Ask a Budtender: What Percentage of THC Should I Look for in a Vape?
by Haley Hansen
Cannabis color remediation—a process that removes impurities from cannabis extracts—is becoming very common these days as more consumers explore the world of cannabis concentrates, which are extracted from cannabis flower and come in the form of wax, shatter, budder, crumble, and more.
As the name of the process suggests, color remediation affects the hue of concentrates. Unfortunately, there’s no one “good” color for a concentrate and color does not always reflect the quality of the product. It is widely believed that concentrates with a light or clear color are cleaner, while those with darker colors contain impurities—either can be right or wrong. All in all, the effectiveness of the product is not determined by the color; it’s determined by the quality of the cannabis used to make it.
So, what exactly is cannabis concentrate color remediation? Aside from purifying a cannabis concentrate, color remediation offers cannabis extractors the ability to create consistently colored products. For products to undergo this filtration process, they must be combined with pressure, heat, and a special extraction solution. The concentrates are first mixed with a solution and placed in a special cylinder before being exposed to heat and pressure.
They are then filtered through different materials, such as clay, charcoal, or silica, before passing through a paper micron filter. The end product is a remediated oil that can range in color from dark to clear. The process is said to be beneficial by removing unwanted contaminants and pesticides, plant sugars, lipids, and chlorophyll.
Color remediation is not a new process—it is commonly used in food and wine production. Because color remediation helps create consistent products, the process’ benefits can apply to a variety of products. The process not only affects appearance but also affects taste and performance. However, color remediation has only recently started to be used in the cannabis extraction process.
Not everyone is a fan of cannabis concentrate color remediation. Some believe that the need for color remediation technology signals the use of low-quality cannabis flower. Though not always the case, there are companies that put out cheap cannabis products processed with bad chemicals and solvents—this is an all-too-common problem in both the CBD and THC sides of the cannabis industry.
Anyone in the business of cannabis extracts will tell you that the better the original cannabis product, the better the results of the extraction process used to form concentrates from the cannabis. Think about it for a minute: Would you want a cannabis product that had to be bleached to appear clean, or would you rather have a product that was actually clean?
To make a cannabis product look clean, the color remediation process removes excess pesticides, chlorophyll, and chemicals that should not be in cannabis in the first place. In contrast to much mass-produced cannabis, I grow cannabis at home without the use of any pesticides and chemicals. While the use of color remediation does not necessarily mean the concentrate was made from poor cannabis, it’s always a good idea to pay attention to the origins of products.
How do you know if a concentrate has gone through a color remediation process? Many of these products have a light, golden color, but the only way to know for sure is to ask the company directly via email or social media. While color remediation is not in itself bad or dangerous, the increasing popularity of the process has made it difficult for consumers to tell if a concentrate was made from high-quality cannabis by sight alone, according to Where’s Weed. Essentially, color remediation has made it possible to make concentrates made from bottom-of-the-barrel cannabis look just like those made from the good stuff.
So, should we be praising or knocking color remediation? On one hand, it removes impurities and creates a more visually appealing concentrate. On the other hand, it can easily cover up low-quality products. If you’re concerned about ingesting low-quality concentrates—or unknowingly paying top dollar for low-quality concentrates that have been covered up with color remediation—your best bet is to buy your concentrates from a trusted company that can easily reveal its cultivation and extraction processes and sources.
Whatever your reasons for consuming cannabis during the day, it’s important to know how your cannabis will affect you to avoid becoming couch-locked when you should be working on something. Most of society needs to get things done throughout the day, meaning that the cannabis consumed should assist, not prevent, progress. How to Pick a…
New cannabis research found that a cannabis-based drug was able to kill pancreatic cancer cells. This cannabis-based drug, or rather miraculous medication, is a botanical combination of extracts from the Cyathus striatus fungus and cannabis. This powerful combo was even able to destroy all of the cancer cells without damaging any healthy cells, unlike conventional…
It’s safe to say that the wheels on the cannabis reform express have certainly been set in motion. As of April 2022, 47 states have legalized cannabis in some form or another. However, the plant’s federally illegal status—U.S. law categorizes cannabis as a Schedule I drug—means that businesses operating in this industry cannot conduct transactions with…
Ever woken up with beads of sweat rolling down your forehead, the bed sheets tangled around you in a desperately protective clutch, and the imprint in your memory of a scary dream? If so, you can consider yourself among the 50%-85% of adults who battle the occasional nightmare during REM sleep. For many people, the severity…
The U.S. State Department gave an update on WNBA star Brittney Griner’s arrest, Nevada’s ACLU warned of cops using a cannabis loophole, and cannabis industry sales surpassed those of Starbucks. Let’s dive into this week’s cannanews. U.S. Says WNBA Star Brittney Griner ‘Wrongfully Detained’ by Russia The U.S. State Department put out a statement indicating…
Good foot health is absolutely imperative for anyone who leads an active lifestyle. Composed of 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than…
A recent study suggests that secondhand cannabis smoke has “several hundred toxic chemicals, carcinogens and fine particulate matter (PM2.5), many at higher…
Researchers working at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson have refined a method of ketamine use in the treatment…