In our previous article, we discussed some of the ways we can consume THCA, from eating it raw to adding it to our favorite drinks. However, eating hemp flower buds or sprinkling raw cannabis over your food is not to everyone’s taste.
For one, eating THCA raw means you do not get any of the mind-altering highs that THC is famous for. You can smoke THCA if you want some of the THC as well but what if you’re looking for a more potent, fast-acting way of consuming THCA? Well, in that case, THCA diamonds are the way to go.
Related: Does THCA Get You High?
In this article, we’ll explore what THCA diamonds are, what ingredients and tools you need, and a step-by-step guide on how to make them.
What are THCA Diamonds?
The hemp plant consists of numerous compounds, only one of which is THCA. Those who want a pure, unadulterated experience of THCA can extract THCA from the freshly harvested plant. Once isolated, THCA takes a diamond-like form, hence the name.
In a nutshell, THCA diamonds, (also known as diamond extracts or weed diamonds) are crystalline structures composed of pure THCA. This is a rare form of cannabis extract that separates the THC into a concentrated resin from the rest of the hemp plant compounds.
Once created, THCA diamonds can be consumed through vaping or dabbing. The heat quickly vaporizes the diamond releasing an intense cloud of THC. We’ll explore this topic in greater detail toward the end of the article.
There are different methods used to create THCA diamonds, most of which are complex and part of the reason why THCA diamonds are rare, expensive, and not mass-produced. The most popular methods of creating THCA diamonds are:
- Closed loop extraction
- Crystalline method (solvent method)
- Diamond mining
In essence, each method separates the THCA from the rest of the plant compounds, and given the right conditions and enough time, THCA naturally takes the crystalline form. Different methods allow for flexibility in the end product, tools used, as well as time and effort required.
What Do You Need to Make THCA Diamonds?
As mentioned above, there are different ways to make THCA diamonds, which require different tools and expertise. That said, one of the primary ingredients for the process that can be used for different methods is Butane Hash Oil (BHO). BHO is a concentrated extract of cannabis that mostly consists of THCA. Alternatively, you can also use live resin although producing live resin is a lot more complicated than BHO.
In terms of equipment, you’ll need a chromatography machine, a vacuum chamber, and a rotary evaporator to follow along.
How to Make THCA Diamonds?
In this guide, we’ll follow the diamond mining process to create our THCA diamonds.
Step 1: Create BHO
In this guide, we’re using butane to create our hash oil (also known as crude). To create BHO, run the butane over your freshly cured cannabis, and then recover the butane. You will need a closed-loop extraction machine to accomplish this.
After you have recovered your butane, you should be left with a butane cannabis crude oil. Place the crude oil in a vacuum oven and evaporate off the remaining butane. This will leave you one step closer to a pure BHO.
You can also use alcohol or carbon dioxide to create hash oil although that involves different steps from what we’ve discussed here.
Related: Tennessee CBD Hemp Flower
Step 2: Winterization
The next step involves washing your BHO crude with methanol (1:10 ratio) in freezing temperatures (usually around -4°F and below). During this winterization step, unwanted substances like lipids and waxes from the planet float up to the surface while the pure BHO stays at the bottom, creating a high-quality THCA distillate.
There are various options in terms of filters, ranging from metal micro filters to paper filters.
Step 3: Methanol Removing and Pentane Washing
With the winterization process complete, some methanol may remain. To get rid of the excess methanol, run the crude in a rotary evaporator. Watch your temps, and be careful not to decarboxylate your THCa into Delta 9 THC.
In some cases, the crude may still contain some plant residue. To remove this residue, it’s recommended to wash the crude with pentane and then purge off the remaining pentane via a vacuum oven.
Step 4: Crystallization
Finally, it’s time to create your crystals. The most common method involves placing the crude oil in a chromatography machine and running it until the pressure turns the oil into crystals.
Step 5: Dry the Crystals
Once you’re happy with the amount of THCA diamonds, you can vacuum purge the crystals to dry them for 24 hours. Alternatively, you can let them dry outside a vacuum for 3-12 days.
Can You Make THCA Diamonds at Home?
A common question we see asked often is whether or not, it’s possible to make THCA diamonds at home. And the answer is complicated. As far as we know, there are no methods that use only everyday household items to consistently create high-quality THCA diamonds.
In theory, you could combine different methods and substitute one machine with another but even then, a vacuum chamber will still likely be needed.
There are some claims that THCA diamonds can be made at home through a “solventless” method but even then you’re going to need a special machine designed for solventless extraction.
How to Use THCA Diamonds?
With your THCA diamonds ready, it’s time to enjoy them. The most popular method of consuming THCA diamonds is to sprinkle some crystals into your vape chamber (along with other concentrates or terpenes for flavor) and inhale the intense vapor
You can also dab THCA diamonds and even sprinkle some in a bong or weed pipe along with some powdered cannabis.
