How to Pick Out a Good Concentrate to Dab

The different options for dabbing are seemingly endless these days, with dispensary shelves lined with dozens of different concentrates from shatter and budder to live resin and live rosin. If you’ve found yourself contemplating what to pick out at a dispensary, we're here to help. We'll show you how to select a good concentrate to dab to make your next session smooth.

May 30, 2023

Let’s start with a brief overview of some popular concentrates:

Types of concentrates for dabbing

Live resin and live rosin are two popular concentrates used for dabbing. Both types use fresh cannabis that gets flash frozen quickly after harvest. This is distinct from other concentrate types that typically use dried and cured flower, hence the word “live.” These fresh concentrates tend to pack more flavor and taste closer to the plant than their non-flash frozen counterparts.

Live resin is made with solvent-based extraction – typically butane or ethanol. The solvents help separate the compounds from the plant material and are removed from the final product before hitting the shelves. Live rosin, on the other hand, is made with just heat and pressure. It’s a solventless cannabis concentrate.

Shatter, as its name suggests, is a smooth, glassy, and brittle cannabis extract. It comes in thin hard sheets. Budder refers to concentrates that are moist, creamy and, well, buttery in consistency. And then there’s crumble, which is similar to budder but is more dry and crumbly, almost like cheese. Budder tends to be easier to scoop for dabbing.

These are just a few examples of the types of concentrates you’ll run into when visiting our Bellingham dispensary, Spokane weed stores, or other dispensary locations. Feel free to ask a budtender for more detailed guidance on the types of cannabis concentrates available to you.

Decide what kind of effects you want to experience

Like flower, concentrates come in various forms with unique effects. Keep in mind that concentrates are typically much, much more potent than your average nug of weed. Even those who smoke weed every day can find themselves uncomfortably high after just one dab. So if you’re not sure how a concentrate will affect you, be sure to start with a small dab and go slowly.

If high potency is what you’re going for, reach for a concentrate that’s high in THC. This won’t be hard to find. Some concentrates are strain-specific, meaning they’re made exclusively with specific strains instead of blends of different strains. If you know you particularly like a certain strain, it’s worth asking your budtender if there are any concentrates in-store made from that specific strain.

Those looking for more therapeutic effects from their concentrates may benefit from selecting a high CBD, low THC concentrate. A 50/50 blend of CBD and THC is another good option for those seeking a balanced high. These lower-potency strains are good options for those new to dabbing as they are less likely to cause users to get uncomfortably high.

Decide if you want to use solvent or solventless concentrates

If you’re stuck trying to figure out which type of cannabis concentrate you want to dab with, decide how you want it to be made. Many people have strong opinions about whether their concentrates include solvents or not. Those seeking products as close to the plant as possible tend to opt for solventless extracts, as they’re considered more pure.

Butane Hash Oil (BHO) is typically the base for various solvent-based extracts, including wax, crumble, budder, and shatter. These are easy to find in most dispensaries and typically come with a much lower price tag than their solventless counterparts. If you’re new to dabbing and don’t want to sink too much money into experimenting with concentrates, it may be easier to start with solvent-containing concentrates simply for the lower price. Solventless extracts tend to cost more money because of the cost of materials and relatively low yields, as well as the cost of equipment. If you just want to go for quality, though, it may be worth splurging some extra money for solventless concentrates.

Savor the flavor

A flavorful concentrate can make all the difference when dabbing. Quality dabbables will have preserved as much of the plant as possible, including the variety of terpenes that make up the smell and flavor of strains.

Dabbing with a flavorful concentrate can take your session to the next level. The act of dabbing will be more pleasant and the resulting effects will be more enjoyable because the concentrate is as close to the plant as possible. If you’re shopping for concentrates, ask your budtender to describe the flavor and aroma of various concentrates you’re curious about to get an idea of what the experience may be like.

Budtenders are your friends

Still unsure about which concentrate to select for dabbing? Ask a budtender. There’s a good chance they have first-hand experience with the in-store selection and can give you their own personal reviews and recommendations. And if they’re not a big dabber themselves, it’s almost a guarantee that someone working at the dispensary has in-depth knowledge about the available concentrates.

While everyone has their own preferences for dabbing, budtenders will have some objective knowledge about their products and can guide you toward the right product based on potency, extraction method, strain, or other factors.

An easy question to start the conversation is to ask your budtender what the freshest available concentrate is. The fresher the concentrate, the less time for the active compounds to break down.

Ready to dab?

We have a large selection of quality cannabis concentrates at great prices so you can get your dab on with ease.

Stop by our Bellingham pot shop, Spokane dispensary, or Pullman weed store today to get all of your weed needs in one place. Our friendly and knowledgeable budtenders are here to help you find just what you’re looking for.

Piece of Mind Cannabis is a medical marijuana and recreational Cannabis dispensary with locations in North Spokane, South Spokane, Bellingham, and Pullman, Washington.