Hash Oil
Category: Extraction & Processing · Level: Beginner
Hash oil is a cannabis concentrate in liquid or viscous form produced through solvent extraction, containing high concentrations of cannabinoids.
Hash oil is the older, catch all name for liquid or sticky cannabis concentrates made with a solvent. Despite the name it is not made from hashish: the plant is washed with a solvent that dissolves the resin, and the solvent is then evaporated, leaving an oil that can range from runny gold to thick, dark amber. Honey oil, cannabis oil and BHO (butane hash oil) are related names.
How it is made: the main solvents are butane or propane, ethanol and supercritical CO2. After extraction the solvent is purged with heat and vacuum. What happens next decides the final product: whipped while purging it becomes wax or budder, left undisturbed and kept cool it can set as glassy shatter, and refined further it becomes distillate. Rick Simpson Oil, a dark full plant extract made with alcohol, is a well known home made version, popularized with health claims that have not been supported by clinical trials.
Things to know: hash oil is far more potent than flower, often 50 to 80 percent THC or more, so doses are small. Quality depends on how well the solvent was removed, which is why regulated products are tested for residual solvents. Making it at home with butane causes fires and explosions every year and is illegal in many places even where cannabis is allowed. Do not confuse it with hemp seed oil, a food oil with no cannabinoids, or with CBD oil, which is usually an extract diluted in a carrier oil.
Also known as
Cannabis oil, BHO oil, Honey oil
Used in
- Medical
- Recreational
Related terms
- Distillate: Cannabis distillate is a highly refined extract produced through molecular distillation, typically containing 90%+ cannabinoid purity.
- CO2 Extraction: CO2 extraction is a method of producing cannabis concentrates using supercritical or subcritical carbon dioxide as a solvent, resulting in clean, pharmaceutical-grade extracts.
- Extraction: Cannabis extraction is the process of isolating cannabinoids, terpenes, and other compounds from plant material using solvents or mechanical methods.