There are many ways to extract CBD from cannabis. Below is more information on the most effective cannabis oil extraction systems.
Supercritical CO2 Extraction
Supercritical sounds like a fancy word, but it’s a common term in the chemistry field. It means a substance in a supercritical condition has both liquid and gas properties.
When you use supercritical CO2 for CBD extraction, the gas properties let it effuse through the plant material, and the liquid properties allow it bring out the needed compounds in the most efficient manner. The process varies somewhat, but many labs begin the process with CO2 in liquid form and others start with the gas form.
To get the supercritical state, CBD manufacturers usually add CO2 in a special chamber that has plant matter and uses precise levels of temperature and pressure that is necessary for the supercritical state.
At this time, with the addition of heat, CO2 is a solvent and makes the plant matter separate. It takes out all the desired compounds. Once it is done, CO2 separates from the plant material and you have CBD oil of the full spectrum variety.
There are higher expenses with this type of extraction, but it is the most efficient way to get CBD. Also note that the process is environmentally friendly because it has low emissions. Further, it is safer than extractions with solvents because CO2 is thought of as safe by FDA.
Steam Distillation
Steam distillation has been around for hundreds of years. It has been used to distill various types of alcohol and also essential oils from plant materia. The process is less complex than CO2 extraction.
First, you put the plants in a distillation tank, then use water and heat to create steam. The steam brings the oil to the top and it then goes through a condenser. This leads to a mixture of water and oil. The mix is then distilled to separate the water and oil and you get CBD oil.
This process is simpler and not as expensive, but there are some disadvantages. It is less efficient than the other method and can damage some of the essential oil during the process. Steam is not used as much to extract CBD but some manufacturers that cost less still use it.
Keep these popular extraction methods in mind as you are shopping for CBD and you will be a more informed shoper.
