How is CBD Oil Made? From Plant to Pipette
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Zara Kenyon
Contributor
Gregor Zorn, Chief Science Officer
Ever wondered how CBD oil is made? We’ll be honest: it’s not a quick or easy process. It takes time, patience and the most innovative tech to ensure you’re getting a high quality oil.
However, we know that the best things come to those who don’t just wait, but work hard to get it, which is why we take pride in our CBD oil production process. So much pride, in fact, that we’re ready to share it with you.
Here, we speak to Cannaray's Chief Science Officer, Gregor Zorn, about how we make our CBD oil. We’re taking you through every step – from plant to pipette – so you can see what goes into each bottle.
Lab coats on, and let’s go...
1. Picking the plant
CBD is extracted from the hemp plant, as this contains the tiniest percentage of THC (if any at all).
Every country has its own laws surrounding THC levels. “In most European countries, the limit for THC is 0.2%,” says Gregor. “But in the United States it’s 0.3%, and in Australia it’s 1%.”
By picking flowers from the hemp plant, we give you a THC-free, non-psychotropic CBD oil that’s abundant in cannabinoids, as well as therapeutic terpenes.
Once the CBD flowers have been picked, they’re dried so that they’re ready for extraction. And that takes us on to step number two...
2. Extracting the CBD
Once the plant has been processed, the CBD is extracted from all the other plant cannabinoids to create an isolated CBD compound, known as CBD isolate. “It’s about washing the cannabinoids and terpenes off the plant,” explains Gregor. “The plant produces these constituents on the surface. It’s not like other plants that have essential oils on the inside.
3. Processing the crude extract
“When you’ve processed the hemp flowers, what you get is something called a crude extract. This will contain a percentage of CBD, which would be anywhere from 50% to even 90%,” Gregor says.
The extract is sticky, unsavoury and not yet ready to be ingested or sublingually applied, which is why we process it into a fresh-tasting CBD oil. This involves removing any unwanted waxes or fats.
Then, the oil creation process begins. What some don’t know is that CBD isn’t extracted as an oil; it turns into one when you mix it with a carrier oil. This is necessary for your body to be able to absorb the CBD, and the choice of oils can range from olive oil to hemp seed oil to coconut oil.
At Cannaray, we use the latter. Coconut oil is a medium chain triglyceride, which helps to increase the absorbency of the CBD, as well as the other cannabinoids. “It’s also very stable, so it doesn’t oxidise,” Gregor points out. “The problem with a lot of other carrier oils is that they tend to oxidise quickly, which reduces the shelf life and gives the CBD a bad taste.”
Once you’ve added the oil, you have the final product. “This is diluted to the percentage of CBD you want to have,” says Gregor. “For example, you might have 5% in a 10ml bottle, giving you 500mg of CBD in total.”
This percentage of CBD is adjusted depending on the formula. Case in point: our CBD Oil Drops come in a variety of strengths, up to 1800mg.
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4. Bottling the Benefits
Finally, the CBD oil is ready to be bottled. The packaging we use is key here, as it needs to protect the quality of the CBD oil and safeguard it from oxidation. This is why we use dark glass; it helps to protect the oil from UV light, which can cause the CBD and terpenes to evaporate.
Top tip from Gregor: “Once you’ve got your CBD Oil Drops, place them in a cool, dark place and keep the lid closed. If you’re not using it regularly, you could even keep it in the fridge.”
That way, your oil will always be fresh.
5. Lab testing
All of our CBD products are lab tested to ensure only the best CBD products make their way into your hands. We even publish our lab reports so you can have peace of mind knowing you're using quality control CBD in your routine.
Up next: What does CBD oil taste like? We’ve got all the answers.
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