If you’ve bought any type of concentrate recently, you may notice a little “BHO” placedsomewhere on the packaging. This labelinglets you know that your chosen concentrate was made from butane honey oil, or BHO.
When you purchase concentrates made from this type of extract, it doesn’t denote quality, smell, or price. Instead, it simply lets you know how your concentrate was made and what solvents were used during the production process.
Understanding what BHO is, its potency, and its various health benefits is important before diving into the world of cannabis concentrates. All the questions you may have about this concentrated form of cannabis oil are answered below, giving you the perfect preparation before trying butane honey oil for yourself.
The exact origin of butane honey oil isn’t easy to pinpoint, but many claim that the invention of the butane solvent process came from the Middle East in the 60s. Initially, isopropyl butane was utilized, creating deep red colored concentrates. The idea was eventually refined, and in the 70s author D. Gold described the production of butane hash oil in his book Cannabis Alchemy: The Art of Modern Hashmaking. Since then, the popularity and consumption of BHOs have only grown exponentially.
BHO can come in practically any form of concentrate that you can think of: shatter, crumble, budder, even pull-and-snap. BHO’s end consistency is, once again, dependent on the maker and how they choose to manipulate (or not manipulate) their final product. When the hash oil is whipped after extraction, it’ll receive a softer consistency like budder. When it’s left untouched and preserved, your BHO will be as fragile as shatter. It totally depends!
Some forms of butane honey oil have distinct smells, while others hardly have any. Live resin, for example, is one of the most aromatic forms of cannabis concentrates due to its creation method. Prior to and during extraction, buds are kept at freezing temperatures, which, in turn, conserves most of the plant’s terpene content. Because of this, each strain of live resin produces distinct, pungent aromas. Other BHOs like shatter, however, contain almost no terpenes due to their strict purification processes.
Regardless of the form that the butane honey oil takes, almost all contain similar THC contents. Your typical cannabis oil will range anywhere from 60%-90% THC, making it one of the most potent subtypes of cannabis on the market today. Because BHO is so strong, it’s mostly recommended for experienced cannabis consumers looking for something new or something more potent to try.
To make BHO, dried buds are taken and either blasted with or soaked in butane to separate the natural oils from the plant matter itself. After the separation occurs, the remaining oil is then purged of the butane used, getting rid of any remaining impurities. Then, the weed oil either undergoes further purification or is mixed, stirred, or whipped to create the desired structure. The final product is left to cure, dry, and solidify, eventually becoming whatever form of concentrate the manufacturer decides.
However, you can also very easily place a dab of butane honey oil directly into your standing vape or coiled vape pen. Both of these methods are also powerful enough to give you the full effects of BHO, unlike just adding it on top of a bowl or inside a joint. BHO and other concentrates simply cannot be wholly enjoyed with a simple lighter.
How much honey oil you should consume is totally up to you. If you’re newer to the concentrate scene, starting as little as possible is always suggested. Because of BHOs’ high potencies, having too much the first time can be unpleasant. Instead, begin with just a dot of oil and see how your body reacts. After you get used to this, you can try bigger, more substantial dabs.
Just start slow!
Oils like hemp or CBD oil, on the other hand, are drastically different from honey oils as their intention is not to get you high. These types of oils have either trace amounts or zero amount of THC and are primarily utilized for medicinal reasons. While BHOs exhibit a wide array of medical benefits, hemp oil is best for those who don’t want to feel intoxicated when consuming.
Dried cannabis flower is drastically different from butane honey oil, despite the fact that BHO is a direct product of marijuana. Your typical weed will have THC percentages ranging from 15% to about 25%, though you can find slightly lower and higher numbers depending on the strain and grower. Butane honey oil, though, can test anywhere from 60% to as high as 90% if you’re lucky and willing to spend a pretty penny. This drastic juxtaposition between THC contents is why concentrates aren’t for new smokers, and why it’s so important to properly dose to ensure a blissful, safe high.
Cannabis edibles produce a potent, concentrated high, but one that is quite different from BHO. Edibles have a much higher potency than flower, but a lot of their cannabinoids are unfortunately lost during the cooking or baking processes, making them still less potent than honey oil. Typically, the high from an edible tends to be more full-body focused due to the way the cannabis is metabolized throughout the body when digested versus inhaled. They also can last for hours at a time, as opposed to a high from weed oils which usually don’t continue for more than a couple hours at most.
The medical benefits of cannabis oils like BHO are so widespread and are only becoming more and more realized each day. When cannabidiol, CBD, is combined with THC, the medicinal properties of the marijuana plant are experienced more intensely throughout the body. This means that the higher the THC percentage, the more powerful the physiological and psychological benefits.
When taken in small, safe doses, honey oil can be incredibly beneficial for those struggling with anxiety or anxiety disorders, as THC and CBD can help lower stress levels and calm excessive thinking. Not only that, but BHO has shown to assist with PTSD-related symptoms, Alzheimer’s, and even multiple sleep disorders, too.
With butane honey oil’s high concentration and potency, consuming too much might cause an uncomfortable experience for the newbie. While this is easily avoided with proper dosing and research, sometimes our BHO can take us by surprise, or even accidentally fall in the wrong hands.
With butane honey oil’s high concentration and potency, consuming too much might cause an uncomfortable experience for the newbie. While this is easily avoided with proper dosing and research, sometimes our BHO can take us by surprise, or even accidentally fall in the wrong hands.
If this happens to you, do your best to stay calm and remember that it isn’t permanent. Though it may feel uncomfortable, a bad BHO experience won’t last forever, and can easily be alleviated. First, try eating something or drinking a glass of water. When things like this occur, we may not realize our bodies are crying out for basic nutrients, and this can almost immediately help us feel better. Along with that, try distracting yourself with things you enjoy. Giving yourself an air of normalcy can do all the difference for your high brain, reminding you that you’ve simply just had too big of a dab.
In the chance that you don’t have access to a dispensary or if your local dispensary simply doesn’t have the BHO product you’re searching for, don’t worry! Online weed dispensaries are becoming increasingly more popular due to their accessibility, ease, and wide selections. Sites like Get Kush allow you to virtually browse through all of their cannabis products and have your ideal selection shipped right to your doorstep. Whether you’re looking for hemp oil, BHO, or Phoenix Tears, an online dispensary can get you what you require, all without leaving your home.