Not too long ago there were only a few extract options: Hash, Cannabutter and Rick Simpson Oil were the most common. How times have changed! There is now a multitude of new extract options and many have strange names. Let's get into it.
For lovers of cannabis concentrates, the options now available can be overwelming so let’s go through 3 big ones and weigh the pros and cons of each.
First let's talk about Bubble Hash. The required materials for making bubble hash are bubble bags, water, ice and weed. The cannabis is strained through the bags like you would put water through a sieve. Each bag has progressively tighter weaves so at the end you have just the plant trichomes. The ice is used to chill the cannabis which makes for a more efficient trichome removal.
The end product is a very clean and fragrant product that uses no solvents of any kind. This is typically a full melt product which means there is no residue left when you smoke it. The hash will bubble upon ignition. It’s greatly potent and I highly recommend it to all extract lovers.
Now moving on let's talk about shatter. Shatter is made by blasting butane through weed and then curing the end product so as to remove all residual traces of butane. If this is made at home by amateurs, the curing process is almost always not adequate. However, if done by professionals using professional equipment, it makes one of the most potent and safe extracts out there. Also, the price tends to be cheaper since the method is not wasteful and not as labour-intensive as other extract processes. Cheaper shatter tends to use lower grade weed ie leftover trim. High grade shatter uses buds is highly sought-after by the extract afficinado community for its great smell, flavour and super-charged potency.
Live resin is very similar to shatter except for one very key difference: the flower used has not been cured/dried. Hence the name live resin, the plant is 'alive' while being processed. Fresh flower before it has been dried smells absolutely incredible. The reason for this is because there are more terpenes on the plant when it’s in its fresh state. Drying/curing removes terpenes. However, if you flash freeze fresh flower and then use the same method for making shatter with that flash-frozen fresh flower, you get live resin: an amazingly fragrant product. Extract lovers will love this product but it is not for the weak of heart as this stuff is STRONG.
IN CONCLUSION… WHICH IS BEST FOR YOU?
What’s the best cannabis extract? It depends. Do you like really potent, fragrant stuff or do you prefer a more old school kind of concentrate that is made without the use of butane? If you are in the former camp, high quality shatter or live resin are for you. If you are in the later camp, stick with the hash varieties available here in the Concentrates Section at BC Bud Online.