The Benefits of Hash Oil

                Marijuana is an extremely popular plant, with at least some form of the plant being used by over 22.2 million people in the United States. Although marijuana usually refers to dried leaves and flowers, there is another product that can be derived from the cannabis plant: hash oil.

Hash Oil (also known as "butane honey oil" or just "BHO") is a form of concentrated marijuana obtained by solvent extraction. Although similar in appearance to marijuana juice, hash oil has much higher concentrations of psychoactive compounds.

The oil can be produced from a variety of strains, but is most often made from the Indica plant type. The extraction process involves soaking marijuana in a solvent such as ethanol or butane that has been combined with a low boiling temperature substance such as polyethylene glycol 400. This results in a potent oil that can contain up to 80% THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), the chemical responsible for most of marijuana's psychological effects.

 

What are the benefits of Hash Oil?

 

Hash oil is a highly concentrated form of cannabis resinated with fats or plant based oils. Hash oil has gained much popularity recently because it contains large amounts of THC and CBD, the two most active components in marijuana. It also can be consumed by smoking or eating unlike other forms of cannabis that are typically only smoked or ingested in pill form.

 

Unlike THC and CBD that is extracted from the marijuana plant, hash oil is made by extracting the cannabinoids directly from the resin glands on cannabis plants. The process of obtaining this resin creates a end product which when properly administered can provide certain health benefits to users including: pain relief, anti-inflammatory benefits and an overall calming effect along with many others.

 

How is Hash Oil Made?

 

Hash oil, also known as honey oil or earwax extractions, are made using a variety of methods including the use of butane or alcohol to strip away the trichomes from the plants. Once this resin has been stripped away and collected it is then dried and an evaporating solvent is used to create a concentrated Cannabis end product.

 

The various methods of creating hash oil and the solvents used can cause adverse effects including: temporary loss of thinking/memory, nausea & vomiting, dizziness or even damage to the brain's ability to function normally. These side effects from this process are so severe that there have been some reported cases of users experiencing seizures after creating hash oil using the butane extraction method.

 

Where is Hash Oil Legal?

 

As with all forms of marijuana, hash oil has yet to be legalized in Canada and therefore is considered an illegal substance. However, there are some states where it can be legally obtained. In fact some users have created their own hash oil using various methods including: purging, water extraction or even making their own solvent.

 

For those living in California it is legal to buy and consume Cannabis products including concentrated resins. There are however restrictions as to how much THC may be contained within the product which is why many users go through the process of creating their own resin hash oil.

 

In Oregon there are no restrictions for obtaining hash oil as long as it does not contain more than 15% THC and the total amount of active cannabis extract cannot exceed 24 ounces per month or 36 ounces per three month period. For those living in Colorado again, there is a certain limit to how much you can contain within your system. For those over 21, the limit is 5 grams of hash in a single day.

 

For those living in Washington State there are currently no rules or regulations for obtaining and consuming hash oil legally despite it remaining illegal to obtain through other sources.

 

Are there other forms of hash oil?

 

As well as honey oil, earwax extractions or BHO's, there are a number of other methods used to create the end products known as hash oils. One type is called ice-o-lator hash, an acronym for the Ice Cube method. The main difference between this method and the others is that ice-o-lator hash oil uses a vacuum to pull the trichomes from the cannabis flowers. This method also creates less solvent based end products which can reduce the risk of carcinogens and tar being inhaled by those using the product.

 

The main difference between earwax extractions and BHO's is the fact that BHO's use a form of butane or propane to strip away the resin. This can create a more potent hash oil than some other methods and is not recommended for those who are new to consuming Cannabis.