Ethanol Extraction CBD
The Road in Extracting CBD
The road of botanical extraction goes back quite a long way and includes a variety of extraction solvents that are still prevalently used today. Among the common three that will be discussed briefly are hydrocarbons, ethanol, and CO2:
Hydrocarbon: Hydrocarbons like propane and butane are often used in the extraction industry due to their overall efficiency. While these particular solvents are volatile in nature and not safe to consume, they are easily purged from a final extract making them relatively safe – though more studies are necessary to determine any long-term effects.
CO2: Is often considered to be the safest extraction solvent in terms of purity. As an organic solvent, CO2 is often called the “clean and green” extraction solvent as it is environmentally friendly as well as safe for the end user. While some extractors may try to argue that it is not an efficient method, proper equipment and operations lend evidence to the contrary making it a highly selective, powerful and safe extraction solvent.
Ethanol: Ethanol has been used in various extraction industries for many years, but there are some disparities in the safety of this particular extraction solvent. While food grade ethanol is considered to be safe, denatured ethanol can be a very risky alternative that could potentially cause long-term detrimental effects to the user. Let’s get into more detail about denatured ethanol and why ethanol extraction CBD can be risky.
Why Denatured Ethanol Extraction?
What is most concerning about ethanol extraction CBD products is not necessarily that it was extracted with ethanol, but what kind of ethanol is used. In order to use ethanol as a cleaning or industrial product, chemicals called denaturants are added in order to prevent human consumption. In doing this, federal beverage taxes do not apply to denatured ethanol making it much cheaper than food grade ethanol. Unfortunately, this reduced cost is all too appealing for a majority of ethanol extractors in the hemp industry making denatured ethanol the most common ethanol used in the industry. So, if it’s not safe for human consumption, what makes it safe for extracting CBD products for human consumption?
What Are The Most Common Denaturants in Ethanol?
Denatured recipes are published by the TTB that is administered by the National Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. There are many different recipes. One of the most common denaturants used in ethanol extraction is heptane. However there are other substances that may be used including acetone, isopropyl alcohol, methanol and other longer chain alcohols.
There is very limited data on the safety of heptane over the long term exposure. In fact the limit that the FDA has placed on the amount of heptane in a tincture for example was established in the 1990s on the basis of a single study published in 1981. That studies the effect of heptane on Sprague Dawley rats. That is why there are many disclaimers and the general guidance from the FDA is to limit the amount of solvent in any drug that is consumed.
Ethanol can also become contaminated during ethanol extraction. It is important that you address the contamination with testing and reuse protocols. Guidance for solvent reviews have been published by the FDA in 2010.
Are Cannabinoids Extracted by Ethanol Easier to Purify Than When They Are Extracted with CO2?
Cannabinoids extracted with ethanol are not necessarily easier to purify compared with CO2 extracted cannabinoids. There really is no difference.
An ethanol producer might suggest that they are skipping the winterization process that would be required for example with a CO2 extraction. However, it is important to note that they are not necessarily skipping it but they are making it a part of the process.
There are several disadvantages to a completely integrated process. Specifically, the facts and waxes that you get out of the winterization process are valuable for many different products. Second, when the process is completely integrated, from extraction to winterized oil, the terpene profile is greatly altered and sometimes unrecoverable.
Is it possible to make a solventless extract with CO2?
It is absolutely possible to make a solventless extract with CO2. solventless extracts are typically made with subcritical CO2 extraction methods.
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Ethanol Extraction CBD Products
So, we have discussed the three most common extraction methods in the industry including their benefits and detriments, but what is the best option for making these products? Leaving hydrocarbons out of the equation, let’s take a look at CBD ethanol extraction products compared to CO2 extraction products to see what method is preferable to create them.
What Extraction Method is Best For Making Products?
- In ethanol extraction, removal of the ethanol is a process that requires a significant amount of heat over a long period of time. This heat exposure will degrade the terpenes significantly. Many of the terpenes during this process are co-distilled or are destroyed in the process. The oil from this process is typically dark black and does not taste very good. The aroma profile is also not very desirable due to the breakdown of the terpene profile. The use of a crude extract for the tincture it’s not desirable because it doesn’t taste very good, doesn’t smell very good, and it also may contain too much psychoactive material.
- Once the ethanol has been removed from the ethanol extract, the oil typically is introduced to a distillation process which removes the remaining terpenes. If your intent is to use distillate for your tincture, then you will have to find a way to add some terpenes to that tincture. The only resort is to purchase synthetic terpenes. you will also need to figure out how to reduce the amount of psychoactive cannabinoids.
- One other thing that needs to be considered is that if you do not distill the ethanol extract, it is very likely that you will have a significant amount of chemical contaminants in your extract. This is especially true if you are using denatured ethanol for your extraction process.
- Process of distillation does not necessarily remove all of the denaturing from the extract. It may remove the vast majority of the solvent contaminant but there are always trace residuals remaining in the distillate.
- It is always desirable to start with organic hemp biomass so there is little risk of those contaminants making their way into the tincture.
CO2 extraction is far superior in terms of terpene profile preservation.
In summary, both CO2 extraction and ethanol extraction can produce desirable products. However, CO2 extraction has an edge over ethanol extraction due to preservation of the terpene profiles and the avoidance of risk related to chemical contaminants. Finally, CO2 extraction is much less expensive than ethanol extraction. For those reasons CO2 is a better extraction method for safe and quality products.
Final Thoughts
So, it is clearly important for consumers to understand that ethanol extraction CBD can be detrimental to one’s health over a long term consumption rate. While studies are still necessary to validate these concerns, the amount of residual chemical denaturants left in extracted products, even at lower levels, can add up when taken daily for a number of years.
This is why extraktLAB chooses to extract with supercritical CO2. Not only is it the most long-term cost efficient extraction option for production, it is, without question, the safest option for hemp extracts intended for human consumption.
