What's the Difference Between Shatter, Wax, Resin, and Rosin
Concentrates have been booming in popularity lately and it's no question why, they are an extremely fun time. With the industry booming though, there are tons of different concentrates, and dab rigs to go with them, and it can be hard to know all the differences and how each will make you feel. This guide will go over everything you need to know about the most smoked concentrates. And if you want to check out the rest of our guides, check them out right here.
What is Dabbing?
Before we get into the specific types of waxes, it's important to first understand what dabbing even is. Even if you have never dabbed before, there's a good chance if you are in the weed community that you have at least heard of dabbing. That's because dabbing is a vaporization method of consuming marijuana. Dabbing leads to a stronger high than other smoking methods because the wax (or other concentrate) that you smoke in a dab is condensed hash, which means the THC content is much higher. Dabbing, while not great for beginners, is an amazing experience for those that want to try something new and achieve a stronger high.
How Cannabis Concentrates are Made
As mentioned in the introduction, there are many different cannabis concentrates, and so there are many different methods for producing them. That said, there are a few common methods that you might be interested in learning about. One method is to use solvents (butane or ethanol) to break down your bud until all that remains are oils. Other than the solvent method, there are also flash-freezing techniques and sifting methods.
It's Shatter or Wax
Concentrates come in two forms, shatters or wax. (Neither can be consumed in a hand pipe. haha! can you imagine?) For starters, wax has more of a thick and sticky texture while shatters are more delicate. Shatters are also see-through while wax is opaque (or close to opaque). Shatters become see-through by going through a more intense and complicated extraction process, this is the same reason they are more delicate. When it comes to the difference in smoking them, shatters are usually a bit stronger. That said, shatters are also more difficult to handle and use with your dab rig. Ultimately smoking a wax or a shatter doesn't lend to a big difference, the main distinguishing factor is their textures.
Live Resin and its Properties
Although most concentrates share many of the same features and are only slightly different from one another, live resin is the outlier, and it is very different from other concentrates. Live resin is created with the flash freezing technique that was mentioned earlier. The freezing technique preserves the plant's compounds like its terpenes and flavonoids which is unique in its own right and gives live resin a very specific taste and feel that you'll just have to try for yourself. It's also interesting and worth noting that different marijuana strains create different taste and highs in each live resin. This is because live resin preserves the marijuana’s unique compounds; this is unlike any other concentrate, other concentrates will all taste and feel the same each time you smoke them.
Live Resin Vs Shatter
Technically, live resin can be a shatter, but typically live resin is not shatter and is probably the most different from a shatter as you can get. Shatters undergo a more intense filtration and collection process which creates that nice consistency that everyone loves. At the same time though, this process also destroys all individuality of the marijuana plant. This means all shatters taste and feel the same each and every time you smoke them. Live resin is the opposite, the individuality of each marijuana plant is preserved so each live resin can give you a distinct taste and feel. Live resin also can be more potent than shatters, but this isn't always the case since live resin varies so much. Also, for medicinal purposes live resin takes the cake, it usually has more of a soothing effect than shatters would. Both shatters and live resin are great products, but live resin has more variety and therefore can lead to some better smoke sessions if you have a good strain.
Live Resin Vs Sugar Wax
Sugar wax is a brown sugar-like concentrate that is clumpy rather than smooth like most other wax. Sugar wax actually looks a lot like live resin because they are both the same dark yellow color. Live resin does differ in some ways though, as it contains more water whereas sugar wax is drier. Both concentrates are high in potency, but yet again live resin wins out ever so slightly. If you are looking for a more energetic and exciting high, however, sugar wax is the way to go. Both compounds are extremely potent and tastier than regular bud, shatters, and most other wax’s, so you really can't go wrong with either.
Live Resin Vs Budder
Budder is the fluffiest concentrate, and as you might've guests, has the appearance of butter. The oils of this concentrate are whipped intensely during the creation process to achieve this easily scoopable consistency. Budder is the most popular concentrate because of how easy it is to use, even newbies can use budder without issues. Budder is not as strong as live resin and doesn't come in a bunch of unique flavor profiles as live resin does. Budder is known however to give off a soothing aroma which is like most live resin. Whether you opt for live resin or budder should depend on how good you are at handling concentrates (and if you have tools for it) and how strong/unique of a high you want. Live resin is stronger and more unique while budder is easier to use, both are more flavorful and intense than regular bud.
How to Consume Your Favorite Weed Concentrates
There are many ways to consume concentrates but two stand out above the others as the most practical and easiest. Specifically, dabbing and vaping is what you will want to familiarize yourself with. Dabbing can be a bit more complicated than vaping and requires more of a setup. Still, many people swear by dabbing as you will get much better hits dabbing than you will vaping. Vaping isn't a bad choice though; it is super easy and will lend you a great time. However you choose to make sure you have the right accessories.
Final Thoughts
Cannabis concentrates are a great way to spice things up and get a better tasting and more potent high than standard marijuana. Within the concentrate world, live resin is king, it features the most potency and tons of unique flavor profiles. Keep in mind that it does cost more than the other concentrates, but it is well worth it. On the other side of the spectrum, budder is a great concentrate for beginners that still features a stronger and more tasteful experience. Shatters and sugar wax are also great, with shatters being very delicate and silky and sugar wax being clumpy and firmer. No matter which concentrate you chose, it is going to be more potent, tastier, and probably just more fun than standard bud. We recommend you try all types of concentrates and decide for yourself which one is best for you.
