Cannabis concentrates are becoming some of the most beloved products in Colorado. People are flocking to their local dispensaries looking for something with better terpenes, high purity, and of course, the unrivaled potency concentrates offer. From live resin to THC vape pens, extracts are flying off the shelves and people are starting to worry about demand. Unfortunately, the industry isn’t even close to a scenario where people should be making amateur extracts at home.
Can Supply of Cannabis Concentrates Match Demand?
Some industry insiders believe cannabis concentrate sales could catch up to flower sales as early as 2022. As dispensaries scramble to keep premium concentrates in stock, new extractors are cropping up all around Colorado. Some are certainly more trustworthy than others, and dispensaries with the best products will surely earn loyal supporters.
The rising popularity of more powerful products is tempting some amateur cannabis lovers to consider making their own concentrates at home. While there are other creations like edibles that can feasibly be homemade, concentrates are definitely best left to experts. One of the biggest reasons cannabis concentrates should be made in labs comes down to solvents.
What Are Solvents?
Most of the best cannabis concentrates in Colorado are made with the Butane Hash Oil (BHO) extraction method. Simply put, people use a butane solvent to extract cannabinoids from flower. There are all types of food products (like cooking oils) that rely on butane, so this isn’t a problem in and of itself. It’s critical, though, that butane and other solvents be removed from cannabis products before human consumption. Leftover chemical solvents are just one of the problems with homemade cannabis concentrates.
Dangers of Making Concentrates at Home
The risks associated with homemade cannabis concentrates normally fall into one of four categories:
- Fires and Explosions – BHOs and similar concentrates require some pretty serious equipment like butane tanks and refrigerant. Even a tiny gas leak or slightly botched process can pose a serious public health risk.
- Tainted Products – Even if a homemade cannabis extraction process doesn’t cause a fire, there are additional risks from using hazardous materials. One of the things people love about concentrates is that they’re not inhaling so much burned material– the inclusion of undesirable chemical solvents is a step in the wrong direction.
- Also illegal extractions don’t test the flower for pesticides and mold so you don’t know what could be getting concentrated along with the cannabinoids.
- Legal Trouble – Because of the health risks associated with homemade concentrate extractions, people who try to make their own BHOs can get slapped with serious legal issues. Now that cannabis is legal and thriving in Colorado there’s no need to go looking for such big problems.
- Wasted Flower – This one isn’t exactly dangerous (except to your wallet), but it can definitely lead to a bad time. Even the most science-minded cannabis enthusiasts can’t just produce awesome extracts at home. Professional concentrates producers are using state of the art equipment, which means purer products with less wasted cannabinoids.
Types of Concentrates You Can Make at Home
While BHOs are still very much a professional’s endeavor, people have had some luck with water and ice bubble hash extraction at home. Rosin presses are starting to hit the market, but even those start to get into the territory of playing with hot surfaces. Until the home cannabis concentrate industry matures, people are probably best off collecting their kief.
Best Cannabis Concentrates in Colorado
We at Chronic Creations are proud to produce the cleanest, most terpene-forward concentrates available. We use the best flower in Colorado for our innovative extractions to yield the best results. Contact us today to learn more.
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