Dr. Philip Blair, M.D. - These days, everyone seems to be talking about CBD oil. But are they asking questions about the CBD extraction methods used in the production of the products they buy?
This has been a particularly hot topic since the passage of the Farm Bill last December. Many people use CBD to reduce insomnia, anxiety, exercise-induced inflammation, and the temporary effects of mood swings - all with nutritional benefits and a strong safety profile.CBD oil works with the body's natural endocannabinoid system, or "master regulator," to support a state of internal balance. to support a state of internal homeostasis.
There are several common CBD oil extraction techniques; each one works slightly differently and produces a slightly different product. When purchasing a quality full-spectrum CBD oil, it is critical to understand the extraction process used to produce each company's cannabis CBD extraction product.
In today's post, we'll cover some of the most common CBD extraction techniques and the results they produce.
Ethanol Extraction
Ethanol CBD extraction occurs when manufacturers use premium grain alcohol to produce CBD oil. This method destroys the natural plant waxes that have potential nutritional properties, but leaves behind significant amounts of cannabinoids and terpenes.
Unfortunately, ethanol also extracts chlorophyll from cannabis. Chlorophyll is not dangerous-it has excellent cleansing properties-but if consumed in large quantities, it can affect the color and flavor of CBD, in addition to causing mild side effects. Chlorophyll can be removed from ethanol extracts, but it requires an additional step to reduce overall potency.
Butane can produce a more potent oil than ethanol, but the resulting extract is more likely to contain harsh residual solvents. Ethanol and butane extraction methods are less expensive to use, but are highly flammable. The extraction process is very fast, but the quality of the resulting oil is not as good as other methods.
Oil Extraction
Olive oil, vegetable glycerin and MCT oil are used in oil extraction methods. CBD extraction (CBD extraction machine site china) from olive oil is a common extraction method used in the cannabis industry. The raw cannabis plant is first decarboxylated; it is heated, usually at around 248°F for an hour, which activates the CBD component.
The material is then added to olive oil and the mixture is heated to 212° F for at least an hour. the CBD component is drawn into the olive oil and the plant material is filtered. However, the final product is highly perishable and the yield is low. On the plus side, it has very low start-up costs and the equipment is less likely to catch fire.
Carbon Dioxide Extraction
With CO2 extraction, manufacturers use high-pressure CO2 and varying temperatures to extract CBD and other ingredients. This method has been used by the food industry for many years; it is the process used to remove caffeine from coffee beans and produce many essential oils.
The process can be divided into three different categories.
Subcritical CO2 CBD extraction uses low pressure and low temperature.
Supercritical CO2 CBD extraction uses high pressures and very low temperatures.
Mid-critical uses high pressure and temperature variations, which determine the amount of terpenes that are preserved. The end result is a very pure product - it is able to isolate cannabinoids with 90% efficiency.
Elixinol uses a supercritical CO2 extraction method. Once the carbon dioxide becomes a liquid, the pressure and temperature increase until the liquid becomes supercritical - it has the properties of being between a gas and a liquid at the same time. The carbon dioxide can then fill the vessel like a gas, but it maintains the density of a liquid. This prevents the extract from damaging the final product, thus making it safe for human consumption.
This process maintains the purity of the plant's terpenes and cannabinoids. Many companies choose not to use this process because the equipment required is expensive and the learning curve is very steep.
CBD oil extracted by subcritical methods tends to retain more terpenes than CO2 oil extracted by supercritical methods; the latter requires winterization, a process that removes unwanted elements, such as lipids and waxes. After extraction, the CBD oil is mixed with 200 grade grain alcohol and thoroughly blended. It is then placed in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, it is ready to be filtered. After removing all unwanted elements, the alcohol is also removed by heating.
What about CBD isolate?
CBD isolate does not contain as many nutrients as full-spectrum CBD oil. Full spectrum CBD oil contains more cannabidiol, phytonutrients and terpenes compared to CBD isolate. Without the synergistic ingredients of the full spectrum, CBD isolate does not provide the full range of nutritional benefits to the body's endocannabinoid system.