CBD Extraction Methods Explained: Everything You Need to Know

After hearing about numerous CBD extraction methods, you might be wondering what they are, how they work, and what difference they really make.

Extraction is the process of getting harvested hemp and taking out cannabinoids like CBD. It’s a crucial step in the manufacturing of CBD oil, and can directly impact the quality of the final product.

There are three primary methods of CBD extraction used at industrial level, each with their own pros and cons. But before examining them, let’s look at two extraction methods you can try at home:

Heat Extraction

First, heat the hemp in an oven at a temperature of 250°F for 45 minutes, turning it every 15 minutes to ensure that it is heated uniformly. This is the decarboxylation process. It converts acidic cannabinoids, such as cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), to the ones whose therapeutic benefits you seek, like CBD.

Next, place the decarboxylated hemp in a crock-pot with your carrier oil - butter and coconut oil are both recommended - and leave on a low heat for 24 hours.

Strain the plant material and you’re finished. This is not the most efficient method of making CBD oil, but it still harnesses some of the hemp’s active components.

Alcohol Extraction

To begin, place your cannabis flower in a bowl of alcohol and stir for roughly six minutes, until you produce a resin. Then remove the resin and filter the remaining solvent.

Heat this solution in a double boiler until it simmers lightly, evaporating out the alcohol at a low temperature. Finally, let it simmer for approximately 30 minutes, until the alcohol has completely evaporated. The leftover product will be CBD oil.

Of course, if you don’t wish to make your own CBD oil, there are plenty of products available to buy. Industrial manufacturers have their own, more technical methods to get the most out of the extraction process, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Industrial CBD Extraction Methods

Ethanol Extraction

In simplified terms, this is like a scaled-up version of the alcohol extraction method. Ethanol extraction is very popular with CBD oil manufacturers due to its effectiveness, the cleanliness of the process and its relatively low setup cost.

This method was once considered dirty due to the potential for ethanol to be left in the finished CBD oil, however technological advances have made it much cleaner.

Butane Extraction

Many people in the industry dislike this method, as large quantities of butane can be left in the finished CBD oil if the process is not conducted precisely enough. 

The high explosivity of butane means this technique is also dangerous. The need to work with it makes this is an expensive and often unclean form of extraction, and one whose products we do not recommend.

CO2 Extraction

CO2 extraction is the cleanest method for both the environment and the consumer, as nothing needs to be evaporated out of the final product. It’s a complex process which passes highly pressurized CO2 through a series of chambers in order to separate and capture specific compounds from the raw cannabis.

In the long-run it’s also cheaper than the alternatives, since it doesn’t require the constant purchasing, transporting and storing of hazardous chemicals like ethanol or butane. Many brands still choose ethanol extraction due to its lower setup cost, though those with enough starting capital are increasingly opting for the long-term benefits of CO2.

But regardless of the extraction method used, work does not end once the CBD has been extracted from the plant. There remains the process of turning it into the CBD oil we can find in stores.

Making CBD Oil

After ethanol extraction, the first step is to use a Rotovap to evaporate out the ethanol. This leaves crude CBD oil. Manufacturers must then remove the waxes and plant material which usually remain.

The next step, known as the winterization process, is the same whether ethanol or CO2 extraction has been used. The oil is put through a deep chill which separates the various components of the product. Solid material, which is not rich in cannabinoids and gives the CBD oil an unpleasant taste, rises to the top, and should be removed.

Some companies skip the winterization process and explain the bad taste by claiming that their products contain extra plant-based nutrients. This offers no benefit to the consumer, and the fact that a phase of the production process has been missed should be reflected in the price.

After winterization comes the distillation phase. This involves evaporating out the crude oil and separating its heavier components from its lighter ones in order to purify it. Each journey through the distiller makes the product purer, though it also evaporates out terpenes.

As more terpenes are evaporated off, the oil’s color becomes more golden, its taste improves. Different brands aim for different levels of purity. Broad spectrum distillates undergo distillation until only CBD and one or two other cannabinoids remain. Some manufacturers seek the benefits of terpenes as well as CBD, so keep some of them intact. This depends upon the manufacturer’s vision.

Finally, after distilling the oil to the purity they’re aiming for, the manufacturer bottles the product and adds any essential oils they wish to include. Whether ethanol or CO2 extraction is used, the entire process takes around five to ten steps.

So, having addressed the various extraction methods and the entire process from harvested hemp to CBD oil, we’re left with one question:

Which Extraction Method Is Best?

There is little to separate ethanol and CO2 extraction. 

With ethanol extraction, the product will contain residual solvent if the extractor doesn’t sufficiently evaporate out the ethanol, but this risk is reducing thanks to technological improvements. It can also be minimised by opting for a reliable manufacturer. If consumers don’t want to risk ingesting an additional chemical, they can choose CBD obtained via CO2 extraction.

Ethanol and CO2 extraction are the two best methods. Selecting one is a matter of personal preference.