With so many new types of products like BHO, HTFSE or THC distillate, getting accurate information is critical to making the right purchase, especially when it comes to the more obscure cannabis products such as “honey oil.”
You may be wondering what all the cannabis-based products are and what makes them special – a task made more difficult by the variety of strange and oftentimes, non-descriptive names that many of these concentrates have.
This isn’t just another ordinary tincture product made of marijuana, nor is it something where the oil is simply infused of marijuana.
Curious as to why? Continue reading and you’ll learn how to stay in the loop for this sweet, amber coloured extract.
What is Honey Oil?
Honey oil is also known as hash oil. You may hear it described by other names as well, often referring to very similar products. The major difference may be in how the product was made.
Although the name may make us think that it is similar to cannabis oil, it is more accurately a ‘weed honey’. It is made by removing THC, CBD, terpenes, and other valuable compounds from dried cannabis flower and concentrating it.
The name honey oil comes from the clear amber color and sticky texture of this product. Sadly, it does not have a sweet taste like honey.
Honey oil is a slang term created by the cannabis community due to its golden colour and viscous texture. It is a highly pure product that is safe to consume when made appropriately.
Sometimes wax or shatter are used interchangeably to describe honey oil. These terms make sense since both are created from honey oil through further processing.
What Makes Honey Oil Special?
While decent dried flower can contain 20% THC or more, if you run it through an extraction process you get a much more potent product with less plant matter.
Honey oil is highly concentrated and pure, often containing over 80% THC. The product is fun and easy to consume in a wide variety of ways. The unique consistency and color add to the product appeal as well.
Is Honey Oil Different From Hash Oil?
No, they are the same thing by different names. You can consider them synonyms, although the same cannot be said for wax or shatter. These terms are cultural slang, evolving over time.
How to Use Honey Oil
Honey oil is a versatile product that can be consumed in just about any way you like.
You can add it to joints, bowls, or pipes. Even a little bit of this product can increase the flavor and potency of your smoke.
You could also use your dab rig or certain other vaporization devices. Dabbing honey oil follows the same process as dabbing other cannabis concentrates.
If you’re feeling crafty and adventurous, you can also dip your joint into your amber-coloured oil before rolling it around in kief. By doing so, you’ll have made what’s known as a “thai stick,” a joint that’s sure to hit you heavily!
It can also be added to food, although remember that this product needs to be heated to activate the compounds. Whether you like to smoke, vape, or eat cannabis, there is an option for you.
How is Honey Oil Made
Creating honey oil is not overly difficult, but there are much simpler extraction methods that can be done at home, like making cannabis oils or rosin. Generally, butane, CO2, or other hydrocarbons like isopropyl alcohol are used to make this cannabis concentrate.
Butane is highly flammable and needs to be handled outdoors. Using it can be deadly if there is not enough airflow. Today we will focus on a simpler method that uses isopropyl alcohol. Ensure you still have good ventilation, but you can be less concerned with that aspect and the residual solvent issue.
The Starting Material
Beyond getting the steps right (explained below), the critical variable in the quality of the final product is your starting material. The great thing about Honey Oil is that you can use any cannabis you have on you.
Trim, shake, and other marijuana not quite good enough for smoking can be used.
If you decide to use higher quality bud, you’ll end up with a higher quality honey oil. You may want to start with less valuable trim or shake for your first go, progressing to quality buds when you know what you’re doing.
Making Honey Oil with Isopropyl Alcohol
You can use isopropyl alcohol instead of butane for a simpler and safer process.
To understand this method, we first need to understand the concept of winterization. Skipping the winterization process can lead to creating a product called cherry oil and not honey oil. Cherry oil is darker and more like molasses than honey.
What is Winterization?
Winterization is a complex term but the concept is simple. It involves cooling the product, often in the freezer for 24 hours. This process reduces the amount of chlorophyll and waxes that get extracted into the honey oil.
By removing the unwanted plant waxes, fats, and chlorophyll, you create a cleaner and more transparent product.
Winterization can also help increase the shelf-life of the final product so you have more time to smoke your hash oil. If it somehow lasts that long, as you’ll have a hard time not smoking it all!
Now that we understand winterization, let’s look at how you make honey oil.
Creating Honey Oil with Isopropyl Alcohol
Today you’ll learn how to make honey oil through a two-step process.
The first step is called winterization, and it requires some patience, but it is worth it once you see the quality of your product.
The second step involves using isopropyl alcohol to extract out those valuable compounds inside cannabis into a potent concentrated product.
Supplies
- Cannabis
- Isopropyl Alcohol
- Freezer
- Baking pan
- Mason Jar
- Coffee filter or mesh bag
- Scraping tool
Instructions
Place the ground marijuana and isopropyl alcohol into the Freezer for 24 hours. Then remove and pour the isopropyl alcohol into the jar with the weed, covering all the bud. Shake the jar for about 30 seconds.
Pour the combination through the coffee filter or mesh bag and into a baking pan. Let sit until the isopropyl alcohol evaporates. Scrape the product into a container, and you have honey oil.
Store this product in an airtight container in a cool dark place. Some people leave it in their fridge, but this is not necessary.
Final Thoughts on Honey Oil
Once you get the hang of making hash oil this way, you can experiment with some of the alternative methods. Butane is a good example, and it requires the creation of an extractor pipe.
For those wanting to go further than hash oil, you can use this base product to create further cannabis concentrates.
Shatter and wax are examples of products that are made using this product as a starting point. These require some further skills and supplies, but once you get the basics down they are worth considering.