Good luck importing marijuana terps from the EU. They are federally illegal because they were made from drug containing plant. I’m 100% sure on this. So these are most likely botanical essential oils.
You can get these oils on a state to state based treatment of the products of marijuana plants.
I think the federal illegality of non-hemp essential oils needs to be challenged. I’m not sure what penalties one risks tho…
“They are federally illegal because they were made from drug containing plant”, you are talking in the US or EU? I have been importing canna terp since 2016 from the US to Canada. I also send some in France. I agree it is a bit painful sometimes, I have already spoken with US and Canadian Customs (also Health Canada) and wait like 15 days at most (FedEx and UPS are the worst for that), but I always got my terpenes. Maybe I am just lucky.
Non cannabis, plant (or industrial plant as I like to say) derived terpenes, that are blended to fake cannabis essential oils are legal.
My lawyer just confirmed the opinion shared in this older post. Made from marijuana = violates CSA. The lower-quality hemp essential oils pulled from cannabis sativa hemp (as defined by the farm bill) seem now to be legal. Prior to the farm bill it was illegal (on the federal level) to produce them in the US. But it appears that imported hemp essential oils were in a legally gray area.
https://cannabusiness.law/are-terpenes-legal/
Now, I’m not sure of anyone ever being prosecuted, but marijuana essential oils have been seized in the mail. I’m not sure what happens after they’re seized. I’ve never been foolish enough to think about shipping outside of state. Anyone know? Do they send the shipper a letter?
I have some that been “seized” before. I call customs, both US and Canada. After 2 days and 2 or 3 call they give my terps to the Canadian customs. Health Canada call me (I am my own broker) I explain what it was and send a lab test and they clear my package. It take 15 days. My worst experience.
I’m happy to get you a sample.
My understanding is that all hemp is cannabis. I think the common understanding is that cannabis derived terpenes are more sought after than non-cannabis derived blends. One exception is ‘flavorless’ terpenes which are used to adjust viscosity. Within the cannabis derived terpene sphere there are multiple subcategories. Cultivar (aka strain) specific terpenes are most desired, with ‘marijauana’ strain specific terpenes being the most rare. Hemp derived, cultivar specific terps offer a similar profile, though marijauana derived terms are more rare and cultivar specific ones are typically from a smaller, more homogeneous batch. This is due to the fact that cultivars are more stable in the marijauana realm because cloning is so commonplace. Most hemp derived terpenes, even cultivar specific, have more variability due to phenotypic variation. This is pretty standard in hemp because it is mostly from seed & the seed is overall not super stable. This is changing rapidly, but I think that the vast majority of hemp grown for the 2018 crop had some substantial characteristic variation. Overall,only the hemp from clones had perfectly stable characteristics. Marijauana derived terpenes fetch a premium due to smaller crops and more phenotypic stability. Steam distilled hemp terpenes can be of high quality as well, though fetch a lower price due to crop size & cultivar variation.
Terpene quality is directly related to processing style. My experience is that steam distillation of fresh flowers gives the highest quality terpenes. This is the industry standard for botanical essential oil extraction across the board (lavender, mint etc.) It is possible to distill fresh cannabis material & then dry it and extract the cannabinoids. This presents the obvious challenge of drying it first, but totally possible. My limited research shows that steam distillation seems to degrade the cannabinoids, somewhere around 25%. Distillation of dried flower appears to most commonly be done by fractionating cryo-ethanol crude during the process of post-processing distillation. My limited expirrence with this style of terpene collection has shown it’s totally possible and requires a skilled extractor to pull off well. It’s also worth considering the volatility of terpenes and the changes that typically happen during the drying process. The lightest terps often transform when exposed to the atmospheric conditions, especially heat.
Microwave terpene extraction seems to leave cannabinoids alone. We extracted biomass after MW distillation, then distilled the cannabinoids. The cannabinoid yield was equivalent to what was expected without terp removal, clarity was way better, color was improved as well. @OctoArm
Wet material is a big problem. For me, the jury is out on steam-stilled hemp terps. Basically, if growers can produce hemp flower that smells great, tastes great and gives me the “entourage” I’m looking for, I’m down. Steam-stilling shouldn’t destroy cannabinoids, but it can be lower yielding.
Let me get going and I’ll trade ya samples.
I don’t hate microwave in theory, but Medizin in Vegas uses it. I had a bad experience with one of their pens. I spent top dollar on one of their pens and it tasted like a blend. I had to give it away.
In the microwave’s favor, it is easy to use. So if you just want to slap the cannabis terp label on your stuff, go for it. Just be prepared with a good drying system or risk ruining the starting input.
The other reason that I hesitate is that I did demo a commercial one and was disappointed. It’s basically a fast steam still. The beautiful lemon forward material came out smelling like screwed up lemon peels derived essential oil (as if I had stilled the lemons with leaves still attached). It had way too many of those steam still off notes. You steam stillers know what I mean…if not, I got access to hella free lemons.
The model I tried was designed for essential oil chemists with instrumentation at their beck and call. If I do end up trying it again, I’ll build my own. There are plans on the internet with exact specifics for microwave systems.
To summarize, I was made to believe that I would get out $150+/g material which came out as $50/g if I’m lucky. I’m waiting to hear back from someone I gave samples to. If they buy it, I still wont break even. The company I work with currently won’t use it.
So before you demo or buy one, do a careful steam still of the material you’re going to use. Compare smell, taste and analytics and let the demo crew know what they have to beat. If people make the blanket claim that it’s always better, they’re trying to sell you one. Make them prove it.
Bottom line, anyone can buy a turnkey microwave or steam still, but making good essential oil from any method isn’t always obvious. Sorry to be such a negative Nathan, but been made into an essential oil snob; if you tasted as many pens as me, all flavored with all different grades of essential oils, you’d be this way too.
So happy terping everyone! Good steam still is better than tricking someone with a static blend. I hope to publish something useful late this year.
I have an Ethos X and have played with several variables. It is certainly possible to make shitty terps with microwave, but I’ve also made MV terps that are colorless and taste just like the flower. MV terps smell “steamed” in bulk, but when diluted in oil they pop. The hemp terps I made from the WIFE strain smelled and taste like platinum cookies to me
How does one go about acquiring some samples or a small amount from you? I would be very interested in trying them out.
@drjackhughes if you have any available for testing, I would also be interested in giving them a whirl
That’s what I demo’d.
What diluent if you can say. I prefer to terp at lower percents with the ones I make. My stinky lemon terps are water clear too…
I’ll get some out as soon as I can. Maybe end of the month, beginning of March? I’ll message people who ask in the thread when I’m green lighted.
I’m screwing around with appropriate packaging. Since they can be so pricey I want to teach people how to best use and store them, maybe provide a small kit with each one. I’m also seriously looking at a “loop” type system where the packaging can be conveniently returned and reused. I’m committed to reducing packaging waste.
So let me ask the lawyers if it’s ok to send free samples or if I have to wait.
Happy terping!
I’ll be glad to donate, if need be. Everyone’s time is worth something.
Having a return for the glass and discounts for refills would be cool, too.
I misspoke, diluted not diluent. Using anything more than 1-2% MW steam terps is overkill…where as i normally use 5%+ for plant based mixes.
Wow, lotsa diversity on this terping level. I know one company that does 15% in their own hardware. I’ve seen 8-10% in Ccell and 10-12% in PAX. I’ve seen, but personally don’t like the taste, a 5% blend with 5% botanical imitation.
I love the 1-2% number from an economic standpoint. It would make high quality material less of an economic burden! This is vape dilution or other extract? Type of hardware? If you can divulge…some ppl like to keep this a trade secret.
Thats vape cut but its pretty stiff. Those terps were made with the Ethos X I posted on IG. @drjackhughes
I’d be very interested in this- I’m currently doing botanical blends to mimic hemp strains in carts for a client- 2300 carts this month- please reach out if we can connect on this!
I’ve got beautiful steam distilled hemp terpenes. LMK if you are interested in getting a sample.
what is the difference between hemp terps and cannabis terps? cannabis terps have strain name (silver haze, bubble gum, og kush, etc)… don’t know about hemp terps… new to them.