SHATTER – THE WHAT AND WHY 

Despite what some may believe, cannabis concentrates are not at all “a NEW THING that all the kids are doing”. Some of the earliest known concentrates date back to the 12th century when these extracts were made by rubbing cannabis flower between the hands, scraping the smear of trichomes and then pressing them to form a dark malleable mixture. This mixture came to be known as Charas – the Hindi word for Hashish.
Well, times certainly have changed, and we no longer need to smush bud in our hands to make concentrates. Advancements in technology and modern scientific developments have become highly sophisticated #weedpun and capable of producing an assortment of different concentrate types with a variety of consistencies to suit our smoking needs #weedfun.

One distinct type of cannabis concentrate has attracted plenty of attention in recent years – Shatter!

Cannabis shatter is a special kind of BHO (Butane Hash Oil) which is easily one of the highest THC concentrates out there, reaching levels close to 90% purity.

Let’s take an in-depth look at one of today’s most popular cannabis concentrates – Shatter!

Cannabis shatter is typically a beautiful sheet of golden-brown colour that is glass-like, resembles honey and can range in transparency. When shatter is warm, its consistency can be described as thick honey. When it’s cold, this extract is hard and solid like hard candy. If the sheet is dropped or tapped – surprise, it shatters! Depending on the texture of the final product, you can find shatter occasionally be referred to by other names, such as “sap” or “pull n snap”.

HOW IS SHATTER MADE?

The method for producing shatter is pretty simple – the cannabis plant is processed through a solvent, in many cases butane, where the plant material is then soaked or “blasted” in butane in order to separate the trichomes. The resulting mixture is then collected and heated in order to purge as much butane from it as possible. The resulting oil (Butane Hash Oil – BHO) is then left to settle and cool into a glassy sheet of extract, similar to boiled caramel hardening into candy

Breakthroughs in technology have propelled the use of other solvents such as carbon dioxide and pure hydrocarbons instead of butane – in a safe process called a closed-loop system.

Regardless of the extraction method, the end product is a highly potent oil of varying consistencies that has become wildly popular for vaporization and dabbing.

HOW TO USE SHATTER

Consuming cannabis concentrates may be overwhelming for those trying shatter for the first time. While it is possible to use concentrates as a “bowl-topper” over flower, it is not an approved approach by the experienced cannabis community and you may find yourself to be subject to comical criticism with a pointed finger or two. In other words, that’s not what the cool kids do. Furthermore, the most effective way to consume cannabis concentrates is dabbing with the use of a pseudo-bong known as a “rig”. These rigs have a glass “nail” where you’d usually find a bowl. Consumers will heat the nail to about 575-625 degrees Fahrenheit with a butane torch then use a metal dabber (essentially a heat-proof chopstick) to apply a ball of shatter. The result is instant vaporization — and a crazy high. The high from a dab can be likened to getting high for the first time, so If you are dabbing for the first time – start small and work your way up.

Vaporizing is an alternative way to consume shatter and is arguably the best way to enjoy the purity of the concentrate and its uplifting qualities while avoiding the adverse health effects associated with smoking it.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING SHATTER?

Although many don’t feel the need to forgo their trustee flower and venture into dabland, cannabis concentrates and extracts do have many benefits that you may not realize!

One of the more common reasons is due to the concentrates potency. While the potency of cannabis flower tends to range between 10-25% THC, a concentrate typically falls between 50-80%, with some rather exceptional extracts pushing past 90%. #whoanelly. It’s natural that numbers such as those could easily scare off any consumers – even the seasoned “ I can stack bowls” consumers.

So how is potency a benefit? Well, let’s just say that you’re a longtime devotee of flower and you hear yourself say “I don’t get as high as I did back then…” or “Why on earth does the buzz last so short now?!”. Sound familiar? This is because over time your tolerance to cannabis, more specifically, certain strains and cannabinoid profiles has drastically increased – So, what can you do? Well, you have a couple of choices. You can go on a tolerance break (AKA t-break), which is a short-term break from cannabis to clear one’s system of cannabinoids, notably THC. This break will lower your cannabis tolerance and therefore increase the effects that consumption will produce. However, this is not always the most desired option, especially when consumption is due to medicinal needs and greatly affects the users quality of life. In this case, a more potent form of cannabis is needed.

Yes, cannabis concentrates are more powerful than dried buds and can be scary but, and this is a big but, a Kimmy K butt– when you jump from 20% THC to 80% you only need a little piece to get you high.

Despite shatters many benefits, the cannabis community still seems to be split on whether shatter is good or bad for medical needs. Some consider shatter to be superior to flower in its ability to reduce pain and help treat other medical symptoms while others believe that the impurities leftover from production negates any of the positive benefits associated with concentrated doses of THC.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? DO YOU PREFER CONSUMING SHATTER? LET US KNOW – COMMENT BELOW OR TAG US ON SOCIAL MEDIA @KINGTUTSCANNA

STAY LIFTED WEEDFAM!

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