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Let’s Talk About THCa Diamonds – What Are They and Why Do They Have So Much Buzz Right Now?
Let’s talk about THCa Diamonds
They say that diamonds are forever, yet I’m sure they weren’t talking about these diamonds. The landscape of cannabis has evolved significantly over the past few decades and these days, we have a whole assortment of ways to consume cannabis.
Most people are still in favor of consuming the flower the “old school” method, but with newer technology comes newer integrations of smoking weed. Most people have become very familiar with certain extracts such as “budder”, “Shatter,” “Honey”, and “Wax” which may vary in consistency and presentation.
The results of these methods also fetch a higher price tag when compared to flower. This is because in order to make a gram of any of these presentations, you need a significant more amount of cannabis and technology.
Fortunately, as cannabis is becoming cheaper and more available – companies can invest into researching and developing new ways of consuming cannabis. One of these “newer” ways comes in the forms of THCA Diamonds
What are THCA Diamonds?
THCA Diamonds is known as an “isolate” and this product is obtained by specifically extracting THCA from the soup of cannabinoids and terpenes in the first extraction process. The way extraction works is typically with some sort of solvent mixed with the plant matter.
This breaks down the compounds and turns it into a soup. Then, various processes at different temperature and pressure can hone in on a particular compound and extract it from the soup. This is why the price tags on these isolates are quite high.
THCA Diamonds are one such an extract.
Benefits of Consuming THCA Diamonds
Here’s the thing about THCA – it’s non-psychoactive and has a higher bioavailability than delta-9-THC. This means, that if you’re in need of high doses of THC then you can consume THCA which will not get you high, but will act in the same fashion as Delta-9 THC in terms of relief.
For patients who need high doses of THC, this is an optimal solution.
Others utilize Diamonds as “add ons” to their current means of consumption. Perhaps you have grown accustomed to a strain and simply don’t get the same effect…add a bit of “Diamond dust” on it and you’ll immediately feel the difference.
Drip Oil’s lab director, Jared Priset – a producer of these diamonds said in an interview with Phoenix New Times,
“Many patients may consume diamond by itself; many choose to add it to blunts or bowls to increase THC consumption,” and likens it to, “an ingredient in a salad. Some products offer patients something more like a premade salad mix, he explained, but with different cannabinoid and terpene isolates now available, patients can customize what molecules they’re consuming with greater precision.” – Source
How does one make THCA diamonds?
While there are many methods, most people start with the double-extract method. Essentially, they create the terpene, cannabinoid soup (the first excretion), and then through heat and pressure, they create the second extraction to isolate the specific compound.
Priset explains,
It begins where most concentrates begin, from a slurry of plant material dissolving in butane solvent. First, hexane or acetic acid is added to the mixture to further separate the plant material.
Once the plant material is filtered out, a pure mix of cannabinoids and terpenes are put in a rotary evaporator, also aptly named a “diamond miner.”
The diamond miner uses heat and pressure to form delta-9 THCA crystals beneath liquified terpenes. That “sauce” is separated and used as its own product or added into others, Priset explained. The crystals are put back in the diamond miner for one more bake, and the result is pure THCA. – Phoenix New Times
What does this mean for the market?
With more of these products coming to the market, we will begin seeing a highly customizable experience unfold. Imagine if you could make your own blend of terpenes and cannabinoids until you find the absolute perfect fit.
Well, in theory – you can do that already. The only thing is that now it’s a tad bit expensive to make it commercially availavble for most people.
But this doesn’t mean that it’s not coming. We might see a future where you can choose the percentages of certain terpenes over others, with varied strengths of potency, and cannabinoid balance. As for medical applications, this opens up a world of new medicines that can be designed for specific conditions and provide a degree of consistency needed in medical treatments.