Green Dragon Extraction

GrowTutor members & staff share their knowledge of cannabis concentrates & extractions.
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PsychedelicSam
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Re: Green Dragon Extraction

Post by PsychedelicSam »

FCG-Frank » Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:21 pm wrote:By sample you mean ingest? I thought cannabinoids without a proper carrier doesn't work so well?
No, no,no. Alcohol is one of the best around. I use it straight most of the time. It's a tincture and just a few drops in a drink or under your tongue or transferred to agave, honey, butter or any other other thing is great. You'll still want to use the agave for your trip but after you sample the final reduction you may not want to make it all into agave.

Put about 8 drops in a shot glass with water and swish it around as long as you can in your mouth. You'll start getting off within seconds and it will keep climbing. But right now just do some of that first wash and you'll see. :bgrin:
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Re: Green Dragon Extraction

Post by FCG-Frank »

Ok I'll try the mouth wash.

So why do I bother with the transfer into agave? For taste?
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Re: Green Dragon Extraction

Post by PsychedelicSam »

FCG-Frank » Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:49 pm wrote:Ok I'll try the mouth wash.

So why do I bother with the transfer into agave? For taste?
For variety and some folks don't like the alcohol. The agave and honey can be used on a trip because it doesn't have that alcohol smell and is therefore more stealthy. The agave and other Dragon style guides in the cooking with cannabis section are just other ways to use this product, but the GD is the main event. :)

Well, you started this conversation from the honey thread, not this one and I thought that's what you wanted. Don't transfer it at all if you like it straight...and you will. ;)
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Re: Green Dragon Extraction

Post by FCG-Frank »

Well this is... interesting. I had both critical mass and royal haze around, but since my royal haze isn't as nice to vape, I used that for this extract. It's mostly sativa. I sampled 1ml and waited 5min and didn't notice much, so I did another mouth wash, and still didn't feel much. So I dropped another ml under my tongue and weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

I see what you mean now - it's not a pleasant sensation to have 94% alcool burn your palate. It will be more enjoyable with the agave and some vanilla in it.

I can definitely feel the full body high. I never experienced this before, not even when making edibles.

Very interesting stuff.
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PsychedelicSam
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Re: Green Dragon Extraction

Post by PsychedelicSam »

And that's just the 1st run. Wait until it's reduced. The Critical Mass would have been completely different. When someone uses a Sativa for the first time I will usually have them do a larger initial dose to get the aha moment. It works great in your morning coffee to get your day up and running. :nod:

I'm not sure I would have done the Sativa at this time of night, though.
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Re: Green Dragon Extraction

Post by FCG-Frank »

Ill try that tomorrow morning :)

Once I'm back from my trip I'll be trying that again with critical mass, and my white russian should be ready to be chopped soon.

You said earlier alcohol was one of the best carriers. Why is that?

Sorry for all the questions, I like to understand how things work :)
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Re: Green Dragon Extraction

Post by PsychedelicSam »

It has the most bonding sites. And it happens to be an excellent carrier because the alcohol is bioavailable and uses different receptors in the body. That's the simple, one armed late night explanation. :)
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Re: Green Dragon Extraction

Post by FCG-Frank »

We can discuss it once you arm is healed if you prefer, I know typing about biochem with a single arm ain't exactly practical :)

Cannabinoids would still activate CB1 and CB2 receptors though, correct? How does the alcohol modulate the cellular response?
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Re: Green Dragon Extraction

Post by PsychedelicSam »

FCG-Frank » Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:52 am wrote:We can discuss it once you arm is healed if you prefer, I know typing about biochem with a single arm ain't exactly practical :)

Cannabinoids would still activate CB1 and CB2 receptors though, correct? How does the alcohol modulate the cellular response?
I'm sorry but I used the wrong terminology. I shouldn't have said different "receptors", rather different "absorption" parameters. Lipids and carbohydrates have to be metabolized before the cannabinoids can reach the bloodstream, whether along the alimentary canal or the liver. That's not the case for alcohol. It's absorbed directly into the tissues in the mouth, esophagus and early stomach, thus getting the cannabinoids directly into the bloodstream and much faster.

CB1/2 receptors are still the targets. :)
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Re: Green Dragon Extraction Solvent Recovery

Post by Heisenberg »

Happyweedz - have you considered using dry ice to recover more of your condensed alcohol?

Using lower temperatures through all stages of solvent recovery is less harsh on extractants. Over-cooking occurs anytime temperatures are higher than normal. Over-cooking also occurs when (elevated) temperatures continue for too long of time. So the quicker the solvent is separated the better, especially at lower temperatures.

Extracts contain some rather reactive components that collide with each other as well as otherwise non-reactive components, sometimes creating a lot of new "radicals" effecting longevity as well as taste. I have an interest in learning about these sometimes-present radicals to develope a method of separating them if feasible. Gel Permeation Chromatography (aka Size Exclusion Chromatography) comes to mind, but this is off-topic here so not to divert from the question, have you heard anything about using dry ice??
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