THC isomerization

[jboogie]

hi... i was wondering if any bees could give my some pointers finding info about THC/CBD isomerization write-ups. ive found info about the procedure but am unclear about the materials used. the posts/procedures ive read thus far ask for an amount of CBD to be disolved... if swim has oil via butane, how do you go about separating the THC from CBDs? swim has glassware and supplies, if distilation is the answer. any help would bee great!
jboogie

[java]

CBD can be easily converted into THC by treating extracted oil with sulfuric acid, a step in the oil trade called “isomerization”.

......as read from griever at 

http://www.overgrow.com

Direct THC isomerization
Sometimes if pot is totally rank and crappy, or you're dealing with a bunch of roaches, trimmings, or some other inferior source of THC it is desirable to go well beyond what a simple volatile solvent or super critical fluid extraction can do. You want to convert all those free available cannibinoids into THC, and the only way to accomplish this is a direct isomerization of the Tetrahydracannibinoid. Since any THC isomer is approximately 40% more psychoactive than the nearest related cannabinoid, this will make your product a much stronger concentration and chemically much cleaner than the original. Basic isomerization takes place with a quick reflux of your cannabinoids in the presence of any H+ source (acid).

1. Treat your stuff as if it were a volatile solvent or critical fluid extraction.
2. With the remaining resin, dissolve it in a non-polar solvent. Be sure to use one that separates easily from water such as naphia or white gas.
3. Treat this mixture with sulphuric or hydrochloric acid until a pH around 1-2 is reached (approximately one drop of concentrated acid per gram of extract).
4. Place this in a reflux apparatus and cook it for about an hour. In case you’re not familiar this is basically just Pyrex breaker with a large looped tube plugged into the top. This will cause the solution inside to be exposed to elevated pressures as well as temperatures, as well as preserving all of the original contents. Simply simply boiling the mixture in a small strong covered vessel can mimic it.
5. Wash what’s left with water, keep the oil layer.
6. Neutralize your mix (bring it to pH 7.0) with a little Sodium Hydroxide solution (pH 9.0) or baking soda then rewash it with water. Save the oil layer again.
7. Allow your oil to evaporate and you should be left with a sticky amber liquid that contains almost pure THC.

Now supposedly if processed under more stringent conditions the delta-9-THC can be converted to delta-6-THC which because of it’s stereoscopy could be more psychedelic than the delta-9-THC. The pharmacology shows that the compounds are pretty much analogous in their effects, but if you wish to process your product with a little tolulene and sulphuric acid, followed by a longer than ordinary reflux (10 hours), give it a try. Usually when using this method, your starting solvent is anhydrous methyl or ethyl alcohol, and then the tolulene is added after the refluxing to form a third layer in the mixture, which holds the delta-6-THC. I would recommend a super-critical fluid extraction for a starting point, since if you start clean your product can only get much better. Once you’ve obtained nearly pure THC, converting it to an acetate is supposed to produce more psychedelic like effects.

....as read from fergetit  at 

http://www.overgrow.com

[jboogie]

does the addition of an acid to the sol/oil mix react with what is already THC? will it degrade anything else? is oxidation an issue with this procedure? argon atmosph? thanx java!

[Snakebyte]

UTFSE for cannaboids and that will tell all.  Swim's experience of using butane is that unless you are working with pure bud, butane is very expensive for what you get out so it is uneconomical.  When swim uses shake he uses ether which is still a selective solvent yet much cheaper.

[jboogie]

it is a more efficent extraction than the butane. Ether can also bee reused thru distilation. i just happen to have a decent amount of lackluster oil via butane. i have used the FSE and can find how CBD/CBN react to acids; just not how THC reacts with acid. i just thought that the acid may deteriorate or destroy the already present THC analogs in the oil. thanx.

[java]

In case you missed it ......

Basic isomerization takes place with a quick reflux of your cannabinoids in the presence of any H+ source (acid).

so it seems that non THC get turned to THC type cannabinoids in the presence of H+( acid), hence no damage to your THC already present in the mixture oil.

Treatment with acid, according to my understanding, does not cause  isomerization of THC, but converts the cannabidiol to delta-9-THC.

Read at .....

http://nepenthes.lycaeum.org/Drugs/THC/isomer1.html