How is cannabidiol made?

How is CBD oil made?

Growing and harvesting the hemp plant

First, hemp plants must be grown. The soil is prepared and tested for herbicides and then the hemp seeds are sowed into the ground. Once grown, tested and cleared, the plant is harvested. This is to make sure that there are no pesticides, or heavy metals present.
Next, the plants are cured or air-dried. Once dry, the flowers, are stripped from the plants ready for the cannabinoids to be extracted.  Extraction involves removing the CBD extract from the hemp plant in order to turn it into an ingestible or topical form, which we can then use. 

Extracting CBD from the plant

There are several techniques for extracting CBD from the plant.
The most common is using a CO2 extraction method. This includes using a closed-loop extractor. The hemp plant is placed in a chamber that is then filled with carbon dioxide. Pressure is applied, and the carbon dioxide is turned into liquid, which can absorb the hemp oils and flavours. This produces a liquid consisting of carbon dioxide and CBD. Finally, the liquid is pumped into a chamber where the carbon dioxide is turned into gas.

Alternatively, CBD can be extracted by using solvents such as ethanol, or butane, to soak the plant. These solvents separate the CBD molecule from the other compounds in the plant and assist in purifying the solution. After this process is complete, the solvent evaporates which leaves behind pure CBD oil. However, the solvent residue isn’t always eliminated and when using natural solvents, it can sometimes result in an unpleasant taste in the oil. 

Another method involves heating the hemp plant and cooking it in a carrier oil, which extracts the cannabinoids. The oil extraction method is typically done by people at home. As the oils don’t evaporate, the final product is not as concentrated as when using other methods. These oils will also be perishable and so should be stored in a cool, dry place, unlike the other methods.

The final product  

Finally, the resultant extracted CBD oil is combined with other ingredients. These can range from flavouring to carrier oils, such as hemp seed, olive oil, or coconut oil.
The carrier oils allow the potency to be adjusted and have the added advantage that the oil is easier to be absorbed in your body, as well as making the oil more pleasant to taste. 

Before being distributed to consumers, the CBD oil must be tested independently in a laboratory, for purity and potency. The results of the analysis will tell you how much cannabinoid is present and whether there are any contaminants. 

These several steps make sure that a quality CBD oil is produced, and can partially account for why CBD oil can be so expensive.