BHO: Butane Hash Oil

Butane Hash Oil or Butane Honey Oil (BHO) is a cannabis concentrate made using butane as a solvent typically containing 60% to 95% THC.

It is not currently offered as a medical cannabis treatment in the UK and is illegal to possess. The efficacy, quality, potency and safety of these products cannot be determined as they go through no testing.

At a glance: Butane Hash Oil (BHO)

 

What does Butane Hash Oil (BHO) look like?

Butane Hash Oil is most commonly available in a sticky, thick oil consistency that is usually inhaled through a vaporiser.

The colour of BHO can also vary depending on the cultivar of cannabis it was extracted from. Although products do typically stay within a honey-based colour scheme, they can range from a pale straw colour to a deep amber tone, hence its other name, Butane Honey Oil.

Textures of BHO vary just as much, and the different names of BHO usually describe how it looks and feels rather than its potency.

Shatter is a term for BHO that is glass-like and brittle; wax is opaque and soft with a slightly greasy feel; budder and badder have a soft, spreadable texture similar to cake icing.

The term crumble is for BHO that is dry and flaky, sap is runny like honey, while sugar is grainy and wet-looking.

Both BHO and medical cannabis extracts are derived from resin, the sticky substance secreted by the cannabis plant’s trichomes, which contains cannabinoids like THC and CBD, as well as terpenes.

Rosin produces similar results to BHO without using solvents like butane, instead using heat and pressure to extract the resin to create a concentrate.

Distillate is made from a concentrate that has been refined further to separate cannabinoids from the terpenes, fats and plant compounds.

A dab is a single dose of concentrated cannabis oil like BHO; it is placed on a hot surface which vaporises it instantly to be inhaled. In the UK, there are no medical-based products in the form of dabs.

How is BHO produced?

There is no legal way to obtain BHO in the UK and it is not a cannabis-based product for medicinal use (CBPM) that specialist doctors can prescribe.

To make Butane Hash Oil, which can be produced commercially in some parts of the United States, cannabinoids like THC and terpenes like myrcene are separated in resinous form from the plant’s trichomes. This process usually takes place in a laboratory using a closed-loop extraction system.

During the process, butane acts as a solvent, dissolving the resin so it can be separated from plant material. The cannabinoids and terpenes are separated out, leaving a thick substance containing the plant's most valuable compounds.

The extract is then purged to remove residual butane before it is formulated into its finished product. 

None of this applies to the UK, as no licensed facility produces BHO for the UK market. Any BHO product encountered here is illegal, unregulated, and untested, and could contain residual solvents, pesticides, or other contaminants.

Butane is heavier than air and collects invisibly at floor level, a single spark is enough to ignite it. Attempting DIY butane extractions at home is highly dangerous and can cause explosions and serious burns.

An attempt to produce BHO is a criminal offence under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years.

Butane Hash Oil (BHO) vs other concentrates

 

What are the risks of Butane Hash Oil (BHO)

BHO is a concentrate that has much stronger levels of THC than medical cannabis flower. The high concentration makes dosing difficult to judge and can raise the likelihood of negative side effects such as anxiety, paranoia, disorientation, and vomiting.

Frequent use of high-THC concentrates like BHO can build tolerance quickly, meaning larger amounts are needed to achieve the same effect.

Cannabis use disorder is a clinical condition, and the risk is higher with frequent use of high-potency products. Withdrawal can involve an irritable mood, sleep disturbance, and reduced appetite.

The only BHO available in the UK comes from the black market and can pose a real risk to your health. There is no way to know the levels of THC, if butane has been removed from the extract, if pesticides on the plant have become more concentrated during the extraction process or if other chemicals have been added.

Is Butane Hash Oil (BHO) legal in the UK?

It has been legal to prescribe medical cannabis in the UK since November 2018. It can be prescribed by a specialist doctor, where at least two conventional treatments have not provided adequate relief.

BHO is classified as a Class B controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, and there is no legal route to possess it. It is not manufactured as a cannabis-based product for medicinal use so it cannot be prescribed.

Patients are able to access regulated high-THC medical cannabis products but dabbing, which is used with BHO, is not an administration route UK clinics support.

Instead, patients may be offered:

• Flower, which is prescribed for vaporisation as smoking medical cannabis is illegal.

• Oils and tinctures, which are taken orally.

• Vape cartridges containing distillate or live rosin offer concentrate-level potency in a controlled format.

• Pastilles and capsules, for oral pre-measured doses.

Frequently asked questions about Butane Hash Oil (BHO)

What does BHO stand for?

BHO stands for Butane Hash Oil or Butane Honey Oil and is a cannabis concentrate made with butane. It is illegal to possess or consume in the UK.

What does BHO look like?

The colour of BHO ranges from a light straw colour to a deep amber colour. It comes in a variety of different textures from brittle glass to a honey-like sap.

How potent is BHO?

Research has shown that Butane Hash Oil has high levels of THC ranging from 60% to 95%.

Is BHO unhealthy / what are the risks?

As BHO is not legal in the UK, there are many risks associated with it. The first is that there is no testing done on the substance to know what levels of THC are in it, if butane has been removed from the extract, or if other chemicals have been mixed in. High levels of THC without clinical oversight can cause side effects like paranoia, anxiety, and vomiting.

Are BHO and live resin the same?

Live resin is a type of BHO as both use butane as a solvent. The difference is that most BHO is made from dried plant matter while live resin is made from plant matter that is frozen as soon as it is harvested. Both are illegal in the UK.

What is a BHO vape?

A BHO vape refers to vape cartridges filled with butane hash oil; it is not legal in the UK.

Is hash oil a drug, and is it legal in the UK?

Hash oil is a general term for any cannabis extract in oil form. There is no medical cannabis product called ‘hash oil’ and cannabis oils are legal if prescribed as a medical treatment.

Is anything like BHO available on prescription in the UK?

BHO is not legal in the UK; however, cannabis extracts can be prescribed in the form of oils, vape cartridges containing distillate or live rosin, pastilles, capsules, and flower.

To find out if you are eligible, try our free medical cannabis eligibility checker, it takes less than 30 seconds to fill in.

Our medical cannabis glossary can also help you learn more about terms you may associate with medical cannabis. 

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