How is CBD made?

CBD is a relatively new industry to grace our society, despite its root plant- the cannabis plant, having been used for centuries within human civilisation for various medicinal purposes. Due to the industry being relatively new, many people are unaware of the exact process that goes into making CBD. Here in this blog, we will break down the step-by-step process of making CBD!

CBD comes naturally from the marijuana plant. Unlike the other by-products of marijuana- THC, it does not cause any psychoactive effects on one’s mind and body. Due to this CBD is known for its restorative properties & is legal in many countries globally. CBD is traditionally extracted from the marijuana plant and created into an oil, which is then mixed with another oil dubbed as a “carrier oil”. These carrier oils can range from Olive oil to essential oils & more depending on the purpose of the product.

Our Heiko Oils are all mixed with MCT oil (Medium Chain triglycerides), which help with the digestion of CBD oil. MCT oil also helps with protecting your heart, a source of energy and defence against bacteria, managing diabetes, Alzheimer’s, epilepsy & autism.

First, in order to create CBD, we must process the industrial hemp in a country that has legalised its farming, such as the US or Europe. This ensures that the cultivated plants contain less than 1% THC, adhering to global policies. These plants are grown specifically with CBD in mind, hence why they contain much more CBD concentrations than they would normally do. These plants are then mixed with solvents, which help bring out the pure CBD oil, as they are particularly effective in separating the CBD molecules from other properties of the marijuana plant.

The most common method of CBD extraction is ‘CO2 extraction’, in which the hemp plant is placed into a chamber with CO2 and then pressure is applied. This then turns the C02 within the chamber into liquid, absorbing the marijuana plant’s flavour and properties. This process is often used for making essential oils for perfumes or for food additives. This leads to the liquid containing both C02 & CBD, going through a final process of removing the C02 by changing it into a gas from the liquid.

Whilst this method is common and most importantly relatively safe, there is a chance of the end product containing alcohol. However, it is standard that C02 extracted products then go through a further refinement process with alcohol solvent, to create a CBD isolate or distillate.

Heiko CBD oils are made using this C02 extraction method, but we also mix our CBD oil with MCT oil- to better aid in digestion. We also flavour all of our oils, as we know that the original hemp flavour can sometimes throw off consumers due to its strong taste. We do this by adding natural flavours into the process.

Another form of extraction is by using liquid solvents such as butane, ethanol or isopropyl alcohol. This is considered to be one of the simplest extraction methods for CBD, as an alcohol solvent is believed to keep the natural properties of CBD intact during the extraction process. However, there have been some noticeable negatives to this process. Certain studies have shown that the solvent residue does not fully evaporate during the extraction process. Also, the natural solvents like ethanol being used in this process can often extract the chlorophyll during the process creating an unpleasant taste within the oil.

Here at Heiko, we value the trust that our customers put in us and our products, that is why we post our lab reports on our website and are happy to send them through to anyone who requests them. If you have any other questions for us in regards to how CBD is made or anything else feel free to reach out via the website, social media or our contact details!