Budder: Everything you need to know

The world of cannabis extracts is rife with a huge variety of concentrates, each with unique textures, flavours, and names. budder or badder is arguably one of the most popular types of cannabis concentrate, loved for its unique texture and flavour. Learn more about the unique properties of budder below.

Budder: What Does It Mean?

Budder is a type of hash oil. While it is typically made using butane extraction, budder can also be made with CO₂ extraction, which is often touted for producing a cleaner final product. Following extraction, budder undergoes a unique purging process that gives it its notoriously thick, creamy texture that, as the name suggests, closely resembles regular butter.

What Are The Benefits Of Budder?

Concentrates (or “dabs”) are the latest craze among cannabis users, and budder is drawing a particularly strong crowd. In the early days of BHO, budder wasn’t so highly sought after since it wasn’t as potent as other butane concentrates, but that has changed in recent years.

Thanks to better extraction techniques and cleaner purges, concentrate manufacturers are now capable of producing budder with cannabinoid concentrations of 70%, 80%, and even 90%. Besides its high potency, some other reasons cannabis users love budder are:

• Its rich concentration of terpenes. When extracted and purged properly, budder can contain a rich bouquet of concentrated terpenes that give off exceptional aromas and flavours which are completely different from what you might be used to from flower.
• Its smooth smokability. Dabs are typically vaporized using a vaporizer or dab rig. Since these gadgets don’t actually combust the concentrate, they provide a much smoother smoke than a bong or joint.
• Its unique high. Like BHO, hash, and other concentrates, budder produces a unique high that many users find more clear-headed.

How Is Budder Made?

Budder is typically made using butane extraction. Dried and cured cannabis flowers are typically loaded into a container and doused (or “blasted”) with liquid butane. As the butane washes over the buds, it separates and absorbs the resinous trichomes from the plant matter. The resulting liquid is then purged using air pressure and heat (which removes the butane).

To give it its unique texture, budder is typically whipped or stirred aggressively during or after the purging process. This agitation encourages the cannabinoids in the extraction to crystalize, which gives the final concentrate a thick, creamy, butter-like consistency.

Since there’s considerable concern surrounding the safety of butane concentrates (see below), some manufacturers choose to use CO₂ extraction in their manufacturing of budder. This process is similar to that of butane extraction but is typically performed using extremely low temperatures at high pressure, which turns the CO₂ into a supercritical fluid.

Budder can be rich in a wide variety of cannabinoids and terpenes. The exact chemical profile of a particular batch of budder will largely depend on the strain it was made from, although alterations in temperature and the exact extraction method used may affect how well some of the more volatile cannabis compounds (particularly terpenes) are preserved in the final product.

To learn more about cannabinoids, make sure to check out our articles What Is THC and What Is CBD.

Is Budder Safe?

Cannabis users have expressed some pretty reasonable concerns about the butane hash oils such as budder. These concerns typically have to do with the safety of inhaling toxic residual chemicals that weren’t purged properly in the manufacturing process, the extreme potency of these extracts, and safety concerns associated with making BHO at home.

Budder made from butane may very probably contain residual chemicals leftover from the extraction process. The health concerns of inhaling these chemicals are obviously very serious, but it's not really clear how damaging or toxic butane hash oil really is.

In legal cannabis markets in the US and Canada, some governments require BHO manufacturers to test all their products and ensure they are free of trace amounts of butane as well as other chemicals used to thin butane in the extraction process, such as neopentane and hexane, which are both known carcinogens. In some of these markets, BHO labs also have to live up to safety standards put in place by the occupational health and safety agencies regarding the amount of butane recovered during their purges. These measures are, of course, designed to protect consumers and ensure the concentrates they are buying are safe to consume.

There are also some clear concerns regarding the extreme potency of budder and other cannabis concentrates. With cannabinoid concentrations up to 3 times that of regular cannabis flower, concentrates can obviously produce much stronger and longer-lasting highs than smoked buds (especially when we consider that vaporizing preserves more cannabinoids and terpenes because it doesn’t involve combustion).

Due to their increased potency, concentrates should be handled with care, especially if you’re sensitive to the effects of THC, have low tolerance, or haven’t consumed cannabis for a long time. You should also pay close attention to how your dose your dabs. Like with edibles, we think it's best to start slow and increase your dose if need be.

Finally, one of the biggest and most valid concerns with BHO concentrates is the hazards involved in their production. In recent years, there have been countless reports of fires and explosions resulting from people trying to make their own butane extracts at home using cheap materials and non-professional equipment. Never, under any circumstances, try to make your own BHO at home; instead, buy it from a dispensary or other licensed retailer where you can also rest assured the product you’re getting is safe to consume. Also, if you’re worried about consuming butane-based extracts, ask your budtender for CO₂-based concentrates instead.

How To Use Budder

Budder is versatile and can be consumed in many ways. here are some of the most popular.

Can budder be smoked?

If you don’ have a vaporizer or dab rig (or are a bit put off by the thought of using a blowtorch to get high), you’re in luck: budder can easily be smoked in a joint, blunt, or bong. In order to ensure it burns properly, we recommend combining it with some ground flower or other smoking herbs (just like you would do with traditional hash).

How to smoke budder in a joint or blunt?

Smoking dabs in a joint or blunt is colloquially known as twaxing, and it's super simple. Just grind up some flower and prepare a joint/blunt like you would normally and, before rolling it, pack some small grain-of-rice-size bits of budder into it. Now roll up, light up, and enjoy!

Alternatively, you can also roll a regular joint/blunt and spread a thin layer on the outside of the rolling paper. Keep in mind that this might not work so well if you’re using budder with a very thick consistency.

How to smoke budder in a bong or bubbler?

Not in the mood for rolling? Don’t fret, you can easily enjoy budder in a bong or bubbler. Simply pack your bowl as usual and use your dab tool to make a little crater in the ground up flower. Load a small amount of budder into the crater, top it off with more flower, and get ready to fly into another galaxy!

For more tips, make sure to check out or guides on how to use bongs and Bubblers.

Can I vape budder?

Yes, and you should! Vaporizing is one of the best ways to enjoy cannabis concentrates as it helps preserve more terpenes and cannabinoids than smoking (which actually combusts and destroys a lot of compounds in cannabis).

How to dab budder?

The easiest way to dab budder is by vaporizing it in a portable vape (just make sure the vape you use is compatible with concentrates). Just use a dab tool to scoop up a small amount of budder (0.1g is considered a regular dose), load it into your vape, and proceed to use it as normal. Avoid using temperatures above 200°C to avoid burning your budder and altering its taste.

If you don’t have a vaporizer, you can also dab budder using a dab rig or bubbler. Simply preheat your nail using a blowtorch until it’s red hot, then scoop up some budder and load it into your nail using a dab tool. The budder should begin to vaporize immediately; as it does, inhale through your rig's mouthpiece and enjoy!

Note: If you’ve never used a dab rig before, make sure to check out our Dabbing tutorial for a more detailed explanation of how to use a dab rig. Also, reach out to a more experienced friend to help you through the process; dabbing can be daunting for rookies!

How to vape budder in a vaporizer

Arguably the easiest way to enjoy budder is by vaping it in a vaporizer. Make sure you have a vape compatible with concentrates, preheat it, load your chamber, and viola! Make sure to check out our post on vaporizers for a more detailed overview of vapes and how they work.

Preparing budder for vape cartridges

If you prefer using convenient and discreet vape pens over full-blown vaporizers, follow the steps below to learn how to prepare your very own vape cartridges and pack them with budder.

Materials

• Vape pen with compatible refillable vape cartridges.
• Heat-proof glass container
• Saucepan
• Liquid terpenes (optional)
• Syringe
• Dab tool
• 1 gram of budder

Directions

1. Use your dab tool to pack your budder into a heat-proof glass container.
2. Fill water into a saucepan to create a water bath. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to keep the water at a gentle simmer.
3. Use a dab tool to pack your budder into a heat-proof glass container and set the container inside the water bath.
4. Decarb your budder in the water bath for at least 30 minutes or until it has turned from a thick, buttery consistency to a rich, golden oil. You can choose to add around 10% liquid terpenes to the budder during decarbing for extra flavour and to ensure the concentrate flows better in the cartridges.
5. Use a syringe to transfer the decarbed budder into a refillable vape cartridge. When filling the cartridges, be sure to stick the needle deep into the back of the cartridge to ensure and fill it gently.
6. Seal the cartridge, pack it into your vape, and enjoy.

Can budder be used topically?

Cannabis topicals deliver the effects of cannabinoids, terpenes, and other cannabis compounds directly to receptors in the skin. They work great for treating localized symptoms and are particularly popular among people who want to use cannabis without getting high.

If for whatever reason, you want to use cannabis topicals but can’t buy them where you live but you do have access to concentrates as budder, you can use these extracts to make your own topicals at home. To do so, simply decarb your concentrate in a water bath or in the oven at 110°C, then mix them with some coconut oil.

The oil will work as a natural carrier for the compounds in the concentrate and can be applied directly to the skin. For more information on cannabis topicals and how they work, click here.

Where to store budder?

Budder, like other cannabis concentrates, is best stored in an airtight (preferably opaque) container in a cool, dark place. Moisture, light, oxygen, and warm temperatures all speed up the degradation of the terpenes and cannabinoids in extracts. Make sure to read our post on storing cannabis for more info.

Can budder go bad?

When stored properly (as described above), cannabis concentrates typically have a shelf life of around 12 months. And while cannabis extracts don’t necessarily spoil or go rancid, we do not recommend storing them for longer than this as they’ll lose potency, aroma, and flavour.

Budder vs Crumble vs Shatter: What Is Best?

Budder, crumble and shatter all refer to different types of BHO. Whereas budder is thick, solid, and creamy, crumble has a dryer, more crystalline texture (similar to crystalized honey), and shatter has a thin, brittle texture (similar to glass). And while cannabis users definitely have strong preferences about what concentrates they like most, there is no real “better or worse” when it comes to picking an extract.

Remember, how and why you use cannabis is completely up to you. If you’re new to the world of concentrates, make sure to experiment with the wide variety of extracts available and choose what tastes, smells, and makes you feel the best. Everyone’s experience with cannabis is unique, and all you should be worried about is having the best experience possible.

For more information about cannabis concentrates and how they differ, make sure to check out our previous posts on shatter and wax.