Concentrate
Wax, shatter, rosin, hash and similar. Very high potency. Health Canada advises new users avoid these entirely.
- Onset
- 1–10 minutes
- Duration
- 2–4 hours
Concentrates commonly test between 60% and 90% THC. Health Canada explicitly warns that hash, kief, wax and shatter increase the risk of serious adverse effects for new or occasional users.
There is no meaningful therapeutic argument for a first-time user to start here. Tolerance and dependence develop faster with high-potency products.
Advantages
- • Efficient for high-tolerance medical users
- • Fast onset
- • Minimal plant material
Trade-offs
- • Very high potency
- • Faster tolerance development
- • Requires specific equipment
Cautions
- • Not appropriate for new or occasional users.
- • Higher-potency products are associated with greater risk of adverse psychiatric effects.
Best suited to
- • High-tolerance experienced users only
Sources
- Health Canada. Cannabis: Lower your risks. Modified 2019-06-14.Accessed 2026-08-15.
- NASEM 2017, Committee Conclusions (summary PDF of all evidence-tier conclusions).Accessed 2026-08-15.