I worked at an analytical lab for a time, it is as simple as altering the input weight on the instrument to make the potency be whatever you want it to be. Additionally, the accuracy of your analysis is 100% dependent on the R-squared value of the curve you are comparing the test subject to. Which in turn means the accuracy of your analytics is dependent on the bench top chemistry the analyst performed.
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Right, I understand. That’s why I am pointing out that all of us using all these different labs and comparing test results is kind of pointless. How do we know with 100% certainty the analyst did everything to the T?
It’s not like these labs advertise that they provide inaccurate results. They all say their results are accurate.
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[redacted]
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No…
If you’re comparing apples to apples, meaning terp ratios are the same, then [decraboxylated “liquid” diamonds + terpenes] is still more potent than [distillate + terpenes].
take a dab of average distillate made from crude without anything added and then take a dab of decarbed liquid diamonds without anything added and you will literally understand the difference right away.
liquid diamonds are usually made from higher quality live resin or atleast strain specific runs of decent material, while disty is just a toasted terp crude cocktail.
back in the day we used to run small batches of cold ethanol washed strain specific distillate and those were the only disty thats comparable to liquid diamonds ive ever had or seen
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When distillate is done right it should be odorless. Also thc should also be odorless.
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uhh… well that would certainly depend on the potency of said diamonds and distillate, now wouldn’t it??
also, I was referring to all carts, not just live resin carts. Like, 85-90% disty+botanical terp carts vs live resin carts. IME, live resin carts are usually lower in THC than botanical terp disty carts.
yeah brother, read my posts. I have made it a point that I am not talking about “average distillate.”
I am talking about 95%+ distillate and ~95% THCa diamonds. Which is clearly not what you’re talking about.
I’ve said probably 6 times now that if the diamonds are 99% and the disty is average, then of course the diamonds are more pure. try reading.
95%+ IS average for distillate… as well as thca imo. My point is those residuals still make a significant difference in flavor profile when smoked. Just as processing procedures make a dig difference in flavor when smoked. Take a 98% disty dab vs a 98% decarbed thca dab and tell me you cant taste the difference.
95% THC+ is not average for distillate, bud… Go to a store, look at the carts, and tell me the average potency you find is 95%…
if they are both 98%, what “residuals” are in the distillate that are not in the decarb’ed THCa, that would cause this huge flavor difference? Humor me…
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Im not referring to disty carts… those are blended with botanical terpenes. Im talking raw distillate and raw thca. the residuals are mostly terpenes with a bit of other minor cannabinoids. the difference is that in distillate those residual terpenes are from old blended crude material and have been toasted with high heat where as decarbed thca has unburnt residuals from fresh material.
Ok people only put 3-5% terps in the cats, so is 90-92% average for disty carts? no, its not. it’s not impossible by any means. I’ve /seenmade them that potent before. but it definitely isn’t “average.”
The old terpene part makes sense. but again, we are talking about live resin carts. not dabbing pure distillate. when you’re mixing 10-20% HTE back into the disty, the residual amount of old terps left is not going to come through the fresh HTE.
Again (for like the 7th time in this thread) I am not saying there is NO difference between disty and liquid diamond carts… my entire argument is that when the disty and the liquid diamonds are of equal potencies, the difference in live resin carts is minuscule, if noticeable at all.
So I never understood why people act like distillate is some garbage product while decarb’ed diamonds are held in such high regard. THC is THC when it’s purified enough. Doesn’t matter where it came from.
Your argument with the dabs makes sense because those aren’t just pure THC. You’re including old terps vs. fresh terps.
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most disty/botanical terp carts are 7% or higher… typically around 10%… 5% maaaaybe if they are quality cannabis derived terpenes.
the fact is though that they absolutely do taste different and definitely do come through into the final product even with a 20% hte infusion…
and I am referring to pure forms of thc… even the 99% thca I made still had a smell and taste. and distillate always has that distillate taste and some are worse than others depending on how they operate their processes.
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10% botanical terps??? 
who the hell does that?! I’ve always done 5% and that is PLENTY.
but if it’s pure THC, then there is zero difference bro lol… it’s the small impurities that make the difference. the things you mentioned above… if you somehow got 99.9% THC distillate (I don’t even know if this is possible via distillation) and decarb’ed some 99.9% diamonds, you would not be able to tell a difference. THC is THC is THC. If it’s PURE THC, there is nothing left to make one taste better than the other lol. Where THC came from does not affect its taste. but this is irrelevant to the topic at hand. We’re talking about live resin carts.
agree to disagree I guess. I have tried both. many times. even with 95% disty and ~95% diamonds (with terps that get burnt off in decarb), the taste difference is negligible, ime.
I’m with you on this one hash. well said.
THC derived from THCA has a unique advantage over THC derived from distillate because you can isolate the THCA (get it fully clean of terps and another minor cannabinoid impurities) without using heat. Whereas THC derived from distillate came from a crude that contained a bunch of other compounds that were subjected to high heat and potentially oxidation. There is certainly a difference in flavour profile, at least in carts with low or no terpene content.
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100% correct. I agree with you both on this. But that’s not what we are talking about.
Sure. If you can get 99.9% THC from distillate from a non-THCA source, it would likely taste the same as 99.9% THC from THCA.
That’s a big IF though.
If you are making diamonds properly, you should hit >99% THCA every time. I don’t know anyone who can make 99% THC distillate from a crude extract, especially from any strain, which vary highly in minor cannabinoid content.
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LOTS of people make THCa that is not 99.9% bro, you know that is a fact. There are people who don’t even separate terps. Just decarb the whole extract and throw it in carts.
My whole point has been that disty carts CAN match a “liquid diamond” cart. I’ve said this again and again. So many processors are not using 99% THCa to make them. and in those cases, where the decarb’ed material is not from 99%+ THCa, then some 95% disty is very very comparable.
For the 18th time, if we are talking top of the line, done correctly, liquid diamond carts are better. If that’s not the case (which it normally isn’t), the difference is not nearly as big as people make it out to be.
My whole point has been that just because it’s “liquid diamonds” does not mean it’s cleaner/better/whatever you wanna call it. Should it be? Yeah. But there are so many processors making them with diamonds that are 90-95%, or even less. And in those cases, 95%+ disty is going to make a veryyy similar product.
You guys just keep saying “yeah but 99.9% THCa decarbed is cleaner than disty.” Yeah. I know. that was never a debate lol.
I feel like a damn broken record.
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I have a question…perhaps you can help.
If you directly melt thca crystals in a stirred glass reactor…
Do you get a liquid melt THCA before decarboxylation starts or do you get decarboxylation, and then THCA dissolving into liquid D9 and further decarbing to end point.
In the former case you could “melt” to liquid state, remove heat and the THCA recrystallizes? If so what form of crystal do you see reform in this case. Also we need to recognize that certain THCA:THC mixtures will form a crystalline state.
Thanks…and nice work…
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I prefer decarbed impure diamonds separated from sauce in a fuge over distillate personally. In my experience distillate is much more likely to have polyterp, rubbery tastes over even impure diamonds where the off flavors are more likely to come from fats. I feel that as long as you decarb gently, even if the diamonds are impure the impurities present in the final product are much more likely to be the same impurities present in the plant, whereas when you distill, you really put the THC molecule through hell and both the THC and any impurities present are much more likely to turn into some nasty shit we aren’t used to consuming in flower (i.e. polyterps, olivetol etc.)
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