What Is Cannabis Reclaim And Why You Shouldn't Smoke It

This article was originally published on 2Fast4Buds and appears here with permission.

All weed smokers are familiar with the black gunk that builds up when smoking on a glass rig; The gunk is called reclaim and it’s a resinous residue that’s left behind in your bong or dab rig when smoking flower or concentrates. Most cannabis consumers avoid smoking reclaim but some swear that is super strong, so...What is weed reclaim, and is it safe to smoke it?

1. WHAT IS RECLAIM?

Weed reclaim is the leftover resin that builds up after using your bong or dab rig for a while, this happens because the resin condenses and ends up sticking to your glass rig, and depending on what you smoke (either flower or concentrates), the reclaim will have a dark yellow or brown color. 

This is not only because of the initial product you're smoking but also due to the water and high temperatures that it’s exposed to, so even if you are smoking on 6-star concentrates or top-shelf weed, the reclaim will be of a lower quality.

2. RECLAIMED RESIN VS CONCENTRATES

Despite resin being used to refer to both reclaim and rosin, for example, these products are completely different. Rosin, for example, is a concentrated form of the resin naturally found in cannabis, which, after extracted and processed, contain a higher terpene and cannabinoid content than regular cannabis products which results in a more potent effect.

On the other hand, dab reclaim is the leftover resin that results from, for example, smoking rosin; Reclaim resin does not contain any terpenes and does not contain as much cannabinoids as rosin, and it contains harmful carbon byproducts of smoking so it’s not as pure as rosin or other concentrates.

Chemical Compound	Reclaim	Rosin
Terpenes	<0.1%	2.44%
THC	50.2%	6.99%
CBD	3.3%	0.2%
CBN	7.5%	0.06%
THCa	0.2%	74.51%
CBDa	0.5%	0.14%
Cannabinoid Total	61.7%	81.9%

To give you a better idea of the contents of these types of resin, we've come up with a table with the cannabinoid contents of both reclaim and resin, just have in mind that it's an approximation and the amounts may vary depending on the product.

3. CAN YOU SMOKE RECLAIM?

So basically, you can smoke reclaimed resin but it may end up not being a very nice experience because, as you can see in the table above, it contains cannabinoids but has more CBD than rosin so it may not be the type of effect you were looking for.

Reclaimed resin still has cannabinoids but it contains almost zero terpenes so there will be no smell and in most cases, will have a really bad taste because terpenes are often destroyed during the first burn. Now that you know that you can smoke and get high with reclaim, here comes the most important part; Is it safe to smoke dab reclaim?

4. THE DANGERS OF SMOKING RECLAIM

Unlike good quality rosin and other concentrates, reclaim is not pure resin anymore because it has been burned so it also contains carbon which is a byproduct of smoking, just as ash and tar.

So when smoking reclaim, you can end up having the following harmful side effects:

• Sore throat;
• Difficulty breathing;
• And headache.

Due to these effects, it’s not recommended to smoke cannabis reclaim because it requires a higher heat to burn and it’s also much harsher than rosin, for example, so smoking reclaim may end up irritating your lungs and throat.

Now, it’s rare for these side effects to become grave, most people don’t like smoking reclaim and when they do, it’s once a month so you won’t need to visit a doctor, just have in mind that if you’re experiencing frequent or severe headaches, sore throat or trouble breathing, you should get checked just to make sure you’re okay.

5. HOW TO COLLECT RECLAIM 

Reclaim is usually collected when cleaning your bong or dab rig, it’s very simple and there are a couple of ways. In order to get reclaim out of the rig, the first way is to pour the water out of your bong or dab rig and then get the reclaim with your dab tool or any other metal tool, this way may be a bit hard, depending on where the reclaim is because usually, reclaim gets stuck on the bowl or nail but most of the resin will be inside your rig.

So if you have collected everything you can and there’s still more, you will need to heat up your rig with a torch to liquefy the reclaim and then drip it onto wax paper, just make sure you don’t heat it too much so you don’t burn out the cannabinoids.

WHAT TO DO WITH RECLAIM

So now that you’ve got your reclaim you might be wondering, What can I do with it? Well, there are three things you can do with it:

SMOKE IT

Dabbing or smoking your reclaim in a joint is a good way to consume your reclaim, just don’t expect it to have the same smell and taste as the original concentrate or flower because, as said before, almost 100% of the terpenes have been destroyed.

INFUSE IT

You can also use reclaim to make edibles, obviously, they won’t taste very good but it’s a good way to use reclaim because it’s already decarboxylated, just make sure that you don’t cook with temperatures over 177°C. If you don't want to taste the harshness in your food, you can always make cannabis capsules by mixing the reclaim with coconut oil, olive oil, or any other oil of your choice.

6. SHOULD YOU SMOKE RECLAIM?

Most cannabis consumers would never smoke dab reclaim unless it’s the only option they have because it tastes bad and the smoke is harsh, smoking cannabis should be a pleasant experience, and reclaim is the opposite. Also, dab reclaim is not the same as regular concentrates such as rosin because it doesn’t contain any terpenes and it can be quite tedious and time-consuming to collect reclaim so they just wash it down the drain.

Now that you know everything you need and should know about reclaim, our general recommendation is that you don’t smoke reclaim! But obviously, it comes down to you, make sure you know the dangers and remember that cannabis should be enjoyed so if you don’t like the taste or it’s harsh on your throat, you shouldn’t be consuming it.

7. HOW TO CLEAN RECLAIM OFF YOUR BONG OR RING?

Before cleaning your dab rig or bong it’s important to know what you’ll do with the reclaim as this will dictate what you use to clean it. If you’re not planning to smoke it you can use a bong cleaning product but if you’re planning on smoking the reclaim then you should use high-percentage isopropyl alcohol. Keep in mind that if you’re planning to make edibles with the reclaim you should use high-percentage grain alcohol instead.

Having said that, all you have to do to collect reclaim from your dab rig is follow these four simple steps:

STEP 1

Remove all the parts of the dab rig and fill 50% of the water chamber with isopropyl or grain alcohol. Remember that the less alcohol you use the faster it will evaporate so start small and only add more if needed.

STEP 2

Now carefully shake the dab rig, you don’t want to do it super fast or anything but make sure to allow the reclaim to dissolve. If the reclaim is too sticky, make sure to let it soak in alcohol for 10-30 minutes before shaking, and remember to never use salts or cleaning solutions if you’re planning on consuming the reclaim! Also, it’s recommended to use cleaning tools to make your job easier and do the same for the mouthpiece and other parts of the dab rig if they’re dirty.

STEP 3

Now pour the alcohol and reclaim the mix into a glass dish. Now place it in a well-ventilated area and wait for the alcohol to evaporate. You can use that to speed up the process but remember that alcohol is flammable so you should never use an open flame, opt for electric hotplates or a sunny window instead.

STEP 4

The alcohol should take one or two days to fully evaporate. And after the alcohol has evaporated make sure to scrape the reclaim and store it in wax paper or a silicone container.

8. WHAT ABOUT CANNABIS BUD THAT HAS BEEN RUN THROUGH A VAPORIZER (AVB)?

Cannabis reclaim is oftentimes confused with AVB, or Already Vaped Bud. And while both are cannabis products, they are vastly different. AVB is simply what’s left in a vaporizer chamber after the cannabinoids have been extracted for inhalation – it’s not considered to be “reclaim” since no smoke was ever produced, and therefore there is no “tar” to reclaim. 

As we have mentioned above, we really do not recommend ever smoking (or consuming in any way) cannabis reclaim, but how about AVB? Well, this stuff is actually totally fine to smoke or use for making edibles or hash.

WHAT IS ALREADY VAPED BUD EXACTLY?

When discussing weed vapes, the first thing that most people think of is the classic vape pen that uses cartridges filled with a cannabis extract of some sort. But that's not where vaporizing and weed first started – it began with people vaping the plant itself, and already vaped bud (AVB) is exactly what you’d expect: cannabis bud that has been run through what is known as a 'dry herb vaporizer'.

These vapes have a heating chamber that uses either conduction or convection technology to heat the bud without combusting it. This heat vaporizes the trichomes (those crystals that cover the buds and hold all of the terpenes and cannabinoids) and allows the user to breathe in just the vapor, without any of the smoke or carcinogens. The result is a bowl filled with AVB.

WHAT DOES AVB LOOK AND SMELL LIKE?

Already vaped bud looks and smells pretty different from the fresh stuff. The heating process won't burn the buds (hopefully), but it will 'toast' it. The AVB comes out a much darker, brownish color than when it entered the chamber. And the smell? Well, it smells quite different also. The aroma of AVB closely resembles a big bowl of delicious cinema popcorn, with most of the terpenes (the chemicals responsible for the smell and taste of the plant) already extracted.

IS AVB SAFE TO CONSUME?

As we have already mentioned, AVB is totally safe to consume. However, keep in mind that the potency of the bud will have decreased significantly. Depending on the temperature settings, vaporizing AVB can extract up to 70% of the cannabinoids from the bud. So even though it is safe to consume, it is not recommended as a substitute for fresh cannabis.

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH YOUR AVB?

Pretty much anything you like. Lots of people just end up discarding their AVB once they have run it through their dry herb vaporizer but in our opinion, that's just a little too wasteful. While the vape will extract the majority of the cannabinoids and terpenes from the weed, there will still be around 10% to 30% available. So, what to do? First up, you can just smoke it. There is nothing wrong with it and while there will be a weaker effect, you can still get a bit of that cannabis goodness. You can also make edibles with you AVB, and you don't need to worry about running it through the decarbing process, as that has already happened inside the vaporizer.

You can actually just sprinkle your AVB directly into your food while cooking if you like, but it's best to make a delicious batch of cannabutter or canna-coconut oil first. AVB is also great for making hash and other cannabis concentrates. You can freeze the buds, sieve them through a mesh screen with the help of liquid nitrogen, and then lightly press the crystals that remain. What we do suggest is to just start collecting your AVB, and keeping it in an airtight container until you have enough for a project. Cannabis is too precious to just throw away, and AVB can still be put to good use. So, if you are vaping your bud and want to make the most of it, don't forget to keep your AVB! But your cannabis reclaim? Nope, that can go straight into the bin.

9. IN CONCLUSION

Dab reclaim is the leftover resin that drops down and sticks to your rig when smoking flowers or concentrates but just because it comes from a good quality cannabis product, it doesn’t mean it’s good for you. This dab reclaim may end up being harmful so make sure you take proper precautions and see a doctor if you are experiencing harmful side effects for a prolonged time.

If you’ve been collecting reclaim because you can’t fin hash or rosin where you live, make sure to read our blogs about how to make water hash, dry sift, and rosin at home! And remember, a huge part of hash-making is to start with the right genetics, so in case you don’t know what to grow, make sure to take a look at our Strawberry Banana Auto.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

Remember, we do not recommend consuming reclaim. If you feel any of the symptoms cited above you should look for a doctor immediately. This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

 

EXTERNAL REFERENCES

1. We tested reclaim. - MRC Labs.
2. Cannabis resin in the region of Madrid: Adulteration and contamination. - Pérez-Moreno, M & Pérez-Lloret, P & González-Soriano, Juncal & Santos Álvarez, Inmaculada. (2019). 
3. Minor components of cannabis resin. - Strömberg, Lars. (1976).