Cannabis extracts are a very popular alternative to conventional smoking the plant. There are many ways to use extracts, and they come in higher concentrations, which should be great for those who want a higher potency but do not want to smoke. Among the many kinds of marijuana extracts, one well-known variant is the high terpene full spectrum extracts or HTFSE. Read on to learn more about this cannabis extract and how it is made.
UnderstandingHigh Terpene Full Spectrum Extracts
The name high terpene full spectrum extract should already tell you what it is. This are full spectrum extracts with a high terpene content. Because it is a full spectrum extract, it contains concentrated cannabinoids but has no fats, lipids or waxes in the plant. They contrast with conventional extracts that only pulled out one cannabinoid, usually THC or CBD. There are two main categories of full spectrum extracts: HTFSE and HCFSE or high cannabinoid full spectrum extracts.
- Consistency. Because of its extraction process, HTFSE has a consistency similar to diamonds. In fact, the result is usually called HTFSE diamonds and are suspected in a sauce-like texture.
- Potency. HTFSE mostly has a lower THCA potency compared to HCFSE. Still, high quality terpene full spectrum extract can feature THCA concentrations of up to 50 percent.
- Terpenes. Because high terpene full spectrum extracts preserve terpenes, it mostly has a high percentage of terpenes. It can have up to 40 percent, higher than the level of HCFSE.
The rise of HTFSE and HCFSE comes from many factors, including the fact that there is no need to reintroduce cannabinoids or terpenes following the extraction process. Also, they usually have improved aromas and flavor profiles, and is believed to have greater therapeutic value. This is because of the entourage effect, where the cannabinoids and terpenes interact and enhance the effects of one another.
How High Terpene Full Spectrum Extracts are Made
The process requires specialized equipment, so this cannot be done just at home. Aside from the flower where you will extract from, the process also requires sub-zero temperatures, high pressure, and a hydrocarbon solvent with a low temperature boiling point. It is important to use high quality plants because HTFSE preserves the natural profile of the plant. Thus, the terpene and cannabinoid profile has to be healthy. Otherwise, you will end up with a low quality finished product.
During the primary extraction, low temperature should be maintained to preserve the delicate plant compounds. The first process involves dewaxing the extraction to remove compounds that are invaluable like waxes, fats and lipids. The sub-zero temperatures makes the separation fast and easy. In the next process, low heat is slowly introduced to separate the solvent and concentrate. From here, some produces remove all terpenes and cannabinoids from the plant, while others reintroduce the terpenes after removal.
Differentiating HTFSE and HCFSE
The main difference between HTFSE and HCFSE lies on the methods used for extraction and separation. The former tends to have a sauce-like structure, while the latter tends to produce a sugary consistency. There is also the mentioned differences in concentration. HTFSE mostly has a 50 percent of higher terpene percentage, while HCFSE only has 13 to 40 percent. By contract, the THCA concentration of HCFSE is higher compared to HTFSE, which is usually around 90 percent.
HTFSE are one of the two main kinds of full spectrum extracts, with the other one being HCFSE. Making these require a high quality flower, pressure, sub-zero temperatures, and a hydrocarbon solvent with a low boiling point. The process cannot be done at home and mostly involves two stages. Final results vary, with some producers extracting all cannabinoids and terpenes at once, while others add them back in.
