What Are CBD Concentrates? In previous articles we’ve explored common myths, misconceptions and the various health effects of hemp oil on the body and in this article, we’re going to discuss hemp concentrates for a better understanding of what they are as well as their potential benefits.
As the medicinal properties of hemp and CBD products have evolved, the quest by manufacturers to develop a more potent form of CBD has led to the development of concentrates, a popular CBD product due to its potential to deliver maximum relief over a shorter period of time over more standard forms of hemp oil products including tinctures, salves and supplements.
Similar to cannabis concentrates with their associated high levels of THC content, CBD concentrate products provide users with a higher concentration of cannabinoids that are available in a variety of textures allowing users to tailor their use from salves, smoking, edibles and as an ingredient in food recipes.
What is CBD?
CBD is a naturally occurring substance found in hemp plants that can be used topically and orally to help treat the symptoms of various medical issues.
Hemp and CBD derived products are very different from cannabis derived products due to the lack of THC or tetrahydrocannabinols that gives users a ‘high’ feeling. While CBD products typically contain THC it’s typically a small percentage.
Using CBD is a popular option for people who want to help treat their ailments without affecting their impairment. Even when using products with higher CBD percentages users won’t receive a high feeling.
While CBD products aren’t regulated by the FDA and all types of hemp and CBD products are still relatively in their infancy, if you feel that CBD is a treatment option for you, it’s best to start CBD treatments with a lower dosage and slowly build up their dosage and if lower dosages still don’t have an effect, isolates and concentrates with a higher percentage of CBD may be the right type of CBD product for you.
Learn how to determine which CBD product is right for you.
What Are Concentrates?
Concentrates are cannabinoids extracted from hemp plants that have a low THC content but contain rich amounts of CBD that can offer enhanced benefits to its users over traditional CBD products due to their high potency, high percentage of CBD and their non-intoxicating nature
In past articles we’ve explored the use of CBD products for a variety of conditions including brain health, for skin conditions and as a sleep enhancer and concentrates have the opportunity to give its users the ability to feel its effects faster.
What Are the Benefits of Concentrates?
Smoking & Vaping Concentrates
aping or smoking CBD concentrates are one of the fastest and most efficient ways to achieve higher levels of cannabinoids into your body quickly after each use due to the high levels of CBD delivered, the less product is used to feel its effects.
Little to No THC Content
Since concentrates are created from hemp plants that have naturally low levels of THC but higher percentages of CBD, hemp plant strains are constantly being bred and optimized to contain larger percentages of CBD with some products reaching 99% CBD content by volume.
Who Can Use Concentrates?
While concentrate and isolate CBD products have benefits and added potency, these products are not for everyone due to their sensitivity to the other compounds in the product so it’s important to see the lab results of the product you’re purchasing to ensure you’re receiving a pure, quality product.
What Are the Types of CBD Concentrates?
Super-potent CBD concentrate and isolate products include all the good stuff from hemp plants.
While products with names like shatter, wax, budder, and crumble may overwhelm people searching for information, these higher quality and CBD content products have the potential to help you treat yourself better.
What is Shatter?
Shatter is a high concentrate CBD product that is produced as a thin sheet that resembles glass. These products have concentrations of CBD typically over 95% and often are produced with additional terpenes to create unique flavors and have an almost honey-like consistency when heated.
What is CBD Wax?
CBD wax is a product often used in dab pens that is an oily CBD substance more crystallized and as the name suggests, the product appears to have a consistency of wax, even when heated.
Resin Concentrates
Live resin concentrate is produced when buds are flash frozen during the CBD extraction process. This allows the resin to keep a higher percentage of its terpenes and cannabinoids during the process and is a popular full-spectrum product because of its flavor profile though it is a more expensive option due to advanced extraction processes.
What are Isolates?
Isolates are the purest form of CBD products. Typically produced in a white powder, isolates commonly have CBD contents that can range from 99.5% to 99.9%.
What is Crumble?
As another CBD concentrate with levels of CBD up 99%, crumble contains more moisture while having a less sticky surface and is sometimes used in edibles and more popularly, in dab pens.
What is Budder?
Budder CBD Concentrates are created at very high temperatures and atmospheric air pressures during the oil extraction process. This process gives CBD budder a very light texture that as the name suggests, almost a butter-like consistency.
Concentrates are what happen when all the goodies from hemp and cannabis plants are extracted. These concentrates are used to infuse all your favorite non-flower CBD products from gummies and facial serums to vapes and tinctures.
That’s the short answer and the most technical and literal definition of a CBD concentrate. But when you hear folks refer to “concentrates” in everyday conversation, they are usually talking about a category of super-potent products that include things like shatter, wax, budder, and crumble.
What to Consider When Purchasing Concentrates
When searching for a CBD concentrate it’s important to pay attention to the percentage of CBD in the product because the best concentrates contain 90-99% CBD due to advanced extraction processes. Products that contain 80% or less of CBD will also contain additional polyunsaturated fatty acids and while these may be Omega 3 and 5 fatty acids which benefit the body, others may not be as healthy. When you choose your concentrate, especially a type of concentrate like dab that you smoke, its easy for beginning users to get carried away and using much more than you need because while CBD won’t get you high, beginning users have a tendency to overcompensate by smoking more because they don’t recognize how CBD affects them. It’s also important to start off with the minimum amount of CBD by using the smallest amount and slowly increasing your dose until you find the minimum dosage that works for you. While CBD concentrates give its users the maximum amount of CBD in a minimum dose, they’re not for everyone.
Some Final Thoughts on CBD Concentrates
CBD can be a very useful method to achieve pain relief, reduce inflammation, promote skin health and have positive affects on the brain and regardless of the method you consume it, you don’t need much to get started however you may benefit from an entourage effect, which means identifying a concentrate that in addition to cannabidiol, also contains flavonoids and terpenes to give you more encompassing benefits. Finally, ensure you purchases of concentrates are from reputable, established companies that allow you to view lab analysis to get a full understanding of what’s in the product you’re buying to ensure that the product won’t bioaccumulate overtime, causing you to fail a potential drug test in the future.
FDA DISCLOSURE
The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All information presented here is not meant as a substitute for or alternative to information from health care practitioners. Please consult your health care professional about potential interactions or other possible complications before using any product. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires this notice.
