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Dear Stoner: Is all distillate the same? Since it’s essentially distilled THC, wouldn’t that make it all the same stuff?
Westville
Dear Westville: That makes sense in theory. If it’s all being reduced down to THC and devoid of terpenes, then distillate products should be pretty universal. But distillate isn’t pure THC, and the quality still hinges on what you start with. Think of it like distilling vodka: If you use shitty grains, have cheap equipment and don’t redistill the booze enough times to achieve a level of purity, the alcohol is going be more of a fire hazard than drinkable. My old roommate still has jars of homemade brandy from 2015 in his closet, and it’s not for aging.
THC distillate doesn’t have terpenes, so judging quality is different than with other concentrates.
Scott Lentz
Although THC extraction is different from alcohol, that expectation translates. Bad weed and poor extraction processes lead to impurity, a plant-like taste and less THC content. To your point, the differences among distillate extractors aren’t as noticeable, since you’re not looking for terpenes or other cannabinoids, but all of those production variables still create levels of quality. When shopping, look for distillate with the highest THC content or try to figure out the origins of the starting plant material.
Send questions to marijuana@westword.com.
