CBD is a drug that has become extremely popular over the past few years. Not only is it a relatively affordable drug, but it can have many excellent medical benefits that everyone needs in their life. CBD has become so popular that some people are making it in their own homes! But, how is CBD oil made? Well, keep reading to find out about this and learn more about CBD!
What Is CBD Oil?
Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is an active compound in cannabis, which you may know as marijuana. CBD is quite popular because of its powerful therapeutic effects. People can take CBD to treat a lot of medical problems. CBD can “help with pain relief, insomnia, and several other conditions.”
So, now that you understand what CBD is all about let’s get into the steps to making CBD.
Planting The Hemp Plant
The first step to learn how CBD oil is made is planting the hemp plant. Firstly, you must prepare and test the soil for herbicides. Afterward, you can sow the seeds in the ground. You can plant both quite close together, even as close as four inches. It makes hemp a pretty fantastic plant since it leads to a greater yield with less land use.
The plant hemp tends to fall between the third week of May and into the first week of June. “Most farmers prefer cloning as it promotes a quick production of vast numbers of genetically identical plants. With cloning, you can be sure of each plant’s quality.” Once it has been planted, the hemp proliferates, being ready to harvest after two months.
Harvesting The Hemp Plant
The next step for making CBD is to harvest the hemp plant. It is essential to know that most of “the cannabinoids are most commonly concentrated in the resin glands of the plant’s trichome.” It means the best place to start is at the flowers of the hemp plant.
Usually, the harvest of most hemp plants is in October, although this varies depending on the region’s climate.
After harvesting, you should cure or air-dry the plants. Around 3 to 4 weeks later, you have to remove the flowers from the plants. Then you can ship them to manufacturers so they can extract the cannabinoids.
Extracting The CBD From The Dried Hemp Flower
Manufacturers do the following step: extracting CBD from the dried hemp flower. If you are unaware, you should know that extraction is removing CBD excerpt from a hemp plant. “To isolate the individual compounds (CBD being one of them), the extracted oil needs to be distilled after extraction. The first step is a process called Winterization, followed by Short Path Distillation.”
That way, it transforms into a usable form for ingestion or topical application. Every single extraction method leads to a different result in the end. Moreover, it all depends on the extraction of CBD. Usually, the raw extract has a thick oily texture with a very dark hue.
There are several different extraction methods, each one with its individual qualities and negative aspects. “Cannabis oil made with neurotoxic solvents like butane and hexane may leave unsafe residues that compromise immune function and impede healing.” You can check out some of the leading CBD extraction methods available below:
Ethanol Extraction
The science behind this method consists of soaking the plant in high-grain alcohol. That is what allows CBD extraction. “Ethanol extraction can be done under warm or cold conditions and is considered extremely time-efficient compared to other CBD extraction processes like CO2 extraction.” Ethanol extraction has one of the most effective gaining tractions on the market. Due to this, one of the most popular extraction methods out there.
CO2 Extraction
Another of the most popular extraction methods, and probably the most common one is CO2 extraction. This CO2 extraction method works by using a “closed-loop extractor, a system for extracting essential oils for perfumes, as well as creating food additives.” To begin with, you have to place the hemp in a chamber and then fill it with carbon dioxide.
Next, you should apply pressure to the chamber so that the carbon dioxide becomes liquid. It allows it to absorb the hemp’s oils and flavors then. Once this happens, you pump the liquid into another chamber, where the carbon dioxide becomes a gas. In the end, the result is a liquid consisting of both carbon dioxide and CBD. “When this is done well, CO2 extracted products are some of the purest in the world.”
Even though this extraction process is efficient, safe, and with a strong result, the process is not always alcohol-free. You have to refine a large amount of material that arises from CO2 with an alcohol solvent. Only then can you create CBD isolate or distillate.
Oil Extraction
Another one of the best extraction methods is the oil extraction method. You have to use it with olive oil, and it is one of the oldest extraction methods today. It is so simple to do that people use their methods in their homes. At first, you have to decarboxylate the plant material.
Although this may sound a bit complicated, it is quite a simple process. Believe it or not, “decarboxylation is heating the plant to a specific temperature so that the chemical compounds become activated.”
Afterward, after decarboxylating the plant matter, you can mix and heat the oil and plant again.
Once you heat the oil and plant together, you can extract the cannabinoids. Since the oils don’t evaporate, the final extract is not as concentrated as in other methods. Furthermore, there is a minor issue with oil extractions, which is that oils are perishable. Because of this, producers store old ones in a cool, dry area, which imposes restrictions on consumers.
Creating CBD Oil & Topicals
Once CBD has already been extracted from the plant and is in its purest form, the process can start. CBD combines with other ingredients, such as flavoring and carrier oil. As an example, an excellent carrier for CBD can be oils such as hemp seed or coconut. That is because they have a natural abundance of saturated facts.
The body absorbs natural fat molecules, and they go directly to the liver. In this manner, CBD can enter the bloodstream as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Lab Testing & Packaging
Although it may be tempting to focus simply on the procedure or solvent that a product employs, this does not tell the entire picture. It is precisely the same case with CBD. Extraction is just the start. Although producers employ solvents in the extraction process, in the end, they get pure CBD. More significantly, strict production procedures and standards determine the final product’s quality and a considerable testing commitment.
You have now seen how the whole process of creating high-quality CBD oil involves numerous phases. In other words, it all comes down to the brand and its quality. Any brands that are open and honest about their manufacturing processes and routinely third-party test their goods are frequently the most refined oils on the market. Despite this, however, having a direct and transparent supply chain aids in producing high-quality final goods.
Although the CBD business has a long history, technological improvements have allowed for a superior final product in recent years. With improved manufacturing processes and ongoing innovation, CBD oil will reach an increasing number of people and offer to heal a more significant number of people.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, the production of CBD oil comes from extracting cannabidiol from cannabis or hemp plants. It can contain a high quantity of CBD and deficient levels or even no THC. You can get all kinds of CBD that will grant you different types of medicinal benefits. Moreover, it all comes down to the type of plant the CBD oil is extracted from.
“CBD oil is taking the world by storm, but the lack of standards can cause problems for consumers.” not only this, but the extraction method can have a pretty huge impact as well. It means that not only do they use a suitable extraction method, but they are open and honest about their testing and manufacturing process. So, if you want to get the best quality CBD, make sure you purchase it from a good brand.
Still, if you have trouble finding a good brand, check out the brands above to ensure you get some of the best CBD oil out there.
