Wax, dabs, shatter… Whatever you call it, ‘Butane Hash Oil’ (BHO) remains a Schedule 1 controlled substance. Illegal maybe, but many people still risk their freedom to make this sought-after product. Even though medical marijuana has grown in acceptance, BHO has remained illegal in most states according to state law as well. Hash oil has pros and cons, but nobody wants to experience a BHO explosion!
BHO WAX
BHO is often made by pushing Butane through a tube or vessel of marijuana. The solvent strips the Cannabinoids from the plant material and oil drips out of the container. The infused oil is left to evaporate and air bubbles are whipped out until the consistency is smooth.
BHO is an extremely potent marijuana concentrate, with textures like honey, butter or wax. With very high levels of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), this product can be highly-profitable. The law has since caught onto this chemical extraction process however and punish extractors harshly.
Health and Safety Code 11379.6
“The manufacture of BHO is a violation of federal law, Title 21, US Code, Section 841. The manufacture of BHO is also a violation of California state law, Health and Safety Code, Section 11379.6” says justice.gov.
The drive behind Health and Safety code 11379.6 is to protect the public from fires, injury or death. Simply put, the law prohibits illegally manufacturing controlled substances. This includes anybody who endangers the lives of the public, by using toxic or flammable chemicals or processes to extract marijuana.
As explained by Bart Kaspero Law firm, the law applies to the EXTRACTION of marijuana to produce concentrates. There are many ways to do this – but whether you use Butane or not, it’s still a felony offense.
Specifics
Shouse California Law Group reports that the California Health and Safety Code {11379.6.} specifically prohibits;
“manufacturing, compounding, converting, producing, deriving, processing, preparing or offering to engage in any of these acts with respect to any controlled substance specified in Health and Safety Code Sections 11054 – 11058 HS.6”
Controlled substances include (but aren’t limited to) marijuana, PCP, ecstasy, LSD, heroin, cocaine and meth. The manufacturing of, use and possession of controlled substances are regulated by the government under the ‘United States Controlled Substances Act’.
It’s useful to point out, even being a knowing ‘participant’ in the initial steps of manufacturing a drug is enough to condemn you. This means, the process does not need to be completed before legal action is taken.
What Is The Punishment For Extraction?
Except as otherwise stated by law, every person who manufactures, compounds, converts, produces, derives, processes, or prepares, either directly or indirectly by chemical extraction or independently by means of chemical synthesis, any controlled substance specified in Section 11054-11058 shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for three, five, or seven years and by a fine not exceeding fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).
The punishment of extraction is worse than possession. When a California man admitted guilt over supplying Butane (known to be used for manufacturing BHO), Justice.gov explained;
During the manufacture of BHO, butane, a flammable gas that is odorless, colorless, and heavier than air, can evaporate out of the substance and collect on the floor, accumulating to explosive levels without proper ventilation. This process creates an invisible, but very real, risk of fire, bho explosion, and chemical burns.
Since 2011…manufacturers of hash oil using Power butane has caused at least 54 fires and explosions, 29 serious injuries, and four deaths in California, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington, according to Homeland Security Investigations agents.
BHO Explosion
Explosions caused by home-made marijuana concentrate set-ups have become a common occurrence, in recent years. A process which is simple to recreate, is now a potential death sentence. The legal spread of medical and recreational marijuana has led to a BHO explosion increase across the USA.
Even when prepared and educated on the processes of making wax or oil concentrates; butane vapor is unpredictable. Due to the lethality of the method, it’s crucial to warn and educate the public on safety hazards involved with these procedures. Anyone found guilty of making BHO wax will likely have to live with a serious felony on their record.
Why flirt with danger?
What makes the process so dangerous isn’t the extraction itself – it’s butane ventilation. Butane is highly flammable and sinks to the ground. If butane collects indoors, you run the risk of losing your ceiling, or your life. A small spark from a cigarette, stove, or any other source of ignition can be a tragedy waiting to happen.
A medical marijuana dispensary (New Mexico) was fined for safety violations last year after a serious BHO explosion. The BHO explosion landed two workers in hospital with serious burns, one needing skin grafts and the other surgery. The Cannabist reports;
“A report from the Santa Fe Fire Department said a butane leak from one of the lines met with an ignition source to cause the blast, which was powerful enough to separate the roof from the wall and melt fluorescent lights close to the explosion.”
Watch this surveillance video capture the rapid escalation of danger linked to butane, and the BHO explosion that follows. Two men are shown working, seconds later the men and the room are engulfed in flames. They’re lucky to have survived.
Stay Safe
Manufacturing hash oil can be dangerous and is illegal. Even in states that support recreational use of marijuana, laws are becoming more restrictive. This is in reaction to the ever-growing number of fires, injuries and deaths caused by a BHO explosion in the hands of a novice manufacturer.
Stay safe out there people. Do not attempt to make your own BHO wax unless you’re ready to face the consequences of the law. More than anything else, the safety of you and the people around you is what matters most.
