Extraction of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol 41% THC Oil

[Avery L. Breath]

(copied without permission from Otto Snow)

One KG of fine podered marijuana plant material {average % of THC was about 5.21%} was macerated with 6 L. hexanes (Hexanes GR from EM Sciences) in a percolator (9" in diameter from the top and 20" long, cone shaped) for 24 hours at room temp. and filtered.  The macerated was reextracted in 5 L. hexanes for another 24 hours.  The hexane extracts were combined and evaporated under reduced pressure at low temp to give 110.7 g residue (11.07% extractives).  The % of THC in the hexane extract was 41.21%

Direct Fractional Distillation of the Hexane Extract yielded 92% THC Oil

[Stonehenge]

That isn't hard to do. A simpler version of that is the old butane extraction to produce honey oil. This is of use to those who have access to low grade pot they want to concentrate. I can't see doing it on good stuff bought off the street. You pay so much for the starting material that your final product costs you an arm and a leg.

I'm waiting for a tech that produces the thc itself. It seems to be too hard to synthesize.

Stoney

[Avery L. Breath]

Well, this book has a section on that too.... though i think it's more in the arena of chemists than yer average plant geek.  Very technical it appears.

[TooStonedToType]

This seems interesting, but also beyond my chemistry and legal skills; although, it doesn't look that hard.

http://www.entheogen.com/index.php?name ... cle&sid=87

[VajraPirate]

Butane method seems by far the simplest. Not that I would have any experience with that of course. PVC tube, a couple caps, drill one hole in one to fit the canister tip, a larger hole in the other, a screen at the bottom, some plant material, butane goes in one end, oil comes out the other, let evaporate and there you have it. That's the "easy" button for oil anyway, or at least according to what I've read.

[telepathine]

acetone is a great organic solvent ! for thc also. and its cheap  and widespread.

[Avery L. Breath]

acetone sucks

[senorsalvia]

Why does acetone suck?  IMHO, it's alot more efficient for S.D. extractions than, say, Everclear. {alot less expensive too}....  Acetone is commonly used in all sorts of chem extractions...  Why such a vehement bad rap on such a versatile chem tool?       senorsal

[Avery L. Breath]

Yeah, perhaps I should clarify.  Acetone in reguards to MJ extraction, just rips the shit out of your mark........ it takes up everything, including large amounts of clorophyl.  It doesn't evap entirely and the brands I've come across leave an oily residue upon evaporation.  It's just inferiour for extracting THC.  Smells bad, permiates everything, and it just leaves the most crude and barely useable extract........ is not selective.

acetone is fine for sally, but sucks for cannabis.

For anybody considering this (where legal of course)  go the extra mile, do the research....... at least take a good look at bubble bags.

[Stonehenge]

Try ice cold acetone in your extractions. Sphere's tec was to extract salvia in the freezer and he reported little to no chlorophyl uptake at those temps. I can't say if it will work as well with your stuff or not.

Stoney

[Avery L. Breath]

Yeah, I'm the one who actually reccomended that to him in the first place.  Which again, works slightly better with sally, but still creates an inferiour MJ extract.......... that is, from what I've heard.

[winder]

If cold butane works with MJ, then cold naphtha should work with MJ.

Of course, then one has to get the naphtha out of the MJ product.

I would think that the naphtha solution could be added to a pot (pun intended) of water to give 2-phase mixture that is gently boile, thereby eliminating the naphtha to produce the semi-solid sought material.

Even more effective may be to:
Do the cold naphtha extraction
Filter away the solid plant matter
Dilute the naphtha solution with either  high proof ethyl alcohol, high % IPA or high quality acetone
Add the solution to water to make a milky white emulsion
Evaporate the organic solvents by gently warming, maybe even boiling the mixture until the solvent is gone
Allow the water to cool to collect sought materials

I know this is getting way out of my realm, but the criticisms should be interesting.

Have at me.

[TooStonedToType]

From what I've "heard" butane works well, but like other solvents you have to find some that is clean and it tends to get expensive.  One or two cans are needed and the result is only a few drops of product.  Naphtha sounds like a better idea, but I haven't personally "heard" much about it.

[Ziff]

how do people useually use the THC oil?

[laughingwillow]

THC oil is a wonderful skin moisturizer.

lw.