BHO edibles

Marijuana-infused edibles are an enduring classic in the world of weed. Popular among those who need a smokeless option for consuming cannabis as well as those who just want to take a break from toking, edibles fill a void that other weed products don’t reach . However, the process of making edibles includes the laborious step of infusing butter or oil with cannabis plant material, which can be intimidating for new infusers.

In addition to difficult dosing, infusing fats with bud is time-consuming as well as expensive. Even if you’re using trim or shake, most recipes call for a quarter ounce of flower to each four-ounce stick of butter. That can get really expensive, especially since many cookie and brownie recipes (the easiest thing to bake) require two sticks. So how can you cut down on costs and prep time when making edibles?

Enter butane hash oil! Also known as BHO, this form of concentrate typically comes in a waxy or crumbly texture. With the increased popularity of dabbing, the cost of BHO has gone from prohibitively expensive to relatively cheap. In Washington, for example, BHO can be found in full grams for as low. And it’s powerful stuff, too, with a potency range of about 55% to 90% THC. It’s also much simpler to infuse into oil or butter, and doesn’t smell nearly as pungent throughout the process.

Dosing BHO Edibles

Before you get started, you want to calculate the potency of the edibles you’re about to make. It’s a very simple process, especially if you’re using a full gram of concentrate. As an example, let’s say I’m making some peanut butter cookies that I want to have a good kick. The recipe has a yield of 30 cookies. If my gram of BHO clocks in at 75% THC, then I have 750 mg to work with. Dividing the 750 mg of THC by 30 cookies reveals that each serving will contain 25 mg of THC.
Now, that’s a big dose by most standards. The maximum legal amount of THC in recreationally available edibles ranges from 5 mg in Oregon to 10 mg in states like Washington and Colorado. So edibles of this strength are more than double the standard dose you’d get in a store. While that may be way too much for some people, others consider intense potency one of the best features of BHO edibles.

If it does seem like too much, that’s easily remedied by simply using half of the concentrate. If you want to go hog wild and chow down on 50 mg cookies, you can either add a second gram of concentrate or simply halve the recipe. It’s amazing how much more convenient it is to dose!

Infusing Fats with BHO

Making cannabutter or oil is a smelly, hours-long process. Doing it with BHO, you’ll have a ready-to-use butter or oil in just over an hour, with significantly less mess and scent. Here’s what you’ll need in order to make two sticks’ worth of BHO butter.

How to Make Butane Hash Oil

The safest way to extract Butane Hash Oil is done commercially in a closed-loop system. This process involves inserting cannabis into a tube and rinsing it with a solvent. For BHO, that solvent is butane. As the butane washes over the cannabis plant material, it takes the THC along with it. What you’re left with is a cannabis oil or wax that is very rich with THC and sopping with butane. 

In order to rid the wax/oil of butane, commercial extractors apply heat and pressure to the concentrate. This is a very important step in the process. If all of the butane isn’t removed, the consumer will wind up inhaling it directly. That’s why it’s a good idea to buy your BHO from a trusted source. It is worth repeating — never try to make it in your garage or basement, unless you actually want to burn down your house.

What are the different forms of this cannabis extraction?

BHO can come in several different forms, the most common being oil, wax or shatter. 

Oil

When BHO is sold in oil form, it often comes already loaded into a cartridge. This is one of the easiest forms of BHO to find and vape with.

Shatter

This transparent, glassy looking substance is hard and brittle — hence the name. It requires a dabbing tool for inhalation, such as a dab rig or nail. 

Wax

This might be the most common way to find BHO and the easiest to work with. It can also be inhaled via dabbing rig or nail, or smoked in a joint or bowl. It’s important to make sure you’re applying a very high temperature to it in order to avoid inhaling wax granulomas.

BHO can also come in the forms of budder, pull and snap, crumble and sap. Regardless of which form you consume, all types of BHO are incredibly potent. We’re talking 70 percent and upwards. Some forms of BHO actually contain 90 percent THC.

This is why it is important to be very careful when consuming butane hash oil. This amount of THC is not for the lighthearted. If you haven’t been consuming THC regularly, you’ll want to be even more cautious. Not only can you injure your lungs, but there have been reports that such a high level of THC can cause hallucinations and severe paranoia.

How to Decarb Butane Hash Oil:

Like any other form of cannabis, BHO can be decarboxylated and used in making edibles. And just like you would for any other kind of cannabis edible, you’ll want to be aware of the potency per serving before you consume.

Decarboxylation is a method of converting and activating cannabinoids. If you don’t decarb your weed before cooking, you won’t get the full psychoactive effects of THC in your edibles. The process is simple, using the heat of your oven to activate the THC. Then, it will be ready to infuse into oil or butter and used in whatever edible you’re cooking up. 

Decarbing Butane Hash Oil works the same as any other kind of cannabis plant material. As opposed to the dangerous process of making BHO, decarbing it is totally safe and won’t result in a home explosion. The key to decarbing BHO is not to overdo it, otherwise you’ll turn your THC into CBN — which may not be the result you’re looking for.