Different types of CBD oils are excellent for different reasons. For instance, full-spectrum CBD oils are great for relaxation, whereas isolate-CBD oils are the best for inflammation.
The extraction method is one of the determinants of the type (and quality) of the CBD oil produced. As you’ll find out, some extraction methods are old-fangled, and they regularly cause problems.
Making quality CBD oil is quite expensive. Most reputable CBD brands are working with top manufacturers. As competition surges, natural selection will weed out the noisy clowns.
Hemp
Commercial CBD oil is extracted from the hemp plant. And so, the quality of CBD oil is directly related to the quality of the hemp plant.
It’s one of the oldest crops in the world, and it’s legal to grow in many countries such as North Korea, Chile, France, the USA, China, and Canada.
The plant is used for various purposes. Both its fiber and seeds make up essential ingredients in up to 25000 consumer products.
Standing erect up to four meters above the ground, its slender stalks, multi-lobed compound leaves, and nutty aroma give it a distinct look.
To the uninitiated eye, hemp would seem like marijuana, admittedly the two plants share a close resemblance, but then marijuana is typically bushy and denser than hemp.
Large-scale hemp farmers approach it as an art. They cultivate rows of hemp plants, with linear spacing, thus making it easier to tend to and also harvest.
Top CBD manufacturers understand that they need quality hemp so as not to compromise their product standards. And when we talk about quality hemp, this is the major factor:
- It has to be Non-GMO.
Quality industrial hemp is always organically-grown. Chemically-engineered hemp would only result in watered-down CBD, not to mention the added chemicals are bad for your health.
Now let’s look at some of the methods of extracting CBD oil.
1. Supercritical CO2 Extraction
The Supercritical CO2 Extraction Method is customary to top CBD manufacturers. It eliminates manual control and allows for processing both small and large quantities of raw material.
The system size is dependent upon the batch size. Whether you intend to process a couple grams of industrial hemp or hundreds of pounds, the system can be adjusted.
With this extraction method, the producer can automate the entire process, saving resources. The turnaround is dependent upon the batch as well as temperature and pressure fluctuations.
To start the extraction, the industrial hemp is first ground and put in an extraction vessel, and then high-temperature Carbon Dioxide is guided into the vessel at high pressure.
The hot gas splits the industrial hemp into its basic elements, and the material flows into a separate vessel with a compressor and a heater, and finally, the CBD oil is tapped.
This method is both environmentally-friendly and cost-effective in the sense that it allows for Carbon Dioxide to be sent back into the tank and used in the next batch.
The FDA considers CO2 to be harmless for industrial extraction. In case there is Carbon Dioxide residue in the final product, the gas will escape at room temperature.
Manufacturers love this extraction method not just because it grants them full control but also the yield is significantly higher than using other extraction methods.
This method also makes for purer products.
2. Hydrocarbon Extraction
Hydrocarbon extraction is one of the most popular methods of stripping CBD oil from the hemp plant, mainly because it is a low-cost extraction method.
As the name suggests, it involves using hydrocarbons like Propane and Butane, to extract oils and terpenes from the hemp plant.
The process requires careful handling to ensure high yield and also limit hydrocarbon residue in the concentrate.
First off, the hemp plant is confined in a vessel, packed tightly to eliminate spaces. Now, cold Butane is guided into the hemp plant, stripping the cannabinoids and oils from the hemp plant.
The solution is collected and mixed with other solvents to obtain CBD oil. Butane residuals are eliminated via passive heating as the gas escapes.
The manufacturer needs to exercise extreme care to increase the yield and at the same time minimize the level of impurities.
It’s a cheap extraction method but its major downside is that the resulting oil usually contains lower levels of cannabinoids, terpenes, and there’s no guarantee of purity.
3. Steam Distillation
This method entails using steam to separate CBD oil from the hemp plant. The hemp plant is confined in a flask with an inlet and outlet.
Water is set to boil beneath the flask, and the high-pressure steam is channeled into the hemp plant, vaporizing the plant’s oils as it travels up.
The vapor is condensed in a different tube into water and CBD oil, and the water is distilled, thus leaving CBD oil.
This extraction method might be low-cost, but it defeats the purpose because it is woefully inefficient. I mean, you require disproportionately large amounts of the hemp plant.
It also poses a great risk considering that excessive steam could destroy the chemical nature of the hemp plant and end up with poor-quality CBD oil.
4. Carrier Oil Extraction Method
As the name suggests, it involves the use of carrier oils. First off, the industrial hemp is heated for a certain length of time, bringing its chemical properties to life.
Then the carrier oil is added into the industrial hemp, and the heating continues, causing the CBD oil and terpenes to come out of the industrial hemp, and they are dissolved into the carrier oil.
The solution flows into another chamber, where the carrier oil is separated, but the CBD oil gotten through this method doesn’t have high potency.
What the Best Method of Extracting CBD Oil?
From the standpoint of a manufacturer, the C02 supercritical extraction method is hands down the best. Not only is it safe but the yield is high. Also, the carbon dioxide can be used many times over.
It’s well worth it investing in a plant for supercritical C02 extraction method because it will help you produce quality CBD products.
In the CBD industry, your reputation precedes you, and if you want to get sales, people must say good things about your product.
Should You Care About the Manufacturer When Buying CBD Products?
Yes, and this is because top manufacturers are using the best production methods, thus they can make quality CBD products.
On the other hand, the bottom of the barrel manufacturers (there’s quite a number of them) want to stay in the business and preserve their ego, yet their archaic systems can only make low-quality products.
Top CBD brands create and market their own CBD oil, but even private label companies are pretty open about their manufacturers.
You can always get this information by looking at the 3rd party lab tests.
The CBD industry is not well regulated. I mean, national health bodies may occasionally threaten action and lash out against offending parties, but everyone knows that the CBD industry is a semi-jungle.
As a customer, always make a point of researching before you buy any CBD product; there are many resources online to shield you against regrettable decisions.
Cannabis products are consumed in every corner of the world, regardless of whether they are legal or not. The hemp plant is more likely to become legal worldwide before marijuana because it contains no THC.
This presents a tremendous business opportunity, and there’s no better time than the present to get started.
Once the government realizes the massive economic potential of hemp, and they are starting to realize it, expect active policing.
The technology around the production of CBD oil is making major progress. In the not-so-distant future, there’ll be fully-automated CBD oil extraction technology that uses recyclable energy.
