to achieve its crumbly nature.
Creamy and Soft Textures
3. Wax
Appearance: Soft and often creamy, sometimes crumbly. It’s reminiscent of honey or frosting.
Use: Perfect for dabbing, but also versatile enough to spread into a joint or blunt.
Why So?: More agitation during the extraction process keeps wax from solidifying like shatter. The result is a softer texture, easier to handle but just as potent.
Extraction: BHO, with higher agitation during purging. This movement stops the concentrate from settling into a brittle form, leading to a waxy consistency.
4. Budder
Appearance: Smooth, whipped, and creamy—like butter (hence the name).
Use: Best for dabbing, but also great for infusing into joints or flower to amp up potency.
Why So?: During purging, air is whipped into the concentrate, giving it a fluffy, whipped consistency. Budder’s texture offers an easy way to handle potent concentrate without it being too sticky.
Extraction: BHO, whipped during the purging process to introduce air and create that fluffy, smooth texture.
Viscous and Sticky Textures
5. Live Resin
Appearance: Wet, sticky, and shiny—live resin looks like it was just harvested.
Use: Ideal for dabbing due to its terpene richness and flavorful hits.
Why So?: Flash-freezing the cannabis immediately after harvest preserves the terpene profile, creating a concentrate rich in flavor and aroma. The wet, saucy texture is the result of the fresh frozen extraction process.
Extraction: BHO, using fresh frozen cannabis as the starting material, which keeps more terpenes intact.
6. Rosin
Appearance: Ranges from sticky and honey-like to crumbly, depending on how it’s handled.
Use: A versatile option, great for dabbing, vaping, or infusing into flower.
Why So?: Rosin is created without solvents, using only heat and pressure to squeeze out the trichomes from the cannabis. Its texture depends on the starting material (flower, hash, or kief) and the pressing technique.
Extraction: Solventless, using heat and pressure. This results in a cleaner product that retains the natural cannabinoids and terpenes.
Crystalline and Syrupy Textures
7. Sauce
Appearance: A thick, syrupy liquid with crystalline structures floating in it.
Use: Best for dabbing, allowing the user to enjoy the complex terpene profiles.
Why So?: Sauce results from high-terpene extractions where cannabinoids and terpenes naturally separate during curing. The liquid portion is terpene-rich, while the crystalline structures are cannabinoids.
Extraction: BHO or PHO, followed by post-extraction curing that allows for this natural separation.
8. Diamonds
Appearance: Solid, crystalline structures, often floating in terp sauce.
Use: High-potency dabbing, delivering a hard-hitting experience.
Why So?: THCA crystallizes during a slow purge process, creating large, solid crystals while the remaining terpenes create the surrounding liquid.
Extraction: Closed-loop systems using butane or propane, followed by a slow purge to allow crystallization.
Granular Textures
9. Sugar
Appearance: Granular and sugar-like in texture, often with small, visible crystals.
Use: Popular for dabbing due to its terpene-rich profile.
Why So?: Agitating or whipping the concentrate during curing causes cannabinoids to crystallize, producing a sugar-like consistency.
Extraction: BHO or PHO, with agitation post-extraction to create the sugary texture.
10. Terp Sugar
Appearance: Grainy, sugar-like texture suspended in terpene-rich sauce.
Use: Dabbed to enjoy both flavor and potency.
Why So?: Cannabinoids crystallize in a terpene-rich liquid, forming a grainy texture suspended in a sticky liquid.
Extraction: BHO or PHO, with post-extraction whipping/agitation to create the sugar texture and terp sauce.
10. Terp Sugar
Appearance: Grainy, sugar-like texture suspended in terpene-rich sauce.
Use: Dabbed to enjoy both flavor and potency.
Why So?: Cannabinoids crystallize in a terpene-rich liquid, forming a grainy texture suspended in a sticky liquid.
Extraction: BHO or PHO, with post-extraction whipping/agitation to create the sugar texture and terp sauce.
Solventless and Simple Textures
11. Kief
Appearance: Fine, powdery trichomes.
Use: Sprinkled over bowls or pressed into hash.
Why So?: Kief is mechanically separated from flower using screens, collecting the trichomes that contain cannabinoids and terpenes.
Extraction: Solventless, through mechanical separation using screens or grinders.
12. Bubble Hash
Appearance: Crumbly, sand-like texture.
Use: Dabbed or added to joints or bowls for a potency boost.
Why So?: Agitating cannabis in ice water separates the trichomes from the plant material, creating a crumbly, sand-like product.
Extraction: Solventless, using ice water to agitate and separate trichomes.
12. Bubble Hash
Appearance: Crumbly, sand-like texture.
Use: Dabbed or added to joints or bowls for a potency boost.
Why So?: Agitating cannabis in ice water separates the trichomes from the plant material, creating a crumbly, sand-like product.
Extraction: Solventless, using ice water to agitate and separate trichomes.
Unique Textures
13. RSO (Rick Simpson Oil)
Appearance: Thick, tar-like, dark oil.
Use: Typically taken orally or used topically, but can sometimes be dabbed.
Why So?: Ethanol extraction leaves behind a highly concentrated oil packed with cannabinoids and terpenes.
Extraction: Ethanol extraction, where the ethanol is evaporated off, leaving behind a thick, medicinal oil.
Unique Textures
13. RSO (Rick Simpson Oil)
Appearance: Thick, tar-like, dark oil.
Use: Typically taken orally or used topically, but can sometimes be dabbed.
Why So?: Ethanol extraction leaves behind a highly concentrated oil packed with cannabinoids and terpenes.
Extraction: Ethanol extraction, where the ethanol is evaporated off, leaving behind a thick, medicinal oil.
Final Thoughts:
The texture of a cannabis concentrate can tell you a lot about its extraction process and intended use. Whether you're handling the brittle, glass-like shatter or the creamy, terpene-rich live resin, each texture offers a unique experience. It’s about guiding the customer toward the right product—whether they’re looking for potency, ease of use, or flavor.