Updated 7.10.2020
So what exactly is 710? Also referred to as Oil Day or Dab Day, 7/10 has grown to be the second biggest weed holiday after 4/20. The day has become a bit of a movement in itself, celebrating all things concentrates and oils, including shatter, butter, sauce, crumble, and more.
Whether you’re an experienced dabber or you’re new to cannabis, concentrates offer many forms to meet your needs. Experienced smokers will enjoy the concentrated THC levels and taste of extracts while novices will be better served by low THC vapes. Whatever your level of experience or preference, 710 is plenty of reason to celebrate.
While there isn’t a definitive record of when or how 710 started, legend has it, it all began with a group of individuals looking to push cannabis concentrates to the mainstream. After a little imagination and a lot of cannabis, it was discovered that OIL read upside-down spells 710.
While the origin of the 710 remains a bit of a mystery, here is an easy breakdown of some of the most commonly used terms around the holiday.
Extraction Methods
Let’s start by breaking down the extraction methods and common lingo used around it. This is by no means an exhaustive list and cannabis producers are continually improving and inventing new methods.
Solvent Extraction Methods:
Solvent extraction is a fairly new invention relative to the history of humans and cannabis. Most concentrates on dispensary shelves today are made through solvent extraction as the process is faster, more efficient, more precise, less expensive at scale, and results in higher cannabinoid content in the finished product as compared to non-solvent, mechanical extraction methods. Solvent extraction usually involves the use of pressurized gases which make it a very dangerous process. Only professional manufacturers should attempt solvent extraction in specially designed containment rooms. Explosions are a real danger to anyone not experienced.
Let’s take a look at the different solvent extractions.
BHO and other hydrocarbon extracts
BHO stands for “Butane Hash Oil” and is created with pressurized butane being forced through cannabis bio mass, like flower or trim. The butane extracts the cannabinoids and terpenes into a substance called “crude” which is further refined into distillate. BHO allows for high THC concentrations in the final product.
While BHO is the most common extraction method, some extractors use propane, hexane, or some combination of gases in place of butane. Each results in a slightly different output, an end product with a slightly different taste and look. Propane has a lower boiling point than butane so the extraction can be done at lower temperatures.
Another less common extract hydrocarbon is ethanol. This method is referred to as FECO (Full Ethanol Cannabis Oil)
CO2
Also known as “supercritical CO2 extraction,” CO2 extraction involves passing compressed CO2 through cannabis multiple times. Some prefer this method because the process is solvent-free but it can be much more expensive. There is debate about the taste of CO2 extracts vs BHO. Purists love CO2 because it is “clean” i.e. solvent-less. Others prefer the taste and potency of hydrocarbon extraction as hydrocarbon extraction can produce extracts that test 90%+ THC while CO2 tends to be much lower.
RSO
“Rick Simpson Oil” got its name from the founder of this method in 2003, Rick Simpson. The process involves soaking the cannabis in isopropyl alcohol to slowly draw out the cannabinoids and terpenes. The process is takes longer and it’s not as common as CO2 or hydrocarbon extraction.
Non-Solvent Extraction Methods
Non-solvent extraction methods are older and tend to be much simpler than solvent extraction. Most non-solvent extraction methods can be done at home by novices and are more mechanical in nature. Kief, hashish/hash, and rosin are all popular products made from non-solvent extraction.
Dry Sift
Kief, sometimes known as hashish, is the main product of dry sifting. If you’ve ever used a grinder, kief is the powdery stuff in the bottom compartment. Dry sifting doesn’t use any solvents and is a pretty simple process that’s been around since the beginning of cannabis use. Dry sifting usually involves cannabis being run over a fine mesh and the fine particles are collected. While kief is the loose particles, hashish is created when these particles are pressed into blocks.
Rosin Press
Rosin is a concentrate that has been gaining in popularity. It is created using pressure and heat. The cannabis is pressed and the resulting extract is scraped off. It’s a fairly simple process and doesn’t require any solvents or pressurized gasses. The finished product has a translucent and sappy texture.
Cold Press
Similar to rosin pressing, cold pressing cannabis involves pressure applied to cannabis but without the use of heat. It’s similar to cold pressed juice. The cannabis is run through a cylinder with a rotating screw that applies immense pressure to the cannabis and forces it through a press. This extraction method isn’t as efficient as others that use heat or solvents but some consider it a higher quality finished product.
Ice water hash or water hash
This process was popular before the rise of solvent extraction. It’s simple and involves water and ice, or cold water, and agitation. It’s effective because cannabinoids are not water soluble meaning they can be pulled off the cannabis plant material without being damaged by contact with water or ice. Ice water hash extraction can be done at home fairly easily and there are numerous kits readily available for home extraction.
Concentrates vs Extracts
The terms “concentrate” and “extract” are sometimes used interchangeably but each has a different meaning. All extracts are concentrates but not all concentrates are extracts.
Concentrates are a diverse group of products that contain concentrated parts of the cannabis plant and can be made in a variety of ways. Concentrates are also used to make vapes, topicals, edibles, and more. Extracts, on the other hand, are a specific type of concentrate made using solvents such as BHO, RSO, and CO2.
Extracts include products like sauce, shatter, butter, crumble – all made using solvents.
Non-extract concentrates include products like rosin, kief, and hash – all made using pressure, heat, and/or non-solvents like water.
The product names of extracts can be confusing at first but once you understand the lingo, the names tell you a lot about what you’re buying from the extraction process that was used to the final consistency. “Live resin shatter” or “trim run crumble” describe the starting material, when it was extracted, and the final consistency.
Live Resin
Considered to be the highest quality extracts, live resin is created by performing the extraction process before the cannabis plant has been dried or cured. This process best maintains the full terpene profile of the cannabis plant and is therefore more flavorful and complex.
Nug Run
Cannabis flower or whole nugs are used as the base for nug run extracts. Nug run differs from live resin in the amount of time between plant harvest and extraction. With nug run (and trim run), the cannabis plant is harvested and then allowed to dry or cure before extraction begins.
Trim Run
Cannabis trim or loose leaves are used as the base for the extract. Considered by most as a lower quality than live resin and nug run, trim run is usually a more affordable option for those looking for an extract experience at a good price.
Shatter
Named for its similarities to glass, shatter is hard and translucent but fragile with a potential to break off or “shatter”. Shatter is a result of raw extract being transferred on to a flat slab and then left untouched during the purging process.
Pull’n’Snap
Similar to shatter, except it has a softer taffy-like texture making it easier for dabbing. The name refers to the act of pulling the extracts so it stretches and eventually snaps, like taffy.
Wax
Soft concentrate that can vary in texture, look, and color. As the name suggests, waxes resemble candle wax and are also known as budder, badder, crumble, or honeycomb depending on their texture.
Crumble
Wax that is then purged to create an even drier texture. The result resembles chunky sponge-like crumbs.
Batter
Wax that is whipped and agitated to a “cake batter” consistency.
Sauce
Sauce has a more watery texture and usually resembles apple sauce.
Sugar
True to its name, sugar has a grainy texture similar to moist sugar.
This list is a basic overview and if you’re interested in learning more, our budtenders are here to answer any and all of your questions. Stop in a store, give us a call, drop us an email, or message us on social media. We’ll be happy to walk you through our selection of concentrates and answer any questions you have.
Whatever form of concentrate you prefer, 710 is a great day to enjoy the benefits of cannabis products sold by a Los Angeles dispensary. Please remember to always enjoy responsibly and if you need some ideas on how to enjoy being high in quarantine, check out this article from Leafly.
An additional article that we think you will enjoy is – Halloween Costumes for 2020.