You walk up to the concentrate case at Kine Buds. Jars, pods, parchment paper envelopes, and little amber nuggets that look like rock candy. The labels say things like badder, shatter, diamonds, and distillate. The budtender asks what you’re looking for, and your brain goes blank.
This happens to almost everyone new to cannabis concentrates, and honestly, it happens to plenty of experienced flower smokers who’ve just never crossed over into this part of the menu. The names aren’t intuitive. Nobody handed you a glossary.
This guide fixes that. By the end of it, you’ll know what every major concentrate type is, how it’s made, how it hits, and which one makes sense for where you’re at. If you’re shopping for concentrates in New Jersey, whether for the first time or the fiftieth, this is your reference.
What Is a Cannabis Concentrate?
At its simplest, a concentrate is what happens when you remove everything from the cannabis plant except the good stuff. The cannabinoids. The terpenes. The resin.
The result is a product that’s dramatically more potent than flower. Where a typical cannabis flower runs 15–25% THC, concentrates generally range from 60% on the low end to over 90% on the high end, depending on the type and how it was made. That’s not a typo — and it’s the most important thing to understand before you take your first dab: a little goes a very long way.
All concentrates start with cannabis plant material. How you extract the resin, and what you do to it afterward, determines whether you end up with shatter, badder, wax, diamonds, or something else entirely. The two big categories are solvent-based and solventless extraction.
Solvent-based concentrates
Solvent-based concentrates, which include wax, shatter, badder, diamonds, live resin, and distillate, use a chemical like butane, propane, or CO2 to strip the resin from the plant. The solvent is then purged from the final product. When done correctly in a licensed facility (which is the only legal way to purchase concentrates in New Jersey), the finished product passes state lab testing for residual solvents before it ever hits the shelf.
Solventless concentrates
Solventless concentrates, like live rosin, bubble hash, and dry sift, skip the chemicals entirely and use mechanical processes (ice water, heat, pressure, agitation) to separate trichomes from the plant. They tend to command higher prices and are popular with consumers who prioritize a clean extraction process.
Now let’s get into the specific types you’ll actually see on the menu.
Cannabis Concentrate Types
One thing worth knowing before we get into each type: most of these names describe texture and consistency, not quality or potency tier. Two concentrates can go through nearly identical extraction processes and end up with completely different names just because one was whipped and one wasn’t.
That naming chaos is real. Even experienced budtenders at different shops will use terms interchangeably. What matters more than the label is understanding what you’re actually getting: how it handles, how it hits, and what equipment it works best with. That’s what this section covers.
Wax
Wax is one of the most common entry points into the concentrate category. It has a soft, sticky, opaque texture, somewhere between peanut butter and candle wax, depending on the batch — and it’s made using butane hash oil (BHO) extraction. After the initial extract is produced, it’s whipped during the purging process, which introduces air and creates that softer, opaque finish.
Wax is easy to work with. It scoops cleanly, loads easily into a dab pen or onto a rig, and delivers a potent, fast-onset high. THC content typically runs 60–80%. The trade-off compared to some other concentrate types is shelf life. The whipping process increases surface area, which means terpenes can degrade a bit faster. Proper storage (cool, dark, airtight) makes a real difference here.
Good for: beginners who want a forgiving, easy-to-handle concentrate. Solid value.
Shatter
Shatter is what happens when BHO extract is left completely undisturbed during the purging process; that is, no agitation, no whipping. The molecules align, the oil hardens into a thin, translucent, glass-like slab. It looks like amber-colored hard candy, and it will literally shatter if you snap it (which is where the name comes from).
Because of the lack of agitation, shatter tends to be very pure and stable, with THC concentrations typically between 70–90%. The flip side: it’s harder to handle. You can’t just scoop it. Most people use a dab tool to break off a piece, and getting consistent portions takes practice. It also requires higher dabbing temperatures than softer concentrates; most devices vaporize shatter well at around 550–600°F.
Good for: experienced consumers who want high-potency, stable concentrate and don’t mind the handling learning curve.
Badder (Also Called Budder or Batter)
Badder, budder, and batter are all the same thing — different spellings, same product. The naming inconsistency across dispensaries is genuinely confusing, and you’re not alone if you’ve asked three budtenders and gotten three different explanations.
The texture is creamy, smooth, and spreadable; think frosting or soft butter. Like wax, it starts as a BHO extract, but it’s whipped more extensively and at specific temperatures, creating that lighter, creamier consistency. Badder is easy to scoop, easy to portion, and easy to use, which is part of why it’s one of the most popular concentrate formats on shelves right now.
THC content usually falls between 70–90%. Terpene content tends to be solid, meaning flavor is a real strength here. If you want potency and a flavorful dab, badder delivers both without requiring much technique.
Good for: beginners and intermediate consumers. The most approachable of the traditional concentrate types.
Diamonds (THC-A Crystalline)
Diamonds look exactly like what the name suggests — small, crystalline structures that resemble tiny gemstones. They’re the most potent concentrate type on the market, with individual diamonds coming in at 95–99% THCA, the non-psychoactive precursor to THC that converts when exposed to heat.
Here’s the catch: pure diamonds have almost no terpenes, which means almost no flavor on their own. They’re about raw potency, period. For that reason, you’ll often see diamonds sold together with sauce, the terpene-rich liquid they form inside during the crystallization process. Diamonds and sauce together give you the best of both: maximum potency and full flavor. If a label says “diamond sauce” or “diamonds in sauce,” that’s what you’re getting.
Diamonds typically require a dab rig or a device built for high-potency concentrates. They’re not the starting point for a first-time concentrate user.
Good for: experienced consumers who want maximum potency, or those who want the full-spectrum experience when combined with sauce.
Distillate
Distillate is the most processed form of cannabis concentrate. It goes through a refinement process called short-path distillation that strips out nearly everything except THC (or CBD), producing an extremely clear, viscous oil that can reach 90%+ THC.
What’s removed in that process includes most terpenes, which means distillate on its own is flavorless. You’ll often find it infused back with terpenes (either cannabis-derived or botanical) to add flavor, which is why vape carts labeled “CDT” (cannabis-derived terpenes) or “BDT” (botanical-derived terpenes) command different price points and reputations.
Distillate is the most commonly used oil in disposable vape pens and pre-filled cartridges precisely because it’s stable, consistent, and easy to work with at scale. It works well as a baseline format, but connoisseurs tend to reach for live resin or live rosin vapes for a richer experience.
Good for: people using vape carts, especially entry-level vaping products. Not really a standalone dabbing concentrate.
Concentrates vs. Flower: What Actually Changes?
The most common question from flower smokers considering their first concentrate: Is it really that different?
Yes. A few key things shift:
1. Onset is immediate and intense.
Unlike edibles (which can take 30–120 minutes), concentrates hit like flower — fast, within minutes. But because the THC concentration is so much higher, the experience can feel more abrupt and stronger than you expect, even at what seems like a small amount.
2. A small amount is genuinely small
First-time concentrate users consistently overdo it because they apply flower intuition to a product with 3–4x the potency. A proper beginner dab is roughly the size of a grain of rice. Start there.
3. Flavor can be significantly better
Quality concentrates, especially badder, live resin, and live rosin, preserve terpene profiles that get partially destroyed in combustion. If you’ve ever wanted to taste the actual strain rather than just smoke it, concentrates make that more possible.
How Strong Are Concentrates vs. Flower? A Quick Reference
| Type | Typical THC % | Handling | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flower | 15–25% | Easy | Everyone |
| Wax | 60–80% | Easy | Beginners to concentrates |
| Badder/Budder | 70–90% | Very easy | Beginners to intermediate |
| Shatter | 70–90% | Trickier | Intermediate to experienced |
| Diamonds | 95–99% THCA | Requires rig | Experienced consumers |
| Distillate | 85–95%+ | Easy (in carts) | Vape users |
Dab Pen vs. Dab Rig: Which Do You Need?
You don’t need a full dab rig setup to get into concentrates. Two main formats:
Dab pens are portable, battery-powered devices designed specifically for wax, badder, and similar concentrates. Load a small amount into the chamber, press the button, and inhale. They’re forgiving, discreet, and a reasonable entry point. Quality matters here. A cheap dab pen will burn your concentrate rather than vaporize it, producing harsh hits and wasting product.
Dab rigs are water pipe setups that use a heated surface (a “banger” or “nail”) to vaporize concentrates. They require either a torch or an e-nail (electronic heating element). More equipment, more technique, but generally a better flavor experience, especially with quality concentrates. For diamonds, live resin, and live rosin, a rig with temperature control gets the most out of what you paid for.
If you’re new, start with a dab pen. Get comfortable with how concentrates feel at low doses before investing in a full rig setup. Your budtenders at Kine Buds can walk you through what’s in stock and what makes sense for your experience level.
How to Store Cannabis Concentrates
This is one of the most overlooked parts of buying concentrates, and it affects your product meaningfully.
Heat and light are enemies. Terpenes degrade. Textures change. Potency slowly drops. The general rules:
- Short-term storage (days to a couple weeks): An airtight silicone or glass container at room temperature works fine for stable concentrates like shatter, wax, and badder.
- Longer-term storage: Refrigeration extends shelf life for most concentrates significantly. Just let the product come to room temperature before opening — condensation inside a cold container can introduce moisture.
- Sauce and diamonds: These are more sensitive and benefit from refrigerator storage, even short-term.
- Distillate/vape carts: Keep them upright and away from heat. Direct sunlight will degrade the oil faster than anything.
If you bought a quality concentrate, proper storage is what makes it worth the investment.
Which Concentrate Should You Start With?
If you’re new to concentrates and want to try one, start with a live resin vape cartridge or a small amount of wax or badder in a dab pen. These formats offer controlled dosing, familiar mechanics, and the most forgiveness when you’re still calibrating. No rig required.
If you’ve been dabbing for a while and want to go deeper into the category, the live resin vs. live rosin breakdown on the Kine Buds blog covers the premium end of the concentrates shelf in full detail — including why the price difference between the two exists and which one actually makes sense for your use case.
And if you’re standing in front of the concentrate case at 113 E Passaic St and your brain is still going blank — that’s what the budtenders are there for. Tell them what you’ve tried, what you’re hoping to feel, and what equipment (if any) you already have. They’ll match you to the right product. Every time.
Shop concentrates in Maywood, NJ at Kine Buds Dispensary. Open daily 9am–9pm. Browse the full menu →
