Concentrates, or ‘extracts’ as some of you may refer to them, are close to the heart of any cannabis enthusiast. Concentrates, when produced properly and effectively, are the purest expression of the flavour and aromatic profile of any cultivar. Thus – those who truly appreciate high-end cannabis often love concentrates. For this reason, high-end concentrates have always been on our radar, and 7ACRES is excited to announce our new line of amazing true-to-flower extracts!
Concentrates have gained notoriety among cannabis enthusiasts old and new, and they belong to the innovative and creative future ideal of the plant. Hash, wax, diamonds, rosin, and live resin are all types of cannabis concentrates. Basically, you get concentrates as a result of extracting a cannabis plant or flower and stripping the terpenes, flavonoids and cannabinoids to create a more potent product (i.e. a ‘concentrated’ version) that is consumable via a number of different methods.
There are different processes available to us for creating extracts, and it all depends on what you intend the finished product to be. Essentially, the aim is to isolate and remove cannabinoids and terpenes. During the creation process, either dried or fresh cannabis can be sifted then exposed to heat or extreme cold, gas (like carbon dioxide), solvent, or another oil – or a combination of these – or refined further using ethanol.
At 7ACRES, our concentrates program is eagerly growing toward the future ideal of the plant. We are turning high-end cannabis flower into high-end concentrates – and we are excited by the future prospects in the exciting concentrates realm. We are devoted to offering you premium full-flavour extracts created from our high-quality cannabis plants.
Additionally, we are always committed to the worthwhile process of cannabis education – working and learning alongside our community on all these new product types so that together we can understand and create products to the best of our advantage.
So, let’s take a basic look at the different types of cannabis concentrates…
Cannabis extracts – or concentrates – are the resulting solid or liquid products that can be combusted, vaporized/dabbed or infused into edibles or topicals. ‘Concentrates’ is an umbrella term for the myriad products contained within. As mentioned, they are created by processing cannabis flower into a concentrated form. Whereas dry flower has anywhere from 1% to over 30% THC; cannabis concentrates can contain well over 70% THC. All concentrates are similar in that they are high in THC potency; they then vary in terms of texture, taste, colour, and extraction process. Cannabis oil, hash, vape cartridge liquid, shatter, wax, kief, and tinctures are all examples of concentrates.
Solvent vs. Solventless Concentrates
There has also been a distinction created to differentiate between solvent and solventless concentrates – referring to whether or not a solvent is used in the concentrate extraction process. These processes and techniques will result in the classification of solvent-based or solventless extracts.
Solvent-based extracts are created using an external solvent. A solvent can be defined as a chemical compound that transforms a solid into a liquid. For solvent-based extracts, a solvent is used to strip the trichomes (which contain the cannabinoids & terpenes) from the cannabis plant, in order to use in a consumable extract. Butane, propane, C02, and alcohol are the most common solvents used here.
Solventless products are created through a process that removes trichomes from the cannabis plant without the use of an external solvent, typically by using agitation, heat, pressure or a combination of these methods.
Hash is perhaps the oldest known cannabis concentrate that most people have heard of or are familiar with. It is extracted using a solventless technique. Hash can be soft and pliable or stiff; and it is harvested by using the dried trichome heads and stalks from the cannabis plant, which are then pressed into ‘cakes’ or small rectangles of condensed material. Concentrates have proliferated in the last decade, so while hash is still enjoyed by many enthusiasts, today, there are so many more dynamic concentrates to choose from.
Shatter is a concentrate product created from dried or cured flower. It has a hard, glass-like texture that looks like a thin golden sheet – and as the name says, it ‘shatters’ when you handle it. It contains lower moisture levels than other concentrates.
Rosin is a type of cannabis concentrate that is made without any solvents. It tastes like the buds that were pressed to create it, but with a more potent high and a more robust flavour. It is made with a specialized physical press that essentially uses heat and pressure to extract a gooey liquid. This can be done with fresh or dried flower, and sophisticated extractors will use bubble hash to create rosin. This creates a desirably pure concentrate that is solventless.
Live Resin – What is it?
Live resin is an electrifying new product at 7ACRES, and we truly can’t wait for the community to try it and love it. How does it work? Well, live resin is the result of fresh plant that has been flash-frozen, as opposed to using dried flower; hence, the ‘live’ part – as the cold preserves the flower.
It is also known as ‘high terpene extraction’ or ‘high terpene full spectrum extraction’ (HTFSE) because live resin is intended to retain the purest form and highest counts of terpenes. HTFSE is a cutting-edge extraction technology designed to create the highest-quality, highest-potency concentrates. Enthusiasts now care about flavour profile retention in concentrates, and this method ensures such retention. Methods for HTSFE include using fresh and flash-frozen material, light solvents, and very low temperatures (as opposed to the typical high heat extraction processes).
Many concentrates are created using dried and cured plant material. Live resin, as mentioned, is unique in that it uses fresh, flash-frozen plant material. The term ‘live resin’ refers to the original plant material more so than the extraction process. The idea here is that flash-freezing the fresh plant at peak potency levels preserves precious terpenes and cannabinoids – that might otherwise be reduced during the curing process. After the extraction process, ‘live resin’ is the general term we use to describe the resulting extract. Post-processing techniques can then refine the extract into a specific live resin product type. For example, the live resin product ‘budder’ is created by whipping the resulting live resin that has been extracted.
A key difference between live resin concentrates and other cannabinoid-focused concentrates is the extraction temperature. By using lightweight hydrocarbons, certified lab technicians are able to extract the compounds at very cold temperatures so that the precious terpenes are preserved.
7ACRES Live Resin
7ACRES is excited to extend to our community a growing range of amazing live resin products. Our Kali Mist Live Resin Badder is a limited-time offering. Kali Mist is enjoyed for its fuel-forward, sweet and peppery aroma; and is high in THC – boasting a 70% THC percentage. This live resin is created using whole flower; which is carefully harvested and then frozen within one hour in order to preserve the ‘live’ trichomes. It is extracted with hydrocarbon and is cured to a golden ‘badder’ that is rich in THC and terpenes.
7ACRES is also excited about our offerings of Wappa 49 Live Resin Sugar, as well as our beloved Jack Haze’s extract in the form of Jack Haze Live Resin Diamonds.
Types of Live Resin Products
Most live resin products are packaged in small glass jars, and a ‘dabbing tool’ can then be used to handle it.
Sauce, also known as ‘terp sauce’, ‘diamonds’, or ‘the sauce’: is an incredible live-resin created product. It stands out as being renowned for its purity as a cannabis concentrate. Terpenes can quickly degrade at normal temperatures. Thus, a very low boiling-point solvent (like light hydrocarbon) is used in the primary extraction process, along with freezing temperatures. This preserves the natural terpenes and cannabinoids in the plant, which is what makes it so coveted. It has a liquid, saucy texture as you might imagine from the name.
Wax is another product made from live resin or cured resin extract. It is also known as ‘budder’ or ‘frosting’. It has a waxy consistency which is why it is called wax. It is lighter in colour and more opaque than sugar or shatter, and the wax texture is formed through heat and agitation in the extraction process. It is softer than shatter, and its consistency is like cake batter, which is a result of a concentrate-artist whipping it up after cooldown. This ensures the final solvent molecules are evaporated, removing any extra moisture, and preserving more terpenes than with the process of shatter. Sugar is a concentrate that is basically wax with crystals in it. It has a grainy, sugary looking appearance.
Conclusion
We feel excited about the high-end cannabis products we currently offer to the Canadian cannabis community. And we feel even more excited about the innovative products to come. Our journey in this industry has been firmly rooted in our respect for the plant, and now, we are looking toward the future ideal of the plant. Integral to this is to continuously offer our community a dynamic range of exciting new high-end cannabis products – namely, concentrates!
Live resin is an exploding product area for righteous reasons. It has become treasured because live resin offers experienced enthusiasts beautiful potent cannabis: high terpene counts, full cannabinoid profile, and high THC percentages. 7ACRES is proud and excited to offer you our high-end live resin concentrates. Stay tuned to The Stash for exciting updates about our live resin product offerings. We are excited to share this new realm with you.
