Which Cannabis Extraction Methods Are Best?

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Which Cannabis Extraction Methods Are Best?
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OVERVIEW
There are over 113 cannabinoidsand 550 natural
chemicalsin the cannabis plant. Some, like THC
and CBD are quite well known. Others, like
terpenes, are less well-known. Different products
require different elements of the cannabis plant.
Thats why cannabis is distilled to separate and
isolate the various parts of a cannabis plant for
different products and applications. A
pharmaceutical company is going to need different
elements of cannabis than a company that produces
recreational concentrates. Rest assured,
however, that there is an extraction method for
cannabis that will fit your needs. Read our
explanation of the different methods below.
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Cannabis Alcohol Extraction
One World Pharma Inc (OTC OWPC) is an
International Leader in Pharmaceutical Grade Hemp
Oil Extraction, CBD Isolates, CBG, CBN, CBA, and
Hemp Biomass Exports. The cannabis alcohol
extraction method is one of the most popular and
widely employed methods. Alcohol is used as a
solvent, or a liquid that will dissolve the
chemicals in cannabis. The process is rather
straightforward. The ease of acquiring and
working with lab-grade ethanol offers another
advantage to this method. In terms of labor and
power costs, ethanol based cannabis extraction
offers the lowest price point out of all the
extraction methods. That being said, this
Cannabis extraction method is excellent for those
producing either very large volumes or very small
volumes of concentrate. The way cannabis is
extracted using alcohol is simple cannabis is
soaked in the ethanol-based solvent for a period
of time. The soggy plant matter is filtered from
the liquid and discarded. The liquid is then
evaporated, leaving the extractor with their
concentrated cannabis compounds.
There are, however, inherent challenges with
alcohol-based extraction. For example, ethanol
has inherent polarity. This means that, when
exposed to water, the alcohol could accidentally
contaminate the distillate with chlorophyll,
which leaves a bitter, earth taste in the
concentrate. Although ethanol extraction is
performed at a regular atmospheric pressure, the
temperature during the evaporation process must
be carefully controlled. Despite the labor
intensive end-stages of this extraction method,
alcohol based extraction offers two distinct
advantages it co-extracts the most valuable
compounds in the cannabis plant, and leaves no
chance of contaminating the final product with
toxic chemicals.
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CO2 Cannabis Extraction
CO2 cannabis extraction, though a relative
new-comer to the world of marijuana concentrates,
has risen to industry prominence in short order.
Overall, CO2 based cannabis extraction is one of
the most popular cannabis extraction methods. It
functions by using CO2or a stronger
hydrofluorocarbonin combination with high heat
and pressure, to separate the valuable
cannabinoids from the plant matrix, or raw
organic material. This is accomplished when CO2
attains a supercritical state, or a unique
chemical state where the carbon-dioxide is
simultaneously liquid and gas. This supercritical
CO2 is pumped into a vessel containing the
cannabis plant material. When these two materials
come into contact, the trichomes in the cannabis
break down. The combination of supercritical CO2
and cannabis matter is shifted into another
vessel, where the CO2 liquifies. The concentrate
is filtered and the liquid may be reused. The
small amount of CO2 remaining on the concentrate
evaporates naturally, leaving the final product
completely solvent-free.
CO2 cannabis extraction wastes very little
reagant and also allows for high-yield
extraction. Plus, the temperature and pressure
settings can be tweaked to promote the extraction
of different chemical profiles from the cannabis
plant. The primary problem this method poses is
the barrier to entry and the delicate equipment
required. Supercritical CO2 is unstable and an
expensive laboratory set-up is required to safely
produce CO2 extracts. Furthermore, there is an
element of danger, as the high temperatures and
pressures can cause ignition or explosion.
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Butane or Propane Cannabis Extraction
Butane extraction is not unsimilar to CO2
extraction, in that it requires volatile
chemicals and specific heats and pressures to
produce the final concentrate, known as butane
hash oil. Essentially, the raw cannabis plant
material is mixed with liquid butane in a
specially heated and pressurized chamber. The
butane peels off the cannabinoids and terpenes at
a high quantity. Then, this mixture is
introduced to a vacuum, which turns the butane
from liquid to a gas. The gas evaporates and one
is left with the concentrate, which is either
butane hash oil or shatter, a solid form of
cannabis concentrate. The final result of butane
cannabis extraction is rich in cannabinoids and
terpenes, yet for the reasons we will delve into
below, this is likely the most dangerous cannabis
Extraction Methods. First of all, butane is
intensely volatile, especially when gaseous. The
chances of a lab fire or explosion are
significant if the process is undertaken
carelessly. Moreover, it is entirely possible for
butane to contaminate the extract. The presence
residual butane can be mitigated through the use
of circulators, but all butane hash oil must be
laboratory tested to ensure that the concentrate
is uncontaminated with toxic chemicals. The
potential for contamination makes this extraction
method less than ideal for medical suppliers of
cannabis products. That being said, the yield and
chemical profile of the extract is desirable and
the cost to entry is low.
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Solvent-Free Extraction
Solvent-free extraction is a modern
classification for traditional cannabis
processing methods that go back thousands of
years. First of all, there is kief. Using
grinders and sieves, the trichomes or kief
which looks like a fine powder, shakes off the
plant matrix. Kief is rich in trichomesthe
valuable chemical compounds unique to cannabis
that define the plants natural life and uses.
Hash can also be created rather simply, using a
pair of traditional techniques. There is water
hash, where the plant matrix is deposited in
special bags, which are then placed in ice-water.
Because cannabis is non-water soluble, the water
separates the valuable compounds from the plant
matter. This material is collected and dried. The
other technique involves breaking the buds down
to a very fine consistency, over screens. This
finely-powdered concentrate is then pressed into
bricks of hash. A more modern take on
solvent-free extraction is employed in the
production of rosin. Rosin is produced in a way
evocative of CO2 extraction, in that it employs
heat and pressure to isolate the cannabis
concentrate. It does not, however, require the
use of any solvents which negates the chances of
even a microscopic chemical contamination.
Rosin, with its distinct, syrupy consistency, is
very expensive to produce and results in rather
low yields, relatively speaking. Those drawbacks
may be mitigated, however, by the purity and
cleanliness of the cannabis extraction process.
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One World Pharma Inc and Cannabis Extraction
Methods
One World Pharma (OTCWB OWPC) will not only
dominate the Colombian cannabis production
industry, we will offer state of the art cannabis
distillates, too. Using a combination of the
techniques above, OWP Colombia will produce and
export medical- and industrial-grade cannabis
extracts for a variety of industries. OWPs
concentrate production is yet another reason to
invest in Colombian cannabis today! For more
information, visit our website here.
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