Concentrates.
The strong stuff.
Cannabis stripped down to its most potent form — 60–90% THC. From glassy shatter to terpene-rich live rosin, here's every texture explained, solventless vs solvent, how to dab, and where to find it cheapest near you.
The textures of concentrate
Concentrates are named for their texture and how they're made. Same idea — separate the good stuff from the plant — but the method changes the consistency, the flavour, and the price. Here's the spectrum.
Solventless vs solvent.
Every concentrate is made by separating trichomes from the plant — but how decides everything. Solventless methods use only ice, heat, and pressure. Solvent methods use butane, CO₂, or ethanol, purged off at the end. Solventless is prized for purity and flavour; solvent extracts can reach the highest potency.
| Solvents | None — ice, heat, pressure | Butane, CO₂, ethanol |
| Terpenes | High — strain-true | Varies, can be re-added |
| Typical potency | 60–80% THC | 70–90% THC |
| Textures | Rosin, hash, badder | Shatter, wax, diamonds |
| Price | $$$–$$$$ | $–$$$ |
Why it looks like that.
Texture isn't just looks — it tells you how a concentrate was made and how it'll behave on a dab tool. Here's the quick translation.
Low and slow wins.
A dab is a small dose of concentrate flash-vaporised on a hot surface. Temperature is everything: cooler preserves flavour, hotter maximises clouds. Start small — a rice-grain dab is plenty.
Concentrates, ranked by availability
Concentrates near you
Concentrates, demystified.
The questions we get most from flower smokers curious about dabs.
They're mostly about texture and method. Shatter is a glassy, brittle solvent extract; wax (or budder) is the same idea whipped creamy. Rosin is solventless — pressed with heat and pressure — so many prefer it for purity and flavour. All are concentrated cannabis.
Solventless concentrates (rosin, hash, bubble) are made with only ice, heat, and pressure — no butane or CO₂. Many connoisseurs prefer them for flavour and purity. Solvent extracts aren't unsafe — they're lab-tested and purged — but solventless is the premium tier.
Diamonds are crystallised THCA — among the most potent concentrates, often sitting in a pool of terpene-rich 'sauce'. Live resin is made from fresh-frozen flower, so it keeps the strain's full terpene profile and tastes especially loud.
For most concentrates, yes — a rig or an electronic dab pen vaporises them at the right temperature. Some, like rosin and bubble hash, can also be added to a bowl or joint. Distillate and resin also fill the vape carts covered in our vapes guide.
Much stronger than flower. Most run 60–90% THC versus 15–25% for flower. A single rice-grain dab can equal several bowls, so start very small — especially with diamonds or distillate.
Cool, dark, and airtight. Terpene-rich types like live resin and rosin do best in the fridge; shatter and distillate are more stable at room temperature. Use a silicone or glass container, never plastic.
Yes, from a provincially-licensed retailer and lab-tested. Extracts are capped at 1000mg THC per package. You must be of legal age — 19+ in most provinces, 18+ in Alberta, 21+ in Quebec.