Is it Safe to Make Your Own Cannabis Extracts?
Since it was popularized in the early 1970s, butane has risen to become the most common method of cannabis extraction, despite lingering concerns about its safety. There are several reasons why butane remains popular for a wide range of cannabis concentrates, but are the risks worth the rewards? And if you choose to make extracts with butane, how can you make the process safer?
Why IS Butane Used to Make Cannabis Extracts?
Butane is a hydrocarbon that forms from rotting material in the earth and is refined to produce an odorless liquid. In 1971, the book Cannabis Alchemy: The Art of Modern Hashmaking by D. Gold suggested using butane to make cannabis extracts — a method that continues today.
Concentrate manufacturers love butane because it’s efficient, accessible, and scalable, and it has a low boiling point, meaning that the terpenes don’t degrade in the process. Furthermore, butane is the most versatile solvent for cannabis extraction because it can create concentrates of every imaginable consistency.
Safety Concerns Surrounding Butane Extraction
While butane is the most versatile solvent, it’s also the most flammable. Butane that escapes into the air can easily be set alight and burn your home to a crisp. In some cases, butane explosions have even been fatal. Most butane explosions have involved open-loop, underground operations.
The other safety concern surrounding butane hash oil is the presence of residual solvents up to or exceeding the levels set by individual state laws. Residual butane is thought to cause damage to the central nervous system. That’s why more companies are advocating for solventless extracts.
How to Make Butane Extraction Safer
If you’ve decided to make cannabis extracts with butane due to its many advantages, there are two very important steps to take to ensure the safety of your operation.
Use a Closed-Loop System
Most of the accidents and explosions with butane have happened with open-loop or “open blasting” systems. These are typically the systems that home extractors use in an underground or DIY operation.
In contrast, closed-loop systems keep all of the gas inside industrial-grade equipment and recycle or remove the burnt gas safely. In order to use these industrial systems, you must operate in a licensed facility in a state where solvent-based concentrates are legal.
Remove the Residues with a Vacuum Oven
After your BHO concentrate is ready, a vacuum oven is the best way to remove (almost) all of the residual butane. These ovens use pressure and low heat to off-gas the residual solvent, leaving the resulting concentrate free from residue.
To ensure that all of the residue is gone, many manufacturers send their concentrates off for third-party testing. In the United States, acceptable levels of butane in a cannabis extract vary by state, ranging from 800 ppm in Washington to 5,000 ppm in Colorado.
Alternatives to Solvent Extraction
For producers — especially home producers — who don’t have access to safe, closed-loop butane machinery, solventless extraction techniques offer a cleaner alternative. Currently, there are several solventless extracts and concentrates you can make at home:
Dry Sift
Hashish (hash) is the most ancient form of cannabis concentrate. The trichomes are traditionally separated from the flower using an herb grinder and pressed together to form hash.
Bubble Hash
Bubble hash is made by mixing broken resin glands with ice water. They then pass through a sequence of screens, leaving the plant material behind. Bubble hash is known for its ability to completely melt at low temperatures with little to no residue left behind.
Rosin
Rosin is made by applying heat and pressure to cannabis buds that are frozen when fresh. The sticky resin from the trichomes drips out from the plates and is collected onto parchment paper.
Kief Rosin
Kief rosin is also made using heat and pressure but is made from dry sift rather than flower. The resulting rosin can produce even higher yields and potency than resin.
Thinking of Making Your Own Extracts?
The various kinds of cannabis concentrates present exciting opportunities for DIYers and budding entrepreneurs. However, you need to know how to do it safely and also understand the local laws that govern extraction.
If you would like to use butane, obtain all of the necessary licenses and permits and invest in an industrial closed-loop system. If you’d like to make no-fuss concentrates at home, opt for a solventless extract like rosin and enjoy an endless supply of cannabis gold.
