Published on January 22nd, 2020 | by Sunit Nandi

Technology Behind CBD Oil Creation

Since its legality and worldwide acceptance, the promising benefits of CBD oil have become more apparent. From the smallest medical problems, such as pain, to more pressing issues, such as seizures and anxiety, more and more patients are now incorporating CBD oil into their daily lives to cure them of various ailments and experience relief from debilitating symptoms.

But,what is CBD? What’s the technology behind CBD oil creation? What are its uses? The answers to these questions can be found below.

What Is CBD?

CBD or cannabidiol is an extract coming from the marijuana or hemp plant. Because of the extraction processes that it goes through, CBD is no longer psychoactive, which means it doesn’t cause its users to feel high. This is precisely what makes CBD a safer alternative to some known synthetic medicines.

What Are The Benefits And Uses Of CBD Oil?

CBD oil creation or extraction doesn’t go through the process mentioned above for no good reason at all. After the extraction process, the CBD oil now has a string of benefits, like the following:

Eases symptoms of anxiety
Reduces pain and inflammation
Helps prevent seizures
Controls acne

How Is CBD Oil Extracted Or Made?

There are many ways for companies to extract CBD (cannabidiol) from the marijuana plant. Despite the varying methods of extraction, the process can be summarized in these steps:

1. Winterization

This process involves removing any undesirable elements from the marijuana plant. These elements include lipids, for instance.

After the extraction process, the crude CBD oil is mixed with 200 proof alcohol and stirred continuously.
The mixture is then placed in a deep freezer overnight, hence, the term winterization was coined.
In the morning, the result is further filtered through to remove the alcohol again. This is done by heating, as this allows the alcohol to evaporate.

2. Short Path Distillation

This step involves further refinement of the extract, which has come from the winterization process. The CBD oil extract is further heated, wherein each compound is effectively separated. That way, each compound of the CBD is already isolated and can be used for its different purposes.

3. Color Selection

The color selection process in CBD oil extraction is essential for the reason that it’s indicative of the quality of the CBD oil. Here’s a breakdown of the color assignments in CBD oil creation:

Dark or green – raw oil that still hasn’t gone through the filtering process
Yellow or gold – filtered oil, which is the highest quality of oil as well as the most expensive, and is usually used for oral CBD oil products such as CBD tinctures
Amber or brown – decarboxylated oil to activate the healing process of CBD oil

These steps ensure that CBD oil is safe and non-addictive. Although the marijuana plant can get you high, CBD oil doesn’t. The extraction process that CBD goes through is meticulous enough to remove any trace of the addictive component THC. With that being said, you’re assured that the CBD oil you buy from reliable and authorized dispensaries are a hundred percent safe and natural.

What Are The Different Types Of CBD Oil Extraction?

All thanks to technology, there are now a wide variety of extraction processes that can be employed in producing CBD oil. Some of the most popular methods of extraction are the following:

1. Whole-Plant Extract Method

This process is also referred to as “full-spectrum”. This process is one of the most popular methods today, especially in the production of CBD oil for treating inflammatory conditions. As its name suggests, this process retains a little level of THC plus other components of the cannabis plant, such as terpenes, to activate its anti-inflammatory function.

2. Liquid Solvent Extraction

In this process, the liquid is used to absorb CBD oil from the cannabis plant. Examples of the conventional liquid solvents used in this process include:

Isopropyl alcohol
Hexane
Butane

This type of extraction process is also one of the cheapest ways there is. The only downside of this process is that certain solvents may have with them impurities that can affect the plant. It can result in a bitter taste of the oil, which can affect the production of oral CBD products.

3. Isolate Method

In this process, the CBD that’s extracted contains only CBD. The marijuana plant is as pure as it can be, as now it’s without cannabinoids, terpenes, and other fatty acids. This kind of method is popular for the reason that it produces CBD oil that doesn’t contain any level of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol. This creates safer CBD products, particularly those that are to be used by children. The absence of THC in the CBD oil ensures that it doesn’t make the users feel high, nor is it addictive.

4. Carbon Dioxide Extraction

The use of Carbon Dioxide for the creation of CBD oil is also one of the most popular methods. In this process, the inherent properties of CO2 allow it to function in either solid, liquid, or gas form.

The process goes by this way:

A solid piece of CO2 is pumped on a chamber that contains cannabis or marijuana.
The pressure of the chamber is maintained, such that CO2 stays in a liquid state in order to completely absorb all the oil of the plant.
The CO2 mixture is pumped to the third chamber for the CO2 to return to a gaseous state, extracting and leaving only the oil of the plant.

5. Ethanol Extraction

This process uses ethanol as the primary solvent to remove CBD from the marijuana or hemp plant. The only downside to this type of procedure is that it’s highly flammable. Hence, manufacturers that go for this type of extraction must ensure that their lab is extremely hazard-free.

Despite the hazards it brings, ethanol extraction is famous for the following reasons:

A fast means of creating CBD oil
Needs less expensive equipment
Less power-intensive

6. Oil Infusion

Oil infusion is one of the oldest ways of extracting CBD oil. Because of its effectivity, despite advancements in technology, it’s still very much in use up till this day.

The basic steps in oil infusion include:

First, allow the marijuana plant to go through the process. This refers to heating the hemp or marijuana plant to the right temperature to activate the compounds.
Second, add olive oil or any carrier oil of your choice.
Third, heat the mixture at 100 degrees Celsius from one to two hours.

Conclusion

CBD oil is popular because it is being widely used across the globe today. There’s so much buzz about it, and it’s certainly for a good reason. If you were previously on the fence about the legality and viability of the processes involved in CBD oil extraction, now you finally have more knowledge to realize that taking CBD is generally safe. However, never fail to consult your doctor first before using any CBD supplement to avoid problems in the future.

Tags: CBD oil, creation, technology

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.