Page 54 - Daggabay Magazine Issue 9

Fields of Green for ALL • Collectively Reforming South African Cannabis Laws

1.3 What Are Cannabis Concentrates / Extracts?

Cannabis concentrates have been around since Ingested (most common medicinal use, especially
the plant and human beings first struck up a for serious illness); used to make tinctures, topical
relationship. There are various reasons such as: creams and baked goods; and vapourised using
Easier storage and transportation; Efficiency and a glass pipe or a purpose-made vaporiser (also
ease of medical dosage; or maybe just to get more known as “dabbing”).
bang for your buck!
The current upsurge of interest in concentrates has
Cannabis concentrates are a great way of created its own brand of misinformation and some
maximising the yield of a crop. Whilst whole fear surrounding this form of Cannabis. Find out
flowers can be used in making concentrates, it as much as you can about this alternative use of a
is more economical to use the trimmed “frosty” non-toxic plant. If the solvent extraction is vacuum-
sugar leaves and small “popcorn” nugs as they still purged by an experienced extractor, you should
contain trichomes rich in cannabinoids. have no cause for concern. For some fun and in
order to educate and share, we’ve compiled a list
Concentrates are an art form, and it takes many of various types of concentrates and their different
hours of hard work and dedication to produce names and categories for your perusal.
the crème de la crème for the connoisseur or
patient. Concentrates can be used in several ways:

1.3.1 Butane Extraction

Butane Extraction is also known as BHO, Butane pulls all the subtle terpenes and flavonoids
Butane Honey / Hash Oil. BHO (butane hash oil) that are destroyed using other solvents. Butane is
concentrates are extracted using butane, as this the most environmentally friendly option as far as
method preserves the terpene profile and creates solvents go; it already exists in the body and has
both excellent dabs and great medicine. Sugar leaf, been used in the food industry for many years.
trim, popcorn buds and any material “not pleasing Once the butane has been blasted into a pyrex
to the eye” can go into the mix for making BHO. dish, the solvent is evaporated and then vacuum
The dried material is packed into a column – the purged using a vacuum pump and a desiccation
column can be made from PVC pipe, stainless chamber. Various consistencies are available
steel or BC glass (Pyrex). The idea is to blast ice according to the taste of the connoisseur i.e. wax,
cold butane over and through the plant material. honeycomb, shatter, terp sauce, diamonds, etc .
3

BHO shatter BHO crumble BHO honeycomb

10 CANNABIS IN SOUTH AFRICA • THE PEOPLE’S PLANT • A Full-Spectrum Manifesto For Policy Reform