Touted as one of the best natural forms of pain relief on earth, let’s deep dive into what CBD oil is and how it’s made.
CBD oil has long been dismissed due to its connection to cannabis. Thankfully, as an increasing amount of medical research shows the healing properties it offers, its use as a natural medicinal supplement has increased.
Another reason for the increased popularity of CBD and hemp products is that hemp is a crop that can thrive in bad soil conditions. This allows farmers to harvest crops all year round.
In this article, we break down what CBD oil is and how it’s made. Let’s take a closer look.
What is CBD oil?
CBD oil comes from cannabidiol, found in cannabis plants. For many years, both cannabis and CBD have been used as a natural treatment for a number of ailments. CBD oil has proven to be a particularly effective natural alternative form of pain relief, its low risk of addiction makes it an excellent pain relief option for those who prefer to avoid opioids.
How is CBD Oil Made?
Now we know what CBD oil is, let’s see how it’s made.
Step #1 – Cultivate the hemp plant
The first step is to extract the CBD from the cannabis plant (industrial hemp plant in the UK). As this plant is low in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), it can be legally grown in the UK and most of Europe provided the grower has a license. The CBD is cultivated from seeds containing less than 0.2% THC, according to EU regulations. These plants are specifically grown to contain high levels of CBD instead of THC.
Step # 2 – Extraction
There are numerous methods to extract CBD from plants. The CBD is extracted from the plant by either soaking the plant material in alcohol or using a solvent like butane or ethanol to separate the cannabinoids
Carbon dioxide extraction (CO2 extraction) is the most common method. Cold pressing is also a popular method. It takes longer but retains more of the plant terpenes
Hemp seed oil and coconut oil are usually used as carrier oils for CBD oil. Both come with their own health benefits; coconut oil is great for skin and hair health while hemp seed oil can lower blood pressure, reduce pain, and improve your skin.
Extracting the CBD Using the CO2 Method- A Step-By-Step Guide
- Super Critical CO2 is a gas. It needs to be heated to a temperature above 100 degrees in order to extract the oil. Once it has been heated, it must then be pressurized to a critical point of about 7200 psi
- The liquid then transforms into a supercritical fluid and starts to extract the cannabinoids from the plant matter.
- After the CBD oil has been extracted, it needs to be purified. This isolates the specific compounds found in the oil and gets rid of chlorophyll and other plant waxes.
- Following extraction, the CBD has to be stored in dark glass bottles in a cool environment to maintain its potency (light exposure can cause CBD to deteriorate quicker.
Step #3 Testing
Once the CBD oil has been extracted, it needs to be tested. CBD oil undergoes extensive testing to ensure that the quality of the product, the manufacturing processes, and standards remain high.
Tips For Choosing a Great-Quality CBD oil
These tips will help you choose the best quality CBD oil that is right for your needs:
1. Decide if you want CBD isolate, full-spectrum CBD, or broad-spectrum
Full-spectrum CBD contains all of the benefits of cannabis plants, including THC
Broad-spectrum CBD has all of the naturally occurring compounds, except all of the THC—or all but a very tiny amount–is typically removed. This is a great option for those who want the benefits of terpenes and flavonoids without the THC. Always go for a CBD oil that has been blended with high-grade, ethically sourced MCT oil like this medicated nerds
The purest form of CBD is CBD isolate as it has been isolated from the other compounds found in the hemp plant. It contains no THC and is both tasteless and odorless. is the purest form of CBD, isolated from the other compounds of the hemp plant. CBD isolate should have no THC.
Final Thoughts
CBD has become an essential part of any natural medicine toolkit. It has proven to not just relieve physical pain, but to be extremely effective for managing mental health conditions like anxiety. For years CBD oil has faced stigma due to a lack of education, but as more and more people learn what CBD is and what it’s used for its popularity has soared.
