The market for Cannabidiol CBD products is growing attributing to its therapeutic and medical benefits. Consumers are also attracted because of the minimum side effects. It is considered a natural herbal product by people because it is extracted from the hemp plant. There are different forms such as oils, tinctures, crystals, isolates, wax, and e-liquid. These are not psychotropic because of the lower level of THC content ie 0.3% or less. One of the areas of confusion for potential customers when checking the labels of CBD online is the extraction methods used. This can affect the quality of the product. The following are the different extraction techniques.
CO2 Extraction
CO2 extraction is broadly classified into supercritical, mid-critical, and subcritical methods. Among these, the supercritical method is the one that you will find in high-quality products. It is safer and the final product is very pure.
- Supercritical Method: Here the temperature and pressure are increased beyond the critical point. As a result, CO2 begins to act like gas and liquid. This is useful in preventing the denaturing of CBD. As a result, the yield is high. This method is expensive due to the high cost of machines to achieve a supercritical state.
- Subcritical Method: Here we use low pressure and low temperature. This method takes a long time and the yield is low. The advantage of this method is it doesn’t denature the terpenes. This method is not effective in capturing larger molecules like omega 6 and omega 3 fats.
- Midcritical Method: This is midway between supercritical and subcritical methods. An alternate name for this method is the total extraction process that is used by some manufacturers to extract full-spectrum CBD oil.
Liquid CO2 Extraction
In this method, we begin with liquid CO2 and then increase the temperature and pressure. Next, we pass the supercritical CO2 through cannabis to absorb the cannabinoids. This cannabinoid-containing solution is then passed through a condenser and broken down and the required compounds are collected.
Olive Oil Extraction
First, the hemp plant materials are heated to a specific temperature for a particular length of time to activate the cannabinoids. Then the olive oil is heated to 248 °F for 60 minutes. Next, the decarboxylated plant materials are added to the oil and heated for 1 hour. The cannabinoids will be extracted into the oil.
Solvent Method
Here ethanol or other low-grade alcohol is used to extract the cannabinoids. The plant material is added to the solvent and heated for multiple hours until the cannabinoids are extracted into the alcohol. The alcohol is then evaporated and we get the oil. This method might extract chlorophyll that can cause some side effects.
Final Thoughts
When purchasing CBD oils it is ideal to choose those products that use the supercritical CO2 extraction method. Most of the reliable leading manufacturers use this method.