Our CBD Extraction Process
There are many variations of CBD oil. From the dark crude oil when first extracted to the nearly clear distillate oil, there’s a benefit to each variation of the plant. This page will provide a general overview of the variety of ways CBD can be enjoyed.
When CBD oil is first extracted, it is dark in color and has a cloudy appearance but bursts with a wide group of characteristics of the original hemp flower. All the cannabinoids, including CBD, make up about 60% of the oil, with the remaining 40% consisting of flavors and terpenes, waxes and lipids, chlorophyll, and other nutrients.
In the first step of refinement, we remove the plant wax through a process called winterization. We dilute the oil and chill it down to super, super cold temperatures with the help of a -80 Celsius freezer, and we run the mixture through a series of filters to catch the heavier wax molecules. With the waxes separated, we refine the oil back out of the diluent, resulting in a high-clarity, beautiful amber color. This “winterized” oil is used in our Full-Spectrum tinctures and contains all the natural flavors, terpenes, and cannabinoids from the original hemp plant.
CBD Distillate Production
To create our #actuallynatural CBD Distillate tinctures, we refine the oil using, you guessed it, distillation!
Using specific combinations of heat and vacuum, we can isolate and separate different parts of our winterized oil. CBD and other cannabinoids are collected in their own golden extract called the distillate. This distillate is separated from both the natural hemp taste and the amber color. The distillate has a very mild flavor and when added to a tincture it looks almost water-clear, making it a perfect addition to your morning coffee or smoothie.
Distilling CBD with a Federally Compliant THC-Potency Limit
All our products are mixed to the federally compliant THC limit of 0.3% potency or less.
While they may not feel the effects of the naturally occurring THC, many customers prefer to have it removed entirely. Our distillate is separated even further, down to a molecular level, with the help of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. HPLC is a very common process in pharmaceutical companies all around the world, it works by mixing a different combination of liquids with the distillate and flowing it through a very fine, sand-like material packed tightly into a column. The heavier molecules in the distillate take longer to flow through the column than the lighter ones, similar to a semi-truck navigating through a city street versus a sports car.
The smaller molecules, like THC, can be collected and separated first from the heavier ones, like CBD. Once the THC is separated, the oil is added to the tincture to provide the same benefits as distillate oil without the trace amounts of THC.
What’s the difference?
Overall, the biggest variation of each oil is the further refinement and removal of certain additional components in the oil mixture. Studies have shown that CBD works best when delivered with the full spectrum of the hemp plant but distillate and THC-free oil still shows all the same benefits.