Cannabis oil has been commanding huge adoption lately for its wealth of health benefits. Extracted from hemp plant, this oil is great for both physical and mental well-being. Various studies have reported positive effects of cbd oil for anxiety treatment, epilepsy and even treatment of cancer. Have you ever wondered how the oil is actually extracted from the hemp plant? Well, the post below offers a brief on major extraction methods of cannabis oil.
There are two major methods here – Ethanol extraction as well as Hydrocarbon extraction.
Ethanol extraction
The main goal of extracting the oil is to derive a pure, clean as well as highly concentrated compound that users will be able to consume. Ethanol cannabis oil extraction is considered to be one of the best methods here.
In this case, the primary task is to dissolve hemp in ethanol for extraction. A favorite of the experts, ethanol extraction assures up till 99 percent unadulterated, highly concentrated and premium quality cannabis oil. But the process doesn’t end. In fact, there are a few more steps to follow after extraction.
Here is a brief on the further steps to be followed here:
Decarboxylation
It refers to the process of removal of carboxyl group which leads to the release of CO2. It results in production of carboxylic acid through a pull out of carbon atom. Decarboxylation propels activation of the cannabis oil which tends to be in acidic state prior to that. In other words, Decarboxylation works to activate inactive compounds in cannabis.
Winterization
This process is about extraction or separation of oil from wax. The main reason why the procedure is termed as “winterization” is to execute the process you need temperature below 0 degree Celsius. Chilled temperature is required to dissolve non-polar substance (read hash oil) into the polar ones. When you mix it, you get a high quality oil. Besides, the procedure further includes filtration of the oil which helps to relieve it from unwanted plant materials, fatty acids, terpenoids, chlorophyll or cananbinoids.
Hydrocarbon extraction
This method is all about using hydrocarbons for extracting terpenes and cannabinoids to produce premium grade cannabis oil. Three kinds of hydrocarbons tend to be used here:
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Butane (C4H10) – an alkane that contains 4 carbon atoms
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Propane (C3H8)- normally found as gas which turns to liquid on compression
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Methane (CH4) – a gaseous compound which comprises of 4 hydrogen atoms and carbon
All these compounds are available in gaseous state in normal temperature. However, when you apply pressure on them, they fast convert into liquids. There is a special machine that is used to extract cannabis oil via hydrocarbon extraction. The best machine for extraction of cannabis oil will certainly be backed by the features mentioned below-
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Material column
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Recovery cylinder
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Collection vessel
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Warm-water bath
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Condensing Oil
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Molecular Sieve
The good part is a standard hydrocarbon equipment is not really very expensive. In fact, it also assures a speedy extraction rate and promises a highly potential product.
Final words
It should be noted here that cannabis oil doesn’t contain any sort of psychoactive property as you find in its cousin marijuana. There is no question of getting “high” by taking cannabis oil. On the contrary, cannabis oil is chock-full of excellent health benefits. It relaxes the mind and keeps anxiety, stress and depression at bay. The oil has also proved to help in diabetes management and aids to maintain good heart health. It also helps to reduce inflammation and body pain. Not only that, cannabis oil is great for skincare as well. It’s a fantastic remedy to treat acne issues.