Extraction is the process of removing the active cannabinoid profile from the flower material of a cannabis plant to create concentrates.
What we’re looking for is the THC, CBD, CBN as well as the terpenes and flavonoid compounds that make up the profile of a cannabis plant.
There are a number of different ways to achieve this goal, but the idea is to gather all of those elements together (THC, CBD and CBN) in one place to use either medically or recreationally.
What Can Cannabis Extracts Be Used For?
Cannabis extracts can be used for a variety of things.
One example would be dabbing.
A lot of people consume concentrates as dabs by creating an oil that can be used to smoke.
This oil can be used for both dabbing, vape pens and all things of that nature. Also, concentrates can be used to be put into edibles, as a topical and in a variety of different ways.
The main differentiator between concentrates is whether they’ve been activated or not which will determine the way in which you use them. Activated concentrates can be used topically, edibly and in a variety of different ways to achieve the effects of the concentrate that you are using.
Methods Of Extraction
Ice Water Extraction
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To create an ice water extraction, you take your plant material and introduce it to very cold water with the goal of loosening the cannabinoid-laden trichomes off of the plant material.
Because trichomes are denser than water, you’re then able to separate them from the plant material and sift out most desirable resin from your plant.
Butane Hash Oil
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The second way to create a cannabis extract is butane hash oil extraction. Butane hash oil is a highly effective method of removing cannabinoids from plant material.
There’s a lot of debate about whether using concentrates made from butane hash oil can cause adverse health effects down the road because butane is considered by many to be a dangerous substance.
CO2 Extraction
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CO2 extraction is also highly effective at separating cannabinoids from the plant material. Once extracted, a lot of these producers are using ethanol to further clean their concentrates. The reason for this is that although butane and CO2 pull a majority of the cannabinoids off of the plant material including lipids, waxes and other plant elements that are undesirable. As a result, ethanol is often used to further clean the concentrate.
Alcohol / Ethanol Extraction
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An additional method of extraction is using alcohol / ethanol from the beginning. This is slightly less efficient than butane or CO2 in terms of removing cannabinoids from the plant material.
By using alcohol extraction, you will pull a wider range of cannabinoids. Unfortunately, chlorophyll is water soluble which is one of the things alcohol extracts (this method is know as quick wash ethanol extraction). In order to prevent chlorophyll saturation, you can use extremely cold ethanol, by using quick washes. At Honest Marijuana, we believe this method produces the fullest plant profile. This concentrated plant profile produces a very tasty representation of the original plant.
Honest Marijuana’s Preferred Method Of Extraction
At Honest Marijuana, our preferred method of extraction is ice water extraction which yields a tasty, highly refined product. If the right person is taking care of the process, volatile solvents can be avoided entirely, leaving you with clean trichome heads which can be dabbed, vaporized in pens and enjoyed in a number of other ways.
Another method we’re using is alcohol / ethanol extraction. As described earlier, ethanol extraction pulls a very wide plant profile as far as the oil is concerned, and when done properly, can yield an extremely tasty, dabbable, vapeable product. We’re using ethanol extraction because we feel it really has the most significant taste compared to other extraction methods.
How Alcohol / Ethanol Extraction Works
To create an alcohol extraction, start by quickly washing the original plant material in an extremely cold ethanol solution. The process pulls the terpenes, THC and other active cannabinoids off of the plant material.
Next, take your oil laden alcohol and evaporate off the residual alcohol leaving a highly concentrated THC solution leaving a highly refined, dabbable, vapable cannabis oil free of poisonous materials such as butane.
Alcohol extraction is going to produce a very similar product to a CO2 or butane extraction leaving you with a highly refined cannabis oil that can be used in a number of ways. If it’s an activated solution, you can use it for capsules, edibles and a number of other uses.
Benefits Of Alcohol / Ethanol Extraction
As mentioned earlier, one of the benefits of alcohol extraction is a wide plant profile, producing a tasty concentrate. We also avoid using poisonous materials such as butane, creating a 100% organic, clean alcohol extraction. With alcohol extracts, you can feel good that you’re not consuming any harmful residue left by a butane process.
In the end, we encourage you to try the various forms of concentrates and choose the one that works best for your lifestyle.