Though cannabis in general has a learning curve, perhaps the most intimidating and mysterious aspect for new users is concentrates.

When a customer walks into a medical dispensary or recreational shop looking to try something new, a query about concentrates — a.k.a. cannabis extracts — often results in a barrage of unfamiliar terms, and he or she has little to no frame of reference for quality, dosage, expected effects or ways to consume.

While images of people rolling up joints, smoking pipes or bongs and eating trays of pot brownies are the primary images of cannabis consumption in the media, concentrates for the most part have only recently started to be seen on shows like Comedy Central’s “Broad City” and “Workaholics,” making them the new kid on the block in terms of cultural representation.

Concentrates 101: What’s on the market, from kief and CO2 oil to BHO