Butane is the most popular solvent used to extract cannabinoids.

It is one of the most dangerous methods as well due to the explosive potential of the solvent. Industrial equipment (closed-loop systems) is often purpose built and inspected to insure safety while special care must be taken at home to prevent dangerous buildups.

Extraction can be done at home and is also done on large scales, but the process is close to the same. The process begins by filling a tube (metal or plastic) with plant material. The quality of the material directly affects the quality and yield of the end product.

C0₂ Oil

Supercritical fluid extraction is a method commonly used to extract cannabinoids. While other gasses work as well, C0₂ is the most commonly used gas for this method. CO2 has the additional benefit of not causing harm when partially purged, unlike butane.

C0₂ has become the connoisseur’s choice because it goes past critical” at around 90 °F, well below the deactivation temperature for cannabinoids. This preserves more flavor and provides a clearer high than with other methods.

This extraction method relies on pressure and temperature to extract the terpenes, cannabinoids, and waxes from the cannabis. Extractors use this knowledge of which temperature and pressure each terpene, cannabinoid, and wax separate them from the homogenous solution of marijuana material. This way they are able to target certain flavors and types of high” produced by the genetics they are using or add additional flavorings.

Butane Hash Oil (BHO)

BHO, or butane hash oil, is an extremely potent concentrate used in dabbing and other vaporization methods. Cannabinoids are drawn out of the plant with butane which leaves behind a wax. The wax will either remain sticky or harden up, resulting in a crumbly honeycomb” or a glasslike shatter.” Because its THC content can reach into the 70-80% range, BHO is a popular remedy for people who need the highest concentrations available.

BHO is relatively easy to produce at home or in an industrial setting. After covering one end of a tube with a filter or mesh screen (with holes small enough to prevent plant material from seeping through), butane is sprayed into the tube. Refiners then allow the resulting cannabis-butane solution to drip into a glass dish below the filter end of the tube.

The butane must be purged from the solution for safety by heating the solution in a hot-water bath. The solution is slowly heated until the escaping gas produces bubbles. The water-bath quickly becomes cold, so it frequently changed or a heating plate is used until the solution is fully purged of solvent. The remaining goo is cooled and then used as the concentrate known as shatter.

Adam Rhodes

An adventure seeking nerd, nothing too serious but people seem to like him, Adam is also the creator and writer for The Strain Domain