It’s getting easier to get drugs like shatter concentrate – cannabis concentrates that are very strong – as marijuana is increasingly legal in more jurisdictions. Cannabis users have been drinking shatter, which is translucent and glass-like, for some time. What Is Marijuana Shatter, And How Does It Differ From Regular Marijuana?
What Is a Concentrate?
Concentrates, such as shatter, wax, honey oil, and others, provide a more potent high than ordinary flower. They’re essentially cannabis that’s been subjected to a process of extracting and concentrating the desired chemicals: notably THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol), as well as terpenes.
For leisure consumers, the ideal finished concentrate has a high THC concentration and is rich in cannabis. THC levels in shatter have been known to reach up to 80 percent. Cannabis oil concentrates are typically low in THC and high in CBD; however, shatter with a greater CBD to THC ratio is commonly utilized for medical purposes.
How Are Shatter Concentrates Made?
To produce shatter, a solvent like CO2 or butane is required. Manufacturers use a solvent to permeate cannabis plant material in a holding container for the purpose of removing cannabinoids from CO2 shatter or wax.
The technique is a highly dangerous procedure that necessitates knowledge on how to work with the chemicals employed. Novice BHO producers have caused explosions, fires, and injuries by using incorrect equipment and extraction techniques after watching do-it-yourself YouTube tutorials. CO2 extraction is a more natural method of extracting oils that uses less hazardous compounds rather than toxic solvents.
Cannabis extract, also known as hash oil or shatter, is a highly potent substance with many times more THC than traditional cannabis. The texture of the substance depends on what it’s composed of: oil, soft, smooth budder, malleable, crystallized wax, or crystal-clear hash oil.
Cannabis oil is extracted from the cannabis plant by using either a solvent or CO2, resulting in a sticky substance that’s known as “dabs” (or “dabbing”) or “honey.” The concentrated CBD is called “dabs” (or “dabbing”), and this is the typical method for taking these substances.
Smoking Shatter
Smoking dabs, which may be pulled and snapped, crumbled, waxed, or shattered, necessitates the use of a dab pen (dab rig), water pipe modifications for dabbing
Dab pens, which are tiny, inconspicuous, and inexpensive, may be used by anybody who wants to experiment with concentrates. Despite their small stature and unsophisticated appearance, vaporizers have several limits that make it difficult for them to reach the correct temperature.
Dabbing is the most popular way to consume shatter, wax, and other concentrates. A dab rig is a scientific instrument that uses a metal “nail” or glass banger to heat concentrated cannabis extracts and vaporize them through water pipe connections.
You’ll need a strong heat source to vaporize shatter marijuana concentrates. Many people like to increase the temperature of the nail where the dab will be placed using a portable torch. Electric nails, often known as e-nails, do not require an open flame (and minimize risks of burns and fires).
Dabbing entails inhaling cannabis vapor from an e-nail without burning it, which is similar to bong or joint smoking. However, dab hits are not required, and they may irritate the lungs. Before taking a hit, breathe out then inhale the vapor before exhaling it again is the greatest technique. People who have difficulty clearing their lungs should use small draws. To smoke shatter, wax, and other concentrates, dabbers utilize specialized dab rigs.
Shatter Effects
Because it does not involve breathing in combusted plant material, the high produced by marijuana shatter is frequently referred to as “cleaner” than other inhaled techniques of intake. Many cannabis experts are switching to laboratory-manufactured concentrates because of this clean and more constant high. Shatter offers extremely concentrated amounts of THC and other cannabinoids to cannabis users seeking for huge dosages of THC. While a particularly potent type of flower may have THC levels that range from 25 to 30%, shatter has an enormous 80% THC concentration.
In simple terms, shatter delivers a powerful rush very quickly. In terms of potency, a single dose of high-THC shatter is more potent than smoking the whole joint. This might cause you to feel heavy and relaxed, as well as couch-lock and dryness of the mouth.
Storing Shatter
The purity of shatter is the first thing to consider when making it, and following consistent manufacturing and storage techniques can help to ensure that a high-quality shatter concentrate remains clean. Medicinal concentrates are especially prone to germs since patients do not want to take medicine that has been contaminated with dirt or germs.
Use gloves or parchment paper to handle shatter marijuana concentrates to keep them as clean and pure as possible. You’ll avoid contaminating the oils and germs on your hands by wearing gloves or using parchment paper. When removing shatter, always use a nonstick surface to prevent losing the sticky residue that remains after they’re removed.
Shatter concentrate will soften and convert to budder with time. This will happen sooner if it is kept at room temperature or exposed to heat. It should be stored in an airtight container in a cold, dark place to slow this process down. Nonstick containers are available for crumble, wax, and shatter as well as other concentrates. By putting parchment paper inside an airtight glass jar, the shatter may be prevented from adhering to the glass.
Parchment paper is ideal for separating individual dabs while storing shatter in the freezer. Freezing shatter might be difficult because of moisture. The deterioration of shatter will be accelerated by any amount of water in the container. It’s critical to dry-wipe the storage container to prevent condensation from forming.
This type of silicone storage container is ideal for breaking and other cannabis concentrates.
Potential Risks of Smoking Shatter
Because of the chemicals utilized in concentrate production and the high concentration of the completed product, there is a certain amount of danger with shatter. Here are some of the issues that cannabis experts see.
Impurities
Aside from the danger of explosions that comes with solvent-based concentrate production, one of the most serious concerns with shatter, wax, and other concentrates is impurities. When it’s time to purge butanes and other solvents out while producing shatter, this is what happens. Whether BHO or CO2 shatter is being produced, there’s no way to tell purity just by looking at it. The only method for determining how much butane remains in a concentrate is via lab testing.
A number of people have been poisoned by ingesting e-liquid pens that contain solvents or other poisons, especially those with weakened immune systems who use concentrates as medicine. There are several internet threads discussing tainted BHO and people expressing their worries about having “tane soup,” which is unpurged BHO with a distinct butane stench and taste.
Overconsumption
With just cannabis shatter, new users should take it easy since some concentrates have a high amount of THC. While no deaths caused by a THC overdose have been recorded, overeating can result in an unpleasant experience. Eating too much THC might lead to anxiety and dizziness, as well as shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and paranoia. Those who are susceptible to mental diseases like schizophrenia and anxiety disorder are more likely to experience negative side effects from consuming large amounts of THC.
It’s extremely easy to overconsume cannabis, owing to its high THC concentration. Shatter, due to its high THC content, has the potential to cause inadvertent overindulgence.
The Medical Uses of Shatter
THC is the chemical that makes up marijuana. It’s the most common cannabinoid in cannabis plants, accounting for about 60% of the plant’s dry weight. THC has been found to serve a wide range of therapeutic purposes in humans, from relieving arthritis pain to aiding with AIDS and cancer treatment. Because shatter contains such a high amount of THC, it’s an extremely beneficial medicine for a variety of health conditions.
Nausea and Appetite
THC-rich shatter is a highly effective antiemetic, which means it can be used to treat nausea and vomiting. It’s also a powerful hunger stimulant. This makes THC-rich shatter particularly useful for people who are undergoing chemotherapy or receiving HIV/AIDS treatment since it promotes weight restoration as a sign of sickness.
Muscle Spasticity
THC has been studied as a treatment for the symptoms and signs of multiple sclerosis, such as muscular spasticity and pain. Nabiximols/Sativex is a THC-derived drug that has received FDA approval to treat patients with MS.
Anxiety and Depression
CBD is a cannabinoid that has been shown in studies to help with symptoms of anxiety and depression. CBD shatters are high in CBD, a cannabinoid that may be used to treat mood problems. CBD shatter can aid with a variety of issues, including anxiety and sadness.
Pain
Shatter is a potent type of marijuana that can help with pain. Shatter may be beneficial to people who suffer from headaches, backaches, arthritis, fibromyalgia, and any other sort of painful illness.
Controversy over Shatter Marijuana Concentrates
Despite the fact that shatter, BHO, and other concentrates have a strong following, they are still controversial among cannabis traditionalists. This is due to a variety of causes. Novices attempting to create BHO at home have resulted in headlines thanks to the explosions and fires caused by their attempts. There’s also the risk of major side effects from concentrating too much, especially if consumers aren’t aware of how potent high-THC shatter products like this are. Concentrates are frequently discussed in news reports about drug abuse in hospitals’ emergency rooms.
Even many seasoned cannabis users are hesitant to try concentrates like shatter because of their strength and because the entire dabbing experience does not follow any of the conventional ways of smoking marijuana. People are hesitant to use a torch to heat up the nail since it reminds them of equipment utilized for more powerful drugs. Furthermore, because of its crystal-like appearance, people have asked if shatter is the “crack” version of marijuana.
The Push for Education About Shatter
Despite the outrage, shatter and other concentrates are becoming increasingly popular and accessible. Customers in the United States can buy shatter, wax, budder, honey, and oil from medical and recreational dispensaries despite the fact that the Netherlands has taken longer to legalize concentrates. This means that cannabis tourists may easily discover this relatively new technique of consuming marijuana without realizing its strength.
With so much confusion about concentrates, as well as cannabis in general, it’s only natural that the cannabis community wants to educate people about marijuana safety and responsibly using it. Making it easier for customers to acquire clean, high-quality concentrates will assist ensure that novices learn how to proceed cautiously – whether they’re using oil, wax, or shatter marijuana concentrate extracts for medical or recreational purposes.