Shatter is a brand-new illegal drug that is quickly gaining popularity in the United States.
What is shatter, and how does it differ from other cannabis concentrates? It’s the street name for one of the more powerful forms of cannabis or marijuana concentrate, better known as Butane Hash Oil (BHO) or hash oil.
Butanehydrate is a technique of extracting cannabinoids and terpenes from marijuana plants that uses liquid gas called butane. This generates an extraordinarily powerful concentrate or hash oil, which gives you a stronger high when you want to get intoxicated.
As with most new medicines, shatter is fast growing in popularity, particularly in locations where cannabis has been legalized. Young people have truly been intrigued by it, attracted to the color, mood-altering effects, and ritual of breaking the brittle substance before smoking.
Here’s a quick rundown of potential hazards and side effects, as well as an in-depth analysis of shatter and how dangerous it is.
Shatter Definition: What Is Shatter?
Shatter is a particularly potent cannabis concentrate. The informal term “wax,” which refers to this stuff, comes from the fact that it’s produced using butane and honey. Wax, sap, and budder are some of the other names for it on the streets. The phrase “shatter” refers to the concentrate’s texture. Shatter has an amber color and a glass-like translucency due to its consistency and appearance. As a result of its apparent shattering when used, it got its name.
Shatter is a THC-rich concentrate that is typically used as a tincture. Shatter is extremely powerful and can range from 60% to 80% in cannabinoid content. Some extremely potent types of shatter may even contain up to 90% or more in cannabinoids. According to the most recent data, strains of cannabis with THC levels of 0.5 percent or more have grown in popularity since 2012. The number of marijuana consumers has also increased dramatically over that time period (see chart above). According to these statistics, as a way to consume THC, marijuana with higher THC concentrations is becoming increasingly popular among customers.
Shatter, on the other hand, contains 20% THC, which may appear to be a lot for an inexperienced marijuana user. In order to fulfill their cannabis habits, expert users could become addicted to something much stronger. Shatter is popular among daring consumers and individuals looking for new thrills by attempting out something more potent in order to achieve a new level of thrill.
The process of creating shatter is one of the more unusual and instantly identifiable characteristics of the substance. To extract cannabinoids and terpenes from a cannabis plant, shatter requires the use of highly flammable and readily liquefiable gas butane. The concentrated BHO product is created as a result of extraction. Cannabis plants produce such chemicals naturally. When certain receptors in the brain are activated, they provide a sense of calm, relaxation, and euphoria while also relieving discomfort.
Unfortunately, because butane is such a combustible substance, the production of shatter in low-quality home laboratories has resulted in explosions, fires, numerous injuries, and even deaths.
In general, the manufacture of home shatter is prohibited, including areas where medical marijuana is permitted. Furthermore, there are a lot of worries about the danger of contaminated batches of shatter being produced during the manufacturing process.
The butane gas used in cannabis extraction is removed from the mixture with heat, for example. However, if the solution isn’t heated for long enough or at a high enough temperature, extra butane gas may be left in it. While smoking shatter, individuals who breathe butane gas are extremely dangerous.
Concentrates produced and sold by reputable businesses are generally considered safer for the user than makeshift home manufacturing labs. As a result, shatter is often perceived to be more hazardous overall than its plant-based equivalent. Manufacturers that are respectable, on the other hand, are legally bound to ensure that the quantities of butane in marijuana concentrates do not exceed what legislation permits.
What’s the history of shatter?
Shatter is a relatively recent development in cannabis usage. Hashish production has a long history. Modern cannabis concentrate production was being perfected in the late 1990s, and what we now know as shatter was first produced.
In 1989, author D. Gold released a second edition of his 1973 book Cannabis Alchemy: The Art of Modern Hashmaking, which included the first full description of how to make hash. Medical technologist Michael Starks also published a second edition of his 1977 book Marijuana Chemistry: Genetics Processing and Potency in 1990, with a thorough account of the hash manufacturing process.
In the late 1990s, Canadian cannabis business BudderKing began selling budder and shatter on dispensary shelves. In Cannabis Culture magazine in 2005, the processes for producing these items were revealed, and by the 2010s, shattered emerged as a common form of cannabis consumption. Its popularity prompted many dabbers and concentrate users to express their enthusiasm with phrases such as “if it doesn’t shatter, it doesn’t matter.”
What Does Shatter Look Like?
Shatter refers to a completed product that resembles a slice of toffee or maple syrup chip. Some kinds are comparable to wax or honey. As a result, the names budder and honey oil are used on the streets.
Shatter is a translucent glass-like surface that “shatters” as it’s pulled. It’s so smooth and glossy, you’ll want to put it on your shoes. The color of shatter ranges from orangy orange to light brown, depending on the souche.
How Is Shatter Made?
Contrary to popular belief, shatter’s transparency has nothing to do with purity; rather, it is the consequence of how it is produced.
The process of making shatter is straightforward. To remove the trichomes from the plant, marijuana buds and trim are soaked in liquid butane. The resulting solution is then drawn off and heated to reduce the amount of butane left over.
The resulting mixture is then left to rest and set, forming a thin film of extract. The finished product has the look of a honeycomb-like glass sheet.
How Do You Use Shatter?
It’s made by combining a small amount of shatter with a heated surface and inhaling the smoke. Crack pipes are similar to shatter drug sales. However, you may also utilize vaporizer pens or blend them in with marijuana meals.
What Is The Difference Between Shatter and Wax?
There is only a cosmetic variation between them. However, there are some minor distinctions to consider:
- Shatter is more difficult to make.
- Shatter is more durable and stable.
- Because of its consistency, wax is generally simpler to handle, weigh, and utilize.
Wax, like shatter, is a BHO concentrate with the consistency of coconut oil and the look and feel of ear wax. Wax begins as an amber liquid generated by butane extraction, just like shatter.
How Does Shatter Affect You?
It has been said that it is similar to marijuana in terms of its psychotropic effects, with THC.
Shatter is a much stronger drug than marijuana in its usual form. When compared to marijuana, shatters contain more than 60 percent THC and fewer than 20 percent THC. Shatter users experience a higher degree of euphoria and intoxication more quickly.
Is Shatter Dangerous?
THC and other cannabinoids in shatter are comparable to 10 medicinal cannabis inhalations based on the potency of a single dose. The problem is that, once you’ve done a shatter slam, your brain is blasted with an intense high all at once.
When shatter is acquired illicitly, it often originates from makeshift labs where the quality of production isn’t always up to snuff. The plant mixture is heated with butane gas during the manufacturing process. However, if it isn’t heated, some of the butane may remain.
Cannabis is addictive, and withdrawal symptoms can be severe. Smoke or “dab” shatter on a regular basis at high doses, as it has been linked to serious illness. While marijuana poisoning is rare, undesirable side effects including anxiety, delusions, fear, and hallucinations might occur.
What Are the Side Effects of Shatter?
The side effects of consuming shatter are still being researched. Shatter may have similar adverse effects to cannabis flowers, but the concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes will be greater.
- Shatter has the following potential side effects: Heart rate and blood pressure increase as a result of potential infections, such as sinusitis, bronchitis, and asthma. Airway discomfort that causes narrowing and spasms Sore throat Immune system weakening Bloodshot eyes are among the possible symptoms.
Shatter can have a psychological impact on an individual, causing feelings of anxiety or panic. Shatter might make it more difficult for the brain to focus, reduce memory recall capability, and impair coordination.
The power of shatter can induce users to faint or enter drug-induced psychosis, and it may also trigger severe anxiety.
Withdrawal Symptoms From Shatter
Emotionally dependent on shatter is a few people. They may believe they aren’t in control of their desire to take the drug.
Dependency on shatter may lead to addiction. This indicates that you’ll need greater quantities of shatter in order to get the same results.
Possible withdrawal symptoms include:
- Feeling frightened, nervous, and anxious
- Feeling excited, stressed, uncertain, or irritable
- Difficulty with falling asleep and staying asleep
The brain’s production of anandamide may be reduced when you apply a lot of shards. That could interrupt the brain signaling network that relies on these receptors in the endocannabinoid system. Endocannabinoids are chemicals naturally produced by the body to bind with cannabinoid receptors, which are found throughout the nervous system.
Interfering with the nervous system has serious consequences. This includes modifying portions of brain circuitries that allow folks to recall, form new memories, and shift their attention.
Treatment of Shatter Dependence
Individuals who are suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms might need in-patient treatment. When someone is going through a shatter withdraw, therapy services might be provided in an outpatient or residential setting.
There are currently no medications available to assist with marijuana addiction treatment. However, a combination of therapies including detoxification and behavioral therapy might aid in the recovery from shatter addiction.
Is shatter the same as dabs?
Yes, technically. All shatter may be dabbed, but not all dabs are shatter. Dabbing is a popular method of consuming cannabis concentrates that utilizes a small water pipe known as a dab rig. The concentrate is vaporized by the rig’s flat bowl and “nail,” which is made to withstand high temperatures so it can vape the material. Other types of cannabis concentrates can also be dabbed in addition to shatter.