Hemp Plant Extraction

METHODS OF EXTRACTING CBD FROM PLANTS

The cannabis plant is home to over 420 plant-based chemicals with therapeutic potentials. These chemicals are classified as terpenes, cannabinoids, essential oils, complex carbohydrates and more. While these chemicals may possess some qualities that allow them to interact with some important receptors in the body, their activity is quite limited unless they are extracted from the parent plant. This is where extraction methods come into play.

The extraction method plays a critical role in determining the safety of the products. As one of the most active components found in the cannabis plant, CBD have been extracted using the following methods;

• 1.Use of hydrocarbons
• This method of extraction involves the use of commonly food-grade hydrocarbons like butane, propane and ethanol. It involves soaking or washing of plant trimmings into the solvent thus removing the active components in the plant. The mixture from this extraction may need more purification except in cases where the users are interested in a full-spectrum product with some form of impurities.
• Although this method of extraction may not require specialized instruments, the extraction products may contain contaminants like chlorophyl and traces of the solvents which may be carcinogenic. The solvents are highly flammable and may constitute a fire hazard if not handled correctly.
• 2.Extraction with olive oil
• The olive oil extraction was created to reduce the risk associated with the use of hydrocarbons like propane, and butane which are potentially dangerous to human health. In this extraction, the raw hemp or cannabis is heated to a certain temperature then added to the oil and heated again to extract the cannabinoids. The final product is usually a CBD-infused oil which may not be as concentrated as the product from hydrocarbon solvents.
• 3.Steam distillation
• This is mostly employed in the extraction of essential oils and cannabinoids. In this method, steam is used in freeing the volatile compounds from the raw plant material. The resulting vapor is then cooled and condensed to obtain the desired product. Steam distillation is an inexpensive solvent-free method which is quite inefficient and require more plant material for extraction. It also produces an inconsistent concentration of CBD. It may lead to the destruction of some heat sensitive compounds in the plant.
• 4.CO2 extraction
• This is the safest and most popular method of extracting CBD and other cannabinoids from the cannabis or hemp plant. It involves the use of supercritical or subcritical CO2 which is safe and provides the highest concentration of CBD and other compounds in the plant. The extraction process takes place in three chambers with the first chamber containing supercritical CO2 (existing between liquid and gas). The second chamber holds the plant material which is allowed to interact with the supercritical CO2 for extraction to take place while the third and final chamber is contains the concentrated products from the extraction.
• Since the process utilize non-flammable and readily available solvents, it is the most widely acceptable extraction process for CBD and other cannabis-based compounds. The extraction process is quite straight forward.

Conclusion

At Pure Potent, all our CBD products are 100% organic and extracted using CO2 extraction. Let us know if you have any questions regarding our CBD products. We will love to hear from you soon.