herbivore21
Well-Known Member
So I thought I would give out some advice on safety in selection of your concentrates here. Unfortunately, I can only document it as I remember it and as my increasingly busy schedule allows. Still, I don't want this to slow down the IMHO super important conversation on safety with concentrates that needs to be had, so will release sections as I go.
Please note that this thread is not for advise on making oils - we have loads of them! This is for advise on determining whether an oil is safe to dab!
Mods - I'm not sure if maybe there is a way we can make this first post editable in perpetuity so that I can update it as I write more, or if you guys could just do the edits for me and I'll just make new posts in here with new sections?
For now, I thought I'd start with some basics on consistencies and how to spot residual solvent in your oils.
Safe Concentrates 101:
Foreword: As you may know, I do not endorse the consumption of concentrates which contain any inactive material where possible, and especially that contains residual solvent, contaminants, adulterants, bacteria, mold/mold spores etc. If you do not mind dabbing stuff which has these things in them, that is your call, not mine. Still, please don't derail the thread with posts about how you don’t care to check for these things! This thread is for those who want to ensure they are dabbing the safest extracts possible.
Please do chime in if there is some safety advise you have to add. Remember, compiling a comprehensive concentrates safety/basics thread is gonna be an epic undertaking. Together we can do it![Big Grin :D :D](/i/s/biggrin.gif)
The basics:
Consistencies:
Absolute Shatter – This is the glassy/stronger than glassy form that anyone who wants as close to pure cannabinoids as possible should seek out as the easiest to determine to be safe for dabbing (reasons to be explored subsequently*). Absolute shatter has been dewaxed, will vary in colour based on strain but should always be very translucent when held up to a light in a small enough piece.
Wax – Wax is not just a blanket word to describe anything which is not solid. A lot of people call something wax to cover up the fact that it has unpurged solvent and is in fact just unpurged shatter/sap depending on the state of decarb. Wax is stuff with an earwax/candlewax consistency only! Be careful here for reasons pointed out below.
Sap – Sap generally will reflect wax, fat and/or the state of decarb of a given sample of extract. This is a tree-sap type consistency which will snap when pulled unless thoroughly decarbed, in which case it may not snap.
Budder – an extract which was whipped during purge to speed up heat purge, however, added heat/friction from whipping will contribute to further decarb. I do not advise the use of budder from dispensaries, as I have seen truckloads of ‘budder’ sold swimming in residual solvents.
Crumble/Honeycomb – I have not yet done enough experimentation with these consistencies to be confident in characterizing them fully here. However look up pictures to get an idea. I will say that these consistencies can be great when made right and I am sure there are plenty of crumbles/honeycombs that I could condone as safe for use.
Decarbed runny oil/nectar – Not to be confused with non decarbed oils which are just runny because of residual solvent, these are runnier in consistency than their peers (although not fully liquid!) because of the state of decarb of the predominate cannabinoids (presence of THC and CBD; as opposed to the carboxilic acids THCA and CBDA - also predominate ingredients in a well made, decarbed extract).
1. Solvent-extracted concentrates
Residual Solvent:
I have long explained that despite the US Pharmacopeia’s classification of most of the solvents used in extraction as class 3, which is safe for human consumption – the consumption in mind here was oral consumption of this chemical, not inhalation of its thermal degradation byproducts. I will not go through the reasons residual solvents are unsafe, however this is a good first stage of working out whether your oil is good to dab.
Residual solvent is glaringly obvious to the trained eye before even dabbing, generally speaking – unless it is left in very small amounts. Let’s go over some methods to discover this stuff lurking in our meds.
* Let’s begin by my first port of call to test whether you have residual solvent in your oil. The oil slick test. You may have in the past encountered extracts which themselves stick slick to your oil slick mats/pads. They are difficult, if not impossible to completely remove from the oil slick surface, like hair gel just spreading all over it instead of coming off on your dabber. If your oil does this, it is swimming in residual solvent. Don’t dab it.
* Bubbles, if you see bubbles don’t dab it – it is likely swimming in solvent. After very recent experiments, I am adamant that such concentrates should be avoided. Yes, it is potentially possible due to other factors to have some bubbles in a concentrate which are not from residual solvent, but it is very difficult to distinguish these and I don’t encourage trying to discern between bubbles when there is evidently better material available. Beautiful colorful rainbow looking bubbles are definitely gonna be residual solvent, get right away from that stuff!
* Smell/taste of solvent – yes, solvent smell/taste is an obvious way to tell you have solvent in your dab. If there is ISO in your oil, you’re gonna smell/taste it. If there is n-butane, you shouldn’t really taste much - or anything at all! If there is ethanol, the taste may not even be unpleasant to many – but you should not be dabbing it. Remember, somewhat safe to drink (in moderation!) is not the same as safe to heat and inhale!
* Sparks/flashes/shooting smoke off your nail are also a surefire (pun intended) way to tell you are dabbing solvent.
I’ll edit with any other ways to tell that you’ve got solvent going on if I remember anymore favourites
Feel free to suggest any ways you might know of. Of course, where possible, only buy concentrates which have been tested for residual solvents and are free of, not just at ‘pass’ levels for any such solvent.
TO BE CONTINUED......
Please note that this thread is not for advise on making oils - we have loads of them! This is for advise on determining whether an oil is safe to dab!
Mods - I'm not sure if maybe there is a way we can make this first post editable in perpetuity so that I can update it as I write more, or if you guys could just do the edits for me and I'll just make new posts in here with new sections?
For now, I thought I'd start with some basics on consistencies and how to spot residual solvent in your oils.
Safe Concentrates 101:
Foreword: As you may know, I do not endorse the consumption of concentrates which contain any inactive material where possible, and especially that contains residual solvent, contaminants, adulterants, bacteria, mold/mold spores etc. If you do not mind dabbing stuff which has these things in them, that is your call, not mine. Still, please don't derail the thread with posts about how you don’t care to check for these things! This thread is for those who want to ensure they are dabbing the safest extracts possible.
Please do chime in if there is some safety advise you have to add. Remember, compiling a comprehensive concentrates safety/basics thread is gonna be an epic undertaking. Together we can do it
![Big Grin :D :D](/i/s/biggrin.gif)
The basics:
Consistencies:
Absolute Shatter – This is the glassy/stronger than glassy form that anyone who wants as close to pure cannabinoids as possible should seek out as the easiest to determine to be safe for dabbing (reasons to be explored subsequently*). Absolute shatter has been dewaxed, will vary in colour based on strain but should always be very translucent when held up to a light in a small enough piece.
Wax – Wax is not just a blanket word to describe anything which is not solid. A lot of people call something wax to cover up the fact that it has unpurged solvent and is in fact just unpurged shatter/sap depending on the state of decarb. Wax is stuff with an earwax/candlewax consistency only! Be careful here for reasons pointed out below.
Sap – Sap generally will reflect wax, fat and/or the state of decarb of a given sample of extract. This is a tree-sap type consistency which will snap when pulled unless thoroughly decarbed, in which case it may not snap.
Budder – an extract which was whipped during purge to speed up heat purge, however, added heat/friction from whipping will contribute to further decarb. I do not advise the use of budder from dispensaries, as I have seen truckloads of ‘budder’ sold swimming in residual solvents.
Crumble/Honeycomb – I have not yet done enough experimentation with these consistencies to be confident in characterizing them fully here. However look up pictures to get an idea. I will say that these consistencies can be great when made right and I am sure there are plenty of crumbles/honeycombs that I could condone as safe for use.
Decarbed runny oil/nectar – Not to be confused with non decarbed oils which are just runny because of residual solvent, these are runnier in consistency than their peers (although not fully liquid!) because of the state of decarb of the predominate cannabinoids (presence of THC and CBD; as opposed to the carboxilic acids THCA and CBDA - also predominate ingredients in a well made, decarbed extract).
1. Solvent-extracted concentrates
Residual Solvent:
I have long explained that despite the US Pharmacopeia’s classification of most of the solvents used in extraction as class 3, which is safe for human consumption – the consumption in mind here was oral consumption of this chemical, not inhalation of its thermal degradation byproducts. I will not go through the reasons residual solvents are unsafe, however this is a good first stage of working out whether your oil is good to dab.
Residual solvent is glaringly obvious to the trained eye before even dabbing, generally speaking – unless it is left in very small amounts. Let’s go over some methods to discover this stuff lurking in our meds.
* Let’s begin by my first port of call to test whether you have residual solvent in your oil. The oil slick test. You may have in the past encountered extracts which themselves stick slick to your oil slick mats/pads. They are difficult, if not impossible to completely remove from the oil slick surface, like hair gel just spreading all over it instead of coming off on your dabber. If your oil does this, it is swimming in residual solvent. Don’t dab it.
* Bubbles, if you see bubbles don’t dab it – it is likely swimming in solvent. After very recent experiments, I am adamant that such concentrates should be avoided. Yes, it is potentially possible due to other factors to have some bubbles in a concentrate which are not from residual solvent, but it is very difficult to distinguish these and I don’t encourage trying to discern between bubbles when there is evidently better material available. Beautiful colorful rainbow looking bubbles are definitely gonna be residual solvent, get right away from that stuff!
* Smell/taste of solvent – yes, solvent smell/taste is an obvious way to tell you have solvent in your dab. If there is ISO in your oil, you’re gonna smell/taste it. If there is n-butane, you shouldn’t really taste much - or anything at all! If there is ethanol, the taste may not even be unpleasant to many – but you should not be dabbing it. Remember, somewhat safe to drink (in moderation!) is not the same as safe to heat and inhale!
* Sparks/flashes/shooting smoke off your nail are also a surefire (pun intended) way to tell you are dabbing solvent.
I’ll edit with any other ways to tell that you’ve got solvent going on if I remember anymore favourites
![Wink ;) ;)](/i/s/wink.gif)
TO BE CONTINUED......
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