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Marijuana concentrates are the cannabinoids of the marijuana plant. The extraction of these cannabinoids takes place by making use of one of the extraction methods which are here as under. The manufacturing of these takes place by covering marijuana plant material with a solvent.

After that solvent has done the extraction of cannabinoids from the plant material. The evaporation of the solvent happens and leaves behind the extracted concentrated cannabinoid oil. Significantly they are more potent than marijuana flowers. And their applications in the form of medicine have proven to be diverse & effective.

It is a dangerous and complex process to do the extraction of marijuana concentrates. The methods which are necessary for proper extraction are so precise. It means those individuals who do the production of marijuana extracts particularly of high-quality marijuana are widely popular as extract artists.

The science of marijuana concentrate extraction is dependent on the solubility of the cannabinoids and other active ingredients of the marijuana plant. A huge variety of suitable solvents is available for the extraction of the active ingredients from marijuana. But, each of these is well-versed with the weaknesses, strengths, laboratory infrastructure requirements, and production-scaling considerations. The reason is that cannabinoids are not water-soluble. If there is any requirement of extracting them properly, then they must be dissolved in a solvent.

Solvents are those chemicals the use of which is to do the removal of the cannabinoids from the marijuana plant. When the submerging of marijuana flowers happen in these solvents. Then the dissolving of the terpenes, cannabinoids, and other active ingredients takes place into the solvent. The filtration of the remaining solid plant matter happens. Along with this purging of the liquid solvent and cannabinoid mixture takes place for the removal of all the solvents. This in turn leaves all the cannabinoids and other active compounds from the plant.

However, no solvent is perfect for the extraction of marijuana in every way. But the supercritical CO2 extracts and butane extracts are responsible for the production of a huge majority of the currently available concentrates.

Butane is non-popular. It facilitates the extraction of the desired terpenes & cannabinoids from marijuana. It happens without the co-extraction of the undesirables, for instance, plant metabolites and chlorophyll. The low boiling point of butane makes it easy for doing purge from the concentrate. It happens at the end of the extraction process. However, butane is widely popular for its combustibility. However, in terms of toxicity as well as low environmental impact, supercritical CO2 always gets appreciation for its relative safety.

There will be the requirement for a lengthy purification process for the removal of co-extracted constituents. For instance, plant waxes. These are capable of detracting from the final terpenoid and cannabinoid profile of supercritical CO2 extracts.

Ethanol is as efficient as butane, as effective as CO2. Usually, it is safe to handle it and it is generally popular as Safe, or GRAS. The reason behind this is that it is a polar solvent. It will mix with water. Along with this, it will dissolve the water-soluble molecules for instance chlorophyll.

Extraction methods with non-hydrocarbons

Dry Sieve

A dry sieve is the most natural & unobtrusive form of marijuana extraction. Because of the meticulous process involved in the removal of the cannabinoid containing trichomes from the plant matter, it has a low yield. There are numerous grades of dry sieve from a farmer sieve that are comprising plant contaminants. These most often refer to as kief up to Fullmelt Dry Sieve. These are generally comprising just the trichome heads. Kief is a mixture of stalks, plant material, glandular trichome heads, etc.

There are numerous ways for the achievement of dry sieved products. But, there may be the utilization of a single silkscreen or series of silkscreens in conjunction with agitation. It is for the separation of trichomes from the plant material.

Water Extraction

The process of water extraction is very much like the process of the dry sieve. The use of it may happen in conjunction with screens for carrying mechanically separated trichomes. It happens through micron-level screens. The manufacturing of water hash takes place by making use of agitation. It is for gently breaking off the trichome heads from the plant material.

Extraction Methods With Hydrocarbons

Butane & Propane

In the world of concentrate hydrocarbon extraction is a kind of fresh-squeezed juice. Arguably, hydrocarbons like propane & butane are the most efficient solvent for the extraction of marijuana. Butane is a kind of low-pressure system. The extraction in it takes place at 0-30psi. Butane is widely popular as the most commonly used solvent in marijuana.

Butane comes with a low boiling point that is about -0.5 degrees celsius. It is helpful in the condition of cold-boiling the residual solvent from the concentrate solution. This is a process that leaves behind the temperature-sensitive terpenes.

Numerous extraction terpenes give preference to blending their butane along with propane. It is for the preparation of a gas mixture that will strip additional terpenes. Along with this, it will purge more efficiently than butane alone. -42 degrees Celsius is the boiling point of propane. These solvents are non-polar, non-toxic, and they are used to dissolve oil efficiently. This happens for the creation of other unwanted by-products. Propane and butane dissolve all the terpenes and cannabinoids.

These solvents are cost-effective. It signifies that there will not any requirement of spending large amounts of money on supplies of extraction. But, instead of this, it happens on growing quality marijuana for extraction. Propane and butane purging which follows the extraction of concentrate is comparatively easy. The reason behind this is their boiling points which are lower than their room temperature.

The extraction of hydrocarbon takes place only in a proper lab setting. Butane is flammable and automated options are scarce. For instance, Ethanol and CO2 systems. Automated hydrocarbon extraction systems will bring improvement in quality. And these will reduce the price. The reason is that their internal monitoring systems and safety features have become more reliable.

Butane extracts do not have any requirement for winterization and filtration. The reason is that the extraction of the waxes or lipids and chlorophyll happens by making use of the low temperatures.

Hexane

Hexane is a solvent just like butane. The use of it is for the extraction of marijuana concentrate. Hexane is entirely insoluble in water. But, the boiling of it usually takes place at a higher temperature than butane. However, the general process for the extraction of hexane is similar to that of butane extraction. It has the requirement of significantly more care. It is because considerably hexane is more toxic along with being potentially explosive & extremely flammable.

Acetone

Acetone which is easily available as a degreaser and solvent evaporates quickly. It is widely popular as a solvent and for having low acute & chronic toxicity if it is ingested or inhaled. Acetone is having an international rating as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) substance for food use. And the production and disposal of it happen in the human body through normal metabolic processes. 57 degrees Celsius is the boiling point of Acetone. Extreme flammability is the most hazardous property of acetone.

Isopropyl Alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol is a commonly used solvent for the creation of marijuana concentrates by making use of the quick wash method. Where on one side hexane is not water-soluble, on the other hand, isopropyl alcohol is extremely water-soluble. It will dissolve undesired plant materials, for instance, waxes and chlorophylls along with the sought-after cannabinoids.

There is a requirement of Quick Wash Isopropyl (QWISCO) for the production of extremely high-quality oil in under a minute. The use of a quick wash method takes place for the elimination of plant waxes from the isopropyl concentrate solution. The use of the quick wash method happens for this instead of soaking. However, the use of soaking happens with non-water-soluble solvents like hexane.

It takes relatively a long time to properly purging the concentrates. These are those concentrates that have been extracted with isopropyl alcohol because of the solubility in water.