How CBD Oil is Extracted and Refined
CBD stands for cannabidiol which is one of the 100 chemical compounds found in marijuana and hemp plant. From many of the famous Hollywood stars to our neighbors, everyone is using a variety of CBD products for various health benefits. But most people don’t know how CBD oil is extracted and refined to create these amazing products. Here, we will discuss the entire process of CBD extraction and refinement.
It is suggested that CBD can be a help in conditions like chronic pain, stress, anxiety & depression, insomnia, epilepsy, treating certain skin conditions and so on. It can be found in different forms including tinctures, capsules, topical creams, edibles, sprays, and wax.
Each of those products contains a different concentration of CBD and is suitable for the treatment of certain health issues.
HOW CBD OIL IS EXTRACTED AND REFINED
There are different techniques that are used to extract CBD from marijuana and hemp. Although the process of extracting CBD is ancient, CBD manufacturers have upgraded the process with state-of-the-art equipment and system. As a result, now they are able to both save the time and ensure the best quality product in the consumer market. Here, we are going to discuss some of the most popular techniques of extracting CBD.
CARBON DIOXIDE TECHNIQUE
One of the most extensive processes of extracting CBD from marijuana and hemp involves the use of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide can function as solid, liquid and gas which allow the extraction process to take advantage of this material. In this case, most commonly the Closed-Loop extractors are used for this process.
The extraction process starts with a solid piece of carbon dioxide which is pumped into a chamber that contains the cannabis material. Due to the extreme pressure in the chamber, CO2 stays in the liquid-like form and absorbs the oils and flavor of the cannabis plant. Then it is transferred to a further chamber where the carbon dioxide returns into the gaseous state and leaves behind the absorbed oils and flavors of the cannabis plant.
LIQUID SOLVENTS TECHNIQUE
This process works much the same as the carbon dioxide extraction technique but it is cheaper and easier with many downsides. In this process, natural liquid substances like butane, hexane, ethanol, isopropyl alcohol are used instead of carbon dioxide.
Some solvents usually carry impurities and chlorophyll from the plant, which as a result causes the CBD oil to be greenish and taste bitter. Most of these drawbacks are minimized by adjusting the extraction process.
OIL INFUSION TECHNIQUE
For harvesting cannabidiol from the cannabis plants, oil infusion is one of the most ancient processes which is practiced till date since this technique is straightforward and comes with a few drawbacks.
At first, heat is applied to the plant material to activate the compounds, which is also known as the decarboxylation process. Then the material is added to olive oil and again a heat of 100 degrees Celsius is applied for a couple of hours. Olive oil evaporates out of the CBD oil that is why the need for a lot of carrier oil is one of the few drawbacks of this technique.
After the extraction, CBD oil still contains some unwanted substances and impurities in it which is needed to be refined through some further processes. Winterization and Distillation are two of the most common techniques used to purify extracted CBD oil.
WINTERIZATION
It is one of the underlying parts of harvesting a pure and good quality CBD. The undesirable substances are removed and the refined CBD is collected by this process. It is just a part of extracting CBD isolate, which is not full-spectrum CBD and it contains the removable substances in it. After harvesting the CBD oil, it is kept in a freezing temperature overnight combining with 200-proof alcohol.
Then in the morning, it goes through the filtration process which removes the fats and other unwanted substances from the oil. Then the mixture of the CBD and alcohol is heated to the boiling point of alcohol which is lower than the boiling point of CBD oil. This is how the alcohol is vaporized off the CBD oil.
DISTILLATION
Now that you already know how CBD oil is extracted and refined, distillation is the further process executed before creating the purest form of CBD oil. The short path distillation is done for the purpose of further purification of the CBD oil. Different substances in CBD have a different boiling point and this advantage is utilized to boil off the substances at their own boiling points which are lower than that of the CBD oil. This is an excellent process to obtain the purest form of CBD oil. The main drawback of this technique is that it consumes time.
To conclude, CBD oil is creating a huge demand for its therapeutic benefits around the world. It is important to know how CBD oil is made to make sure you get the best quality products. Besides, now you also know why CBD oil so expensive, especially when you are buying from quality brands.
RELATED: HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT CBD OIL PRODUCT
You can ask the suppliers how they refine CBD oil and maintain the quality. It can be a help for you to choose the right products that you are looking for.
