Proper extraction of CBD ensures that all the desirable compounds in the plant are maintained. Extraction techniques vary and some methods are considered clean while others use any a variety of solvents, some potentially toxic. Listed below are three common extraction methods.
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One of the least desirable methods is solvent extraction, which uses solvents such as ethanol, propane, or alcohol to extract the CBD. The liquid solvent process starts by placing the hemp plant and flower trimmings in a container. The solvent is then run through the material removing the CBD. An evaporation process is then carried out in order to produce the finished concentrated CBD substance in oil form.
Another extraction method is the olive oil extraction process. In this process, the raw plant materials are first decarboxylated through heating to a specific temperature for a precise amount of time. The heating process activates the chemicals in the hemp plant. A combination of the plant material and olive oil is then heated again which leads to the CBD and other cannabinoids attaching to the fats in the oil, producing an infused product. The mixture is then left to cool and undergoes a filtration process to eliminate the leftover plant properties.
The CO2 extraction method is a preferred extraction method to extract CBD and is used by many of the top CBD companies such as CBDPure. This method uses a closed-loop extractor, which is a machine with three chambers. The first chamber contains pressurized, solid CO2 or dry ice. The other chamber holds dried hemp plant material while the third splits up the end product. CO2 in a supercritical state (between gas and liquid form) from the first chamber is pumped into the second chamber and runs through the materials extracting the CBD. The mixture is then pumped into the third chamber where the CO2 isolates to the top leaving the extract at the bottom.