How is CBD extracted from hemp?

There is a lot of buzz going around about CBD, and it is hitting the market by storm. Cannabis plants such as hemp and marijuana have natural cannabinoids that have a plethora of health benefits. In order to reap those benefits, we have to extract the non-psychoactive cannabinoids from the plant. 

Related: 20 Amazing Benefits of CBD Oil

The main cannabinoid we have found in hemp and marijuana plants that have been studied the most is CBD. There are a few different ways to extract CBD from cannabis plants.

The extraction process is very important because if it is not done properly, it can affect the CBD. Some methods are harmful to our bodies and add unnecessary chemicals to our bodies. 

The two most common forms of extraction are CO2 extraction and Ethanol extraction. These are the two cleanest ways to extract CBD for human consumption. 

Ethanol Extraction

Have you ever drank grain alcohol? If you have, you were drinking ethanol. Ethanol is a colorless flammable liquid that is extremely intoxicating. It is an agent used in many liquors, as a solvent, and in fuel. 

Most ethanol is fermented from sources of starch, corn, wheat, grain, barley, and potatoes. In the United States, we typically get ethanol from corn. According to the FDA, ethanol is safe for human consumption, but only at 16,000 parts per million or less. 

How The Process Works

The ethanol extraction process is conducted under warm water or cold conditions. One example of this extraction is called the warm ethanol extraction process. Here is how it works:

1. Ethanol is boiled in a flask or pot.
2. It condenses the alcohol on a cooled-coil.
3. This then drips through the packed hemp or marijuana plant stripping the cannabinoids and terpenes.

It dissolves molecules that are dissolvable by water and co-extracts the chlorophyll from the hemp plant in addition to the cannabidiol. This filtering process removes a lot of the good elements in the CBD extract. The result of using ethanol is less clean than CO2 extraction. 

CO2 extraction

Your body naturally produces CO2. When you breathe in oxygen, you breathe out CO2 or carbon dioxide. Plants actually use carbon dioxide an give off oxygen. Because CO2 is a natural, it is a cleaner way to extract the CBD from a hemp or marijuana plant.  

How the Process Works

CO2 extraction is actually called supercritical CO2 extraction. It is called this because the CO2 is pressured and cooled to create a liquid and a solid at the same time. Here is how it works:

1. The pressure of CO2 is raised with a compressor and the temperature is raised with a heater. 
2. It becomes Supercritical CO2.
3. The Supercritical CO2 is passed through high-grade hemp or marijuana plants. 
4. The CO2 pulls all the essential trichomes, CBD, and terpene oils out of the plant.
5. The solution is then passed through a separator where it is broken down into parts. 
6. The trichomes, terpenes, and CBD are sent to a collection receptacle. The CO2 is passed through a condenser and turned back into a liquid.
7. The liquid is then sent to a storage tank where it can be reused.

Why CO2 extraction is better

As you can tell from above, the process of extracting CBD using CO2 is a much more natural method. It does not use chemicals that dilute the CBD potency. 

Along with being a natural and healthier alternative to extracting CBD, it is also better for the environment. This is because CO2 is turned back into a liquid and can be used over and over whereas other methods cannot. 

Decreasing the CO2 pressure will turn it back into a gas which can easily be absorbed back into the environment and taken in by plants. 

Although CO2 extraction is more expensive it is a much cleaner alternative to the other methods.  

Methods Not Recommended

When buying CBD oil, it is important to know the method in which it was extracted. The extraction method plays a big role in how well the CBD oil will work and affect your body. There are two methods that are not recommended when extracted CBD from cannabis plants. 

Olive Oil Extraction or Rick Simpson Extraction

In order to use this extraction process, the olive oil must be heated to 200 degrees; however, CBD can only be heated up to 180 degrees before it loses its medicinal properties. Because CBD cannot be concentrated, the oil created this way is less potent than it should be. 

Additionally, the Rick Simpson method is not recommended because it uses unsafe chemicals such as butane which taints the CBD. Not only is it unsafe, but it makes the CBD oil far less effective than it actually is. 

What Extraction Method is Best?

As of right now, the best way to extract CBD is through the CO2 extraction method. Companies that want to see you reap the benefits of CBD will use the CO2 extraction method as it keeps the CBD in the best state for medicinal use. 

CO2 extraction shows the highest, purest concentration of CBD and the lowest contamination of the extraction product. 

Because CO2 extraction is one of the hardest and most expensive methods, you will see that only the most reputable companies are using this method. 

Why Nuvelio Naturals?

Because we at Nuvelio Naturals want you to reap the benefits of CBD oil, we only use the CO2 extraction process. Nuvelio full spectrum CBD oil is delicately and painstakingly created from certified agricultural hemp using CO2 extraction. This process is environmentally friendly and does not compromise the safety of our oil or its users. Using our cutting-edge techniques leaves you with quality beyond compare.

Be sure to always know how your CBD is extracted and where it comes from before buying it. Remember, you get what you pay for, so make sure you are getting the best!