What Is A Concentrate?

A CBD concentrate is a product that contains very high levels of cannabidiol, or CBD. Here are the most common types of concentrate:

• DABS (https://weedmaps.com/learn/cbd/cbd-dabs)

• Crystal or powder: Pure CBD isolate contains virtually nothing but the crystalline CBD compound and comes in a powdery form.
• Wax: Wax is a slightly darker, oily substance, generally for dabs or vapes. It has other compounds in the concentrate, such as the waxes and sterols from the plant.
• Crumble: A similar substance as the wax concentrate, but contains moisture, to create a crumbly, less sticky texture.
• Shatter: Shatter looks like hard toffee or opaque glass. When heated, it melts and bubbles, and has a thick, honey-like texture.
• Live resin: Flash-freezing buds before extraction allows for a larger number of terpenes and cannabinoids to be in the final product. Many people who seek broad-spectrum or full-spectrum CBD products will choose live resin concentrates for their enhanced flavor. However, they are also limited and tend to be expensive.
• Budder: The manufacturers purge the extract at a higher temperature and air pressure in the final stage. This adds a fluffy texture to the waxy concentrate, like butter.

Put simply, a CBD dab is a CBD (cannabidiol) concentrate derived from marijuana or hemp. Unlike other CBD products that mix the concentrate with other ingredients (to make an edible or tincture, for example), CBD dabs are nothing but a concentration of what was there to begin with. In other words, there is nothing added to dilute it or mixed in to enhance it. It’s plain and simple full-spectrum cannabis. Thus, regardless of texture, flavor, or consistency, all CBD dabbing products contain high concentrations of CBD. You can buy dabs as wax, crystals, crumble, or shatter. Budder, pull-and-snap, and honeycomb are other popular CBD dab products. Each option has a different consistency. So, when shopping and putting products in the cart keep that in mind. For example, budder is smooth and creamy, while pull-and-snap stretches out like taffy.

Why Choose a Concentrate? 

First and foremost, CBD concentrates allow a person to get a higher dose of CBD in a relatively short time. So, if you’re looking for a product that can provide the maximum relief in the shortest time, look no further. CBD concentrates have such high potencies the CBD lost in consumption is generally not an issue. Some concentrates on the market boast 99% CBD! 

Where does it come from? 

Not all concentrates are what they claim to be. In some cases, the process used to extract all the CBD is not clean nor safe, and residue left behind could change its contents. That’s why RVDCBD is transparent about all their products, and Rob Van Dam guarantees their safety and potency himself. 

There are a variety of extraction methods for obtaining CBD; the cleanest and safest method is non-toxic supercritical CO2 extraction (which RVDCBD uses). Once the CBD-rich hemp is harvested and dried, it is ground up in preparation for oil extraction. The grounds are poured into a large vessel (often up to 20-liters) which are then attached to the supercritical CO2 extraction equipment. The process involves the use of carbon dioxide under high pressure and very low temperatures. This helps to isolate, preserve, and maintain the purity of the oil.

With supercritical CO2 extraction, there is minimal risk of exposure to harmful residues. After several hours of extraction, the remaining oil and wax are taken from the machine. The next step involves ‘winterizing’ the paste to remove the plant waxes that are deemed inappropriate for certain products. The oil is further refined using ethanol, and the mixture of ethanol and oil is pulled through a vacuum filter and spun in a rotating evaporator. The ethanol is recovered and recycled while the oil settles at the bottom of the container.

High-end producers use expensive liquid chromatography equipment to analyze the cannabinoid content and overall potency of the oil. The oil is then formulated into sublingual sprays, edibles, capsules, and other medicinal products. These are the lower strength products.

How do you take it?

This completely depends on what you prefer and what you’re trying to accomplish. Once you choose your CBD concentrate, be very careful when dosing as it is easy to get carried away when you ‘dab’ CBD wax, for example. Although you won’t get high when using a strain such as Charlotte’s Web, you could end up using far more cannabidiol than you need, and as we all know—it ain’t cheap!

The Experience

• Look
• Smell
• Taste
• Touch
• Feel
• Sounds like Relaxation

Be AWARE…Possible Side Effects 

If you are in the market for cannabidiol as a form of medical treatment, CBD concentrate is potentially a useful way to get pain relief pain relief, ease anxiety, reduce inflammation, and much more. You have the option of dabbing concentrate, but this involves the purchase of a dab rig and other equipment. Alternatively, you can purchase a vaporizer and inhale CBD vapor instead. Proponents of vaping claim it is easier on the lungs.

Regardless of your method of consumption, please remember that most CBD concentrates are extremely potent, so you only need a little to get started. There is also the small matter of the ‘entourage effect’ to consider. According to this theory, cannabinoids work better when consumed together. If you are purchasing CBD isolate, you are consuming cannabidiol and nothing else. As a result, it may be worth considering a concentrate that contains CBD, flavonoids, and terpenes.

Finally, if you are worried about getting high, make sure the products you purchase come from reputable companies that provide lab reports on their websites. These reports will outline the level of CBD and tell you if there is any THC in the concentrate. It only takes a small amount of THC regularly consumed to build up in your system, and the next thing you know, you’ve failed a drug test and lost your job.

While side effects will not occur in everyone, they are still possible. Some people may experience side effects from higher doses of CBD, including:

• sleepiness or oversleeping
• drowsiness
• diarrhea
• changes in appetite
• weight loss or weight gain

Some CBD side effects may make it unsafe to drive or operate heavy machinery. Many recommend that people only take high doses of CBD in the evening before bed.

Sources

• weedmaps.com/learn/cbd/cbd-dabs
• wayofleaf.com/cbd/101/what-is-cbd-concentrate
• www.projectcbd.org/industry/clone-concentrate-how-cbd-oil-made
• www.projectcbd.org