What Makes Hash Oil Good

With marijuana becoming legalized worldwide, it is not surprising to see the stunning evolution it has taken. But one of the most exciting advancements in the cannabis community goes to hash oil. Although it still derives from the original form of cannabis flowers, hash oil yields higher potency when it comes down to ingesting thc.

The hash oil that we will be conducting research on today is also known as BHO (Butane Hash Oil). Although BHO still derives from the cannabis plant, it takes a whole different route when it comes to production which leaves a lot of question for “stoners” as well as doctors. Unfortunately for most of us, the process of making hash oil is not as easy as growing marijuana and for that many have not perfected their methods of extraction. One of the biggest questions to come into topic is: How to determine the good “stuff” from the bad. But to ask that question we first need to look at how and what is being used to make it. So lets put the myths to rest and truly explain what makes good hash oil?

Butane Residue 

Coming from a market that has not yet regulated the process or quality of hash oil, it is very easy to be misinformed. Hash oil does take quite a bit of practice and knowledge to become what the aficionado call “Top Shelf” along with a lot of trial and error.

One of the biggest factor to a quality product is ultimately determined by how much butane residue is left over in the final stage. Choosing the correct butane to use for extraction is also deemed very important. For most of us that do not live in a lab, it would normally take some bit of work to really get an idea of where your product sits when it comes to butane run off, but luckily for you we have a shorter method for you to sample your new hash oil on called purging or flashing.

Purging your new oil that you may have made or acquired through your local dispensary does not take as much effort as it may seem. All it really takes is a non stick surface and a lighter. Although this process may be arguable, it is said that if you heat your hash oil on a non stick surface with a lighter from underneath, that the end result is a safer product to smoke, burning away any butane that may not have been extracted out before. Just be careful to not overheat as you can burn away the actual thc content.

THC Levels

Another very valuable variable to making a great product includes the main ingredient, we all know as weed or cannabis. A lot of what makes a great product is the level of THC it contains. To accomplish a high THC level in your hash oil you first need to use a strain that is known for its potency. Generally, any flower that contains anything above 25% thc is considered to be extremely potent and would do more than fine for this.

With that being said, it is not always just the strain but what byproduct of the strain you are using. The two different by-products you can use for extraction comes down to what most know as trim run or nug run.

Trim Run

Trim run describes hash oil acquired from the trimmings of a cannabis plant. Growers often make huge batches of trim run because they are often left with huge quantities of leaves, stems, and tiny nugs after harvesting a crop which does lead to a lower thc count on the final product.

Nug Run

Nug run, on the other hand, obtained from the actual buds of a cannabis plant that we are used to smoking allows you to obtain the highest levels of thc for your hash oil. Nug run is not cost efficient for most growers as they can make a bigger profit margin from using leftovers (trim run) and selling off the actual buds.

The Myths on Texture, Transparency, and Scent 

When it comes down to hash oil, we are not left with much to work with at judging how good the product may be. At the very best you will acquire hash oil from a dispensary, labeled with a strain name and thc/cannabinoid levels. But it is because of the lack of information that tends to leave us misinformed on what really is the good “stuff”.

I often hear that the texture and transparency of the hash oil itself marks the staple on a high-grade product, but this has been proven from many labs to be false. The different textures and transparency which range from shatter, budder, honeycomb, crumble, etc have been proven to only be diverse in looks. The difference truly boils down to a few molecules of H2O leaving it looking hard, waxy, and/or see through. If anything is to be dictated from this, would be how easy it is to handle and dab with. Most wax does end up very sticky and not easy to handle which is why shatter or crumble is more sought after.

However, if looks are deceiving you can always rely on your other senses to do the job. One of the only real telltale sign of good hash oil comes down to the smell. Similar to cannabis flower, BHO can also leave a very strong scent behind. Depending on how well the product is made you will be left with a dank smell similar to the plant or a very bitter sulfur scent. That sulfur scent is due to the butane not being extracted completely or properly, stay away!

So what is the good “stuff” you may be asking? Well quite frankly it all boils down to flavor, potency, and the weed being used. So the next time your buddy ask you “what does good hash oil look like”, you can at least inform them about what to look out for and remember that it’s all about CONTENT and not appearance. Now, go take a dab and don't forget to check out another good read on How to Make Hash Oil.