Extract of
marijuana dissolved in some type of
solvent such as an
alcohol or ether.
The most simple extraction of hash oil is done by powdering or finely chopping some pot and adding to it an amount of solvent such as:
- a highly concentrated rubbing alcohol (90% or higher)
- a high proof ethanol alcohol such as everclear - but gin will work if you like
- chemical grade petrolium or diethyl ether
Soak the marijuana in your chosen solvent for a period of time in a glass jar with an airtight seal such as a snapple bottle or a canning jar. Shake it violently every once in a while, for a few minutes. The solvent will change from clear to green, as the marijuana turns from green to brown. Eventually the solvent will reach its saturation point. It will be very dark. At this point the solvent is probably saturated with the essential oils.
You have two options from here:
1. You may use the oil as-is - take some of the solvent out of the jar with a long eyedropper or similar tool, and apply the solvent to your bowl, a joint, your vaporizer, or even a cigarette (excellent choice for smoking outdoors.) Be ABSOLUTELY SURE to evaporate off all of the solvent before you light up! If you used some form of drinkable alcohol you can put it in some gelcaps available for purchase at your local Vitamin Shoppe.
After using all of your solvent, be sure to re-use the plant material - it is not exhausted yet.
2. Remove the solvent from the plant matter and evaporate it off. This is difficult without a distillation machine, but can be done with a hot plate and some ingenuity. Be sure to remove all of the solvent, but be wary that any solvent you use will be very flammable, and the evaporated vapor can cause brain damage, drunkenness, and/or make you unconscious. This may or may not be desirable. (For more information, consult the novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.) After all is said and done, you will end up with a dark brown goo. This can be stored in a smaller container (such as an eyedropper bottle) and you can add smaller amounts of fresh solvent for use as needed.
After evaporating off all of your solvent, be sure to repeat this procedure until the solvent extraction no longer absorbs any color from the plant material.