Since we first gave a rundown of the best
extracts on the market in 2016, it’s undeniable that we’ve seen a lot of change
in the cannabis concentrates industry, particularly in California.
For example, the only companies still surviving from 2016’s pack of Prop 215-compliant extractors are 3rd Gen Family and Moxie, while the rest haven’t made the jump to California’s stricter new adult-use regulations. Plus, years later, we’ve moved on from thinking shelf-stable shatter in parchment was the best dabs in the world, and now we’re here for jars of saucy goodness loaded with terpenes.
In the beginning, 710 may have been a day primarily celebrated by wooks with blowtorches, but these days, it’s for everyone. And we can prove it! According to the data crunchers at Headset, total cannabis sales went up around 10% on 710 last year around the country. As one might expect, the biggest things driving that bump in sales were concentrates and vape pens. The numbers from Headset showed concentrates sales went up 49% and vape pens went up 36%.
What globs were people actually buying last year? Live resin made up 30% of total concentrate sales, while waxes and shatter both got an even 23% of the category. This points to a clear trend: sloppy terps are in!
Flower sales weren’t especially impressive on 710
last year, according to Headset, but other products did well, such as beverages
and capsules, which saw sales increases of 24% and 17% respectively.
Washington and Colorado saw the biggest gains
last 710. In Washington, sales bumped 100%. Some people would argue it’s
because of the age of those markets, but the counter-argument to that is a lot
of California’s extractors were still operating on the underground market last
year, as the state transitioned
to the new adult-use market.
While the underground market certainly still exists strong on the concentrate side of the game, pending the impact of California’s new butane purchasing laws, those who made their way to the legal market have had a strong showing recently.
Headset also collected what companies did the highest volume of sales last year across the states with the biggest cannabis industries. In California, it was NUG, Raw Garden and Creme de Canna. In Washington state, it was Smokey Point Productions, Oleum Extracts and Sticky Frog. In Colorado and Nevada, some of the big winners were the in-house brands producing dispensary-affiliated globs.
Today, in celebration of this year’s 710
holiday, here are six cannabis concentrate companies who hit the mark for us
every time.
Surprize
Surprize
Surprize Surprize got into their new lab with just a few days before the Emerald Cup entries were due. The plan for this offshoot of the Royal Key Organics cannabis company was to launch at the Emerald Cup, but little did they know they would sweep the shatter batter category podium and make it into the top five for sauces. Now seven months later, they’re crushing at full steam. Keep an eye out for their elite live rosin.
Royal
Key Organics
Back in 2017, Royal Key rocked the world. Even the most OG of cultivators were trading Royal Key’s little black jars like wook gold. After that year’s lineup of nearly 20 phenotypes, they selected for their boss sauciness, but they’ve since hit a bit of a rut as legalization came to California. But as we wait for their full lineup to return this fall, they’ve collaborated with some of the best growers in the state in Connected and Alien Labs.
The
Diamond Baron
The patron saint of globby traplords, The Diamond Baron certainly deserves a spot. While you won’t find his products in the legal market, they are a wonder to behold. When we asked one Colorado operator who had the biggest diamonds, he quickly replied the Diamond Baron — with a laugh and an “off the record.”
Raw
Garden
As the data showed last year, Raw Garden is
absolutely crushing. Like many of our favorite concentrate companies, they’re
sourcing all the material they’re using from their own farm. But unlike a lot
of those similar operations, Raw Garden’s cannabis concentrates are everywhere
and super affordable for what you’re getting.
Moonshine
Melts
Moonshine Melts starts with some of the world’s best flowers, and it just so happens those flowers were grown by Brandon from 3rd Gen Family, who is also one of the best extractors on the planet. Anytime you can get your hands on Moonshine Melts, it’s a special offering. For years, Moonshine Melts towered above the competition and the pedigree survives to the legal market.
Field
Extracts
One of the greats, Field Extracts went into the Emerald Cup awards show last year like an F5 globnado. Field won the rosin and live resin cartridge categories and had three spots in the top five in solventless. The house Zkittlez cut is the real deal, but don’t forget to keep an eye out for fantastic collaborations with Tarhill and Str8organics.
Honorable
Mentions
Frosty’s
710 Labs
Moxie
NUG
Summit Boys
Humboldt Terp Council
TELL US, what is your favorite concentrate to dab?
