What are Extraction methods?

As the cannabis industry is constantly introducing new products to its customers, many of us have probably wondered how they were made. Even before the final products are put out for sale, each was crafted to the respective manufacturer’s likening, starting from its extraction process. While extraction processes sound like they aren’t necessary, they very much are.

Depending on how you want your plant extracted, each method enables you to harvest your plant uniquely. It then allows the manufacturer to retain specific plant properties to be curated to its finished product. With so many extraction methods available, each is classified as solvent or solventless. Solvent extraction methods use chemicals that strip away the cannabinoids.

Once the solvent is removed, it becomes a pure trichome concentrate. In solventless extractions, instead of using chemicals, mechanical processes remove the trichome from the plant while retaining the trichome during the extraction process. So no matter how you want to extract your plant, each method is reliable. To help get a better understanding of each method, we’ll be going over the popular types of methods used today in the cannabis industry. 

Solventless Extractions

Rosin

Using the heat and pressure method, you extract the plant through a pressure machine. When pressure is applied, the trichome gland releases all cannabinoids, THCA, and terpenes without using any solvents. However, putting too much pressure will cause your plant to burn and won’t allow you to extract. Before the heat and pressure method was patented, early users would use a hair straightener, wax paper, and the cannabis product they wanted to extract. 

Ice water hash

Ice water hash uses a bubblator machine that bathes the raw cannabis flower in ice-cold water. This allows the trichome to sink to the bottom since it can’t absorb water. Then When it’s collected, the trichome is then turned into ice water hash.

Dry sift hash 

Dry sift hash uses a micron screen to separate the trichomes after passing through the screen back and forth. Then, after falling to the bottom like the ice water hash method, it is rounded up and compressed into blocks. 

Solvent extractions                                                                                                          

BHO and PHO 

Some of the most popular solvent-based extractions are BHO ( Butane hash oil) and PHO (Propane hash oil). They both use liquefied hydrocarbons that will break down the cannabis plant, allowing you to collect resin. Closed-loop extraction is also used to help with efficiency to get the most out of each extraction process. 

Dimethyl-Ether 

DME or Dimethyl-Ether is one of the new extraction methods to come out recently; it was mainly used for food to extract solvents safely. DME allows the boiling point to be at -24.8C so that it can easily separate from solvents. This method also doesn’t leave any solvent residue behind. 

CO2 Oil 

Finally, CO2 oil extraction is the most reliable way for vape cartridge enthusiasts. Carbon dioxide is heated to high temperatures and then subjected to high pressures, converting it to a solvent. 

With so many distinct methods, you're bound to discover one you like. However, when trying out any of these extraction methods, we advise you to proceed with caution. Having the correct tools and talking with experts will assist you in your approach while ensuring your safety. 

What are Cannabinoids?

Recently, there has been an influx of scientific research about all of the therapeutic properties of cannabis. Everywhere you go, there is an advertisement urging consumers, “Got anxiety? Try CBD!” Commercials persuade you, “Nausea? Look no further than your local dispensary!” But why is this extraordinary plant constantly being touted for having so many health benefits? The answer is in its cannabinoids.

Discovered in the 1940’s, cannabinoids are natural chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant. To clarify, cannabis is not a synonym for marijuana, rather marijuana is a kind of cannabis species, along with the hemp plant. Perhaps the biggest fundamental difference between the two is that hemp contains less than .3% of THC, while marijuana plants contain over 0.3% of THC.

As of now, there have been around 113 different kinds of cannabinoids identified in nature. The two most notable and well-researched cannabinoids are THC and CBD. Currently, the possession and consumption of THC are not legal on a federal level, however, due to the Farm Bill of 2018 signed into law by the President, CBD is now legal nationwide.

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is a psychoactive compound that has been shown to contain therapeutic properties that can help increase appetite, as well as reduce motor issues, nausea, pain, and inflammation.

CBD, also known as cannabidiol, on the other hand, is non-psychoactive. In other words, CBD, derived mainly from hemp plants which contain a high CBD content and extremely low THC levels, won’t cause a “high” feeling. CBD has also been shown in research to address pain, inflammation, and mental disorders. CBD is also well-known for treating epileptic seizures. Studies have shown that not only is CBD effective for humans, but it may be effective in the health of some animals, too.

While CBD and THC are some of the most abundant compounds found in cannabis, there are other lesser-known cannabinoids that also have health benefits, such as cannabichromene (CBC), cannabigerol (CBG), and cannabinol (CBN).

Cannabinoids enter the body through whichever method you are using cannabis: whether it is through an edible, a smoking device, or a topical application. When introduced into the system, cannabinoids will bind to cannabinoid (CB) receptors, which are mainly found in our body's natural endocannabinoid system (ECS). Interestingly, the ECS and cannabinoid receptors are not just in humans, they have also been found in all living vertebrates.

Cannabinoid receptors have been split into two categories: CB1 and CB2. CB1 receptors mostly reside in the brain, while CB2 receptors are found in the immune system — however, no matter where they are located, both classes of CB receptors play a vital role in helping our ECS maintain the proper regulation of important bodily functions. By binding to CB receptors, cannabinoids have the ability to affect these different bodily functions, which include appetite, pain, mood, memory, and many more. While research is still in its infancy, with continued research, the importance of their use will become more apparent in the medical sector.

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