Butane Hash Oil

Butane Hash Oil, also called honey oil, dab, shatter or earwax, is a new and dangerous form of marijuana that is becoming increasingly popular with both teenagers and adults. With the legalization last year of recreational marijuana in both Washington state and Colorado, the acceptance of marijuana is growing; it is widely considered just as safe (or safer) than alcohol.

This perception of safety does not pertain to butane hash oil (BHO); it is the strongest form of marijuana available and both the process of making it and its intense effects have proven to be dangerous.

There are three core cannabis products: herb (marijuana), resin (hashish or hash), and oil (hash oil). Hash oil is almost pure THC (the active ingredient in marijuana). Prior to this new method of extraction, hashish was the most potent form of marijuana.

Butane hash oil gets its name from the process used to make it: Marijuana is placed in some type of holding container, and butane is pushed through the container in a manner that doesn't allow the plant material to escape, yet allows the butane to escape. BHO is vaporized, either in a pan or using a dabbing pipe (which is where the word "dabbing" comes from). The resin is blowtorched in a bowl piece until it is red hot, and then the oil is pressed onto the metal. It bursts into a vapor and is inhaled rapidly.

The word "dab" also denotes the fact that it only takes a dab of marijuana to produce incredibly intense effects. One user said that "it was intense. I felt like I was walking through wet concrete." Marijuana contains about 25% THC, while BHO can contain 60% to 90%. Another user said that BHO "gets you way (expletive) higher."

Experts say that butane hash oil should never be made indoors. Cannabis Culture magazine has reported on the dangers of the process:

• Donny Appleby, a man in Canada who had a legal exemption for medical marijuana, decided to make BHO to stretch his product further, make it last longer. He blew off the door to his bathroom, received burns to 75% of his body and died later in a hospital.
• A home in Eureka, California exploded after an attempt to make BHO, blowing out three walls of the building and shooting out window glass 20 feet from the dwelling.
• In Alberta, Canada, a man barely survived an explosion after trying to make hash oil on his stove. He was left with scars on 80% of his body, including his face. According to a local newspaper report, "in an unusual act of compassion, even the police admitted that he had suffered enough, and declined to press charges."

First time or inexperienced users have been known to lose consciousness after inhaling the vapor. In short, butane hash oil is highly dangerous. If you suspect usage in your workplace or family, contact Health Street to set up drug testing. 888-378-2499.