Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Dec;11(4):422-5.
doi: 10.1007/s13181-015-0501-0.

Butane Hash Oil Burns Associated with Marijuana Liberalization in Colorado

Cameron Bell  1 , Jessica Slim  2 , Hanna K Flaten  3 , Gordon Lindberg  1 , Wiktor Arek  1 , Andrew A Monte  4   5   6
Affiliations

Butane Hash Oil Burns Associated with Marijuana Liberalization in Colorado

Cameron Bell et al. J Med Toxicol. 2015 Dec.

Abstract

Butane hash oil (BHO), also known as "amber," "dab," "glass," "honey," "shatter," or "wax," is a potent marijuana concentrate, containing up to 90 % tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). BHO is easily manufactured using highly volatile butane as a solvent. Our objective was to characterize hydrocarbon burns associated with BHO manufacture in Colorado. This was a cross-sectional study utilizing the National Burn Repository to capture all hydrocarbon burns reported to the local burn center from January 1st, 2008, through August 31st, 2014. We abstracted demographic and clinical variables from medical records for patients admitted for hydrocarbon burns associated with butane hash oil extraction. Twenty-nine cases of BHO burns were admitted to the local burn center during the study period. Zero cases presented prior to medical liberalization, 19 (61.3 %) during medical liberalization (Oct 2009-Dec 2013), and 12 (38.7 %) in 2014 since legalization. The majority of cases were Caucasian (72.4 %) males (89.7 %). Median age was 26 (range 15-58). The median total-body-surface-area (TBSA) burn size was 10 % (TBSA range 1-90 %). Median length of hospital admission was 10 days. Six required intubation for airway protection (21 %). Nineteen required skin grafting, eight wound care only, one required surgical fracture repair, and one required surgical debridement. Hydrocarbon burns associated with hash oil production have increased since the liberalization of marijuana policy in Colorado. A combination of public health messaging, standardization of manufacturing processes, and worker safety regulations are needed to decrease the risks associated with BHO production.

Keywords: Burn; Butane hash oil; Colorado; Marijuana; THC.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Butane hash oil extraction apparatus. The trimmings of marijuana buds are placed into a cylinder with perforations at the bottom. A solvent, typically butane, is poured over the clippings and an extract collected in a basin. The extract is then heated at low temperature to cause evaporation of the hydrocarbon solvent leaving the THC concentrate behind
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Number of patients presenting with BHO burns per 6-month interval
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Colorado Constitution, Amendment 20. In: DOJ, editor. Denver, CO; 2000.
    1. Colorado Constitution, Amendment 64. In: DOJ, editor. Denver, CO; 2012.
    1. Monte AA, Zane RD, Heard KJ. The implications of marijuana legalization in Colorado. JAMA. 2015;313(3):241–242. doi: 10.1001/jama.2014.17057. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Loflin M, Earleywine M. A new method of cannabis ingestion: the dangers of dabs? Addict Behav. 2014;39(10):1430–1433. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.05.013. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Jensen G, Bertelotti R, Greenhalgh D, Palmieri T, Maguina P. Honey oil burns: a growing problem. J Burn Care Res. 2015;36(2):e34–e37. doi: 10.1097/BCR.0000000000000067. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources