Solventless

Solventless is a term used to describe cannabis extractions and concentrates that are made without the use of chemical solvents.

Solvent-based vs. solventless: how cannabis concentrates are made

If you're a fan of cannabis concentrates, you probably already know how many different product options are available. However, if you're new to concentrates, it might seem daunting to weed your way through countless cannabis products with names like wax, shatter, budder, bubble hash, and rosin.

Photo by: Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Regardless of what concentrate we are talking about, they can all be organized into two broad categories based on how their active ingredients (like cannabinoids and terpenes) were extracted from the cannabis or hemp plants: with the use of solvents or without.

For solvent-based extractions, a chemical solvent like butane, carbon dioxide (CO2), or ethanol is used to separate cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other compounds from the plant material. You can find solvent-based extractions in products like wax, shatter, and budder. Solventless extractions, on the other hand, rely on mechanical processes to remove the resin-filled trichomes from the plant.

Solventless versus non-solvent versus solvent-free

Things can get a little more confusing when looking at the different terms you might see on concentrate products, including labels like solventless, non-solvent, and solvent-free. It's understandable to assume that these terms mean the same thing, but there is an important distinction.

• Solventless and non-solvent labels are used for products containing an extract made without solvents.
• Solvent-free is typically used for extracts made using solvents that were thoroughly purged or purified to remove any trace of residual solvent.

In recent years, solventless concentrates have gained popularity with medical patients and other folks who want to avoid the possibility of residual solvents. However, when properly and thoroughly purged, most solvent-based extractions contain only trace amounts of residuals, and most states have strict regulations around residual solvent content.

Solventless concentrates you can make at home

Hashish, or hash, is the original solventless concentrate made with simple heat and pressure. Its extraction method is an ancient tradition developed and popularized by countries like Morocco, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Afghanistan centuries ago. 

While the techniques have been improved upon and modernized over time, traditional methods are still widely used to produce high-quality concentrates enjoyed by cannabis connoisseurs all over the world. Here are a few solventless concentrates you are likely to come across or might want to try making yourself at home.

Kief

There is a fairly easy way of making hash at home, requiring little equipment or investment to get set up. The next time you grind your buds for joints or bowls, simply collect the kief.

Photo by: Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Kief has a powdery appearance and is made when the trichomes of cannabis flowers are agitated and break off from the bud, either with the use of mesh or sieves. Many cannabis grinders have a kief collector at the bottom, so it's easy to gather it for hash-making efforts.

Ice hash

Also known as ice water hash, bubble hash, and wet sift, ice hash is another solventless concentrate made by agitating plant material to shake off the trichomes and filter them from plant material. However, instead of using mechanical separation and heat, ice water is used to freeze the trichomes, which will then sink under the ice water and filter out.

Photo by: Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Since this concentrate bubbles when smoked, it's often called bubble hash, and DIY hash makers can use “bubble bags” to make it at home. 

Rosin

Rosin is a solventless concentrate made by exposing cannabis flower, kief, hash, or frozen fresh buds to heat and pressure, which encourages the cannabinoid and terpene-rich resin inside trichomes to be released.

Photo by: Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Rosin extracts are often categorized by their texture and appearance, like many solvent-based concentrates: shatter, pull-and-snap, budder, sap, and sauce. Rosin made from frozen fresh (not dried and cured) cannabis is called live rosin. Today, folks can make rosin at home using little more than some basic precautions along with a hair straightener, starting material, and parchment paper.

Bottom line

While solvent-based extraction techniques have greatly increased the number and variety of concentrates available to cannabis consumers, solventless concentrates are often sought out by those who want to avoid chemical solvents altogether. They can be easily made at home, or you can find quality solventless concentrates on dispensary shelves. 

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Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps