Cannabis Alchemy

by D.Gold

Soxhleting

After refluxing, it is necessary to remove the oil bearing solvent that still remains in the expended cannabis material. This is done by draining the dark oil/solvent liquid from the cannabis material and washing the material repeatedly with clean solvent. A vegetable-draining colander is placed above the stainless-steel pot mentioned before. The colander is fitted with a large coffee filter paper (twelve-inch David Douglas brand papers are quite adequate) and the cannabis/solvent/oil mixture is poured into the colander. The oil bearing, dark-colored solvent/oil mixture drains from the bottom of the colander, free from particles of vegetable matter. The colander is then set on top of the stainless steel pot, now containing the alcohol/cannabis-oil solution, and the apparatus is reassembled in the same manner as for refluxing.

As the solvent/cannabis-oil solution boils, the alcohol fumes rise until they meet the ice-cooled lid and recondense into liquid. The oil does not evaporate and remains in the stainless-steel pot. The drops of pure, recondensed solvent fall from the ice-cooled lid and drip through the colander containing the cannabis material. The oil remaining in the cannabis material is washed out and drains into the stainless steel pot. The oil is totally extracted when several drops of the liquid draining from the colander leave no colored residue when evaporated on a piece of glass. Before opening the apparatus after soxhleting, the rig is cooled sufficiently to condense any fumes. Setting the stew pot in a tub of ice and water for several minutes is one method of doing this. A thick blanket can be kept soaking in the tub. This is an excellent safety measure, since a water-soaked blanket is an excellent fire extinguisher.