Understanding the method of extraction is the key to a safe and environment-friendly operation. As the awareness on cannabis continues, a proper understanding of how marijuana seeds have been cultivated and how the derived products are made, both the process and the equipment used are also important.
Cannabis concentrates are a complex issue in the ever-expanding cannabis industry. There’s a lot of misinformation with its network and marketplace. Dispensary managers, budtenders, and consumers will be conceited at extracts made with BHO because they think there’s some sort of health risk.
The hostility towards BHO comes from a story of some newbie teens blowing themselves up, not knowing what they’re doing due to the big trade dominating the risk. As a result of the BHO process being branded, specialists consider the process is more productive and beneficial than other methods of extraction.
Cannabis Concentrates
Cannabis concentrates and extracts shook the cannabis industry a few years ago, as the state to state legality started the discussion. A class once defined by hash alone exploded into factions, where absolute levels of THC offered a firmer passageway to getting high, shrouded in skepticism.
However, there are comprehensive issues among people unfamiliar with these stiff substances that come in many forms and under many marijuana names, from shatter to wax, honey oil, live resin, taffy, butter or budder, dabs, and the sometimes controversial methods used to make these extracts, were faced with uncertainty from the public as records started coming in of teen blowing themselves up, attempting to make them at home. In response to the issue, marijuana state laws have been refurbished to minimize casualties.
The Stigma on BHO
Butane extraction suffered from the brunt of judgment due to some teens “open blasting,” a process where butane is discharged into the environment instead of retrieving to safety in the vacuum oven. While most believe BHO’s stigma is a health-related one concerning the presence of butane in the oil, it’s really part of a larger plan to demonize butane by some facets of the marijuana industry expecting to take the heat off themselves.
Contrary to what many believed, the butane method is scientifically better than other methods in terms of conserving the fragile terpene profile of a certain marijuana strain— OG Kush, granddaddy purple, purple haze etc., which is responsible for its aroma, and taste.
Extracts are either made by processing the buds with a propellant like butane or propane, a.k.a Butane Hash Oil or BHO or shattering the flower with carbon dioxide. When running through a closed loop system, both are perfectly safe. A closed-loop system gives a way of extracting concentrate from marijuana in a closed environment. The butane evaporated in the extraction process is collected in a vacuum oven to be reused, instead of spoiling the environment by mixing with air, potentially prompting to the dangerous explosion.
The Closed-Loop Extraction Method
Closed loop extraction is a fast, efficient way to separate essential oils from botanical material and, when operated properly, is extremely safe.
The closed-loop system is a method in which the complete process is done inside a secured vessel. The solvent used to extract the flowers does not ever come in touch with the outside environment. The loop portion includes the recovery and reuses aspect of the system.The solvent will begin inside one vessel, and then move through different containing botanical material, after which it will revert back into the original container hence forming a loop.
How it is Done?
So how does a closed loop works? The solvent tank will carry the solvent to use. The common solvent used in this process is the butane. The material cylinder will contain the desired material.
For example, A freshly trimmed Mephisto genetics blue dream haze will be used as the material because of its greasy nugs from the trichomes. The oil will be removed from the material by butane as the solvent. The butane will begin flooding the material vessel. As the butane initiates contact with the material, the essential oils will begin to dissolve into the butane. As the butane runs its way through the material, the essential oils continue being dissolved, leaving the butane/oil mixture.
Once the mixture falls into the collection base. Separating the mixture is the next step by evaporating and recollect the butane. This is done by setting the collection base in warm water and placing the butane tank in dry ice or ice water to form a temperature differential. The butane will begin to evaporate and leave the collection base, which will be drawn into the solvent container by this temperature differential. Inside the solvent container, the butane vapor will re-condense into low-pressure liquid.
Once all butane has been distilled from the collection base, all that will be left over is the oil we extracted from the blue dream haze. the solvent tank will be loaded with butane which we can reuse and the loop will be completed. Safe, convenient environment-friendly extraction.
Author Bio
Mikaela Smith is a young Chemical Engineer and an active advocate for medical cannabis raising awareness. A researcher by day and writer at night. After years of collecting information from hundreds of cannabis experts and institution. She wants to inspire others how we could see the world as haven as she found the safest, most effective relief and hope in medical cannabis.
