Cannabis Concentrates – How to Smoke Wax

From the old school roots of traditional hash, to the modern day rosin revolution – cannabis concentrates – aka wax concentrate – continue to evolve into uncharted territories. And it seems with each innovation comes a host of new questions surrounding the methodology, and of course, the resulting potency and purity of the product.

Confused? We get it. But if you can get the following basics down, you’ll be better armed to successfully navigate how to smoke wax.

1. Concentrate or Extract?

While the terminology is often used interchangeably, there is a major distinction. All cannabis concentrates are concentrates, but not all concentrates are extracts. The term extract is indicative of a solvent being used to separate –or extract – the trichomes from the plant matter. Common extracts include BHO, PHO and RSO, while their solventless counterparts include hash, rosin and kief.

2. Wax vs. Shatter vs Crumble?

This is basically just a matter of texture and creation processes. Working with concentrates can be messy if you’re not equipped with the proper tools for scooping and such, so make sure to purchase one with a consistency you’re comfortable working with. Wax has a much more soft look and touch, kind of like butter or, surprise, wax. Shatter looks a bit like clear hard candy, with a denser consistency. While their look and feel differ, both offer similar dabbing experiences and benefits. Wax might be more easy to use, but shatter has a longer shelf life. Crumble, on the other hand, is a dry cannabis concentrate with a bit more of a powdery consistency.

3. What is “Live” about a wax concentrate?

If you see the term “Live” leading the way in the nomenclature of a concentrate, it is referring to the starting material used. Live means that the cannabis was harvested and then freshly frozen to capture all of the cannabinoids and terpenes available, which are volatile and can be lost when using the traditional method of drying and curing the plant.

I am a huge fan of solventless extracts, so that’s hash or rosin or full-melt. These are processed without any solvent, so they just wash the weed basically, collect the trichomes, and that’s what you’re smoking. If it’s rosin, it gets pressed at a low temperature, but then you have this concentrate that you can dab marijuana. I enjoy it at a lower temperature more, because it has more plant matter in it, so you don’t wanna do it too hot, but yeah, that’s definitely something I take into consideration is what I’m dabbing and there are so many great tools now to keep track of the temperature. We used to just use a timer or the wrist check as Bess said, but now I love the Dab Rite, which is great. It gives me a little alarm when it’s ready to take the dab ’cause you know how frustrating it is when you heat it up and miss it, so that’s a great tool that I use.

4. Resin vs Rosin?

Just one vowel difference, but a world away in methodology – both “live resin” and “live rosin” are increasingly popular on weed shop menu. The difference simply lies in the extraction process. “Rosin” means solventless extraction and “Resin” indicates solvent-based. Both start with fresh frozen cannabis, which is why it’s called “live” as we just discussed above. A fresh frozen flower simply means that the flower was frozen as soon as it was harvested, in its peak time, allowing it to keep all those delicious terpenes. That way when you vaporize that concentrate, you’re getting true plant medicine as close to the way nature intended it. THC resin is always indicative of a solvent being used in extraction – ask your budtender which one if you’re curious. Rosin uses heat and pressure to capture the cannabinoids and terpenes. You’ll find most purists – or “Hash Heads” – prefer Live Rosin to THC Resin. Going solventless when dabbing allows you to taste the natural flavors much more. It feels cleaner and without any of that unwanted chemical taste. THC Resin products by definition use chemicals in their creation processes. 

5. Dabbing vs Smoking Concentrates?

Vaporizing cannabis extract, better known as dabbing, is the best way to get all of your cannabinoids, flavonoids and terpenes, aside from taking a tincture. Dabbing is just vaporizing cannabis concentrates. If you don’t have a dab rig, smoking a bowl and putting wax concentrate right on top is a great alternative. You can always top a bowl with concentrates – like hash, live sugar and crumble weed. That’s how to smoke wax. Smoking wax, rather than shatter, on top of a bowl is a great way to get really high really fast. If you’re looking to smoke, rather than dab concentrates, that’s where crumble comes in. Sprinkle a little bit of weed crumble into a joint and that’s how to smoke crumble.