What Is THC Wax & How Do You Use it?

THC wax also called cannabis wax or marijuana wax is a potent type of marijuana concentrate that looks like wax. Its consistency ranges from sticky or gummy to a soft, balm-like texture often compared to flaky clay, warm candle wax, or lip balm. The color varies from amber to golden, similar to honey.

It’s made by extracting tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) from cannabis plant material using butane as a solvent, which is why you might also hear it called butane honey oil or butane hash oil (BHO). 

Wax packs a punch, with THC concentrations between 60% and 90%. Compare that to regular cannabis flowers, which have 15% to 20% THC. You can guess that wax gives you a much stronger high.

And speaking of a high, there are several ways to consume wax with the most popular being dabbing, vaping and adding it to flower by twaxing a joint or topping a bong bowl.

How is THC Wax Made?

Well, making weed wax is a precise extraction process best performed by professionals in a lab. 

It starts with professional grade closed loop extraction equipment where cannabis buds are packed into tubes and blasted with a solvent like butane. The butane acts like a molecular magnet, separating the cannabinoid and terpene rich resin from the plant material. The result is a potent oil solution.

Next the oil goes through a purge. The mixture is placed in a vacuum oven and gently heated to remove all the residual butane. This step is crucial for a clean, safe and high quality product. Without a proper purge the final wax would contain harmful chemicals.

The final step gives wax its signature texture. The purified oil is agitated as it cools. This is whipping or stirring the oil, like whipping cake frosting or mashed potatoes at home. 

This whipping action crystallizes the oil, turning it from a clear liquid to an opaque waxy solid. 

Types of THC Wax

Typical wax should have a perfect, malleable texture. However, if the concentrate is agitated too much during processing, it turns into more of a budder. On the flip side, if not stirred enough, you end up with something that looks more like shatter than wax.

This explains why some cannabis concentrates fall under the broader "wax" category. They share sticky, soft, or wax-like qualities, but not all concentrates are true waxes. 

• Budder/Badder: This type has a whipped, creamy, smooth texture that looks and feels like cake frosting. Its soft consistency makes it easy to scoop and handle with a dab tool.
• Crumble: This concentrate is dry and honeycomb-like, with a texture that literally crumbles in your fingers, hence the name. It has been processed with a “low and slow” method in vacuum ovens, so it’s brittle but workable. It is also less sticky than other wax varieties, so it’s easier to handle and portion out.
• Sugar Wax: is granulated and crystalline, like wet brown sugar, with small sparkling crystals throughout. This texture develops when terpenes separate during the extraction process, making it bumpy. Despite the rough texture, it’s still soft and workable and has great flavor profiles.
• Honeycomb: It's light, airy, and full of tiny holes that create a honeycomb-like appearance with a slightly sticky feel. This concentrate is prized for its preserved terpene content, so it has great flavor and aroma. 
• Live Resin: It is made from flash-frozen fresh cannabis plants instead of dried and cured buds, preserving maximum terpene content. It has a wet sappy texture and offers an intensely aromatic and flavorful experience.
• Shatter: Shatter is glass-like and translucent, with an amber color. When handled, it shatters into sharp, brittle pieces, hence the name. While not technically a wax because of its hard consistency, shatter is often grouped with wax concentrates.

How to Use THC Wax: Consumption Methods

As you’d expect, using wax cannabis extract is a whole different ball game than smoking flower. Here are the best methods to use wax:

Dabbing With a Rig

Dabbing is the most popular way to smoke wax. You’ll need a water pipe called a dab rig, a quartz nail, and a torch. You heat the nail with the torch, let it cool for a second, then use a metal tool to apply a tiny amount of wax to the hot surface and it’ll instantly vaporize for inhalation.

Vaporizing With Wax Pens

For a more portable option wax pens or dab pens are a great choice. These are essentially a vape pen for concentrates. You load a small amount of wax onto the heating coil inside the pen, press a button to heat it and inhale.

Adding to Flower (“Twaxing”)

You also have the option to add wax to your regular flower sessions to amp up the experience. This technique, often called "twaxing," involves rolling a skinny piece of wax and wrapping it around a joint or putting small dabs on top of the flower in a bowl or bong.

Infusion into edibles

Wax is also good for making edibles. The wax must first be heated at a low temperature to activate the THC. Then you can infuse it into butter or oil and use it in any recipe for a long-lasting, smoke-free experience.

THC Wax vs. Other Cannabis Concentrates

The main difference between thc wax and other forms of cannabis concentrates is the texture, consistency and the amout of cannabinoids and terpenes in each. Most solvent based concentrates start with the same BHO extraction process. 

The variations happen at the end of the process during agitation. Wax is agitated to make it creamy, while a concentrate like shatter is left still to form a glass-like solid.

Also some other cannabis concentrates are made without solvents. Take Rosin, for instance. It relies solely on heat and pressure to extract resin from the cannabis flower, resulting in a cleaner concentrate than wax.

The choice between these products usually depends on personal preference for texture, flavor, and extraction method. However, wax might be more suitable for newcomers as it's easier to handle.

Safety Considerations When Using THC Wax

Like any cannabis product, using wax has some risks you should be aware of:

• High Potency Risks: THC wax can have up to 90% THC content, which makes it easy to take too much. This can lead to anxiety, paranoia, or overwhelming mind-altering effects. So always start with a dose no bigger than a rice grain and wait 15-30 minutes at least before taking more to gauge the effects on your body. 
• Contamination and Purity Concerns: Wax from the black market often can have dangerous leftover solvents, pesticides, or other harmful stuff in it that can mess up your health. Buy from licensed, regulated dispensaries that are required by law to third-party test their products to ensure that all butane and other solvents have been purged. 
• Respiratory Health: While vaporizing is healthier than smoking, any inhaled substance can irritate your respiratory system, especially with frequent use. To be safe consider using a MouthPeace filter from MooseLabs to reduce toxins and particulates while dabbing or vaping, which can significantly reduce respiratory irritation. Also take breaks between sessions and stay hydrated to minimize lung irritation.
• Tolerance and Dependence: Regular use of high-potency concentrates like wax can quickly increase your tolerance, meaning you’ll need more to get the same effects. Take tolerance breaks and don’t use daily to  prevent psychological dependence. Monitor your consumption and seek help if you can’t control your use.
  

FAQs:

Can you get high off of THC wax?

Yes THC wax will get you high—much higher than flower because of its 60-90% THC content. It’s stronger and lasts longer than smoking flower. You’ll feel it within minutes when you dab or vape it.

What’s the difference between THC badder and wax?

Badder has a creamier, more whipped consistency like cake frosting while wax is firmer and more pliable like modeling clay. Both are created through agitation during processing but badder gets more whipping so it’s smoother and more uniform.

What are the benefits of THC wax?

THC wax requires smaller doses, has immediate effects, and has better flavor profiles because terpenes are preserved. It’s also more cost effective per dose than flower and provides consistent, predictable effects for both.

How long does THC wax last in your body?

THC from wax can be detected in urine for 3-30 days depending on usage frequency, in blood for 2-7 days, and in saliva for 1-3 days. Metabolism, body fat percentage and consumption frequency affect detection times.

What Is the Strength of THC Wax?

THC wax has 60-90% levels of THC. That’s 3-6 times stronger than your average cannabis flower which has about 15-20% THC.

How long does THC wax take to kick in?

When dabbed or vaped, THC wax effects start within 1-5 minutes and peak around 10-30 minutes after consumption. When added to edibles, onset can take 30 minutes to 2 hours but effects last much longer—typically 4-8 hours total.