Are Concentrates Right for My Medical Marijuana Needs?

Concentrates are somewhat new to the mainstream market and can be a convenient method of accessing medical marijuana. As the name suggests, these products are concentrated cannabis and can be purchased in a variety of different forms. Due to the way they are produced, concentrates can pack a lot of the flavor and potency that many people seek when using medicinal cannabis, and they are becoming more popular as time goes on. If you’re considering trying new products to find a good fit, be sure to contact your doctor before using concentrates for medical marijuana to determine if they are right for you.

What Are the Different Types of Concentrates for Medical Marijuana?

Different concentrates have different physical traits, and you can try a few to determine which style you prefer. These types of concentrates for medical marijuana include:

• Shatter: Many types start off as shatter before they take other forms. Shatter is usually brittle and glassy but can sometimes have stretchy, elastic-like properties as well.
• Budder: Also called “badder”, budder is rich in terpenes and offers a more creamy, buttery consistency. It is made by whipping shatter at a low temperature to allow air to mix in.
• Crumble: Crumble is whipped just like budder, but is then dried in a vacuum oven so that it becomes crumbly and less brittle than other forms.
• Crystalline: This looks a bit like coarse sugar or salt crystals and appears either transparent or semi-transparent. It’s named after crystals because it looks like crystal!
• Distillate: Exposing a winterized and decarboxylated extract to heat and vacuum creates distillate. The process separates the cannabinoids according to their boiling points.
• Sugar: Sugar is wet, sappy, and looks a lot like regular sugar but can showcase multiple colors and crystal sizes depending on the manufacturing process.
• Sauce: With a higher viscosity and silkiness than sugar, sauce is more uniform and offers an alternative consistency.

What’s Special About Concentrates?

Concentrates for medical marijuana are much more potent than their flower counterparts, and may provide faster and more advanced effects when used for pain, inflammation, anxiety, or other ailments. Concentrates commonly contain between 55% – 75% THC and can achieve even higher numbers of 90% or more. Flower is considerably lower and usually only contains 10% – 25% THC.

How to Use Concentrates

There are a number of ways to use concentrates for medical marijuana purposes:

• You can purchase specialized equipment such as a “dab rig” or “nectar collector” to smoke them, many of which are extremely portable and easy to clean.
• Many vapes/electronic cigarettes and vaporizers can be used with concentrates, oils, and flower, and offer a burner that will melt the concentrate quickly so that it can be inhaled.
• You can add or wrap sticky, stretchy concentrates around a traditional joint and smoke it as you normally would. This is the least expensive method as it doesn’t require you to purchase any specialized equipment.

Purchase Concentrates for Medical Marijuana From Medical Alternatives Clinic

At Medical Alternatives Clinic, our goal is to provide you with information surrounding concentrates for medical marijuana use and help you determine the best options for you. Taking the time to educate yourself on medical marijuana products can have a positive effect on your experience and provide you with multiple options for addressing your medical care. We are a licensed MMJ doctor in Colorado Springs and can help suggest products to our qualified patients that may help to promote relief from common qualifying conditions such as chronic pain, inflammation, PTSD, and many others. To talk about the options available to you and determine your eligibility for a medical marijuana card, call (719) 246-0393 or set an appointment online with our team today.