As Florida’s cannabis market continues to grow, so does its selection of products. One year ago today, the only concentrate available was distillate. Now, many MMTCs have shatter, crumble, rosin, RSO, and other forms of concentrated medicinal cannabis.
This recent rise in options calls for a guide to them. Before we lay out all the options available at the various dispensaries, we’ll first provide a basic guide to the various types of cannabis concentrates available in Florida.
Quick Guide to Florida Cannabis Concentrates
What is a “concentrate”?
“Concentrate” is a broad term that generally applies to various forms of cannabis extract that yield high (usually over 60%) levels of THC. These more concentrated forms of medicine used to be the only form of cannabis that was legal in Florida, until the passage of SB 182, which allowed loose flower in a form intended for smoking to be sold.
Many patients prefer concentrates for their convenience, and for the ability to “microdose”, or use extremely small amounts to achieve a desirable level of medication.
We’ll review the various forms of concentrates in Florida, roughly in the order that they were introduced to the market.
Distillate
This refers to an oil that is made using various extraction methods; generally, most Florida patients prefer the quality of CO2-based extracts. Distillates usually contain a combination of concentrated cannabinoids and either plant or cannabis-derived terpenes. Distillates can be “dabbed“, or loaded into an empty vape cart and used with a vaporizer pen of your choice. Since the THC in distillate is already activated by the extraction process, the oil itself can be eaten to produce orally-ingested cannabis effects. Distillate is generally regarded as a lower-end quality concentrate, and some lower quality distillates that are made with plant-based terpenes (instead of cannabis-derived ones) have been referred to as “hot dog water” by many patients.
Almost every MMTC offers distillate in the form of distillate vape carts. These are sometimes cut with oils such as MCT or coconut oil in order to make the solution for fluid for vaping.
Shatter
While distillate is an oil, and can be heated to where it is nearly a liquid, shatter is a solid substance. Formed from a different extraction method, shatter leaves the original cannabinoids and terpenes intact – so this concentrate is always strain specific, and always has the original cannabis terpenes intact. Shatter is usually dabbed or vaporized in a concentrate pen, and most patients prefer it to distillate for its ability to more accurately capture the strain it is labeled as. Patients often report shatter as having a relatively stronger taste, but little smell.
Crumble
Crumble is also a solid form of concentrate, formed with a different extraction process that yields an almost honeycomb-like substance. Crumble often has a strong smell that is very close to what the flower version of the strain smells like. Patients often prefer crumble to shatter because it is easier to work with when breaking it down for use, and also for having a “smoother” and more accurate cannabis taste specific to the strain.
Terp Sauce
“Terp Sauce” or simply “Sauce” is a term given to a cannabis concentrate that is comprised of two parts: THCa crystals – which are often close to 100% pure THCa, and terpene sauce – a thick concentrate of the terpenes from a specific strain. The two are blended together to create a top shelf concentrate that is often regarding as higher quality (and higher priced) than concentrates like shatter or crumble. There are special devices called “straws” that are used to vaporize sauce; it can also be dabbed or used in a concentrate pen. Sauce is known for its intense flavor and effects.
Rick Simpson Oil (RSO)
RSO is a full-spectrum concentrate named for Rick Simpson, its creator, who supposedly used it to treat and overcome skin cancer on his body by topically applying RSO.
Where other concentrates remove plant matter and leave only the cannabinoids and terpenes, RSO leaves all of the plant intact, leading to the very dark color and thick consistency.
RSO is only intended for oral or topical use – it is not meant to be vaporized, smoked, or inhaled in any way.
Patients who consume RSO orally report that it has very strong effects, sometimes leading to near-psychedelic experiences.
Rosin
Where other concentrates are formed with extraction methods that use solvents such as butane or CO2, rosin is formed through a proprietary solvent-less extraction method, leading to what some regard as one of the most pure concentrates. Rosin is similar to crumble in that it is a solid with a strong cannabis smell, but rosin has more of a peanut butter-like consistency. Due to the time and cost of the extraction process, rosin is typically a good bit more expensive than shatter and crumble.
Who’s got what?
Now that we’ve covered the different forms of concentrates that are available in Florida, where do we find them? At this time, several MMTCs have various forms available for purchase.
Trulieve: Distillate, Shatter, Crumble, RSO, Rosin
Surterra: Distillate
Curaleaf: Distillate, Shatter
Liberty Health Sciences: Distillate
VidaCann: Distillate
Fluent: Distillate
MUV: Distillate, Shatter, Crumble, Terp Sauce, RSO, Rosin
GrowHealthy: Distillate
Harvest: Distillate
RiSE: Distillate, Terp Sauce
Medmen: Distillate
Closing Thoughts
The cannabis in industry is miles ahead of where it was this time last year. We will continue to publish this list with updates as needed; inevitably, more MMTCs will open up and carry more forms of concentrates as time goes by. Stay tuned to this website and our various social media in order to stay informed of the latest products and concentrates to come onto the Florida cannabis market!
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