Solvent Free CO2 Extraction- The Clean Green

Due to the lack of regulation, the CBD industry and multitude of products can be a slippery slope to navigate. Just as it pays to educate yourself on every other platform with regard to what goes into your body, it pays to learn and understand as much as you can about what is in the marijuana and cannabis product you consume.

One of the most integral considerations when searching for a cannabis brand is the method of extraction it employs.

Companies that operate in anything less than a completely transparent manner potentially cut corners and utilize chemical solvents such as lighter fluid, (butane) and often hexane; chemical solvent extraction results in a product with potentially harmful residues.

Unless you’re interested in a little extra chemicals with your CBD, we would advise you to source your CBD and THC from brands that use CO2 extraction only! This process kills harmful bacteria and ensures more terpenes and cannabinoids end up in the final CBD products.

The CO2 extraction process is becoming a popular one, and science backs it.

A recent study by Jin Et Al, published in the March 2010 edition of Natural Product Communications, looked at supercritical CO2 extraction of a type of Japanese Cypress. The research team was able to determine the exact essential oil composition of the leaves and trunks of the tree.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6104417/

Benefits of CO2 Extraction:

CO2 is considered a ‘green solvent.’ Whether it is CBD extraction or THC extraction, the use of carbon dioxide provides a cleaner and healthier end product. Humans produce CO2 naturally as part of the breathing process, breathing in oxygen and then carbon dioxide as we exhale.

Unlike solvents such as butane, CO2 extraction is fully recyclable, contains no chemical residues, and very cost-effective.

Supercritical CO2 extraction also has notable unique properties.

1. Easily adaptable- You can fine-tune the solvation strength by adjusting the density of the liquid.
2. Less is more- Moderate critical constants
3. It is non-flammable, inert, and non-toxic.
4. Purest possible extraction- Carbon dioxide leaves low levels of residue compared to other solvents, allowing for large output quantities in the purest form.
5. Less dangerous- The critical temperature of CO2 is near-ambient, which makes it is an ideal solvent for temperature-sensitive materials.

A recent study by Peach and Eastoe, published in the Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry in August 2014, discussed supercritical CO2, describing it as “a solvent like no other.”

This particular study looked at how supercritical CO2 could become a major aspect of a movement towards green chemistry. Pioneering the way for a better, brighter, cleaner cannabis culture.

https://www.beilstein-journals.org/bjoc/articles/10/196