Activated Charcoal/Carbon Filter diffusers will absorb THC!

5ourdiesel

Member
A little background of myself-
I know organic chemistry

I was extremely baked last night and was thinking of a better way to filter/diffuse the harmful components of smoke from cannabinoids. I was thinking of all of these flaws that came to mind regarding just plain old water diffusion through percs. Although water pipes do filter out a lot of heavy dense ash debris, the majority of micro-carcinogens and smoke dust particles still manage to make it through to the users lungs. When a user takes a hit of a waterpipe, the smoke meets the surface of the water and the surface tension of the water encloses the smoke to form a bubble that isolates the non-polar smoke from the polar water. The bubbles are continuously divided and move quickly but I thought of a flaw in the efficiency of water diffusion. The smoke particles in the bubbles are moving at relatively the same net speed as the bubble so the majority of the smoke particles do not contact the edge of the water. Also the surface area of the smoke inside the bubbles is astronomically greater than the surface area of the walls of the bubbles. Another flaw is that the surface tension of water is very strong, especially for anything with a low density/high surface area. Many bugs can walk on water without ever breaking the surface, the same would apply to light carcinogens. My theory is that when the smoke particles contact the edge of the bubble, some of them bounce right off the surface of the inside of the smoke bubble and never diffuse through the bubble into the water. Another flaw is that non-polar carcinogens and other smoke particles will also be very insoluble in water and will avoid contact with polar solutions such as water thus keeping them away from the walls of the bubble.

Now I was trying to think of another type of diffuser that would work and the ROOR carbon filter came to mind. Absolutely retarded idea. Activated carbon is used for the following:

  • Adsorption of organic, non-polar substances such as:
    • Mineral oil
    • BTEX
    • Poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PACs)
    • (Chloride) phenol
  • Adsorption of halogenated substance: I, Br, Cl, H en F
  • Odor
  • Taste
  • Yeasts
  • Various fermentation products
  • Non-polar substances (Substances which are non soluble in water)

Read more: http://www.lenntech.com/library/adsorption/adsorption.htm#ixzz0iEA0nCB3

WTF? THC and cannabinoids are very non-polar. Anyone who has taken a chemistry lab and has used activated carbon knows that it has a high affinity for non-polar organic compounds. THC and cannabinoids are extremely non-polar. Activated carbon is also used to remove phenols. Activated carbon is also useful in odor control and water purification to remove taste. A large number of taste and odor compounds come from large bulky aromatic ring molecular structures and tannins. AC also removes large bulky molecules that do not have a thin shape. So whats the point? Cannabinoids are terpenophenolic compounds. They also have very bulky ring structures that make them very easy to get stuck inside of the AC pores. In other words, AC is designed to filter out compounds that resemble cannabinoids. ROOR uses dry AC but it makes no difference, the principles are the same. The reason there is so much less taste is because of less tannins/cannabinoids. So my completely blitzed self went out the next day and picked up some wet AC at Petco for $10 that they use for aquarium filters. I filled up the beaker bottom of my bong with AC and put just a little water in so that when I took a hit no bubbles would jump out from the activated carbon slurry. Now why the hell would I do this if AC seems so flawed? Simple answer- it's healthier- the majority of small smoke particles are removed, carcinogens removed, and much cleaner hits with a crystal clear high. The taste is lighter but seems to be much more fruity and I can really taste the differences in strains. I really didn't notice a reduction in being high, maybe because of all the shit that is filtered out so the cannabinoids contact a greater surface area of the lungs that arent clogged with crap. But what about all of the lost cannabinoids that were absorbed by the AC?There is a solution . When the AC starts to get old, I will just pour it into an open ended PVC pipe with a screen at the bottom and will use a butane extraction to make hash. Butane is sprayed into the top of the PVC pipe. Butane is normally a gas @ STP and will act as a liquid solvent and will saturate the AC pulling off the nonpolar cannabinoids. As the butane evaporates, the sticky hash is left behind. I will give this a try and will let you guys know if any killer hash can be extracted. And one last thing, use an ash catcher so that ash and big chunks of herb don't end up smelling and rotting in the AC.
 

c90featmcduke

Active Member
Please, please, please continue with this theory. I myself use AC in an AC adapter that sits directly beneath my bowl and am constantly on the look out for healthier rips. Although I have no chemical background, baked or not, your theory sound very plausible. I guess the extraction will be the answer to the theory. Once again, please report back!

All the best,

Arnold.
 

Bousky

Active Member
It lives...


I have a PURE 7mm inline that has part of the inline filled with AC; it works pretty well. I've found i) I feel just as high as when I smoke this same bong w/o any AC (I switch off) ii) weirdly i tend to get a little more mental than body high iii) I am a researcher at an analytical chem lab, I can assure you the OPs basic understanding and explanation was correct insofar as AC absorbing THC (hypothetically speaking at least) and for why water filtration isn't optimal. Still, a good inline like mine (or the use of beads / a good downstem) could make your next hit smoother (and bigger!).
 

J.L.

Member
I'm sorry for the offtopic,but I need help and I saw some of you know organic chemistry so why don't ask.I have to pee tommorow for a urin thc test,it's from a pharmacy,not only thc I think 5 other drugs also. My question is how long do I have to eat active charcoal for my urine to be clean from thc?I smoke everyday,2 to 3 spliffs,and I haven't smoke for 2 days and been drinking active charcoal. I heard thc attaches it to fat cells in our body,and I'm very skinny and I have a very fast metabolism,can that help?Once again sorry for the offtopic,and for my grammar mistakes,because I'm from Croatia but I think it's quite qood considering that :D
Thank you!
 

Unnk

Well-Known Member
allthough its a zombie thread

i find it funny the kid boasted about his chemistry knowledge yet he wants to blast tane through pvc..... lol

but again damn old thread to dig up
 

Unnk

Well-Known Member
I'm sorry for the offtopic,but I need help and I saw some of you know organic chemistry so why don't ask.I have to pee tommorow for a urin thc test,it's from a pharmacy,not only thc I think 5 other drugs also. My question is how long do I have to eat active charcoal for my urine to be clean from thc?I smoke everyday,2 to 3 spliffs,and I haven't smoke for 2 days and been drinking active charcoal. I heard thc attaches it to fat cells in our body,and I'm very skinny and I have a very fast metabolism,can that help?Once again sorry for the offtopic,and for my grammar mistakes,because I'm from Croatia but I think it's quite qood considering that :D
Thank you!
okay charcoal will clean you digestive system not swab your fat cells of thc

the greatest thing you got going for you is your skinny and have a fast metabolism

usually the more weight you got and the more you smoke the longer its gonna stay in your system as theirs more fat cells to occupy
 

deeptrip

Member
Hello Smoker Fellows!

I red the theory of activated carbon filtering THC. I just got 2 pieces of Dr Perl Junior filters. Quit nice construction, put about 0,25g in a joint (quite a lot for 1 person), the filter is 9mm thick and I dont wanted a short spliff! So what I want to tell you are the effects. I got really, really stoned from it, like at my early times of smoking. You see the smoke contains about 10% paper 60% tobacco and 30% ganja. So the active pores will absorb more of the two, than THC and that's why I think you can get really stoned from it. I challenge everyone to try these filters and share their experience, I think it will be a lot of fun and worth looking into. Like a study that compares standard roaches against active carbon filters in aspect of smoke constellation.
 

deeptrip

Member
I forgot to mention that it cools and dries the smoke, it is very pleasant at first but soon you cough of the strongness of the THC. The smoke is very dense, so you get a bigger dose every hit, and that leads to total stonedness. You need to consciously focus to draw enough air with each puff, it's not the same than regular roach, also tastes are more noticable. I like it so far.
 

Trailingpickles

Well-Known Member
Thought i'd just reply to this thread instead of starting a new one. I have a nice Glass on Glass Hoss lay down bong with a 18.8mm roor carbon filter adapter. I have been using it 10-14 times a day for about 3 weeks. My bong stays so clean from the activated carbon rocks. I change the water every few days now instead of every day. I do not pull my ash through, i use a screen. Tap my bowls in the ash tray. Again the bong stay really clean, with no ash and less smell. I like the idea of using the carbon adapter, But is it harming my lungs? I noticed my lungs have started to hurt a little. I'm a daily weed smoker on again off again 7 years now. Not much a cig smoker.

Sum things up here.

Is there any research done on carbon filter adapters with activated carbon rocks?
Any Cons health wise?

Thanks peeps.

Carbon filter adapters are really great if you like a clean bong.
 
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