Cannabis comes with a lot of known health benefits to users with little to no side effects, unlike pharmaceutical drugs. Advancement in technology now allows manufacturers to extract various products infused within cannabis such as extracts, concentrates, edibles, etc. The use of ethanol in extraction is one of the most popular methods for cannabis extraction.
Ethanol extraction forms one of the three modes of extraction. The other two include CO2 removal and butane. Vape lovers will appreciate the various forms of CBD vape juices extracted from cannabis. The variety of vape juices allows you to pick your favorite, but if you are not sure which one to select, then the comparison of CBD vape juices can help you make better decisions.
While most of the producers have adopted various methods of extraction depending on factors like cost, and efficiency, the number of extractors that use this method has significantly increased. Ethanol works as a solvent that helps to remove cannabis material from their chemical compounds. In this guide, we take you through everything you need to know about ethanol and cannabis and why it remains the preferred method of extraction.
What is Ethanol?
Ethanol refers to a grain of alcohol or ethyl alcohol that is volatile flammable, and colorless liquid. If you have had an opportunity to consume wine, beer, or any other spirit, probably ethanol is in your body. Ethanol is applicable in the distillation of chemical compounds out of the botanicals such as cannabis. This explains why it’s highly effective in the extraction of cannabis.
The Process of Extracting Cannabis Using Ethanol
When extracting cannabis using ethanol, manufacturers can operate under cold or warm temperatures. Through the application of the Soxhlet technique, the ethanol undergoes condensation, boiling, and later cooling. The mild ethanol finely soaks into the flower material in a process that does not leave a residue. The method is useful in making small batches of cannabis oil. Besides, it also helps towards the conversion of THCA into THC, which fuels the activation of chemical compounds of cannabis.
During extraction, the use of ethanol is essential to get rid of terpenes and cannabinoids. Ethanol works as a polar solvent that can easily dissolve in cannabinoids and water-soluble molecules such as chlorophyll. Once the extraction of cannabinoids is over, the process to get rid of the water through the evaporation method leave only cannabis oil. The product must undergo post-processing to ensure the extract is well-refined from the material organic plant.
Further Steps After Extraction
After extraction CBD has to go through the following extra post-processing steps before it is ready for consumption.
Decarboxylation
Decarboxylation is a chemical process that aids in the activation of CBD oil. Its an important process because before the decarboxylation, the naturally occurring CBD doesn’t exist in the cannabis plant. Instead, the CBD exists in the form of phytocannabinoids or Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), which are in an acidic state. Through the process, the inactive CBD components change to the active component, thus resulting in quality cannabis products.
Winterization
Winterization is the process of getting rid of unwanted terpenoids, cannabinoids, chlorophyll, plant materials and fatty acids found in the CBD extracts. Through this process, non-popular elements like hash oil dissolve, forming a polar substance in frigid temperatures. This drives the lipids and waxes from the crude extracts to rise in the mixture allowing easy removal by the filtration process.
Why Ethanol Works So Well for Cannabis Extraction
The extraction of cannabis using ethanol is highly effective because it gets rid of all the residual solvents that could be in the final product. The ethanol extraction method offers producers to extract all terpenes and cannabinoids in the best way possible to come up with fine products.
Cost-Effective
Ethanol extraction is a cheap method of extracting cannabis and makes the best option for manufacturers to cut the cost. When it’s compared with other methods of extraction, ethanol extraction is one of the methods that come with a reduced start-up cost in terms of the equipment and labor needed. It also allows the use of state-of-the-heart equipment for extraction, which can be effectively automated and regulated by the use of a digital interface under very minimal intervention. The ethanol extraction method makes use of closed-loop systems, which ensures no solvent leaks hence preventing fire hazards.
Better CBD Oil Purity
The end product of the ethanol extraction process is high-quality CBD oil with up to 99% purity. The use of ethanol extraction is a highly adaptable method that squeezes cannabinoid extract from the cannabis plant. On various extractions, ethanol works well as a universal solvent since it’s capable of dissolving chlorophyll and some other plant matter as well as terpenes and cannabinoids. The whole cannabis oil extract comes alongside a chemical profile of the original plant matter without necessarily using harsh tasting plant matter.
Perfect Boiling Properties
Ethanol extraction can also efficiently boil terpenes and other matters, leaving potent and odorless cannabis oil. This oil type is the best for a tincture or edible infusion to get rid of cannabis taste, which is not pleasant to some users. Ethanol extraction is a suitable method due to its effectiveness and efficiency in the creation of pure and safe cannabis products. Within a controlled setting, ethanol is a powerful and affordable solvent, which creates extracts of high potent. These cannabinoid extracts then end up in cartridges, tinctures, edibles, topicals, which are common products in the list of the best CBD brands.
Conclusion
In a fast-growing cannabis industry, extraction companies play a very crucial role in the production of Top CBD Products. While there are several methods of extraction, each comes with ups and downs. Discussed in this article is how ethanol extraction works and why most manufacturers prefer using this method. Ethanol extraction stands above the pack because it can produce cannabis oils at a high purity level. This means high-quality products end up at the stores for consumers to benefit.