The Rise of Natural Alternatives
The use of natural alternatives for the treatment of various ailments and aesthetic applications has been gaining more and more ground among those seeking to take advantage of their benefits for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes. In this sense, CBD production has experienced significant growth, being used in a wide range of areas where it provides everything from a minimum benefit to being the basis of the production chain. This shows that talking about hemp is also talking about an important ally for health.
CBD Production Processes
CBD production primarily focuses on three different processes: oil extraction, CO2 extraction, and solvent extraction. These methods seek to separate CBD from other types of cannabinoids present in the plant, such as THC, responsible for the psychotropic effect. Each method allows you to obtain a pure product, from which CBD oil is extracted through different procedures.
Oil Extraction
This method, widely used in the production process, is simple and economical to carry out. Cannabinoids are activated by mixing vegetable oil with the decarboxylated plant. Subsequently, using heat, they are extracted and joined to the oil, which is ready for use. Although the concentration of CBD will not be very high, this method eliminates all chemical residues.
CO2 extraction
Despite its complexity, this method is one of the most effective, although expensive. It requires technical knowledge in the handling of specialized machinery to obtain the oil. CO2 acts as a solvent to separate the plant compounds, allowing the precious oil to be obtained.
Solvent Extraction
This method, considered less recommended, uses a chemical solvent to obtain the oil. However, the probability of chemical residues remaining in the final product is high, making it unsuitable for medicinal uses.
CBD Oil Purification
The quality and purity of the final product determines its use and the products that can be produced. CO2 extraction offers the highest degree of purity and is mainly used in the production of therapeutic products. Oil extraction is common in the production of food products and supplements, due to the nutritional properties of vegetable oil. Finally, solvent extraction, by not guaranteeing a product free of toxic substances, raises doubts about its use.
In any of the three methods, the cancellation of THC is guaranteed, thus avoiding any psychotropic effect.
