From BHO to Budder

Thanks to the guys from Growland in Spain, who opened their doors to us to share their experiences and knowledge, we are going to learn how to perform a butane cannabinoid extraction. Growland is a specialised flower shop - that is, a grow shop - that opened in Madrid with the desire to add something positive to the cannabis community. These guys have specialised in extractions and are happy to teach all they know to anyone who wants to learn. And we don't mean classic dry or ice pollen extraction, nor the modern NitroHash technique... we're referring to pure cannabis oils: a delight for the palate, a crazy rush and an unbeatable medicinal effect!

Thanks to the guys from Growland in Spain, who opened their doors to us to share their experiences and knowledge, we are going to learn how to perform a butane cannabinoid extraction. Growland is a specialised flower shop – that is, a grow shop – that opened in Madrid with the desire to add something positive to the cannabis community. These guys have specialised in extractions and are happy to teach all they know to anyone who wants to learn. And we don't mean classic dry or ice pollen extraction, nor the modern NitroHash technique... we're referring to pure cannabis oils: a delight for the palate, a crazy rush and an unbeatable medicinal effect!

This “honey” is very popular in the United States, Holland and Canada both amongst more sybaritic circles and especially amongst medical users. These oils are especially useful for exclusively medical users as they can be diluted with other oils (for example, olive oil) which makes it much easier to adjust the specific dose for each patient in order to obtain only the desired effects without risking noticeable psychoactive effects (in other words, to avoid hallucinations). On the other hand, this material is easily transportable, requiring just small quantities due to the high cannabinoid concentration.

What do we need?

For this BHO extraction, we used the following tools: a steel tube, which can also be made out of a different material or even surgical steel, but as far as quality-price ratio goes, Growland recommends a steel tube (diameter or length only change the quantity of weed and butane to consume); a 50-micron steel mesh screen covering one end of our tube and some kind of clamp to fasten it (never use rubber bands, as butane dissolves them); a rubber cap with an opening in the centre for the diameter of our tube; butane – it's easiest just to use gas cylinders for refilling cigarette lighters (the quality of our extraction will depend on the quality of the gas we use); two pots to cook in a bain marie – they must fit one inside the other (it's best to use glass pans); some blades or cutters to collect our oil easily and conveniently.

This is the basic material needed to carry out a good-quality extraction but, as we already mentioned, we're also going to learn how to make budder, which means we'll also be using a couple of machines to clean it – a small vacuum pump connected to a desiccator and a Petri dish (a small scientific glass plate) to place the extracted material on for cleaning.

The extraction process

Now everything we need is set out and our raw material is ready. As far as weed goes, we don't really have to use buds of the highest quality (although the higher the quality, the better the result); we can also use remains or dry cuttings from our own plants. We pack as much weed as will fit without too much pressing into the tube, cover it and place it in the freezer for an hour. If the tube is metal, we have to use gloves or cloths to hold it, after freezing and during the extraction process. Then we heat the water until it boils for our bain marie with glass pans; once they're in position and hot, we can begin the extraction process.

We connect the gas cylinder with its corresponding mouthpiece to our tube's rubber cap and aim the other end towards the bain marie pans. The next step should be carried out outdoors. As we squeeze the container, the gas is purged and starts flowing through the weed; a brown liquid starts coming out a few seconds later. As the liquid gas with the cannabinoids comes out, we start painting the surface of the tray, discharging the extraction evenly. It's better to do this in two rounds, using half the container, waiting a few minutes and then repeating. The more marijuana we use, the more gas we have to use. The ratio comes out to more or less double the gas for the weed we use. Extraction is now more or less complete; all that's left for us to do is remove the gas.

Budder

This is the gas that is separating from the cannabinoids. The process can be repeated as often as we like; all we have to do is place the Petri dish in the hot pans and again in the desiccator, as often as we like. We usually carry the process out up to five times before considering it “ready for consumption”. The result is a high-quality extraction, an authentic BHO that is completely free of gas and has a THC concentration between 60% and 70%.