The applications of cannabis concentrates or extracts as medicine have proven to be effective for patients suffering from all sorts of ailments and they have been reported to be significantly more potent than the standard marijuana buds. It should be noted that a marijuana concentrate is reminiscent of the cannabis strain it was extracted from; but the larger concentration by weight magnifies the smell, taste, and effects. However, the extraction process of marijuana concentrates is a complex and potentially dangerous one and should only be performed by trained professionals. This articles describes the most widely used extraction methods with their advantages
Types of Cannabis(Marijuana) Extracts
Kief
This is the simplest of concentrates and is composed of the trichomes (the crystalline structures coating the outside surface of the flowers) which are usually broken away from the dried marijuana plant material, usually through specialized filtering screens and a little elbow grease. Mary marijuana users generally consider Kief as a lower-quality extract. The THC content of Kief can range from 20 percent to 60 percent.
Dry Sieve (Dry Sift)
Dry sieve is a popular form of non-solvent hash. It is sometimes referred to as “dry sift”. It should be noted that dry sieve simply is a refined version of kief that has been run through a series of screens so that only the trichome heads remain. The most pure dry sieve hash completely melts when exposed to heat and this is known as full-melt dry sieve hash.
Hash
Hash is made from the marijuana plant and Ice water extraction is one of the most common processes used to create quality non-solvent hash. This process consists to isolate the trichome heads, which house the essential oils of marijuana, from the stalks and plant matter that carry little or no medicinal value. It should be noted that the quality of the resulting hash depends on the size of the isolated trichome heads and the extent to which it melts when heated as such full-melt is the best. The final product should be properly dried if not the hash can develop mold and other forms of microbiological life that could potentially be harmful to the body.
Butane Hash Oil (BHO)
Butane Hash Oil is commonly referred to as BHO. It is a type of marijuana concentrate made using butane as the main solvent. The final consistency of BHO (mostly temperature) is determined by several consistencies and people use different names when referring to each of the different consistencies. For instance Shatter refers to the glass-like consistency which often snaps or “shatters” when handled while Budder, honeycomb, crumble, and sap are also used to describe the different textures, though they all fall under the category of BHO. BHO is a popular choice for many medical marijuana patients suffering from chronic pain, sleep disorders, and other intractable symptoms due to its THC content which can be as high as 80-90%.
Supercritical CO2 Oil
It should be noted that Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a supercritical fluid; as such it is capable of it converting into a liquid form when pressurized. CO2 is also a pure chemical substance that occurs naturally and leaves behind no residues. The extraction of CO2 through the supercritical process allows compounds to be extracted with low toxicity; it utilizes a high pressure vessel containing cannabis. Supercritical CO2 is inserted into the vessel and pumped through a filter which separates it from the plant matter once the pressure is released. It then evaporates and is dissolved into the cannabinoids.
Rosin
Of recent, Rosin has been gaining a lot attraction in the medical marijuana community as of for good reason. It is a solid form of resin obtained by adding pressure & heat to vaporize volatile liquid terpenes, typically with an industrial heat press. A hair straightener can equally be used for small batches. The good thing about the rosin technique is that it is quick, simple and affordable and allows anyone to create quality solventless hash in a matter of seconds.
