Blog

The dash of sweetness you add to your morning coffee or smoothie has reached the next level. With THC-infused sugar, your favorite beverages or homemade baked goods may provide some liftoff — but this isn’t the only cannabis product called “sugar.”

Where “THC-infused sugar” describes the staple kitchen ingredient when THC is added to it, the product “cannabis sugar” is a dabbable cannabis concentrate. Keep reading to fully understand how cannabis sugar and THC-infused sugar differ.

What is THC-infused sugar?

THC-infused sugar is sugar, the kitchen staple, to which THC has been added. Although the most passionate of cannabis aficionados may be able to make THC-infused sugar at home, it’s far easier and more convenient to buy ready-to-go from a licensed dispensary. Recently, THC-infused sugar and similar cannabis products are increasingly available in the New York market.

What is cannabis sugar?

Cannabis sugar, also known as sugar wax, is a cannabis concentrate known to have the texture and appearance of wet sugar, though with more of an amber hue. It is typically made via solvent-based extraction using solvents such as butane to separate cannabinoids and terpenes from cannabis flower. Once these compounds are extracted, cultivators crystallize them, yielding a sugar-like texture and appearance.

Read our guide to how cannabis concentrates are made to learn more about solvent-based and solventless extraction methods.

The cannabinoids and terpenes in cannabis sugar work together synergistically via a phenomenon called the entourage effect to deliver potentially therapeutic benefits. Cannabis sugar is among the highest-THC products on the market, containing 60% to 90% THC content on average. This potency means it is highly intoxicating, so it’s important to consume responsibly.

THC-infused sugar vs. cannabis sugar

Whereas you add THC-infused sugar to beverages or kitchen recipes that call for granulated sugar or another sweetener, you dab or vape cannabis sugar, or add it to ground flower in a pipe or joint. Here’s how else these two cannabis products differ.

Onset time and effects duration

When dabbing cannabis sugar, you may feel effects instantly or within a few minutes, and when you add it to ground flower, your experience may start about 15 minutes after lighting up.

The effects of THC-infused sugar, on the other hand, may take 30 minutes to two hours to set in, as with all edibles. But just as edibles take longer to kick in, your journey may last longer too — four to eight hours on average, as compared to one to three hours with cannabis sugar.

Potency and who it’s best for

If you’re looking to get your wheels only a bit off the ground, you may prefer THC-infused sugar, despite its effects lasting longer, since it’s far less potent. One teaspoon of THC-infused sugar often contains 5 mg THC, widely considered a starter dose.

By comparison, the 60% to 90% THC content in cannabis sugar is known to get cannabis lovers’ heads way up in the clouds. As with all concentrates, there’s a bit of a learning curve to cannabis sugar, so unlike THC-infused sugar, it may not be suitable for beginners.

Flavor

THC-infused sugar may also feel more familiar for newcomers in terms of its flavor. It’s sweet, just like you might expect, though perhaps you’ll taste a bit of cannabis’s slightly bitter flavor.

Cannabis sugar, by comparison, will differ in flavor based on the cultivar from which it’s derived. The cultivar’s terpenes will determine what you taste, and since no two cultivars have the same terpene profile, cannabis sugar offers a world of flavor possibilities: pungent, piney, berry-like, and so much more.

Distinguishing Factor	THC-infused sugar	Cannabis sugar
How it’s consumed	Added to beverages or kitchen recipes	Dabbing, vaping, smoking
Onset time	30 minutes to two hours	Near-instant to 15 minutes
Effects duration	Four to eight hours, or longer	One to three hours, or longer
Average THC content	5 mg per teaspoon	60% to 90%
Who it’s best for	Beginners	Experienced cannabis consumers
Flavor	Sweet, like granulated sugar	Varies based on terpenes

How to consume cannabis sugar and similar concentrates

To consume cannabis sugar or similar concentrates such as cannabis sand and badder, you have a handful of options.

Dabbing: Heat your dab rig’s banger or nail, then allow it to cool for 45 to 60 seconds. After that, use a dab tool to place a small amount of concentrate onto the hot surface. Alternatively, dab pens — which are portable and discreet — may be better for cannabis sugar. In any case, inhaling the vapor that arises when heating your concentrate delivers an exceptionally strong cannabis dose.

Vaping: If your vape is compatible with concentrates, place a small amount in your device’s chamber. Inhale steadily and slowly.

Smoking: Sprinkle cannabis sugar or similar concentrates atop ground flower in a pipe or joint to add more THC content and elevate your experience.

Infusing: Although many people prefer decarboxylating flower instead of concentrates for infusion into homemade cannabis edibles, you can also use decarbed cannabis sugar for this purpose. Another option is to take the easy route with dispensary products such as Chef for Higher oils and sweeteners that come infused with THC.

To preserve the quality of your cannabis sugar, properly storing your cannabis concentrates at home is key. Glass has long been the material of choice for cannabis storage containers, but silicone is gaining popularity for storing concentrates. These materials will almost certainly preserve your concentrates’ color, flavor, and aroma — all key indicators that the quality is still there.

How to consume THC-infused sugar

To consume cannabis products like Old Pal’s Baked With Babish THC-infused sugar, add a serving to your baking recipe or a beverage you’re about to enjoy. One teaspoon of this THC-infused sugar contains 5 mg THC, and adding this amount to any beverage can infuse your day with a balance of energy and relaxation. For travels to farther reaches, two teaspoons of THC-infused sugar is a dose of 10 mg THC.

Using THC-infused sugar in recipes you’re baking at home is a touch more complicated — some math is required. As an example, baking 16 brownies may require one cup of granulated sugar, which is 48 teaspoons of sugar (one cup equals 16 tablespoons, and one tablespoon equals three teaspoons). That’s 240 mg THC in total (48 teaspoons with 5 mg THC per teaspoon) if using Old Pal’s THC-infused sugar. Across 16 brownies, 240mg THC is 15mg THC per brownie — a dose suitable only for experienced cannabis consumers

A starter dose, by comparison, is 5mg THC, which is one-third of 15 mg THC. Using one-third cup of THC-infused sugar and two-thirds cup of granulated (non-infused) sugar in your recipe yields this dose per brownie.

Importantly, all this math assumes baking temperatures no greater than 350°F. Above this temperature, you may lose THC content. If using THC-infused sugar solely at everyday temperatures, such as infusing it into beverages, no THC loss will occur, and your journey to zen will be uninterrupted.

Find sugar and so much more at The Travel Agency

THC-infused sugar and cannabis sugar are only the start in the New York cannabis world. Visit The Travel Agency for help from our knowledgeable, friendly budtenders in discovering which cannabis products might be your best boarding pass. There are all kinds of options for getting where you’re going — sugar and otherwise.