Shatter might seem intimidating for beginners, especially with its sky-high THC levels compared to smoking weed (traditional flower), but it’s easier than you think.
Keep reading for our tips on how to safely (and enjoyably) smoke shatter!
WHAT IS SHATTER
Shatter is a highly concentrated pure form of cannabis extract that is super potent and reflects a transparent amber sheen. It often exceeds 90 percent cannabinoid content, and its terpene content is among some of the highest. Cannabinoids and terpenes are the natural plant chemicals that give cannabis its characteristic smell and taste. They also allow you to feel the effects you’re looking for, so they’re critical to the experience.
Shatter, like other types of cannabis concentrates produced by extracting cannabinoids, is based on consistency. Some concentrates are thicker while some are runnier—although all are sticky, thanks to the presence of cannabinoids.
The extraction process of the cannabinoids generates the concentrate’s final consistency, which determines its type. For example, budder is whipped up to be creamier, while shatter (which doesn’t get agitated) stays nice and clear. If you’ve ever made candy, this part will sound familiar. Unlike sticky hash oil or waxy budder, shatter is more like a piece of toffee, hard and brittle—don’t stab it with a dabber, or it really might shatter.
To make cannabis concentrates, manufacturers extract cannabinoids (CBD, CBG, CBN, and THC), terpenes, and flavonoids from the marijuana flower buds using a solvent extraction—like CO2, alcohol, or butane. The butane separates the trichomes and cannabinoids from the cannabis plant matter. Trichomes are those tiny glittering glass-like crystals on the buds of good cannabis plants and contain a high THC content, other cannabinoids, and terpenes. The product, butane hash oil (BHO), technically applies to any shatter.
Shatter, budder, honey, hash oil, sap, taffy, and wax (a specific type of vaping or smoking wax) are all types of cannabis extracts that are opaque in consistency. Manufacturers stir or agitate budders and waxes to create a creamy texture while shatter remains still and translucent.
HOW TO SMOKE SHATTER
SMOKING SHATTER WITH A VAPE
You can vape shatter like other cannabis concentrates; use a higher temperature than you would for cannabis flower. However, go too high (like you would for a distillate cart) and risk burning the shatter.
Dab pens are a great alternative to your dry-herb vapes and vape pens. Many have dual-use capabilities with two separate smoking compartments–one for dry herbs and another for concentrates like shatter. Smoking shatter with a vape or dab pen offers the convenience of enjoying a smoke session anywhere.
HOW TO SMOKE SHATTER WITH A BONG
You can, of course, top off your flower with shatter as you would with kief. If you want to smoke shatter in a bong, place a screen at the bottom of a clean bong bowl, add the shatter, and light as usual. You should encourage gentle, even heating by moving the bong bowl.
HOW TO SMOKE SHATTER WITH A CIGARETTE
To smoke shatter with a cigarette, apply the shatter to the end of the cigarette. The shatter will stay there and burn evenly as you smoke. If the shatter is harder, place a little on the ember to let it melt into the cigarette. Melting shatter is hot and can burn you, so use caution.
SMOKE SHATTER WITH A BLUNT
Smoking shatter with a blunt is similar to smoking shatter with a cigarette. As mentioned, mix the shatter with the flower before rolling, or twax your paper. However, this method of smoking shatter is least effective because of the lack of control over precise temperature, resulting in using more THC/shatter than is necessary.
SMOKING SHATTER WITH A JOINT
All you need to smoke your shatter with rolling papers is cannabis, some shatter, rolling papers, a MouthPeace, and the know-how to roll a joint or blunt.
Lay out the rolling paper, filter/mouthpiece/crutch, and distribute the flower as usual. Then, drop small amounts of shatter onto the flower, roll the shatter into a long snake, or heat it until it’s soft enough to spread on the rolling paper if it’s too sticky. The snake can either go inside the blunt or around the outside.
HOW TO SMOKE SHATTER WITH A GLASS PIPE
Yes, of course you can! Apply the shatter on top of the dried cannabis and add a pipe screen for easy cleanup. As mentioned earlier, a dab rig, or water pipe, is the preferred method for smoking shatter. Investing in either will ensure a pleasant and easy way to smoke shatter.
SMOKING SHATTER WITH A DAB RIG
Smoking shatter, or smoking dabs with a dab rig, is pretty simple. First, heat the nail or banger of your dab rig with a torch until it’s hot. Then, wait about 30-45 seconds to let it cool slightly. Use a dab tool to place a small piece of shatter on the nail. As the shatter melts, inhale the vapor through the mouthpiece. Remember to start with a small amount, as shatter is very potent. Enjoy the experience, but always be careful with the hot torch and nail!
For those who want a better understanding, a dab rig is a water pipe designed for concentrates. It features a hot nail instead of a bowl and a water chamber to cool the vapor. Dab nails can be made of quartz, titanium, ceramic, or glass, with the quartz banger being the most common. To vaporize dabs, nails need to withstand temperatures between 400-600°F.
Dab joints come in male or female types and sizes of 10mm, 14mm, or 18mm. E-nails, or electronic nails, use electricity for heating, eliminating the need for a blowtorch.
Butane Torch: Essential for heating traditional nails, these can be easily found along with refill cans of butane.
Carb Cap: This tool regulates airflow and improves heating for smoother hits. After dropping the dab, place it over the nail.
Dab Tool/Dabber: Dabs are sticky, so use a dabber to handle them. Dabbers come in various materials and shapes, such as blades, paddles, and scoops.
BEST WAYS TO SMOKE SHATTER
HOW TO SMOKE SHATTER FOR THE SMOOTHEST HITS
We’re cloud chasers, too, and know you don’t want to sacrifice airflow or intake. Moose Labs filters are made from recycled and biodegradable materials. These triple-layer activated carbon filters remove contaminants, resins, and tar to sanitize, shatter vapor or smoke, and enhance flavors.
However, smoking is never the healthiest option. High-quality hemp smoke leaves tar deposits deep in the lungs—even more so than cigarettes. Moose Labs developed the MouthPeace and MouthPeace Filters to provide smokers with a safer alternative.
Moose Labs mouthpiece cannabis filter delivers the smoothest shatter hits while also making it a healthier experience. The MouthPeace filter is the safest way to smoke shatter and other smokable products.
It’s the way to get the smoothest hits, hands down. And when it comes to your lungs, smoothness is always better for your health.
MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO SMOKE SHATTER
Here’s our solution for smoking shatter on the go and never wasting a drop: the MouthPeace Mini Bundle.
The MouthPeace Mini is a smaller, more discrete filter, perfect for taking with you anywhere. It’s designed to fit vaporizers and larger blunts on one side and standard pre-rolls on the other. It’s perfect for the on-the-go toker who wants smoother and cleaner hits.
The MouthPeace Mini Kit has 6 MouthPeace Mini Filters, 2 MouthPeace Minis, and a carrying tube.
Beyond using a mouthpiece, there are a few other things to do to optimize your efficiency:
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To avoid high temperatures and scorching, dab at lower temperatures. This will ensure you get the most from your concentrates.
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Use a silicone storage container to avoid losing any to the jar.
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Clean your dab rig after each use to avoid buildup and residue.
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Try an e-rig so your temperature can be more precise.
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A little dab will do—start with a small amount and add to it as needed.
And check out our step-by-step guide to how to use a dab rig efficiently with concentrates.
HOW TO SMOKE SHATTER FOR THE STRONGEST HITS
How do you dose dabs for the most potent hits with shatter? Different concentrates have different THC concentrations. A big dollop of wax or sugar might be less potent than a tiny sliver of shatter. Most solventless concentrates are less potent, and some may fall below 50% THC. A few solvent dabs exceed 90% THC, but most are in the 60-90% range.
Size doesn’t always matter! A small dose of shatter is about the size of a grain of rice, and it still delivers an abundance of THC per hit.
Speaking of high amounts of THC, legal markets require that packaging for cannabis concentrate include the potency of THC and CBD. These metrics will help you dose more effectively. For example, let’s say you want a 25 mg THC dab from your gram of hash rosin or other whole-plant cannabis extracts. If it is 80% total THC, there will be 800 mg of THC in one gram because 80% of 1,000 mg is 800 mg. If you split your gram into eight equal pieces, you then have eight doses of 100 mg THC.
All you have to do is continue splitting your stash until you are happy with the amount of THC in each dose. Remember, this depends on how strong you want your dose to be. As we said, a little goes a long way!
THE BOTTOM LINE
Whether you are a cannabis connoisseur looking for a better experience or new to cannabis culture, smoking shatter the effects are well worth the effort!
Though shatter is high in THC, it is still an excellent option for first-timers because it offers more controllability over the smoker’s experience. Just remember to start slow when trying to smoke concentrates as they are potent forms of cannabis–a little goes a long way!
Now that you know how to smoke shatter, choose your favorite method, kick back, and enjoy the shatter high!