Isopropyl extraction of crude cannabis oil

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Disclaimer:

This guide is provided for informational and educational purposes only. We do not encourage you to break the law and cannot claim any responsibility for your actions.

This preparation is an easy extraction tek that anyone should be able to follow. It requires minimal equipment, minimal effort, and little time. The crude product will end up a dark green color instead of a light yellow because of the chlorophyll and residual plant cellulose extracted. You should read all instructions carefully before following the procedure and be certain to follow it exactly.

Risks and hazards

In order for an explosion to occur oxygen, an ignition source or heat, and a fuel (in this case isopropyl alcohol vapors) need to be present.

It is highly advised to be incredibly careful when working with isopropyl alcohol or any other easily flammable substances. High temperatures, sparks, or open flames can all cause fires or explosions since isopropyl alcohol readily emits flammable vapors! Breathing isopropyl alcohol vapors is also dangerous so these procedures should always be done in a well-ventilated area with proper protective equipment.

Theory: In order for an explosive event to occur there needs to be an ignition source or spark. This spark can come from everyday items such as a lighter or pilot light on a stove, but can also occur in less obvious ways such as through static electric discharge, certain materials rubbing against each other, and the activation of electric components found on stoves or car components[1]. Electric sparks can also be created by simply wearing clothes (i.e. the common "shock" one experiences after shuffling around with socks on and touching a metal object) or by the compressors in most common kitchen freezers. Despite their presumed weakness, these are all sufficient to cause an explosive event leading to death, injury, or property damage.

Equipment

  • Ground cannabis - You can make batches with as little as 1 ounce of raw materials, though the yield is very small. 1 lb of bud generally yields 2 ounces of oil.
  • 99% Isopropyl alcohol. The higher the percentage, the better. Try not to use anything less than 91%. Everclear, an alcoholic beverage, works as well. Keep in mind that these are both flammable solvents that can also emit flammable vapors.
    Isopropyl alcohol vapors are highly flammable and can quickly accumulate in closed spaces.
  • A cheese cloth, fine strainer, or clean shirt fabric
  • Glass jar
  • Pyrex or glass baking dish

Procedure

  1. Grind your cannabis into very small and loose pieces. This increases the surface area for the solvent and maximizes the amount of compounds extracted. This step is particularly important for this tek.
  2. Freeze your solvent and your cannabis for a minimum of 2 hours.
  3. Combine your solvent and cannabis into an appropriate container, such as a glass jar. Let sit for a minimum of two hours and up to 24 hours, agitating every so often. A medium to dark green liquid should be the result.
  4. Filter the cannabis out of your mix. You may filter once again with a coffee filter and a funnel to refine the product.
  5. Pour liquid into a Pyrex or glass baking dish and let your solvent evaporate completely. You do not want to ingest any isopropyl alcohol, which can cause gastric disturbances in small doses and lethal poisoning in high doses; additionally, it is irritating to mucus membranes. Stir the mix occasionally.
  6. If done right, you will be left with a dark green sticky goo that contains some plant fats, oils, plant matter, and, of course, your active compounds.

Notes

  • Many people opt to pour their solution over more cannabis and let the solvent evaporate. Covering cannabis in cannabis oil is a very useful technique for increasing the potency of each hit.
  • Oil may be smoked mixed in with other cannabis or with a vaporizer rig. This is crude oil, so vaporizing electronically or with a nail will leave plant matter residue, which can be quite hard to clean.
  • Some people choose not to grind the cannabis for the first extraction, resulting in more pure, but less product. Simply soak the solvent over the cannabis for 5 minutes, pour it off, and let it evaporate as the instructions advise. Follow steps 1- 6 for the second extraction with the same cannabis.

See also

External links

The information contained in this article was acquired and accumulated from the sources below and should in no way indicate that the author or authors have any practice in illicit activities. First created by Salem (talk) on 13:59, 12 January 2015 (UTC).

References