Guide to CBD Crystals

Some people consider CBD crystals to be the purest form of CBD. White, crystalline, and looking nothing like CBD oil, CBD crystals are popular among hemp lovers who make their own CBD products, and you can even use CBD crystals on their own. Learn what CBD crystals are, and find out if this unique type of CBD offers the purest and most effective cannabidiol experience.

What are CBD crystals?

CBD crystals are a type of CBD isolate that has taken on a crystalline form. As an inherently crystalline molecule, CBD takes on a crystalline structure under the right conditions.

Depending on the purification method used, CBD isolate can take on either a powdered or crystalline form. There are also significant variations between the types of CBD crystals available.

Some CBD crystals, for instance, toe the line between powdery and crystalline. Others take on fantastical crystalline shapes while being almost entirely transparent, resembling real crystals.

Like other types of CBD isolate, CBD crystals do not contain significant concentrations of any substance aside from the cannabidiol molecule. Some CBD crystals can be upwards of 99% pure, and the remaining 1% or so consists of impurities that couldn’t be entirely removed.

What are the benefits of CBD crystals?

There are a few reasons that CBD consumers like CBD crystals:

• Purity
• Versatility
• Simplicity
• Potency
• Novelty

When CBD extract takes on a white, crystalline form, you can be assured that it contains almost entirely pure cannabidiol. You can use CBD crystals to make a variety of different finished products, and unlike oil-based extracts, CBD crystals aren’t gooey or messy.

Since they consist almost entirely of pure CBD, it’s easy to dose CBD crystals accurately, and it’s also easier to ingest high doses of CBD when you use CBD crystals. Formulating products that offer specific doses of CBD is simple when your active ingredient is nearly 100% pure, and dabbing CBD crystals provides you with one of the most refined cannabidiol experiences possible.

Some consumers simply like CBD crystals because of their novelty. CBD crystals are very different from CBD oil, and they’re even unique when compared to other types of CBD isolate.

Do CBD crystals contain THC?

CBD crystals do not contain detectable concentrations of THC. Since they contain CBD that’s 99%+ pure, any THC molecules that might have been left behind in CBD crystals during the purification process are few and far between.

Lack of THC is one of the primary selling points of CBD isolate in general. In recent years, however, cannabis extractors have determined how to make CBD concentrates that don’t contain any THC while keeping all the terpenes and minor cannabinoids present in hemp flower intact.

Called broad-spectrum distillate, this type of CBD extract is considered to be superior to CBD isolate since it might offer the entourage effect. Cannabis scientists believe the entourage effect might boost the effects of CBD when it is used in tandem with terpenes and other cannabinoids.

Even full-spectrum hemp extract, which contains up to 0.3% THC, doesn’t contain enough of this intoxicating cannabinoid to get you high. It’s possible that the trace amounts of THC present in full-spectrum CBD might, however, boost the potency of the entourage effect.

How do you use CBD crystals?

People usually use CBD crystals by either vaporizing this type of CBD isolate or including it in tinctures, topicals, or other types of finished CBD extracts. CBD crystals are somewhat difficult to use due to their hard, crystalline nature, but in most cases, it’s easy to crush CBD crystals into a fine powder.

Here are some examples of the ways you can use CBD crystals:

• Add CBD crystals to a topical formulation
• Cook CBD crystals into hemp edibles
• Dissolve CBD crystals into a tincture carrier oil
• Vape CBD crystals with a vape pen or dab rig

With other types of CBD extracts, it’s necessary to wear gloves and take other preventive measures to keep CBD oil from making a mess. Transforming into a dry powder when crushed, however, CBD crystals are easy to handle.

Can you dab CBD crystals?

It’s certainly possible to vaporize CBD crystals using a dab rig. Like other types of cannabidiol extracts, CBD crystals have a boiling point of around 160-180° celsius. To dab CBD crystals, all you need to do is heat your dab rig to this temperature and apply your crystalline CBD to the heating element.

Dabbing CBD crystals might be a bit more difficult in practice, however, than it seems in theory. Unlike other types of Cannabis sativa extracts, CBD crystals are dry and non-viscous, which is a highly useful attribute under other circumstances.

When it comes to dabbing, however, stickiness and viscosity are key. Most types of dab rigs make use of long, thin metallic implements called dabbers, which are used to bring concentrate close to the heating element of a dab rig without making direct contact.

How do you dab CBD crystals?

CBD crystals won’t stick to dabbers, which means you’ll need to get creative if you want to vape CBD crystals in a conventional dab rig. One option is adding a layer of powdered CBD crystals to a dab of conventional concentrate. The powder will stick to the viscous surface of the oily concentrate, producing a crystal-infused dabbing experience.

Alternatively, you can use a nectar collector to dab CBD crystals. Unlike conventional dab rigs, nectar collectors don’t use dabbers. Instead, you simply heat the end of the nectar collector with a butane torch and apply it to concentrate you’ve placed on a silicone mat.

Simply sprinkle some CBD crystals on a silicone mat, heat up your nectar collector, and you’re ready to start dabbing CBD crystals.

How do you dose CBD crystals?

Since they consist almost entirely of CBD molecules, CBD crystals are remarkably simple to dose. Simply weigh your CBD crystals, and divide out the weight you want to ingest.

Say you have 1 gram of CBD crystals, and you want to ingest 100mg of CBD. Here’s the process you’ll need to follow for pinpoint dosing:

• Turn on a pocket scale or a kitchen scale
• Add CBD crystals, and watch the weight indicator change
• Once the indicator displays 0.1g, remove the weighed crystals
• Since 0.1g is equal to 100mg, the weighed crystals contain almost exactly 100mg CBD

If you’ve used broad-spectrum or full-spectrum CBD before, you might find that the effects of CBD crystals are less potent. As a result, you might want to increase your dosage accordingly.

Are CBD crystals better than other types of CBD?

CBD crystals might be better than other CBD extracts in certain ways, but they’re inferior in others. Here are the most notable pros and cons of CBD crystals:

Pros

• Contains almost 100% pure CBD
• Undetectable concentrations of CBD
• Less messy than oily concentrates
• Easy to dose

Cons

• No terpenes, flavonoids, or minor cannabinoids
• No entourage effect
• Inferior to broad-spectrum CBD, which offers the entourage effect without including any THC
• Difficult to dab
• Could be mistaken for illicit drugs based on appearance

Should I use CBD crystals?

The more the CBD industry develops, the less desirable CBD crystals become. The advent of broad-spectrum CBD has introduced a THC-free type of hemp extract that still offers the terpenes, flavonoids, and minor cannabinoids present in CBD flower.

If you’re looking for something to dab, there are simpler and more effective options available. If you’re looking for something to make into a finished product, CBD crystals are not the most potent or effective base ingredients.

At this point, there are no functions of CBD crystals that aren’t better served by other types of extracts. Aside from their novelty, there’s no well-founded reason to use CBD crystals instead of another type of CBD-rich hemp flower extract.