Hash oil explosions might restrict butane purchases

[Rex Sanders]

Several butane-fueled hash oil extraction explosions in California recently.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_24337370/increasing-number-hash-oil-explosions-bay-area-dangerous

The commander said people will buy multiple cases of butane, and if neighbors see the large amount of canisters it is usually an indicator of the illegal practice.

"If this trend continues," he said, "there will be pushes for legislation to control" butane purchases.

— Rex

[Ken Thompson]

Won't propane or natural gas work? "They" will find a work around. Laws be damned.

[Jerry Adams]

Yeah

and maybe allow a safe way to do it

[David Thomas]

>"Won't propane or natural gas work?"

For an liquid-liquid extraction (of the THC oil into the liquid hydrocarbon), propane would have to be under very high pressure (like in a propane tank!) and methane at an impossibly high pressure for a DIY set-up. Butane needs very little pressure to contain it and when enough flashes to a vapor, will be at liquid at its boiling point (30F-ish, depending on purity, isomer, etc).

I've never done that particular extraction, but I suspect pentane would work just fine and be considerably less volatile, especially if you kept it cold. Still dangerous and still best done in a well-ventilated area. But you can't buy containers of pentane at Home Depot. It makes me wonder how toluene would work, since it is readily available, far less volatile and cheaper per pound than butane canisters.

The beauty and the danger of butane is that once the extraction is complete, you could just let the butane flash to a vapor and have the extracted, pure oil remaining. Toluene would have to be boiled off and this demographic obviously has enough problems with flammable vapors and ignition sources already.

I liked the quote in the article: "I call it the exploding hippie phenomenon."

Since it is a simple procedure and there is a quite a danger working indoors, I wouldn't be surprised if some people starting performing this extraction in the wilderness or at least at the end of the road. So if you see a pile of butane canisters, now you know why.

[Ken Thompson]

Bubble hash, or another cold method still works fine. Taking something so simple and complicating the heck out of it.

Wish the world would stop using the word hippy. It's over. The new so called ones are not. Not even close.

[likes hikes]

Ken, you nailed it.

It doesn't matter what you try to regulate, ban or what have you. People will get it/do it one way or another. To put a restriction on something like butane is asinine.

[Jeffs Eleven]

The moral of the story is 'make hash outside'

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