CBD is a powerful wellness supplement in the U.S. and around the world. More and more people are adding the hemp compound to their daily routine, especially with the explosion of CBD-infused foods and personal care products on the market. It's best to buy from brands that use CO2 supercritical extraction to maximize its benefits and minimize side effects.

How Do Brands Make CBD Oil?

CBD is a cannabinoid that hemp produces. It's one of over 500 naturally occurring chemical compounds found in the plant. Companies must remove the CBD, terpenes, flavonoids, and other organic compounds from the plant components to make CBD oil. There are several extraction methods. However, only two are common in hemp oil production—Supercritical CO2 and ethanol.

What is Supercritical CO2 Extraction?

CO2 extraction is the most natural way to extract CBD from hemp. It's gentle and doesn't require any solvents. There are three CO2 methods—subcritical, mid-critical, and supercritical.

Subcritical is a low temp, low-pressure process that gently heats the plant to extract CBD. It retains the most percentage of compounds but takes the longest to complete and produces less oil than supercritical and mid-critical options, making it more expensive, too.

Supercritical extraction is a process where specialized equipment separates the CBD from the plant using pressure and extreme temperatures. The CO2 turns into a gas, separating the CBD and other compounds from the plant.

Mid-critical is a combination of the two methods. It uses lower temperatures than supercritical, preserving more of the compounds but taking longer and costing more than supercritical, which offers the best balance between safety, quality, and price.

Decarboxylation: Why It's Necessary

CBD and the other compounds develop as cannabinoid acids. To activate the cannabinoids for maximum efficiency, CBD producers decarboxylate the acids. This process heats the hemp in a controlled environment to remove oxygen from the plant and activate the cannabinoids. Processers can complete this step before or after the extraction process.

Winterization: Is it a Requirement?

Another step many brands complete during the manufacturing process is winterization. This process involves dropping the temperature of the oil to separate any waxes, lipids, and other fatty substances. Then it's filtered for purity. The best brands use winterization as a pretreatment step before supercritical CO2 extraction.

Why CO2 Supercritical Extraction is the Safest Method

Supercritical CO2 extraction is not like other methods. For example, ethanol compounds use alcohol to remove cannabinoids from the hemp plant. Alcohol is a solvent that has high toxicity to humans and other mammals. Ethanol processing must occur at precise temperatures to avoid creating carcinogenic compounds in the oil.

Supercritical CO2 extraction uses pressure and temperature to separate the cannabinoids from the hemp plant. There is no need for specific temperatures or pressures because the CO2 used in extraction changes from a liquid to gas under extreme pressure. Because it doesn't use chemical solvents, this method doesn't create carcinogens.

CBD oils made from CO2 supercritical extraction have been tested multiple times for contaminants and found to be free of all solvents. This safest extraction technique is the safest because it doesn't use flammable or explosive chemicals that can harm the plant or consumers during processing.

Don't take our word for it. The research and FDA approval speak volumes.

The FDA lists the process as "generally recognized as safe for direct food substances." The method's used for dozens of products, not just hemp. For example, it's used to decaffeinate coffee and tea.

What Are The Other Extraction methods?

Other extraction methods use chemical solvents to extract CBD from the hemp plant. Most brands that don't use CO2 usually use ethanol or butane because they're cheap and easy to acquire. Brands that choose these inferior extraction methods risk exposing consumers to harmful glycols, lipids, and other contaminants in the final product.

Other brands choose to use hexane and pentane (two common petroleum solvents) to remove the hemp compounds. These methods are dangerous because they're flammable and create carcinogens in the oil.

Supercritical CO2 extraction is the only method safe enough to produce CBD oils and hemp-infused products. Ethanol extraction can be safe for hemp, but it requires costly equipment to remove the compounds safely. When the process is incorrect, consumers' health is at risk.

Supercritical CO2 is the safest method on the market to extract CBD and other cannabinoids from hemp because there are no dangerous chemicals used in the process.

Why CO2 Extraction for CBD Oil is the Best Method

A lot goes into making CBD oil. The most critical step is extracting CBD from the hemp plant successfully and safely. That's why brands that use CO2 extraction for CBD oil provide some of the purest, most premium products on the market today.

Not all oils are created equal! There are so many brands of hemp extract on the market today. If you want a safe and effective CBD experience, make sure your brand uses CO2 supercritical extraction. Supercritical CO2 extraction is the best way to remove CBD because it's more effective than ethanol or other chemical solvent methods and leaves zero residues.

Ethanol and other harsh extraction techniques can strip vital compounds like cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids from the plant. Brands that use these less expensive options often have a lower quality hemp extract. C02 extraction preserves more of the plant's other compounds, such as terpenes, the aromatic oils that provide flavor and smell to CBD, than ethanol. Research shows it offers efficiency as high as 92%. Terpenes also give unique benefits to hemp oil users.

Leaves of Eden CBD is the best option for buying a high-quality, safe and effective product. We use CO2 extraction, which is more efficient and leaves zero residues from other chemicals in our final products. Our range of products includes a variety of oils and edibles made with organic ingredients. Each batch goes through third-party lab testing to ensure safety standards have been met. Buy Leaves of Eden today!