Cannabis wax is a soft cannabis concentrate
Cannabis wax is a concentrate made from cannabis flower. It carries cannabinoids and terpenes at levels above the plant material it came from. Most cannabis wax sold in the US comes from THC-dominant cannabis and tests between 60% and 90% THC. A second product, CBD wax, comes from hemp and holds CBD as its main cannabinoid.
How to Choose the Best Wax Cartridges for CBD Consumption
What the numbers on a label mean
Two figures matter: total THC and total CBD. Flower tests near 15% to 25% THC. Wax tests higher because the extractor removes plant fiber and water. Terpenes stay in the extract and carry the smell and taste. Wax also holds plant fats and cuticle waxes unless the extractor winterizes it, a step that chills the extract and filters out solids.
How wax is made
Extractors push a solvent through cannabis flower. Butane, propane, ethanol and carbon dioxide are common choices. The solvent pulls cannabinoids and terpenes out of the plant. The extractor then purges the solvent in a vacuum oven until residue falls under the state limit. State labs test each batch for butane, propane and ethanol residue. Some wax is made with no solvent: rosin uses heat and pressure to squeeze resin from flower.
Textures
Wax, budder, crumble, sugar and shatter all start as the same extract. Texture depends on moisture, purge heat and how much air was whipped into the oil. Wax is soft and opaque. Shatter is clear and breaks like glass.
How people use it
Most people dab wax. A quartz or titanium nail is heated to 400 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, the wax touches the hot surface, and the vapor is inhaled. Vaporizer pens and electronic rigs do the same job with a set temperature. A single dab is small, about the size of a grain of rice. Vapor from a concentrate delivers a large dose of cannabinoids in one hit.
US legality
Cannabis that tests above 0.3% THC stays on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. THC wax sells through licensed dispensaries in states with medical or adult-use programs. The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the schedule and defined hemp as cannabis with 0.3% THC or less on a dry weight basis. CBD wax made from hemp can ship across state lines. THC wax cannot.
CBD wax is a different product
CBD wax comes from hemp. The label should show CBD as the main cannabinoid and THC at or under 0.3%. Some CBD wax is full spectrum and keeps minor cannabinoids and terpenes. Some is CBD isolate mixed with added terpenes. CBD does not produce the high that THC does. The FDA has not approved CBD as a dietary supplement or a food ingredient. One CBD prescription drug is approved for certain seizure disorders.
What to check on a label
- Batch number and test date
- Total THC and total CBD, listed in percent and mg
- Potency panel from an ISO 17025 lab
- Residual solvent, pesticide, heavy metal and microbial panels
- Terpene list
Storage
Keep wax in a sealed glass jar, in the dark, at room temperature. Heat and light break down cannabinoids. A hot car or a windowsill shortens shelf life.