Hi,
European legislation only allows 0,2% in THC hemp flower.
As Switzerland allows 1% THC flows, producers grows below 1% strains.
The flowers are washed down through extraction process such as Ethanol, CO2 Supercritical or Butane/Propane.
It results in a flowers with less cannabinoids, drier, sometime darker (depending on the process) but the flower is below 0,2% in THC and is sold afterward next to tobacco products.
Is there anyone that has knowledge in this process and understand how the use those process without destroying the buds?
I’d be more than happy to discuss this with one of you guys!
Cyril (from Belgium)
Just to clarify, you are trying to sell buds post extraction?
I know that there are some toxic sludge when doing this and it might results with health issues.
Therefore i’d like to understand more the process they use .
The point is not to have extraction bur rather to have a product below 0,2% in Thc and therefore legal.
There are some process that creates extracts (CO2, Ethanol, Gaz) but other don’t (UV, heat).
Aim is to have a safe product.
Please don’t give the Midwest hemp farmers anymore ideas. You already can’t get THC flower in New York. Wait, maybe this is why all the dabs are half strength out here now. It’s the 2020 black market bale out of the green rushers.
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Here in the states we can’t even buy trim anymore without someone trying to pass off already ran stuff.
It’s a shame the things people will do for money
I sell CBG flower that is less than .2% total thc and close to 20% Cannabinoids. If you want to sell flower sell CBG flower. Don’t poison people. I doubt anyone is disclosing that the stuff in the jar/bag is already ran through to the end consumer.
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If your aim is to have a safe product, don’t sell anything other than unaltered organic plant matter for people to smoke
If it’s absolutely necessary, do it the old fashioned way and tumble some kief off using dry sift then test it. If you can’t get the THC content down low enough that way don’t get half-blasting flower then sell it as smokable. Don’t stoop that low.
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If that doesn’t work there are smokable herbal blends you can use as a cut, as many companies here do with hemp cig packs. Just make sure to disclose that. Not my first second or third choice but I know lots that do it.
Seems like keifing it would only go so far on stuff close to 1% thc
I’ve had customers who smoked pack after pack of hemp cigs from a brand we carry not knowing it’s cut with herbal blends until I pointed it out to them in the fine print
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If you’re going as far as to do that cant you just get some extremely low THC hemp flower and “dilute” the ground flower with that? Not ideal but if it’s all ground together it would be the same idea as mixing in other “herbal blends” but without any mystery plants
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CBG Flowers are the only that is not “washed down” we have CBG flower with T-THC:0,06%, CBG:8%
But the rest are washed down.
Unfortunately, Carmagnola, Kompolti and other do not have real buds.
For the kief methods as SHattertramp explained it only reduce a bit the THC level and it’s quiet impossible to arrive below 0,2% from a 0,6% flower (without completely destroying it).
Dilution doesn’t help because if the test is done on a bud they do not take into account the dilutor.
SO aim is to have a safe legal product.
From my experience, Ethanol wahsed down are the worst, UV just burn the flower, CO2 make it super dry, Butane i’m afraid with the purity of it and the leftovers.
from what I’m gathering, you may be greatly confusing processes. It SOUNDS like you’d like to find a way to reduce the level of thc in your smokeable flower. But the methods you’re mentioning are for cannabis extracts- ie dabs, distillate, etc. your mention of ethanol and especially butane gives me this impression… to my (inferior) knowledge, there is no use for butane in anyway for what you’re attempting. Butane would be used I’m sure for various things from the smart people here, but mainly for extracting the thc from the flower. After any of these processes, the flower material is basically garbage. And a note, at this point the residuals from butane are not really an issue. Tons of bho on the market that went through rigorous testing 
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I know it sounds a bit confusing but pretty sure that the most common wash down process are : Ethanol, CO2 supercritical and Gaz( do not know precisely which one).
Disclaimer: I’m no where near as smart as the people on here. But I very very much think you’re wayyy off the mark here. There’s no such thing as a “wash down” for flower… let me clarify with a question. What is your desired end product? Smokeable flower (something you roll in a joint or in a bong) or some sort of golden goo in a jar (extracts).
If your answer is flower. Buds. Smokeable cannabis, then you are way off the mark…this is why people are weary of you “running” your flower and trying to resell it. What you’re describing is a full extraction process which results in a product that is nothing like flower. The flower used in the extraction process is useless after. THEORETICALLY, yes. After extraction there would me none/much less thc in that material. But that’s not how this works. Either something’s being lost in communication, or you’re way off target here. With that being said, this is a great forum for knowledge and I hope I don’t come off in a negative manner. Just trying to get some Clarification for ya
Edit- I realized I answered in a manner referring to you growing thc cannabis, not hemp. But the answer still applies. There is a “remediation” process that will lower your thc level in your cbd/hemp. But again, this is in an extract process, not directly on your flower
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Hi, No worries; each comments will bring something to the discussion.
As i’m talking about something not really known i might say mistakes on the process or solvent but i am 100% sure about CO2 supercritical VS Ethanol VS Gazs
This wash down process is not well known from the European CBD/hemp industry.
However, according to our finding, the aim here is to have smokeable flowers instead of extracts.
Yes it is an extremely lucrative business as people who are running this process make you pay for the wash down or keeps the extracts (that is highly valuable).
They use the same process as the extraction process but the parameter are changed in order not to destroy the flowers.
Pretty sure about this
I’m going to tap out on this because I may start speaking falsely. But I’m with the others, if you’re washing/processing your flower, then re selling it, that’s pretty crappy. But alas, as I said, I could be completely wrong. Soaking your flower in ethanol/co2 and then selling the flower just doesn’t sound right to me. Good luck man!!
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I totally follow you on the point that selling/buyinng flowers that have been processed is a crazy things.
I’d invite you to have a deeper look at the actual EUropean market for dry hemp flowers.
None of the flowers that are sold are
EU-Certified Hemp (Kompolti, Carmagnola etc) but rather Fedora 17 crossings. They all have between 0,5 and 1% in THC which is legal in Switzerland.
Unfortunately the rest of Europe (majority) has a legal rate of 0,2% in THC.
Only CBG flowers are not washed donw in EUrope.
I am more on the buying side and would like to be able to understand which methods is the safer (even if all are craps).
Whithout this process you can forget below 0,2% flowers. I know this is a pitty and we are fighting here in belgium to increase the limit to 1% so there will be no more washed down.
Ethanol washed down flowers are a disgrace (dark, humid, smeel of alcohol) and seems really unhealthy.
As my knowledge is not deep enough in this area, i share this here knowing the amount of passionate in this forum.
And i truly understand that cannabis passionate will be mad about this process, it is just normal for someone loving the plant.
Well I always commend someone for learning as much as they can, regardless. So kudos and good luck! I’m sure this post will receive a lot of helpful replies in the morning.
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Perhaps instead of putting customers in a position to hate you, and potentially putting their health and safety at risk, try getting the laws amended.
Why does everyone put profits before people?
Stop it. Just stop.
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We are actually holding meeting with the Belgian Health Ministry (responsible of Hemp related products here). We hold a meeting with them and explain them that the flower were washed down (the did not knew this). We share them the Greece model were farmers could grow below 0,6% while final consumer can only have 0,2%, but their answer was horrible. To understand hemp flower are considered as tobacco here, and they answered: Smoking Kills. So we need to come with a clear situation and explain it to them in order to change the situation. i’d be more than happy to sell 0,6% THC flowers
But to be honest as this process is really opac (no informations available) it is really difficult to evolve the situation.
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As Belgium is trilingual (French, Dutch, German) with regions and communities, the political situation is really really complex As an exmple we had no govenrment for around 600 days (World record, we beat Irak). But yes we are trying to change the legislation
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