When you’re ready to take your cannabis journey to the next level, concentrates are the way to go. Concentrates are highly potent cannabis extracts. They come in various forms, like diamonds, distillate oils, kief, live resin, live rosin, and shatter. These are typically for more experienced users due to their high potency.
Concentrates offer a pure and potent cannabis experience, often highlighting the unique terpene profiles of different strains. They can be consumed using specialized devices like dab rigs or added to flower for an extra kick.
The frosty or crystalline appearance of the cannabis flower come from small resin glands, called trichomes. Trichomes have a long stalk and bulbous head. The trichome head is the primary "factory" where the plant’s cannabinoids and terpenes are produced and stored. The lab team at Garden Remedies isolates these compounds within the tiny resin heads from the rest of the organic plant material. By stripping away the inactive plant matter and keeping only the contents of the trichome heads, we create a refined product that captures the pure, concentrated essence of the strain.
At Garden Remedies, we offer cannabis concentrates at our dispensaries in Newton, Marlborough, and Melrose, serving customers across Greater Boston, MetroWest, and the North Shore.
What are Cannabis Concentrates?
Cannabis concentrates are refined cannabis products that contain higher levels of THC or CBD compared to flower. Through a variety of processes, we can refine a concentrate to target a single cannabinoid or enhance a full spectrum experience. Common types include:
- Wax, Budder, Shatter, Crumble, Jam, Sauce
- Resin or Butane Hash Oil (BHO)
- Live Rosin or Live Resin
- Distillate Oils (THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, THCV, etc.)
Because of their potency, concentrates are often chosen by experienced consumers.
How Concentrates Are Different
Compared to other cannabis products:
- Higher potency than flower or edibles
- More terpene-rich, meaning a more flavorful taste and aroma
- Smaller amounts needed for desired effects
- Faster onset when inhaled
- More discreet than smoking flower
Concentrates provide a more concentrated experience, which is why many customers use them in smaller doses.
How to Choose the Right Concentrate
When selecting concentrates, consider:
- Potency - Concentrates typically have higher THC levels than other products.
- Consistency - The stickier or more fluid of a concentrate, requires a dab tool for precise handling. While drier options can be easier to portion out.
- Terpenes - Terpenes influence both flavor and overall experience.
- Minor Cannabinoids and Ratios – Specific cannabinoids to fine-tune your effects. For example, THCV is often sought for a daytime lift, while CBN is favored for evening relaxation.
- Experience Level - Because of their strength, concentrates are often better suited for customers familiar with cannabis.
If you’re unsure, our team can help guide you toward an option that fits your experience level.
Where to Buy Concentrates in Massachusetts
Garden Remedies offers cannabis concentrates at multiple locations:
Types of Cannabis Concentrates
Cannabis concentrates can be divided into two major groups: Solvent-Based Concentrates and Solventless Concentrates. Solvents are another substance, such as butane
Solvent-Based Concentrates
Some concentrates are made using solvents like butane, propane, ethanol, or CO₂ to extract cannabinoids and terpenes.
Shatter
A translucent, glass-like extract that breaks easily when handled. It’s prized for its purity and potency, delivering a clean, powerful high when dabbed or vaporized.
- Texture: Brittle, glass-like sheet that "shatters" when broken.
- Extraction Method: Typically made with butane (BHO).
- Use: Dabbing or vaping.
- Potency: 70–90% THC
Wax / Budder / Crumble
These concentrates have a soft, whipped texture ranging from creamy (budder) to dry and crumbly (crumble). They’re popular for their ease of use and strong, flavorful vapor.
- Texture: Soft, waxy, or buttery (budder); drier and crumbly (crumble).
- Extraction: Usually butane or propane.
- Use: Dabbing or vaporizing.
- Potency: 60–90% THC
Oil / Distillate
A thick, refined liquid form of cannabis extract that’s highly versatile. Distillates are often used in vape cartridges, edibles, and tinctures due to their purity and near-flavorless potency.
- Texture: Thick, viscous oil (distillate is highly refined).
- Extraction: CO₂ or ethanol.
- Use: Vape cartridges, tinctures, or edibles.
- Potency: 80–95% THC
Live Resin
Made from freshly frozen cannabis plants to preserve terpene content, resulting in rich aroma and flavor. It offers a robust, “fresh flower” experience and is often dabbed for maximum effect.
Sauce (Terp Sauce)
A mix of THCA crystals suspended in terpene-rich oil, known for its vibrant flavor and balanced potency. It delivers both intense aroma and strong psychoactive effects.
Crystalline / Diamonds
Pure THCA (or CBD) crystals that resemble coarse sugar or diamonds. These are the most potent concentrates available, often vaporized alone or mixed with terp sauce for enhanced flavor.
- Texture: Solid crystals of pure THCA or CBD.
- Extraction: Solvent-based, followed by crystallization.
- Use: Dabbing or combining with terp sauce.
- Potency: 95–99% THCA (before activation)
Rick Simpson Oil (RSO)
Named after its creator, this cannabis oil is high in THC. RSO is made using the whole cannabis plant (full-spectrum), retaining cannabinoids, terpenes, and more.
- Texture: Thick, viscous liquid, often sold in a syringe
- Extraction Method: Food grade alcohol or ethanol extraction
- Use: Sublingual administration or ingestion. RSO may also be used as a topical.
- Potency: 50%–90% THC
Solventless Concentrates
Solventless concentrates use mechanical or heat-based methods instead of chemical solvents. Cold water may be used to collect trichomes, but no other ingredients are used!
Bubble Hash (Ice Water Hash)
Produced by agitating cannabis in cold water to separate and collect trichome heads. To create “live” bubble hash for live rosin, freshly cut cannabis plants are immediately frozen to lock in the chemical state of the live trichome head. It offers a natural, full-spectrum experience and can be smoked, vaped, or pressed into rosin.
- Texture: Gritty, sandy individual heads or a “full melt”, sticky mass.
- Extraction Method: Ice or cold water agitation separate trichomes.
- Use: Smoking, mixing into flower, or pressing into rosin.
- Potency: 50–75% THC
Live Rosin
Created by applying heat and pressure to "live” bubble hash, squeezing out potent resin without solvents. It’s clean, flavorful, and favored by purists for its chemical-free extraction.
- Texture: Sticky, sap-like to a drier crumble.
- Extraction Method: Heat and pressure applied to flower or hash.
- Use: Dabbing or vaping.
- Potency: 70–85% THC
Kief (Dry Sift)
Kief is composed of loose trichome heads sifted from dried cannabis through fine screens. Kief is ypically used to boost potency in joints or bowls.
- Texture: Fine, powdery trichomes collected from flower.
- Extraction Method: Solventless mechanical sieving.
- Use: Smoked alone or used to enhance flower, either in a pipe/bowl or in a pre-roll.
- Potency: 30–50% THC
Temple Ball / Brick Hash / Hashish
These "old-school" concentrates are the original forms of aged, solventless resin. Bubble hash is hand-worked using heat and physical pressure. This process creates a protective outer layer that allows the hash to age gracefully, deepening its aroma and mellowing the flavor over time.
- Texture: A glossy, oxidized "skin" on the outside with a soft, fudgy, or crumbly interior.
- Extraction Method: Mechanical Sift or Ice Water.
- Use: Smoked or used to enhance bowls or joints.
- Potency: 40%–75 THC
