How to consume cannabis concentrates
There are a wide variety of cannabis concentrates and extracts, and as you might expect, there are many different ways to consume them.
As with all things cannabis, to decide which concentrates and consumption methods work best for you, first consider what you’re trying to accomplish. Are you looking for medicinal relief from a specific condition? Are you looking for a potent THC high? Are you looking for a more full-bodied high? Answering these questions will help you figure out what is best.
And as always, if you need further assistance choosing a product, Clearly California has a two-question form to point you in the right place.
Here are the different consumption methods for concentrates and extracts.
Topping the flower
Easy, peasy potency upgrade
The easiest way to consume concentrates and extracts is by adding them to your smoke sesh. You can add powdered kief (found in the bottom compartment of three-compartment grinders) to your bowl, or you wrap wax around a joint.
Dabbing
The quickest and most intensely potent consumption
Dabbing requires a dab rig, which is similar to a bong, and most are made of glass. Rather than a bowl to contain flower, a dab rig is specially fitted with a nail made of metal, ceramic, titanium, or quartz and designed to stand much higher heat. After heating the nail with a torch (or using an electric nail that heats itself), you apply the concentrate or extract directly to the nail, instantly turning it into an inhalable vapor.
There are also Puffco products that are electronic and don’t require a torch. Some of them are portable and discreet – a great alternative to rigs.
The best substances to dab are resin, rosin, shatter, wax, budder, batter, sauce, crystalline, or hash.
Vape Pen
Light, on-the-go consumption experience
Disposable vape pens are great for consuming concentrates – particularly distillates. They are discreet and portable. The battery in the vape pen heats the oil in the cartridge, allowing you to inhale the vapor – similar to how a dab rig works, but with a much less intense experience. Pre-filled cartridges will run out and aren’t refillable. The carts must be disposed of, but the batteries can be detached and used many times.
Dab Pen
Like a dab rib and a vape pen combined
This is like a vape pen, but rather than buying pre-filled cartridges, you fill the chamber manually with any type of concentrate and then attach the chamber to the battery. This is like a cross between a dab rig and a vape pen.
Edible
Inhale-free and long-lasting consumption experience
Edibles are made of cannabis extracts. When you eat an edible, it takes longer to take effect than when you inhale cannabis – sometimes up to 2 hours. But the high is long-lasting and has the potential to be potent depending on the dose.
Topical
Targeted relief and no head high
Concentrated forms of cannabis can provide targeted relief when applied topically. This can be great for treating many conditions. You won’t experience any head or full-body effects that edible or inhalable methods will provide – effects are mild and localized to where you apply the topical.
Clearly California has one of the deepest penetrating topicals on the market.
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