Washington DC has tons to offer when it comes to concentrates ever since the passing of Initiative 71. From wax, hash rosin, budder, shatter, and batter, the DC dab game has hundreds of vendors to choose from. As a DC local I’ve reviewed hundreds of cannabis extracts from medical dispensaries to I71 gifting stores and while we have some potent vendors there are unfortunately a few places you want to avoid.
I asked local DC residents and budtenders their favorite extract vendors alongside a few of my personal favorites to give you the inside scoop on the most recommended DC concentrates you can buy today in 2023.
Where to Get Concentrates in DC in 2023
The cannabis extract market is especially unique in DC because you have the option to buy from the gifting market or any of the 7 licensed medical marijuana dispensaries if you have a DC medical marijuana card.
If you do not have an MMJ card you can buy concentrates from any of the dozens of I71 gifting stores, but the transaction process is unique so make sure to learn how to buy weed in DC through the I71 law, first as buying concentrate and weed use the same purchasing process in DC. If you are looking for THC vapes check out our list of recommended DC cart vendors, as this article focuses primarily on raw concentrates.
DC’s Favorite Shatter
Gifted Curators is one of DC’s most trusted recreational dispensaries, currently with over 3,500 Five star Google reviews. I live near Adams Morgan and I’ve been shopping at Gifted Curators for concentrates for the last few years specifically for their in-house Shatter.
The dab high is potent but what makes it especially better is you pay only $35 for a gram of shatter at Gifted compared to $50 for .5 grams at a medical dispensary. It’s a no-brainer.
Shatter is unique as the molecules are more stacked and bonded, so the concentrate is much more “resilient. This gives shatter a much longer shelf-life compared to most concentrates which makes it safe to buy in bulk if you plan on stocking up. Gifted Curator’s Wedding Crashers Shatter is a hybrid, with an amber glass-like appearance, rich with flavor and especially potent on the body and mind.
DC’s Favorite Live Resin
Ask most budtenders in DC where they shop and they are going to tell you Legacy DC. I asked dozens of DC residents and budtenders where they buy their concentrates and Legacy’s Premium Live Resin was the number one recommendation.
Legacy has its own in-house Live resin that goes through a unique extraction process where the live cannabis plant is flash-frozen to preserve a higher concentration of cannabinoids and terpenes for a more robust flavor profile and a powerful yet clean head and body high.
Whenever I visit U Street I just buy a gram of Legacy’s Gas Face live resin for only $50. Buying a gram of live resin from a medical dispensary in DC would cost you around $100, so if you want to save some money and end up with the same quality dabs, I definitely recommend checking Legacy out.
Purist concentrate: Live Hash Rosin
If you are looking for the purest concentrate with one of the cleanest high then I recommend buying dabs from Clearmind Concentrates. They are an I71 vendor that specializes in solventless and chemical-free extraction to deliver a powerful high with 100% clarity. Since the passing of Initiative 71, I’m always on the lookout for vendors who sell Clearmind’s products, because the purity level is just unparalleled within the DC community.
Live Hash Rosin goes through the same process of freezing the cannabis plant that live resin and live rosin goes through but with an added twist. The magic happens when the frozen plant is dropped into ice water which rapidly shades the buds. The trichomes fall off the plant and the plant is discarded, and through multiple filters what is left is pure holy trichomes.
The trichomes are then freeze-dried to make ice water hash, and then the hash is placed in a rosin press which applies gentle heat causing them to form into a sticky rosin. What you get left with is a batch of pure trichomes with full-spectrum terpenes and cannabinoids. These dabs taste amazing, hit hard, and you feel amazing the next day, and that’s why they are a fan favorite within the DC community.
Versatile dabs: Dry sift concentrate
If you are looking for some concentrates that are free of solvents, chemicals, and water then Takoma Wellness has the El Chivo dry sift which is an Indica dominant. What I love about dry sift (otherwise known as Kief) is you can use it to upgrade your dry herb experience. Sprinkle some kief on your weed or just smoke it directly, either way, it’s affordable, and for only $20 for half a gram you can stretch it out for quite a bit when mixing with cannabis herbs.
If kief is your preferred concentrate then Takoma Wellness always has the most consistent dry sift that I’ve seen since marijuana was legalized in DC. Takoma is a medical dispensary so if you have a medical card from out of state chances are you will be offered DC reciprocity to buy immediately. If you don’t have a medical card Takoma Wellness has an intake center that can get you a self-certified medical card in under 15 minutes to buy dabs that day.
The El Chivo Dry Sift is a powerful Indica dominant so if your strain is lacking in tension relief and muscle relaxation just a sprinkle of this will bring waves of bodily relief.
Best Rosin in DC
Who doesn’t love some classic rosin? If you are in DuPont Circle I recommend checking out National Holistic Healing Center. Their rosin, specifically the Bruce Banner strain, is a solventless extract that tastes rugged and sweet, with a touch of citrus berry. The 81% THC is hard-hitting and the extract burns super smooth in a dab rig or e-rig, especially through cold start dabbing.
National Holistic Healing Center is a licensed medical dispensary so their rosin is focused on pain relief, but you will need a medical marijuana card to purchase concentrates here.
Final Thoughts
DC has dozens of options when it comes to buying concentrates. You can either buy from 7 of the licensed medical dispensaries with a medical marijuana card or buy from any of the dozens of I71 recreational gifting stores with only an ID verifying you are 21 years of age. What makes shopping for dabs tricky in DC is there are hundreds of vendors to choose from which can be a bit tricky.
Living in DC you can definitely run into a few bad batches of dab, and that’s because the extraction process requires a level of expertise that isn’t regulated in the gifting market. While it may seem the obvious choice to buy dabs only from a medical dispensary, you just can’t beat the prices at a gifting storefront. This doesn’t disqualify I71 gifting stores as there are definitely a few gifting stores that have cannabis extracts that are more potent than medical dispensaries at half the price. It’s all about finding the right vendors at the right time, but after asking local DC residents and budtenders, and throwing in my opinion as well as a 20-year DC resident I compiled some of the best concentrates you can find in DC in 2023.