Since recreational legalization took the west coast, no product has had more of a strange renaissance than extractions. Even though extracted cannabis is literally biblical/prehistoric, the new stoner-tech generation has reinterpreted extractions for a whole new moment in time.

There are only two ways to create extractions; with solvents or without solvents. Kief, hash and rosin are extractions achieved without chemical solvents. C02 and BHO vape cartridges are created with supercritical fluid solvent and butane solvent respectively. Most tinctures arrive via ethanol (aka alcohol) or glycerine extractions.

The purpose of any extraction is to separate trichomes from plant matter. Trichomes are the crystalline, mushroom-shaped, microscopic filaments that furnish cannabis with flavor, aroma, and the cannabinoids that get us high. Extraction isolates these critical compounds and eliminates all the plant matter. 

Hash – Cold water hash is made by freezing buds and processing them in a blender with ice-cold water; once processed, the plant matter will rise to the top of the blender, and the trichome-rich water is then filtered through a fine sieve. Once that water is evaporated, the final product contains a sticky concentration of trichomes.

Rosin – Rosin is produced with heat and pressure, by literally pressing the oily essence from the cannabis flower, resulting in a thick, resinous oil perfect for dabbing. Rosin can be made with a simple hydraulic press, or, with some ingenuity, a hair straitening iron. 

Kief – A basic three-chamber grinder will collect kief, the THC-rich powdery residue that naturally falls off the flower in the grinding process, which you can sprinkle on a bowl or in a joint for added potency. 

BHO Extractions – To make BHO (butane hash oil) or PHO (propane hash oil), hydrocarbons are run through the plant matter, drawing all the desirable oils out of the plant. Residual solvent is then removed via a low-temperature vacuum. Hydrocarbons can retain 90% of the cannabinoids found in cannabis, which is desirable if you’re looking to get high out of your mind.

Ethanol Extraction – Ethanol extractions are created by soaking properly dried and cured buds (and trichome-flecked fan leaves) in pure naphtha or isopropyl alcohol. Makers of RSO (Rick Simpson oil – a popular DIY extraction) evaporate the ethanol once the trichomes have been separated from the plant, but alcohol tinctures retain the ethanol. Glycerine extractions follow the same extraction methodology, but without ethanol. 

CO2 Extractions – This is the most state-of-the-art of all the contemporary extraction processes. This is the “solventless-solvent” method, referred to a such because while butane, propane and ethanol processes both rely on methods that essentially wash the trichomes from the plant then toss the buds and evaporate the bathwater, CO2 is compressed until it creates a supercritical fluid that strips the essential oils from the cannabis plant. The result is a biological slurry that is made completely from dissolved plant matter. The CO2 method also retains more terpenes, making it the extraction method of choice for discerning vapers who appreciate a carefully curated tableau of terpene flavors.