All About Shatter: Extraction, Use, and Effects
Shatter is a popular and potent form of cannabis concentrate. Shatter has a translucent, amber color and a glass-like consistency. It has a tendency to crack or shatter, hence its name. This product is also referred to as shatter wax.
What is shatter?
Shatter burst onto the cannabis scene in 2010 gaining a solid reputation for its extreme potency. However, the potency is dependent on extraction techniques and the source plant material. Some shatter may have THC levels ranging from 80 to 90 percent.
Shatter and wax are both made using similar extraction techniques. After the extraction process, the oil goes through a process known as “purging” in which a vacuum chamber is utilized to further refine the product and remove all traces of solvents. Finally, the oil is “winterized,” using a process that separates the lipids and fats from the oil.
Shatter and wax can be equally potent and the difference between the two concentrates is merely a cosmetic one. Shatter maintains its clarity because the molecules are stacked in straight rows, one on top of another. This molecular alignment allows light to penetrate the extract, giving the substance its glass-like consistency and appearance. Wax has a softer, gummier consistency because the oil is subjected to molecular agitation by whipping, shaking, or stirring.
How to use shatter
Traditionally, shatter is smoked with a dabbing rig. Vape pens made specifically for vaping shatter are also available. Shatter can also be added to dried flower and rolled into a joint or smoked in a pipe.
