What is CBD Shatter? How to use CBD Wax & Concentrates

CBD Shatter

If you’re an experienced cannnabis user, you may already be familiar with concentrate terminology like shatter, wax, crumble and others. These terms are compatible with CBD concentrates as well, but the appearance and malleability & consistency of them may be a little different than what you’re used to. If you’re not too well versed in concentrates, no worries, we’re here to break it down for you. Starting off with shatter, specifically CBD shatter.

How is CBD Shatter made?

CBD Shatter is more often than not, pure CBD Isolate that goes through a process in which it is manipulated by heat, pressure and or agitation. Most CBD shatter on the market has added botanical terpenes to add a more natural and pleasant experience for consumers. Terpenes are also known to have many therapeutic benefits, as well as being used for giving CBD shatter a flavor profile. These flavor profiles can mimic real strains or even fruits.

At Vesta, we use both botanical terpene blends and terpenes extracted from real cannabis plants for a true terpene profile.

CBD shatter usually starts off as powdered CBD isolate and is heated up in batches until it liquifies to a consistency of a syrup or distillate. At this stage, terpenes are mixed in and homogenized throughout the batch. Heat is suspended and the CBD begins to naturally crash back together into it’s crystalline structure as it cools. Some techniques including “seeding” which is sprinkling powdered CBD isolate on top of the liquid batch so it begins nucleating faster and seeding to the added CBD isolate.

What does CBD shatter look and feel like?

CBD shatter, as you can tell by the name, takes on the appearance of shattered glass. Though this term was more attributed to THC products, the consistency in which CBD shatter breaks apart and has a harder structure than other forms of concentrates, this term made the most sense for the industry. (Photo from Vesta CBD Instagram : GG4 CBD Shatter)

How to use CBD shatter and CBD Wax?

The best part about CBD shatter, in my opinion, is how versatile and covenient it is. For seasoned users, you can use CBD shatter in joints and bowls, dab it with a standard rig or E-Rig, etc. You can also add it to certain food and beverages (you need to use a carrier in some instances, we’ll tell you how!) for a truly unique experience. We compiled a small list of the many ways to use CBD shatter. If you have any unique ideas, comment them below!

• Sprinkle in a joint
• Put pieces on top of a bowl
• Dab Rig/Vaporizer
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Brownies
• Smoothies
• Coffee
• Pasta/Cooked meals
• Syrups
• Pills/Tablets

How to dab CBD shatter?

If you’re already invested into dabbing, you probably already know the deal. We recommend trying a temp around 460-520F. CBD does melt at a slightly higher temp than THC, the main issue is terpene preservation and finding a balance between CBD uptake and terpene retention. This is why E-Rigs usually offer a better experience with CBD dabs, as they can be fine tuned per strain.

Can you put CBD shatter in water?

You CANNOT use CBD shatter in water or primarily water based drinks. This is because pure CBD isolate is not water soluble without additional processes or ingredients. For this reason, we’re sticking strictly to the easy ones you can do at home, without lab equipment like Ultrasonic Homogenizers (need I say more?)

Can you put CBD shatter in alcohol like Vodka, Rum, Tequila, etc?

CBD shatter IS soluble in acohol, which allows alcohol connoisseurs to get creative with CBD in their next glass! Though it may take some time for the CBD to dissolve in the alcohol, it will dissolve. If you use syrups in your cocktails, it may be easier to heat up a small amount with your CBD and wait for it to melt into the syrup. The CBD will bind to fat and sugar molecules without crashing out into a sticky or solid mess.

Can you put CBD shatter in food & edibles like brownies, chocolate or juices like lemonade?

Yes! since CBD shatter is the purest form of CBD, it is already activated. Compared to making homemade edibles with marijuana, you don’t have to preheat anything to activate or decarboxylate. We only heat up the CBD shatter to mix it with a carrier ingredient to make it easier to work with and produce a smooth product. CBD isolate is very grainy, so feeling it in between your teeth is not pleasant.

For snacks and pastries that will be heated in an oven to 350, you can pulverize your CBD shatter back into isolate and sprinkle it into your batter mixture. The heat of the oven should evenly melt the isolate throughout your final product. You can slowly bring CBD shatter up to a low cooking temp and it will melt into your mixture. For candy like chocolate, we suggest using a CBD distillate. We’ll be covering more in depth CBD cooking recipes in our blog .

For drinks like lemonade it would be easiest to melt CBD isolate in your simple syrup flavoring for your lemonade. We recommend using agave nectar or honey for sweeteners as these are healthier than granulated sugar and easier to work with!

Can you put CBD shatter in pasta and home cooked meals?

Yes! making a cannabis cuisine could be a great experiment for a memorable night with friends or family. “Medicated Meals” are on the rise, with cannabis cafes opening in legal states across the country. Invest in a high quality non stick pan, as it can get sticky depending on how you prepare it. Our tip would be again to use a carrier oil like olive oil or coconut oil so you can easily add and keep track of dosages across meals. Some ideas for meals are pasta, lemon chicken, stir fry, and steaks.

Pairing meals with certain terpene blends could be a creative way to spice up your regimen as well. Some strains may add fruity or peppery notes to your meal that you wouldn’t expect!

Conclusion: How should YOU use CBD shatter?

We recommend trying each and seeing which works best for you! Edibles are becoming very popular for non smokers, but dabbing may give more instant and heightened effects. It really is personal preference and what you’re comfortable and experienced with. We wouldn’t recommend going out and buying an expensive glass rig, banger, and torch to start your CBD or cannabis journey.

If you know how to cook or bake, going the edible route may be best for you! If you’re a seasoned smoker, you can probably try everything on the list to conduct your own experiments. If none of this sounds interesting to you, we always have our ever popular 1000mg Isospectrum CBD Oil Tinctures that essentially use 1000mg of CBD shatter per bottle!