If you’ve been spending time on social media, or perhaps just out in the real world, you may have heard the term BHO (butane hash oil), or “wax” mentioned in the discussion of cannabis. In short, BHO is a type of resinous concentrate created through cannabis and hash extraction. Consumed primarily through smoking or vaporization, wax is regarded as a much more potent delivery method of THC compared to bud.
The Process of Extraction
Butane, the chemical used to create wax, is an extremely flammable substance. With this in mind, all professional butane extractions take place in an outdoor setting. Extraction begins with the procurement of the necessary instruments needed to aid extraction, including one of two different types of non-propane containing butane. N-Butane is typically referred to as the form of this process. Not only is N-Butane a safer product, but it is also known for leaving no residue behind in your finalized batches.
The lengthy process of creating the extract goes underway, followed by a follow-up treatment referred to as “purging”. Specialized purging systems are used to extract all of the oil itself, filtering out any byproduct or butane. When all of the oil has been removed from the extraction setup, the oil/wax is now ready to be stored. When sealed in a dark, low-temperature setting, the BHO extracted will find itself sustaining quite the lengthy shelf life. That is, as long as it is purged properly.
Wax vs. Cannabis
Many smoke BHO/wax as an alternative, or even sometimes an entire replacement to typical cannabis flower. This is due to the fact that depending on the quality of the extraction process, your BHO can contain many times the number of cannabinoids by volume that flower does. In some instances, the most properly procured waxes can contain up to 90% THC.
Smoking BHO is considered by many cannabis enthusiasts to be an ideal way of consuming the plant, both for recreational use and medicinal. Unfortunately, due to its high potency, the price by weight is substantially more expensive in comparison to flower. Wax, however, also manages to last longer than flower in most cases, with a very small amount being required to induce effects.
Methods of Use
Butane hash oil opens the door for some of the most convenient methods of smoking. The most common method of smoking wax is out of something known as a “rig”. The rig is similar to many other water devices, only featuring one anomaly in comparison, which would be either the “nail” or “banger”.
Nails and bangers serve the same function: they are a piece of quartz or other resilient material meant to be heated up to high temperatures repeatedly, serving similarly like a bowl. Once the nail or banger is heated, you use a tool known as a dab pick to gently apply the dab onto the nail. Vaporization is another popular method of wax consumption. An endless market exists catering to all budgets and desires in regard to BHO vaporization.