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Is 'new growth'( arms as opposed to main trunk )okay to use whole or does the core still need to be removed before powdering?

Is there ANY thing in the core or does that just act as filler?


Thanks,


E

The core is safe. Gram to gram you'll just have a reduced %. But in the end you'll have a little more mecaline because the white flesh does have some love in it.

in my opinion i would stick with the green parts only the core is not good for your stomach and has so little mescaline that is not worth it

Does it also have very low quantities of other alkaloids or might it be worthwhile using to obtain resin/tea with a wider range of alkaloids than mescaline?

My friend has never had any stomach issues with the flesh or core. Read the resin tek thread, someone made a potent resin from the white flesh alone. Try it both ways.

This is entirely irrelevant (and wrong, in the sense of "not being worth it") if extracting mescaline as the extraction will quell any potential stomach issue alkaloids. Even for resin you should be fine with the white, it's got alks in it, it's just not worth eating straight up because of low % mesc, etc. All that changes when you simmer for resin/extract mesc.

As both a grower and consumer of cactus, I would never waste any viable part of the cactus. My first cacti explorations, when I was just eating flesh, were the only times I discarded any piece of the cactus.

Personally, I'd say go for it.

It isnt worth it for an extraction at all. The core makes up a considerable amount of the overall weight of the plant. If you are extracting alkaloids with Limonene then it is far more efficient to skin the plant and use that part only. In SWIMS experience this makes the difference between a %2 yield and a %3 yield (for his particular plants). Sure the same amount can be pulled if you powder the whole plant, but you will need to double the extraction ingedients and Limonene is expensive when one starts using litres and litres of it. Plus if your using parts of the plant close to the base the core is like a piece of wood! there's no way a common spice mill will be able to powder it

The same goes for the resin too. Unless you have a huge pot, you wont be able to fit as much in there as you would like, so getting rid of the core will result in a stronger resin by weight. If you want you can do a resin extraction on the core later, but after you've tried it once you wont do it again There's just next to nothing in there

*edit* When SWIM say's the skin, he means just roughly chop it away from the core, there is definately fun too be had in the white flesh

valid points 'chode, i should have said i find em irrelevant to my extractions, and i fully agree with the white flesh/skinning distinction, look at the post above me, fractal rider says green flesh only, that's what I was commenting on moreso than chucking the skinned core into the mix

also, limonene can be reused and i've never had problems with my labware being too small

just my own $.02

Can it? SWIM hasn't tried it and just assumed it wouldnt be any good for further extractions so he buys new limonene each time. Something comes out of his limonene on the first few pulls that changes it to some degreee. After its been salted its not as effective at getting stickers off the things, or bubble gum out of fabric. And it seems to take on all sorts of pigments and oils from the plant material. Is that not an issue?

You guys are missing the OP question. He was simply asking if it was okay to use the core of a new growth (not woody base). It is safe, not cost or time effective if that is an issue but it is safe.

My friend doesn't use the core, he cuts the flesh (white and green) into strips off the core and drys it out leaving the skin and spines in tact.

no point in removing any of it it if its all soft growth - there will be some actives in the core - there is plenty in the white flesh near the core - i got over 1% from white flesh.
yes the % yeild may drop but the actual figures in g or mg will be higher in the end if you include it all.
also referring to the outer dark green layer of a cactus as the cactus's skin is incorrect - the skin is the waxy stuff that covers the cactus - many ppl make this mistake incl vendors(idk how it caught on)

Yea, I know right? Especially given the fact that the waxy skin is clearly different than the meaty flesh. If people would use a little common sense the world would be so much further along than it is, haha.

I've never had any problems reusing Limonene. Here's a Nexus Thread on reusing D-Limonene.

off topic completely but i had to say it - another entheo with this naming problem is nymphea nouchali var cerulae - blue water lily, there is no such thing as blue lotus, lotus is nelumbo nucifera and there and none that are blue that i know of.