THC Diamonds – What You Need to Know

thc diamonds

THC Diamonds – from weed shatter to weed “butter” and everything in between, it was only a matter of time until a new, space-age named concentrate would be introduced to the market.

The name might be a misnomer, but THC diamonds aren’t literal rocks of THC, the psychoactive component found within cannabis flowers, that are just mined from the earth.

No, they’re a new kind of cannabis concentrate that features THCA instead of its ever popular cousin, THC. No need to fear, THCA from THC Diamonds (otherwise known as THCA diamonds) will still get you amazingly high, just through different means.

Curious as to what this THC crystalline can offer? 

Let’s find out!

THCA Compared to THC

thca diamonds

Before comparing the two, it is imperative to have a complete understanding of the dynamics behind each cannabinoid. Although THCA and THC may sound very similar, they carry a few key differences between one another.

Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the star player of cannabinoids found in marijuana. THC is the primary cannabinoid that’s responsible for producing many of marijuana’s psychoactive effects and inducing a cannabis high. It is capable of producing sensations of euphoria and settling the user into a relaxed state. THC has also been used to treat many conditions such as insomnia and chronic pain.

Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, or THCA, is one of the non-psychoactive cannabinoids found in marijuana. At the moment, although studies on this cannabinoid are fairly limited, preliminary research and anecdotal evidence both point to the potential of THCA as a therapeutic cannabinoid on par with CBD. 

If you have ever gone off the deep end and tried to eat your cannabis bud outright (we hope you haven’t), you were probably disappointed to find out that it didn’t get you high. That’s because raw buds mainly consist of THCA. To experience a cannabis high, it must first be converted to THC.

As cannabis ages over time, THCA will slowly convert to THC. This is why cannabis is typically left to dry out and cure once it’s harvested. This is also the reason why eating cannabis buds raw won’t get you high! 

 When raw cannabis is heated, it undergoes a process called decarboxylation.  Decarboxylation is known to greatly expedite the conversion of THCA to THC, which is why most cannabis products, including flower, must be heated before being consumed to enable the user to experience psychoactive effects.

A side note: while THCA converts to THC over time, the same aging process can actually convert THC into CBN, a cannabinoid that won’t have the same psychoactive effects as THC! That’s why it’s important to know how to store your weed to best keep it fresh! 

What Are THC Diamonds?

thc diamonds definition

As the name suggests, THCA diamonds are crystalline structures of THC in their purest form. Their appearance is akin to granulated sugar as they are usually relatively small in size with a majority of them falling in the range of being only a few millimeters wide.

With that being said, the crystal sizes do not affect the actual quality and potency of the ingredients used. In terms of their color, they are largely translucent and can possess a glistening golden amber-like tint if left to soak in terp sauce. Terp sauce is a liquid that contains a high concentration of terpenes and is responsible for giving many plants and fruits their unique aromas and flavors.

THC diamonds carry an impressive composition of 99% pure THCA with the remainder being a blend of terpenes and other cannabinoids.

Due to the composition of THC diamonds, there isn’t a full range of flavors to experience as they do contain a very small amount of terpenes. Although mostly flavorless and odorless, this is offset by their raw potency. Luckily, for those who enjoy both the effects and flavors of cannabis, the THC diamonds can be soaked in terp sauce or High Terpene Full Spectrum Extract (HTFSE) to give them some extra flavor.

While THC diamonds are non-psychoactive on their own, exposure to heat activates the cannabinoid, converting it into THC.

Is THCA legal?

Though marijuana is still listed as a schedule 1 drug in many regions in North America, THCA has not been explicitly mentioned or classified. We recommend that you consult the laws and regulations of your jurisdiction regarding its legality.

How Are THC Diamonds Made?

thca diamonds guide

The process of creating THCA diamonds is very similar to the way many solvent-based concentrates are made, however, what separates them from the rest is the difference in their method of extraction.

Like many other solvent-based concentrates, extracting THCA diamonds is achieved by using liquid solvents such as butane or propane in a closed-loop system to draw out any active compounds from the trichome gland in the plant material. While many solvent-based extractions rely on removing the solvent as soon as possible, it is the opposite when extracting THC diamonds.

Rather than completely removing the solvents from the closed-loop system, approximately 10-15 percent of the solvent is left, resulting in a supersaturated solution of THCA.

Supersaturating the THCA in a solution that is rich in terpenes while simultaneously steadily removing the solvent allows for its crystallization. The timeframe for production can vary from within a few days to several weeks.

Another popular technique is to take regular, uncured live resin and to simply leave it in a container over time so separation can occur. This separation happens between the liquified terpene layer on top and the crystal layer on the bottom. This process can take weeks and is the most commonly used technique.

Essentially, diamonds are live resin that over time, have been able to separate into its constituent parts. In some ways, it can be argued that this is not an entirely new concentrate in the world of cannabis because live resin has been around for a while already, but many do argue that the addition of terp sauce is enough for diamonds to be classified as a concentrate of its own.

How to Use THC Diamonds

Since THCA diamonds are not intoxicating on their own, consuming them raw will have little to no use. Instead, opt to expose them to heat as decarboxylation will activate the crystals and convert them to THC and induce a cannabis high.

With that being said, THC diamonds can be consumed with many different setups such as vaporization via dab rig, electronic rig, or vaporizer pen. Any method that decarboxylates the diamonds will suffice.

Due to their strength, the consumption of these diamonds is not for the faint of heart. It is recommended to have an adequate amount of experience and to have built a sizable tolerance to cannabis before attempting to consume THCA diamonds.

New users may be at risk of experiencing unwanted side effects such as extreme discomfort and nausea.

Final Thoughts

With cannabis concentrates being a slightly mysterious topic for most, and the lack of research to back it up, we hope this article helped to give you some insight to the more intricate delicacies of the cannabis world.

Enjoy responsibly!

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