When it comes to vaping cannabis concentrates, most people end up with one of three different types of extracts:
- Liquid Shatter
- Distillate
- Live Resin
Each of these three popular cannabis concentrates has something special to offer, so it can be hard for people to decide between them. While it’s ultimately up to you, here are some things you can consider as you weigh your options.
Liquid Shatter
Liquid shatter, as you may have guessed, is a type of shatter that’s been kept in a liquid form. Normal shatter often has a THC content of somewhere around 80%, just like wax.
That’s great for people who are always looking for products with more THC, but unfortunately shatter isn’t very easy to work with. At room temperature, shatter has a glass-like texture and is breakable, which is why it gets its name.
To make shatter vapable in a normal cartridge, it has to be diluted so it stays in liquid form. Once shatter has been diluted enough to stay in liquid form and be ready for vape cartridges, its THC content has fallen from about 80% to closer to 30%. That’s a big difference, but 30% THC is still quite a bit.
In fact, liquid shatter is a good option for people who might become overwhelmed by other concentrates like live resin or distillate. You can generally expect liquid shatter to have at least as much THC content as the original strain from which it’s made. One great thing about liquid shatter is that, when produced correctly, the flower’s terpenes will be preserved.
Distillate Vs. Shatter
Distillate is regarded as one of the most premium cannabis concentrates in the world. It can have a THC potency as high as 95% and still be in liquid form. Since distillate is almost pure THC, there’s no room for the terpenes that give cannabis its flavor and the “entourage effect.”
For that reason, it doesn’t really matter which strain is used to make cannabis distillate. This is for people who are after the most refined concentration of THC they can get their hands on.
Live Resin Vs. Shatter
If you’ve been following the cannabis industry, there’s a good chance you’ve heard plenty about live resin in the last year or so. It’s becoming incredibly popular because it offers THC levels comparable to wax and shatter, but the flavor and scent of the original flower is much better preserved. To make live resin, fresh flower is flash-frozen to protect the terpenes.
The whole extraction process takes place at subcritical temperatures, which prevents the terpenes from burning off. For this reason, people who appreciate cannabis flavor have said that the essence of live resin is most like what you get from flower. Higher levels of terpenes mean more taste and aroma. Live resin is also a great choice for people who are interested in the entourage effect of different strains.
Cannabis Dispensary In Vancouver, WA
So, which cannabis concentrate is best? As is the case with many things in the cannabis industry, it really comes down to your lifestyle and taste. If you’re relatively inexperienced with vaping, liquid shatter may be a logical starting point. Those who are strictly interested in THC levels are typically interested in distillate. Live resin is great for flavor chasers or fans of a certain strain.
No matter which type of cannabis concentrate appeals to you the most, find it on our dispensary menu. Visit us in Vancouver to explore all of your options with our budtenders.
