Understanding the health benefits of cannabis concentrates

Cannabis concentrates are currently some of the most sought after marijuana products in the market. Various market surveys show that this is one of the fastest growing sectors of the cannabis industry all over the world. Oils, shatter, budder, wax, sugar, rosin – the pot dispensaries nowadays offer quite an extensive variety of them. Some of these concentrated cannabis products – like cannabis oils – are there for centuries, while others are relatively new introductions. Much stronger than the normal buds of top-rated strains, they are equally loved by both recreational users as well as medical marijuana patients. While their consumption presents a range of advantages over other forms of marijuana products, in this article we limit ourselves to a discussion of the health benefits of cannabis concentrates alone. Why should medical patients choose concentrates over dried flowers? How do cannabis concentrates promise to deliver improved health and overall well-being? This post will give you the answers.

Cannabis concentrates – what exactly are they?

If you wish to understand the health benefits of cannabis concentrates, first you need to have a fair idea about what they are or how they are made. Simply speaking, they are the ‘essence’ of marijuana. How? Concentrates are extracts processed from cannabis flowers that have only desirable chemical compounds like the cannabinoids (THC, CBD and others), terpenes, vitamins, minerals, omega fatty acids etc. all other unwanted plant materials and impurities are removed from it in the extraction process. Naturally, concentrated cannabis has much higher cannabinoid content than normal marijuana flowers. While a buds of top-grade cannabis strains have about 20% THC in them, concentrates can have 40-90% and even higher levels of THC concentration in them. That means they are at least 4-5 times more potent than the flowers. This fact is very significant to understand the amazing health benefits of cannabis concentrates, and we will return to it in a moment. For now, let’s keep our focus on knowing the product itself.

There is a variety of extraction methods used to process cannabis concentrates from marijuana flowers. Some of them use chemical solvents like CO2, butane, propane, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol. There are also solvent-free extraction processes which make concentrates like distillates, isolates, hash, or kief. These extraction processes produce a range of different types of cannabis concentrates which vary in color, texture, and consistency. While shatter is glass-like and brittle, the budder is soft and malleable like wax. Different kinds of cannabis oils – one of the most popular types of concentrates – have a thick and runny consistency like normal oils. The colors can vary from bright sun yellow to radiant amber. Hash is usually dark brown and kief pale or blonde in color. The unique color and texture of the concentrate depend on the extraction process followed to produce it.

Here are the most popular cannabis concentrates in the market:

• Cannabis oils
• Shatter
• Budder/Badder
• Crumble
• Sugar/Sugar Wax
• Crystalline
• Distillate
• Rosin
• Live resin
• Hash
• Bubble hash
• Kief

Health benefits of cannabis concentrates

Concentrates have truly revolutionized cannabis consumption. They have made the medicinal benefits of marijuana more easily available to those who are suffering from impaired mental or physical health. Let’s take a closer look at the health benefits of cannabis concentrates.

• They are less harmful to your lungs

Smoking marijuana flowers means that besides the useful cannabinoids and terpenes, you are also consuming unnecessary plant materials and impurities which cause irritation to your lungs. A carefully extracted concentrate preserves only the cannabinoids, terpenes and other desirable chemical compounds of cannabis removing all the unwanted elements from it. Therefore it is a much healthier option for your lungs.

• Ideal for vaping

Concentrates are perfect for using in various vaporizer devices. As vaping never combusts marijuana as smoking does, it is much healthier for your lungs. This is of course a unique benefit of the cannabis concentrates.

• The higher concentration of cannabinoids

As the concentrates contain exceptionally high levels of cannabinoids like THC or CBD, they are much more effective than the normal flowers to treat targeted medical conditions. A little amount can produce long lasting effects which means the patient will experience longer symptom reliefs.

• Faster onset of effects

The higher potency of the cannabis concentrates also ensures a quicker onset of effects. This means that a medical marijuana patient using a concentrate will feel a much more instant relief compared to those smoking flowers or using cannabis edibles.

• Terpene profile well preserved

The extraction processes normally keep the original terpene profiles of the cannabis strains intact. As we know, terpenes and terpenoids have a crucial role to play in the entourage effect of marijuana and elevate its medicinal value. The latest researches have shown that the terpenes present in marijuana have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-depression, sleep-aid, stress and anxiety relieving properties. The health benefits of cannabis concentrates, therefore, have much to do with the higher concentration of terpenes in them.

• CBD concentrates

CBD or cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that has an impressive range of medicinal properties. It is very effective in alleviating different types of pains, inflammation, epileptic seizures, acne, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, PTSD, cancer-related symptoms, tumor growth etc. Current studies have found that CBD is also a great neuroprotective agent and very good for your cardiological health. Due to its anti-psychotropic properties, CBD can be very effective in addiction treatment as well. Concentrates provide a unique way to ensure these various medicinal benefits of cannabidiol for your health and well-being. Consuming concentrates send cannabidiol directly to your bloodstream and you’ll instantly feel relief from the symptoms. Cannabidiol-rich concentrates are also more potent than CBD capsules or edibles.

People have been using cannabis oils for therapeutic benefits since ages. Before the prohibition of the 1930s, it was the most preferred form of medical marijuana in the US. Now, there are other forms of cannabis concentrates that have become extremely popular among medical marijuana patients across the world. Recent scientific studies have also confirmed the greater health benefits of cannabis concentrates in comparison to marijuana flowers. Apart from the high potency, fast and long-lasting symptom reliefs, the discreteness and safety of using the concentrates also attract medical patients. All these factors make the concentrates very effective medicines for your weakened physical or mental health.