CBD Extraction

CBD or Cannabidiol is an element present in the cannabis family. Since 2018, after the introduction of the new farm bill, there is an increased demand for CBD products in the market. To meet the demands of the consumer and also to attract new users, CBD manufacturers are producing so many different types of CBD products. However, before making any CBD product, the manufacturers will have to extract the elements from the plant. Since marijuana is illegal, most manufacturers are using the hemp plant to obtain CBD. In this article, we will discuss the different methods used for CBD extraction along with their pros and cons.

CO2 Extraction

This method is considered as the best mode of extracting CBD from the hemp plant because of two reasons. Firstly, it is very efficient as it will allow the manufacturers to extract pure CBD from the hemp plant. It will also help the manufacturers to derive CBD at a consistent density and concentration. Secondly, it is safer than other popular methods because it does not use any toxic or nontoxic solvents for the extraction of CBD. The CO2 extraction method is of two types, the supercritical extraction, and the subcritical extraction. The former technique is used to derive a pure form of CBD from the hemp plant while the latter is used for extracting CBD without losing other cannabinoids and terpenes.

The main advantage of this technique is that it is safe and will not leave any trace of the substance used for extraction in the final CBD product. In addition to that, this method will help the manufacturers to extract a pure form of CBD for making isolated products. The disadvantage of this method is that it is highly expensive. Not only the setup cost, but the working cost of the CO2 extraction method is much higher than other methods. Since it requires proper knowledge and skill to operate, manufacturers adopting this method might have to appoint experts to carry on this procedure.

Oil Extraction

It is one of the easiest methods for extracting CBD. Using this method, people can make CBD products like CBD oil, salves, and creams even at their own homes. Vegetable oils like olive oil, coconut oil, or hemp seed oil are best for this method. Even ghee and butter can also be used for extracting CBD using this technique. Firstly, you will have to heat the dried leaves or flower of the hemp plant at a temperature of 250F for an hour, after that, you can add any oil mentioned above and heat the mixture for a minimum of 2 hours. This will help the oil to absorb the entire CBD element present in the plant parts.

The biggest advantage of this method is that it is easy and cheap compared to other modes of extraction. Since there is no requirement of special tools and raw material, this method can be used by small manufacturers. However, since it is using oil as a base, it will allow the manufacturers to produce only limited types of products with such extract. In addition to that, these extracts will have all the elements present in the hemp plant, and differentiating CBD from it will be an expensive task.

Solvent Extraction

CBD can be extracted from the hemp plant using organic solvents like butane, propane, and alcohol. It is the cheapest method used for extracting CBD after oil extraction. The beginning of this extraction method starts by heating the plant parts like leaves, flower, and stem. When it is heated for a specified time, it will be soaked in an organic solvent. This is a time-consuming process as the solvent will take more than a week to completely absorb all the elements like CBD and terpenes from the plant parts. After making sure that all the elements are separated from the plant, the mixture will be heated to remove all the traces of the solvent.

This method is practiced by many small and large manufacturers of CBD because it is cheap and does not require any special machinery and equipment to carry on the procedure. In addition to that, it is the most eco-friendly method of extraction. Since it is using organic solvents as a base, such extracts can be used to produce any type of CBD products including CBD oil. The biggest disadvantage of this method is that some of the organic solvents used for extraction are toxic and will deteriorate the quality of CBD. It may also leave some traces of the solvent in the final product.

The above mentioned are some of the commonly used extraction methods used for producing CBD products. From the above discussion, it is clear that all the methods have their unique benefits and disadvantages. Therefore, it is not possible to rank each method based on their efficiency, and choosing an extraction method depends on the personal judgment of the manufacturer.