Cannabidiol [CBD] is popular for its therapeutic benefits. It is non-psychoactive, so you don’t experience the high when consumed alone. CBD extraction is necessary prior infusing in products like oil, slaves, tinctures, gummies, vape liquid, lotions, edibles, and dog treats.
Hemp plant has negligible THC level but is rich in CBD, so it is used to extract oil. Hemp grown in clean soil and under organic condition makes best end product. Two kinds of extraction techniques includes –
- Solvent-based extraction method [common solvents ethane and butane are used]
- CO2 extraction method [Temperature and pressure is combined]
The CO2 extraction method gets further categorized into –
- Supercritical – Low temperature and pressure is used, so time taken is more but you get full spectrum CBD oil. [Full spectrum = entourage effect]
- Subcritical – High temperature and pressure can be damaging to terpenes or other chemicals but extract large omega molecules, which creates a more potentially powerful product.
After extraction, the CBD oil undergoes a filtering process that regulates the color. CBD oil is classified in categories like raw, decarboxylated, filtered/distilled, isolate and broad/full/complete spectrum. You can verify the CBD oil color on SeraLabsHealth.Com.
Raw
It means, after extraction there is no more processing or filtration process. The viscous and green oil gets packed with cannabinoid compounds like THCA and CBDA. This magnifies the therapeutic benefits referred as ‘entourage effect’.
Decarboxylated
The extracted oil undergoes little heat and CBDA gets converted into CBD but lots of phytonutrients are still retained. You can see this in its greenish brown color. Effects of decarboxylated oil are quick than the raw state because body processes it easily.
Distilled/filtered
Decarboxylated oils get distilled or filtered to strip the cannabinoids along with lipids and chlorophyll. The color of the product is light gold liquid with mild flavor and high CBD concentration. The concentration of other cannabinoids and terpenes are low. It is easy for sublingual consumption.
Isolate
Purest CBD form is got from the isolation process. Terpenes, chlorophyll, flavonoids and other cannabinoids are removed from the hemp and CBD gets isolated. This extremely refined CBD is blended with MCT or coconut oil to get a nearly transparent, very fluid, and flavorless end product. CBD isolate means THC free, so is great for people wanting to gain only CBD health benefits.
Broad/full/complete spectrum
Natural compounds range widely in this oil including essential oils, cannabinoids, and terpenes. The oil color ranges from light to dark gold. These extracts can even undergo extra processes, which can offer products higher bioavailability.
Process like nanoemulsion encapsulation helps CBD and other cannabinoids enter bloodstream easily. Due to absence of industry standards, there is discrepancy in labelling of products including complete, full, broad spectrum. Many brands offer 3rd party lab reports, so you are familiar with what is in their CBD.
The CBD color depends on the amount of processing. Gold and yellow colored CBD oil is regarded to be of highest quality. This does not mean other colors are not worthy. Color is often an indication of extraction process and oil quality but there are many other things to consider like the amount of CBD present. Color helps to compare what product label says about it!