Switching Toluene for Benzene

[xspikehead]

Is it acceptable to use toluene instead of benzene when benzene is called for in extracting product?  For example, benzene is used to extract meth freebase after a synth, but would toluene also work?

[technology]

Rhodium, your words fill me with wisdom, you trully are a gift to all the other little bumble bees that fly in and out of the hive.

Keep up your good work, you are inspiration to me and not to metion others.

your knowledge is undescribable

[xspikehead]

I was just thinking that!  I wonder if he lives on some far-away planet where super-humans who posess a much higher intellect live.  Me, I live next to a McDonalds.

[ning]

isn't toluene a bit polar? Or doesn't this matter?

[Aurelius]

Polarity is relative. 

In this particular case, toluene is very non-polar.  When compared to something like benzene, sure it's going to be polar.  However, the difference is neglible in 99%+ of the cases in which you will deal with these chemicals.  Especially for the chemistry involved here.  By the time you've learned enough about chemistry to be involved in reactions the it makes a difference, you won't need to ask why, how, and other related questions.