Fireside Shatter: Cannabis Shatter

Shatter is a hard, translucent concentrate that resembles glass in texture and appearance. In our article on shatter, learn more.

Shatter, also known as shatter wax, shatter weed, or marijuana shatter, is one of the most appealing and picturesque forms of cannabis merchandise available right now. Shatter burst on to the scene in a big way in the early 2010s, providing cannabis users with a powerful new way to consume their favorite strains. Looking to try shatter? Check out this Shatter by Dab Habit.

What exactly is shatter? Shatter is a kind of marijuana extract produced by extracting the plant’s essential oil, which contains the cannabinoids, terpenes, and other chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant. The phrase shatter refers to a certain type of translucent cannabis concentrate that breaks and shatters like glass.

What Is Shatter?

After the desired cannabinoids, terpenes, and other critical components are removed with shatter, the crude extract is poured over slabs comparable to cookie sheets and placed in a vacuum oven. The vacuum oven is crucial to the purging process since it removes residual ethanol from the extraction process while also preserving the extract in its final form: a transparent, glass-like texture that shatters like crème brûlée when cracked with a spoon.

What Is The Consistency of Shatter?

The ratio of terpenes is a good indicator of shatter consistency. At room temperature, terpenes are sticky in texture, and when large quantities of terps are present, the shatter becomes more snap and pull – resulting in breakage rather than shattering like a glass shard. Furthermore, higher levels of THCA may cause “sugaring,” or crystalization.

Some people believe that shatter is the most straightforward concentrate to work with due to its softer texture or flexibility. You may use a dab tool to break off pieces, leaving a sticky residue on your hands, or you can use your fingertips. The dab tool, also known as a dabber, is designed specifically for dosing concentrates. When loading vaporizers, the device prevents any unwanted burns by making it simpler to measure your dose – but I’ll get into that later.

What Is Shatter CBD?

You may believe that all shatter concentrates have a lot of THC if you go online to read through several shatter definitions. Marijuana shatter is well-known for its high THC levels and the ability to put even the most knowledgeable cannabis users on their butt, but not all shatter has to be high in THC. Some manufacturers of cannabis concentrates have also started producing CBD shatter.

CBD shatter has a high amount of cannabidiol (CBD) and less THC. Many medical marijuana patients enjoy CBD shatter because it delivers the powerful therapeutic and anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis concentrates while avoiding the intense high associated with THC concentrations in most concentrates.

How to Use Shatter

Although shatter is a form of marijuana extract, it differs in that it is usually vaporized or “dabbed” from a vape pen or specialized water pipe known as a dab rig by customers. Marijuana extracts like shatter are a fast, efficient, smoke-free way to consume cannabis with a potency ranging between 50 and 90 percent cannabinoids by weight.

To utilize shatter in a vape pen, you’ll need a device that was built to work with cannabis extracts like wax or shatter. These vapes have an atomizer (the vape’s heating element) that heats up rapidly, allowing your shatter to reach its vaporization temperature.

To vaporize shatter, simply mix the concentrate with your vape’s heating chamber as you would with other cannabis extracts. As the atomizer heats your shatter, it will melt rapidly and turn to vapor, which you will then breathe from the device’s mouthpiece.

The more traditional method of utilizing marijuana shatter is known as dabbing. Pieces of shatter are “dabbed” on a hot surface, such as a hot titanium or ceramic nail or quartz bucket, when dabbing. When the hot surface comes into contact with the shatter, it will rapidly evaporate. You’ll breathe in vapor through the water chamber of your dab rig and into your lungs while dipping your shatter onto the heated surface.

What Makes Shatter Different?

When it comes to most real-world applications, shatter and other marijuana extracts are essentially the same. They’re ingested in roughly the same way and have a similar potency range. The main distinctions between cannabis extract types are aesthetic.

Shatter is translucent to some degree, with an amber or golden color and a transpar- ent quality. The molecules in cannabis oil extracted are the reason shatter concentrate is semi-transparent. These molecules are all arrayed in straight rows on top of one another in shatter, as they are in cannabis oil extracted. This molecular alignment allows light to pass through the marijuana extract and gives it its glass-like characteristics.

Fermentation, heat, dampness, and a high terpene content can all have an impact on the texture and extraction process, resulting in runnier extract that appears like sap but retains its translucent appearance.

When other substances, in particular shatter and sap, are whipped, stirred, or shaken throughout the process, the particles in the mixture are agitated, resulting in their cloudiness. The translucency of shatter is due to its lack of agitation.

However, when the molecules in cannabis oil are disrupted during processing, they form strange structures that are more opaque and let less light through, as shown by the photographs below. This is why shatter vs wax is such a significant distinction. Instead of clear concentrates known as shatter, you end up with opaqueswax or similar cannabis concentrates when the oil is agitated.

Why is shatter called shatter, anyway? When compared to other extracts, shatter is quite difficult. When pressure is applied to it, it often fractures and… shatters when broken. On a chilly day, shatter may crack violently, scattering shards of glass in all directions. In that respect, shattering much like glass is an apt description. This becomes even more apparent when shatter is viewed in a slab form.

Benefits of Shatter

Dabbing shatter has several advantages. It is one of the quickest ways to get cannabinoids into your system, providing almost immediate effects. Due to the higher strength of cannabis extracts, people are now able to take a “less is more” approach when utilizing their cannabis.

Dabbing shatter promises to free consumers from the need to smoke massive quantities of burning plant material in order to achieve their desired effects. That’s excellent news. Consumers can dab only once or twice rather than smoking entire joints, breathing only vapor – not smoke, to acquire their THC and other cannabinoids.

Shatter is also more durable owing to its chemical structure, as it will endure longer before decomposing than wax and other similar extracts. Some people, on the other hand, find the solid texture difficult to break up and distribute into separate applications. Before extracting a dab of shatter with your dabber, warm it slightly.

How Is Shatter Different From Other Concentrates?

From a practical standpoint, the many types of cannabis extract offered on the market today are virtually identical. The comparable qualities of cannabis concentrates like shatter, wax, and oil as well as many of the advantages

There are several reasons for the aesthetic variations. After the extraction process, some concentrates may be shaken, whipped, or stirred to disorient the molecules in the extract and introduce air. When cannabis oils are disturbed by agitation, they take on weird shapes with air pockets forming as a consequence. Crumble is an example of a cannabis concentrate that has been agitated intentionally during extraction, giving it a honeycomb look.

How to Store Shatter

Shatter, unlike cannabis flower, is picky about how it should be kept. Shatter may degrade and lose some of its original power and flavor if stored incorrectly. Shatter should always be kept in a sealed, airtight container in a cold, dark place. To keep the texture, taste, and potency as consistent as possible for as long as possible, shatter should be kept from high or low temperatures, oxygen exposure, heat extremes, direct sunshine ,and ultraviolet light. Most importantly, shatter must be kept cold at all times. The cannabinoids and terpenes in shatter are activated when it is heated, which should only happen during usage.

Is Shatter Edible?

Shatter, like other edibles, is a psychoactive drug that promises to deliver the same feeling as eating candy. Despite its sweet appearance, consuming shatter is unlikely to provide any of the desired effects. Shatter’s cannabinoids and terpenes are activated by heat. Decarboxylation is the process of turning chemicals into their active states through heating.

Are There Any Side Effects to Using Shatter?

Anyone interested in using shatter or other concentrates should be cautious of potential negative effects because to its strength and high amounts of THC. THC has a variety of medical and therapeutic applications. Overconsumption, on the other hand, can cause intense anxiety, paranoia, and other distressing symptoms. It’s crucial to remember that shatter is significantly more potent than ordinary marijuana flower (such as what you’d get from smoking a joint) and may be overwhelming for those unfamiliar with cannabis usage or who are sensitive to its side effects.