What is Cannabis Extraction?
Justin Wood, CEO of Choctaw Processing, says cannabis extraction is a process used to remove cannabinoids, including THC, from cannabis plant material. Wood said his company uses a closed-loop system with butane as the solvent. The system is designed to keep the solvent contained throughout the process.
“We operate what’s called a closed-loop system in the back and utilize hydrocarbons. And in this case, it would be a butane. We don’t use propane,” Wood said.
Wood said the cannabis is loaded into specialized equipment and the air is removed from the system before the butane is introduced.
The butane moves through the cannabis, pulling cannabinoids from the plant material. The mixture then moves into a collection vessel. From there, the solvent is separated from the extracted product, recovered and sent back through the system. The resulting product can be butane hash oil, commonly known as BHO.
“When the recovery process is finished, you would just pour out your end product, which in this case would be butane hash oil or BHO,” Wood said.
Why is the process dangerous?
The solvents used during extraction are highly flammable.
Wood said the key to safely conducting the process is preventing those gases from reaching dangerous concentrations and controlling potential ignition sources.
“These solvents demand respect because if you’re not treating and handling them accordingly, this is what could happen,” Wood said. Butane is heavier than air, meaning it can collect near the floor if it escapes. That’s why proper ventilation is critical, he said.
“You have to make sure that you have appropriate exhaust, transferring that butane out of the room with fresh air intake … so that your levels of butane don’t reach an unsafe level to where combustion could happen”.
What safety measures are used at a legitimate extraction facility?
Wood said safety starts before the extraction equipment is ever turned on.
His facility uses equipment that has undergone engineering review and pressure testing. He said facilities also need appropriate ventilation, explosion-resistant electrical equipment, pressure relief systems and trained employees. Wood said his company also follows procedures for handling and storing solvents and operates under the oversight of multiple regulatory agencies. He said the facility’s safety procedures are designed around one goal: keeping employees safe.
“There’s no amount of margin, production, revenue or profit that is ever worth the teammates’ life not going home safely,” Wood said.
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