You know when you get high-THC products and the weirdest stuff starts running through your mind, like if Apple made a car, would it still have windows? Or if you’re waiting for a waiter, aren’t you the waiter? Well, have you ever just sat there and wondered how in the heck the shatter you’re about to smoke got made? Like, how does it go from being a bud to this frozen honey-looking ish?
Wonder no more! We’re here to walk you through all the cool things that go into making your high-THC products, like shatter, oil, and wax, and even edibles.
Shatter, Wax, and Oil
Did you know that high-THC products can have upwards of 50 to 90% THC in them, as opposed to the 10 to 15% found in your regular bud? That’s what makes products like shatter so potent (read: gets you so damn high).
The process of making shatter is actually pretty cool and not all that difficult. Basically, pot buds are soaked and trimmed with butane to separate the trichomes (the hairy little appendages on the flower) from the rest of the plant. This sweet little blend is then removed and heated to get rid of as much butane as possible. After this step, the mixture is cooled and shaken or stirred during the cooling stage. The end result is a honey-colored, glass-like product that can be easily broken apart to use in your favorite rig. Hence the name.
The process of making wax isn’t all that different from shatter. It’s all the same right up to the cooling process. The difference between shatter and wax, however, is that shatter is shaken or stirred while cooling, and wax is left undisturbed.
THC oil, usually used in vapes, is extracted using CO2, rather than butane. The CO2 is pressurized and heated until it reaches a supercritical liquid, according to Analytical Cannabis, where it can then strip all the psychoactive trichomes from the rest of the plant. Like shatter and wax, oil is another super high-THC product.
High-THC Edibles
Gone are the days of secretly making cookies in your mom’s kitchen with some pot butter your brother’s best friend’s cousin got his hands on. These days, making high-THC infused edibles is easier than ever. In addition to making your own canna-butter, you can also infuse things like milk, sugar, cream, honey, or syrups with THC extract, which allows you to fiddle with the potency until it’s perfect for you. And since everyone has a different tolerance, this makes creating your own high-THC extract for your edibles an even better choice.
The first thing you need is a stable oven or a decarboxylation in order to turn THC-A into its psychoactive form, THC. Since raw cannabis doesn’t actually contain THC, but rather, THC-A, this decarboxylation process is the most important step when making your own edibles. It involves heating the THC-A to create a chemical process that turns it psychoactive.
Once your pot is decarbed, you’re ready to infuse it into any of the ingredients you’ll be using to make your edibles. For super high-THC edibles, use more, or layer infused products. Instead of just tossing in some canna-butter, use infused milk or sugar as well if the recipe calls for it. If it calls for one part canna-butter and one part non-infused butter, go with two parts infused, etc.
And we know that there has been a lot of talk in the last few years about edibles being easy to overdose on, but to find out the true facts on that, check out our article Fact Vs Fiction: Can I Overdose on Marijuana Edibles?
What are your favorite ways to consume high-THC products? Are you a vaper, or more partial to your dab rig? Do you make your own edibles, or maybe use salves or tinctures instead? Let us know in the comments below!
