Butane is a light hydrocarbon belonging to the same molecular family consisting of ethane, propane, and methane. Butane is produced from crude oils derived from decaying organic matter buried deep underground. Fractional distillation purifies the crude oil and compresses the butane into an odorless and flammable liquid. Professional extraction companies use instrument-grade butane for its purity and low boiling point allowing a more complete cannabis extraction compared to other solvents such as carbon dioxide or ethanol.
Modern methods of BHO extraction are incredibly safe; they use closed-loop extraction methods that capture any residual butane in the air and recycle it, leaving no butane behind.
Open-loop extraction, also known as open blasting, is popular among BHO hobbyists but can be a very dangerous process. During open-loop extractions, users place raw marijuana material and butane inside a metal or glass tube in order to separate cannabinoids from the plant material. In the open blasting method, the butane used for extraction is released into the atmosphere. Because butane is extremely flammable, a flame or spark can easily cause a deadly explosion.
Closed-loop extraction removes the possibility of gas leaks by containing all flammable solvents within a piece of commercial-grade extraction equipment. Closed-loop extraction is performed using third-party approved equipment at professional facilities with city government approval. Closed-loop extraction also recycles the spent butane for later use. The entire process is much safer, controlled, and effective compared to open-loop extraction.
BHO-extracted concentrates must undergo a post-processing purge to remove all of the residual solvent from the final product. Extraction technicians place the concentrate in a vacuum oven while a vacuum pump helps to evaporate and remove butane. Using low heat and pressure, the solvent off-gasses leaving no trace in the concentrate.
A vacuum oven lowers the atmospheric pressure inside the chamber allowing chemicals to be evaporated at lower temperatures compared to ambient pressures. The vacuum oven retains a consistent temperature and heats any BHO concentrate without decreasing its potency or flavor and removes hazardous material confirmed by third-party lab testing.
Butane hash oil (BHO) extraction and resulting products offer certain advantages over traditional whole-flower buds or other extraction methods. Compared to solventless concentrates like kief or rosin, BHO concentrates come in a wider range of consistencies, higher potencies, and can contain a fuller chemical representation of the strain’s original profile.
BHO extraction equipment can delicately strip marijuana’s intoxicating compounds from the plant without damaging the buds’ volatile terpenes. BHO concentrates like live resin or terp sauce are able to retain a higher-than-normal terpene count giving it a richer and fuller flavor compared to concentrates without those aromatic terpenes.
Consuming BHO concentrates, also referred to as ‘dabbing,’ traditionally required users to use a torch to light the nail or banger for about a minute and letting it cool for about 30 seconds before dropping a small ‘dab’ of BHO concentrate inside the nail chamber and then inhaling the vapor. Users eventually upgraded to use thermometer guns to get a more accurate temperature reading on their nail surfaces.
An e-nail is the most efficient tool used to consume BHO concentrates. An electronic nail, or e-nail, consists of a digital controller that users can adjust the temperature and nail attached to a coil used to heat the surface. E-nails allows consumers to take low-temperature dabs full of cannabinoids and terpenes compared to high-temperature dabs that can burn off terpenes.
For a more convenient and portable way to consume BHO concentrates, consumers can go with BHO vape pens or vape cartridges that are made from a variety of strains. Because of its convenience, BHO is more often consumed in the form of vape pens than by dabbing. Vape pens come as a cartridge and battery pair or disposable pens filled with a flavorful BHO extract. Vape pens can feature quick heating with multiple heating temperatures and pre-measured doses.
BHO concentrates require decarboxylation, the process of heating the substance to activate chemical acids into their parent cannabinoid compounds. Heating cannabinoid acids like THCA and CBDA converts them into the therapeutic THC and CBD compounds. Consuming raw BHO is not only dangerous, but also won’t contain any activated compounds.
Dewaxing is the process of removing waxes and lipids from the final extract. Waxes and lipids can speed up the nucleation process and significantly affect the flavor and smoothness of the concentrate.
Winterization is one method of de-waxing. During winterization, BHO is dissolved into a polar solvent, usually ethanol, at sub-zero temperatures. The cold temperatures force lipids to the top for streamlined filtration.
Concentrates are the fastest growing segment of the recreational cannabis industry and the second largest market in the industry behind marijuana flower itself (it is projected to overtake the number one spot by 2022). An industry that made over $3B in 2018 is poised to more than double that in the next two years.
CBD Shatter Wax
What makes extracts and concentrates so popular? For many consumers, it is a combination of accessibility, portability, and versatility, which combine to provide a much more user-friendly experience. The many choices of receptacle give consumers options for consumption on their own terms. Portability furthers this access by opening up new options for environmental settings, indicating a more freeing experience. And versatility means it can be packaged in a variety of ways, with different elements isolated to deliver any intended effect, thereby serving a wide swath of needs and preferences.
