What makes extracts waxy?

From my reading, the stuff that makes extracts like BHO crystallize into a waxy mass over time is mostly a plant paraffin called nonacosane. Kind of a rare item in most plants. It may have antitumor properties like some closely related compounds. The only MSDS I could find on it had no negative data in it. Seems very safe to ingest or handle. Anyway, the method used to separate it is simply to dissolve the extract in hot acetone and cool it to precipitate it out. My guess is that this is what gives hash its putty consistency, rather than oily. But, people may actually want to save that precipitated nonacosane and administer it to a cancer patient or something, rather than chucking it out or making candles with it.

Here's a quote from an article;

"The 50 known hydrocarbons detected in Cannabis consist of n-alkanes ranging from C9 to C39, 2-methyl-, 3-methyl-, and some dimethyl alkanes (10,35). The major alkane present in an essential oil obtained by extraction and steam distillation was the n-C 29 alkane nonacosane (55.8 and 10.7%, respectively). Other abundant alkanes were heptacosane, 2,6-dimethyltetradecane, pentacosane, hexacosane,and hentriacontane."

Chemistry and Analysis
of Phytocannabinoids
and Other Cannabis Constituents
Rudolf Brenneisen

Click to expand...

Notice it said the extract was 55.8% nonacosane.