Cannabis concentrates are ideal for users who want potent levels of THC packed into a small, versatile product. These products are extracted from weed and can come from any indica, sativa or hybrid strain, but they also come in various shapes and consistencies based on the extraction process used. While Hash, Budder, and Live Resin are all popular choices, one of the best concentrates to use is Shatter.
Shatter is a thin, glass-like cannabis extract that you can add to joints, bowls or vaporize for strong effects. While it’s rigid at first, it can easily be broken down into small pieces or heated to make it softer and more pliable, making it very versatile. While it’s easy to find Shatter in stores, you might want to learn how to make Shatter yourself using your favorite strains of weed. Here’s a guide.
What Is Shatter?
Shatter is one of the most popular types of cannabis concentrates you can find. Unlike some concentrates that are soft and oily, Shatter is solid and often compared to glass, especially as breaking it will result in it shattering into pieces. Since it’s packed with THC and other cannabinoids, it only takes a small dab of Shatter to get seriously high.
While strains of weed usually contain around 15-25% THC, strains of Shatter often contain 70-80% THC, sometimes even more if they’re well made. There are various ways to make Shatter and you can even make Shatter at home, although complex lab equipment is needed for the highest quality Shatter.
Many users buy Shatter online or in cannabis stores due to how powerful it is. It’s also versatile- you can easily add some Shatter to a joint, bowl or vaporizer giving you many ways to enjoy the strong effects. Alternatively, you can also dab Shatter if you have a Dab Rig for an even more powerful high.
How Is Shatter Made?
Like other cannabis concentrates, Shatter is made by extracting the cannabinoids from cannabis to result in a highly-concentrated product. Heat and pressure are applied to the buds to extract the THC and then any unwanted contaminants are purged.
While there are multiple ways to make Shatter, high-quality Shatter is usually made using a solvent-based extraction process. Marijuana buds are blasted with butane along with heat and pressure until the translucent honey-like substance begins to emerge from the weed. A vacuum oven is then used to purge any contaminants and other unwanted materials to result in a clean and pure cannabis extract.
Although most users won’t have the technical lab equipment to make Shatter the difficult way, there are easy ways to make it at home. You can make Shatter by packing glass tubes with marijuana, putting a coffee filter on one end, and dripping butane through the other end. However, using butane can be dangerous and you may want to use an easier and safer method.
How To Make Shatter At Home
There are multiple ways to make Shatter, although some are easier and safer than others. One of the most common ways of making homemade Shatter involves blasting your marijuana buds with butane in an extraction tube and extracting the resulting material through a coffee filter before putting it in a double boiler.
However, methods involving butane can be extremely dangerous. Butane is highly flammable and can even cause explosions. For the easiest and quickest way to make Shatter, all you need is a hair straightener, some parchment paper, and a stash of kief.
Step 1: Put a pile of kief in the middle of a piece of parchment paper and wrap the paper around it to make a small, square parcel. You’ll want to pack this parcel as tightly as possible and you might want to put tape around it to keep it in place.
Step 2: Turn on your hair straightener and let it heat up for a few minutes. You can make Shatter using the lowest setting. Once it’s hot enough, place your parcel of kief on the iron and press down as hard as possible. The heat and pressure applied will activate and release the cannabinoids. You might want to use gloves to avoid burning your hands.
Step 3: Remove the parchment paper and unwrap it. You’ll notice an amber liquid emerging from the sides- scrap this from your paper using an extraction tool and store it in a glass container. You now have your Shatter. You’ll likely still have some kief leftover in the parchment paper, so wrap it and put it between your straighteners again to extract even more.
How To Use Shatter
One of the many reasons you should use Shatter is because of just how versatile it is. There are many ways to use Shatter and it’ll give you stronger effects than weed even if you just use a small amount. Here are the most common ways to use Shatter.
In a Joint – You can’t smoke Shatter on its own in a joint- it’ll simply soften up and stick to the paper. However, you can mix it with weed for a potent joint with enhanced effects. Fill your joint with weed as you usually would then place a line or some pieces of Shatter on top. Roll up and enjoy.
In a Bowl – Similarly, you can use Shatter in the bowl of your Pipe or Bong, although you’ll need to mix it with weed. Place some bud in your bowl first and place some Shatter over the top. Much like smoking Shatter in a joint, this will give you powerful effects.
With a Vaporizer – If you have a Vape Pen designed for use with cannabis concentrates, simply place some pieces of Shatter in your chamber, power it up, and enjoy the potent draws. For extra powerful vaporization, you can also use Shatter with a Dab Rig.
Conclusion
Shatter is a fantastic, glass-like cannabis concentrate that you can use in many ways if you want extra-strong THC effects. Although Shatter can be made by blasting weed with butane, the safest way to make it at home is to simply wrap some kief in parchment paper and apply heat and pressure using a hair straightener.
Although it’s easy enough to make Shatter yourself, the best way to get high-quality Shatter is to simply buy Shatter online. Various strains are available so there’s something to suit every user. You can also find a range of other strains and cannabis concentrates online at CanadaCannabisDispensary.ca.
