Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
Introduction
1. OPENING STATEMENT
3. UNDERSTANDING DRINKING VS TRACE QUANTITIES
2. METABOLISM OF SOLVENTS
4. RELEVANT MEDICAL ISSUES
5. WHICH SOLVENTS ARE SAFE AT HOME
6. WHAT PROCESSES ARE SAFE TO MAKE OIL AT HOME
7. VAPOR DANGERS WHILE SAFELY MAKING OIL AT HOME
8. CONCLUSION
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Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
1. Opening Statement
The World Health Organization says there is “No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health”
Consumers ignore the significance of ethanol’s chemistry and the long term effects. Today, we will -
◉ See Alcohol for what it is - a solvent
◉ Learn each solvent’s Metabolic Pathways through the
liver & kidneys
◉ See the difference between drinkable quantities and
residual traces through illustrated numbers
◉ List possible health issues around residual solvents
◉ Expand the knowledge of safely making oil at home
◉ See how fast dangerous levels of solvent vapors
are generated during distillation
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
2. METABOLISM OF SOLVENTS
The liver metabolizes approximately 8g (+-2g) of ethanol per hour.
One ounce of 80 proof vodka has approximately 9g of Ethanol.
Ethanol Acetaldehyde
-> ->
CH3-CH2-OH CHO-CH3
Ethanol metabolizes into Acetaldehyde.
Acetaldehyde is both genotoxic, carcinogenic, and teratogenic, with Long term exposure
leading to Alcoholic Liver Disease, Cirrhosis of the liver, Cancer, Birth defects and more
Ethyl Acetate metabolizes into Ethanol thus shares this metabolic pathway.
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
2. METABOLISM OF SOLVENTS
Acetone, a ketone, is not broken down as it’s bio-friendly as-is, up to PDE levels.
Isopropyl metabolizes into Acetone thus shares Acetone’s metabolic pathway.
Isopropyl Acetone
-> ->
CH3-CHOH-CH3 CH3-2CO-CH3
Acetone is neither genotoxic, carcinogenic, or teratogenic. The Liver produces Acetone
ketones when breaking down fats. Acetone is used as an energy source during a low
carb state. Diabetic state of Ketosis has elevated acetone levels in the breath. Service
Dogs for diabetics trigger low sugar level alerts by smelling acetone.
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
3. UNDERSTANDING DRINKING VS TRACE QUANTITIES
*1 Partial GRAS rating for use in food
*2 FDA has published Acetone’s PDE to be higher than Ethanol’s PDE
*3 LD50 is an approximation based on rat studies and varies across Safety Data Sheets. 105lbs is 47.62kg
*4 Permanent visual damage may occur with minimum ingestion of 30 mL of methanol
Solvent Chemical Properties as Liquid
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
3. UNDERSTANDING DRINKING VS TRACE QUANTITIES
How much is too much? The Solvent’s LD50 for a 105 lbs person
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
3. UNDERSTANDING DRINKING VS TRACE QUANTITIES
A: FDA allows 0.5% so 10mg * 0.5 = 0.05mg
A gummy weighing 4 grams..
has 10mg THC/CBD..
..with 0.5% solvent, which is 0.05ug
Permitted Daily Exposure (PDE) amount for a 105 lbs person in grams scaled to show micrograms.
Residual Solvent in 10mg = 50ug = 0.000.050ug
Acetone:........210.0 mg/kg/day = 9.996.000ug
Ethanol:........166.7 mg/kg/day = 7.901.000ug
Isopropyl:......138.0 mg/kg/day = 6.568.000ug
Ethyl Acetate:..117.0 mg/kg/day = 5.569.000ug
Heavier persons will have higher PDEs
The 10mg may safely contain up to 0.5% (0.05mg) residual solvent. This is well within the FDA’s PDE for all four solvents.
Q: How much solvent is in a 10mg gummy?
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
3. UNDERSTANDING DRINKING VS TRACE QUANTITIES
Ethanol’s Permitted Daily Exposure (PDE) limit for a 105 lbs person is 7.9g over 24 hours.
Ethanol PDE:...166.7 mg/kg/day = 7,901,000 ug
/ 24
Milligrams per hour = 329,208 ug
Residual solvent amount / 50 ug
=============
Gummies to be eaten every hour: 6,584
Q: How many 10mg gummies does it take
To reach the PDE’s 24hr limit?
A: 6,584 10mg gummies per Hour x 24 hrs!
(equivalent to 65 grams of Cannabis oil)
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
4. RELEVANT MEDICAL ISSUES SURROUNDING SOLVENTS
Primarily Concern is Impaired Liver and Kidney Dysfunction
Some conditions of concern exist around solvents and chemicals in general. Patients
with these conditions are highly encourage to discuss these issues with a toxicologist.
CKD – Chronic Kidney Disease
Very prevalent with at least 1/3rd of 65 yo+ adults have some stage of CKD
DKA - Diabetic Ketoacidosis
CI – Chemical Intolerances specific to solvents
MCAS – A Premature early response to low dose chemicals by degranulation
Related to COVID cytokine storms
Chemical Intolerance and Mast Cell Activation - A Suspicious Synchronicity
MCS – Environmentally Caused Multiple Chemical Sensitivities
Very rare because our bodies produce alcohols and acetone
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Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
5. WHICH SOLVENTS ARE SAFE AT HOME
FDA QC3 Classifies solvents by harmfulness
A lot of Solvents are permitted for cannabis extraction, not all safe for home use.
Class 1 Cancerous - Not permitted, period
Rabbit Hole: Benzene is a byproduct of terpene combustion
Class 2 Toxic – Poisonous solvents, permitted for used by industrial processors, not for home
Hexane, Xylene, Methanol, Toluene
Class 3 Relatively safe solvents due to low toxicity
Acetone, Ethanol, Ethyl Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol - all class 3 and found in the home
Pentane and Heptane are class 3 but hydrocarbon based.
“It is considered that amounts of these residual solvents of 50 mg per day or less (corresponding to 5,000 ppm or 0.5 percent under Option 1) would be acceptable without justification.”
Gas extraction via Butane, Propane, C02 are restricted from home use
Not legal at home, only in licensed facilities
Requires additional hardware and training
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Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
5. WHICH SOLVENTS ARE SAFE AT HOME
What is the best solvent for Cannabis Extraction?
All 4 are found in every-day used products within the home - Distilled spirits, wine,
hand gel, and fingernail polish remover
All 4 have FDA GRAS or Conditional GRAS Classifications
Name Pros Cons
EtOH Full GRAS Expensive due to taxes
EtAC least Polar(6.02dc) dissociates in water, most expensive
Ace Most bio friendly Lowest Flash/Boiling points
IPA ~Same as Acetone with
Flash/Boiling points
Same as EtOH, but less
polar
And the recommended solvent is..
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
5. WHICH SOLVENTS ARE SAFE AT HOME
What is the best solvent for Cannabis Extraction?
All 4 are found in every-day used products within the home - Distilled spirits, wine,
hand gel, and fingernail polish remover
All 4 have FDA GRAS or Conditional GRAS Classifications
Name Pros Cons
EtOH Full GRAS Expensive due to taxes
EtAC least Polar(6.02dc) dissociates in water, most expensive
Ace Most bio friendly Lowest Flash/Boiling points
IPA ~Same as Acetone with
Flash/Boiling points
Same as EtOH, but less
polar
And the recommended solvent is Isopropyl Alcohol
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
5. WHICH SOLVENTS ARE SAFE AT HOME
Isopropyl Alcohol is recommended for these reasons:
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
5. WHICH SOLVENTS ARE SAFE AT HOME
Guidelines for Purchasing Solvents at Retail
Must have Full or Conditional GRAS approval
Always use USP-NF and higher grades, never denatured
At Retail today
◉ This USP/NF grade 99% Isopropyl is available at nearly 1/4th the price of Ethanol.
◉ Extractohol claims to be pure without denaturants
◉ 710 Spirits is denatured with Heptane, requires special handling to remove Heptane
There are other non-denatured ethanol products available from this mfg
◉ Current Suppliers for consumers
Liquor stores
Amazon
BVV
American-ethanol.com
…
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Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
6. WHAT PROCESSES ARE SAFE TO MAKE OIL AT HOME
11000BC Cannabis has been part of Man’s history for Thousands of years
1800AD Tinctures available in the 1800s
1940AD CBD Identified by Professor Roger Adams
1964AD THC Identified by Professor Raphael Mechuolam
1971AD Dgold published “Cannabis Alchemy”
2003AD Rick Simpson popularized making oil to cure cancer
2012AD Graywolf Publishes QWET & QWISO which have become the standard
for making oil at home
2023AD Refined x Cannabis Extract published
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
6. WHAT PROCESSES ARE SAFE TO MAKE OIL AT HOME
Refine x Cannabis Extract published in March 2023
RxCE is the ‘Poor Man’s Distillate’ with Concentration reaching 80% Total Cannabinoids
Reorders the QWET process to optimize extraction time
Introduces a robust purge of solvents with a two pass approach
1st pass for the bulk extraction and reduction to oil
2nd pass to winterize then reduce to final oil
2nd pass ends by decarbing at 250f presenting virtual firewall to residual solvents
Is ‘Solvent Agnostic’ meaning you can use any of these 4 solvents in either pass
Uses only Kitchen Gear, no vacuum pumps or lab gear
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
6. WHAT PROCESSES ARE SAFE TO MAKE OIL AT HOME
Retail & DIY Extraction Equipment for Alcohol Recovery when Making Oil
Countertop Moonshine Still with water pump
Extract Craft Source Turbo and EtOH Pro
Graywolf’s DIY Still
Ichibancrafter DIY Vacuum System
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
7. VAPOR DANGERS WHILE SAFELY MAKING OIL AT HOME
Safety First!
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
7. VAPOR DANGERS WHILE SAFELY MAKING OIL AT HOME
Solvent Chemical Properties as Gas
Acetone 1000ppm -94c/-137f -11c/0f 56c/133f 180mmHg 465c/869f
Isopropyl 400ppm -89c/-127f 11c/53f 78c/180f 33mmHg 399c/750f
Methanol 200ppm -62c/-144f 9c/49f 65c/149f 96mmHg 464c/867f
Benzene 1ppm 5c/41f -11c/12f 80c/173f 60mmHg 498c/928f
Pentane 1000ppm -129c/-202f -18c/57f 36c/97f 420mmHg 260c/500f
Heptane 500ppm -90c/-131f -3c/25f 98c/209f 37mmHg 285c/433f
Chem PEL Melting Flash Boiling Vapor Auto
Name (ppm) Point Point Point Pressure Ignite
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
7. VAPOR DANGERS WHILE SAFELY MAKING OIL AT HOME
Greatest Danger: Vapor Concentrations Can Quickly Exceed Safe Levels. Alcohol recovery is highly recommended to recapture vapors
Table: Converting 1 Liter Liquid to Vapor
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
8. CONCLUSION
Here we’ve looked at four different solvents commonly found in the home. From a chemistry and biological perspective, these four represent the safest solvents that can be used without requiring special training or lab gear. This data reflects the current knowledge of the world medical community and might change in the future. A lot of the in-vivo solvent testing was on lab animals then extrapolated to human scale. These numbers may change with additional research.
On the consumer side, due to lack of in-depth understanding of chemistry, consumers believe that ethanol is the safest because it can be ingested. This seemingly logical conclusion permits users to disregard the dangers of long term exposures leading to cirrhosis of the liver, birth defects and DNA damage.
As shown in this discussion, the most feared solvents, acetone and isopropyl, viewed as poison at any level, are actually the least biologically harmful to the human body down at the trace level. By understanding these solvents at the molecular level and following through the metabolic pathways, the picture becomes clear. The most bio-friendly solvent is Acetone, being the least toxic of all 4 solvents at trace levels.
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
8. CONCLUSION
This fact is supported by the FDA establishing higher Permitted Daily Exposures for Acetone versus Ethanol. This is significant because the definition of PDE draws a line in the sand between harmless and harmful levels.
For virtually the entire world, the debate on Ethanol vs Isopropyl safety is actually a mute point because residual traces of these FDA Class 3 solvents are low enough to be safely metabolized by healthy liver and kidneys. When in compliance with regulations, residual solvents in edibles has been shown to be orders of magnitude under the FDA Permitted Daily limits.
Bringing it home:
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
8. CONCLUSION
In closing, when permitted by local laws, medical patients at home have good options for solvent selection. Some Chemical-Intolerant health issues might preclude certain solvents based individual sensitivities. Those suffering from impaired liver or kidney function may now choose which solvent best fit their chemical sensitivity. This premise needs to be discussed with medical professionals experts in the field of Toxicology.
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
Definitions
Glossary of Definitions Given by Many Gov’t Agencies (EPA,FDA,CDC,etc)
PDE Permitted Daily Exposure values are calculated based on NOAEL & LOAEL
NOAEL / LOAEL physical measurements - For in-vivo Bioanalytical chemistry measurements
NOAEL No Observable Adverse Effects Level - Limit of detectability. Undetectable below this level
LOAEL Lowest Observable Adverse Effects Level -
The highest dose level that does not produce a significant increase in adverse effects
LOD / LOQ theoretical measurements - For in-vitro Analytical Chemistry modeling - Theoretical LOAEL/NOAEL
LOD Limit of Detection noise floor - Less reliable. Can't always be measured
LOQ Limit of Quantification - More reliable. Consistently measurable
LD50 Lethal Dose for 50% of those affected
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
Definitions
www.CannabisHomeSciences.com © 2024 All Rights Reserved
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
All following slides are my ‘sandbox’ for working pages
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
1. Opening Statement & Definitions
Today’s Talk Will Center on These Four Solvents:
Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
5. WHICH SOLVENTS ARE SAFE AT HOME
These solvents can be grouped into 2 sets based on Metabolism
Group 1 based on Ethanol:
Ethanol, today’s consumer defacto choice by consumers
Has FDA’s Full GRAS rating
Beer, wine, distilled spirits, food flavoring ‘tincture’
Ethyl Acetate, Heavier brother to ethanol
Ethyl Acetate is an ester of Ethanol (Ethanol + Acetic Acid = Ethyl Acetate)
Behind the curtain: in wine, used to make decaf coffee
Least polar of the 4 with a Dialetric Constant of 6.02
Has an FDA Conditional-GRAS rating
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Cannabis Extraction Solvent Safety – An Evidence Based Review
5. WHICH SOLVENTS ARE SAFE AT HOME
These solvents can be grouped into 2 sets based on Metabolism
Group 2 based on Acetone:
Acetone – An organic non-toxic molecule produced by your liver, the simplest ketone
Has a higher PDE than Ethanol!
Has an FDA Semi-GRAS rating
Technical grade used as Finger Nail Polish Remover
Acetone Vs Alcohol (EtOH): What Are The Differences
“One of the biggest differences between these compounds is that acetone is
organic and non-toxic whereas alcohol is ethanol-based making it poisonous.”
Isopropyl Alcohol - A molecule that can be generated by the human body.
20% less polar than ethanol. (Dialetric Constant of 18.2 vs 24.3)
Has an FDA Semi-GRAS rating for food additives
Used in Rubbing Alcohol, hand sanitizer, and other cleaning agents