The marijuana industry doesn’t cease to amaze cannabis consumers with new forms of consumption. The world of weed products has come a long way from where it was, say, a couple of decades ago.
Back then, my weed friends, your choices were limited to choosing between seedy flowers and hashish. You would have been lucky to have a choice between a couple of low THC strains with the best option being hash blocks from different countries.
Today, we have a wide array of different weed products to try, and an increasing number of ways to consume them. This is why cannabis distillates are becoming one of the most popular cannabis extracts in 2021.
Perhaps you haven’t even heard of a cannabis distillate before?
Not to worry, as this article will show you the science behind this type of marijuana concentrate and how to consume it.
What Are Cannabis Distillates?
We will try to define it in as simple terms as we can.
Weed distillate is a solventless extraction that is purged through a short loop extraction system. Concentrates such as CO2 oil or BHO call for using alcohol-based solvent extraction. This cannabis concentrate can however leave impurities in your finished product.
This isn’t a problem with cannabis distillates.
Out of all cannabis extracts or concentrates, distillates are manufactured to have the highest levels of THC. This concentrated form of cannabis is extremely versatile. You can try distillate in a vape pen or dab rig, but they also work well when infused in tinctures, edibles, or spread on a paper before rolling your joint.
Now, let’s try to explain the process of distilling cannabis concentrates.
How Are Cannabis Distillates Made?
Marijuana distillates are manufactured by a process called fractional distillation. It is split into two parts, during the first filtration stage, the extractor eliminates most of the terpenes from the cannabinoids (terpenes can be reintroduced to your distillate later).
The second part of fractional distillation removes the lipids, impurities, and solvents, leaving the consumer with an odour-free, potent, and pure marijuana distillate.
This mix is then run through the wiped film evaporator that creates a fine oil used in vaporizer tanks, tinctures, or pills.
Here’s a step by step layout of the fractional distillation process:
- The cannabis plant and solvents are mixed so that cannabinoids, terpenes, and essential plant oils can bind with the extraction liquid.
- The liquid is then boiled at lower temperatures. Using a lower temperature separates the terpenes and flavonoids, which have a lower boiling point than THC.
- The hot steam produced during the process passes via the water-cooled tubes, condensing and turning back into a liquid.
- The manufacturer repeats step one, only this time at a higher temperature in order to release the cannabinoids.
- The gas is then compressed and turned back to its liquid form. By mixing these two liquids, we can produce a cannabis distillate.
Now that you are more knowledgeable about cannabis distillates, let’s discuss the benefits of this cannabis format for a moment.
What Are the Benefits of Cannabis Distillates?
The first benefit of this cannabis concentrate is the purity of extraction they offer. Marijuana distillates are nearly 100% pure.
You get all the beneficial compounds from cannabis without putting any unwanted additives or chemicals into the formula. The THC content gets elevated as a consequence of the process. Actually, the THC concentration in cannabis distillates is the highest of any marijuana extraction. You only need a tiny amount of the product to experience its intoxicating effects.
Through a process that removes terpenes, it’s possible to get an end product that is odourless and tasteless but still retains the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids. This allows consumers to consume their medicine discretely in a public forum.
Another huge benefit of using distillates is that they have already been decarboxylated, meaning there’s no need to heat or combust the concentrate to enjoy its effects.
When taken sublingually, distillates start producing their effects almost instantly by activating CB1 and CB2 receptors in the body’s natural endocannabinoid system. Now that distillates are more popular and widely made, this form of extraction provides significant savings to the end-user.
How to Consume Cannabis Distillates
Dabbing
Similar to vaping, dabbing gives you the effects of THC almost instantly. All you need to do is add a drop or two of cannabis distillate onto the nail of your favourite rig and get ready to flash-vaporize the golden goodness.
Smoking
If you prefer consuming cannabis using traditional methods, you can spread some cannabis distillate on a rolling paper. It helps your weed stick better to the paper and provides the extra power offered by this product.
The elevated THC content in the cannabis distillate requires you to take only a few drags to feel the effects. A distillate-laced joint or bowl is great for sharing with your smoking buddies. It loads you up with more cannabinoids in a single session and makes a little go a long way.
If you’re experienced enough, you can heighten the potency of your joint by sprinkling a little kief on top of your construction, but this calls for a heightened THC tolerance if you don’t want to end up getting couchlock.
Pills & Edibles
When taking marijuana distillate orally it is much stronger and will outlast the effects of smoked cannabis.
If you need pain relief at bedtime or need to relax after a long workday, a distillate-infused edible or pill should help you relax for the whole evening.
However, feeling the effects coming from oral ingestion is much slower than after smoking or vaping the distillate. As a matter of fact, it may take as long as 90 minutes for you to feel any effects at all.
Tinctures
One of the quickest methods to consume a distillate is to place a drop or two under your tongue. This allows the liquid to dissolve into your bloodstream through special capillaries in the mouth. Taking a cannabis distillate with this method works quicker than consuming an edible. This method doesn’t get anywhere near the onset of inhaled cannabis.
Final Thoughts on Consuming Cannabis Distillates
As you have read, weed distillate is one of the most versatile ways to use cannabis. If you haven’t tried cannabis distillates or similar weed concentrate, then go easy for your first try. The potency of this marijuana concentrate makes it very easy to get higher than you actually want to be. And that’s not fun at all.
The best way to get used to consuming distillate is to start with small amounts and gradually work your way up to your comfort zone.
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