The fabuleaf™ CBD Extraction Process
STEP 1:
Hand Harvest Trichomes of The Flower
We hand-harvest the trichomes of the Hemp Flower which contain the most therapeutic compounds the plant has to offer. (The Naturally Occurring Cannabinoids, Terpenes, & Flavonoids)
STEP 2:
We Only Use Flower for Extraction
BENEFITS OF CO2 EXTRACTION
- CO2 Extraction kills any microbial bacteria, mold, mildew or insect mites. This guarantees that your concentrates will be cleaner and healthier for you to consume.
- CO2 Extraction is “gentler” than other solvents used. In other extraction processes, solvents such as ethanol alcohol, butane, and propane are used to de-wax or extract the oils and can damage or denature the product, making it unfit for consumption. There is no need to use these potentially harmful chemicals in the extraction process.
- The absence of extra chemicals makes supercritical CO2 concentrates safer to consume and tastier to experience thanks to the preservation of terpene aromas. These terpenes would normally be destroyed by the alcohol, butane or propane making your cannabis extract much less flavorful. The superior taste of CO2 extracts also makes them ideal for using in cannabis concentrates.
- Supercritical CO2 gives growers & concentrate makers the ability to capture and scientifically understand, not just THC and CBD, but the more elusive cannabinoids like cannabichromene (CBC) and cannabicitran (CBT). In other words, CO2 extraction is the key to understanding the hidden medicinal benefits of the other, less prevalent cannabinoids and terpenes and how they work together (the process known as “The Enterouge Effect”).
STEP 3:
Decarboxylation
The Cannabis plant does not directly make CBD or THC. The plant synthesizes cannabinoid acids; such as CBGA, CBDA & CBCA or THCA & THCVA (among others), which must first be activated through the process of decarboxilation to yield the CBD compound. To make the compound more bioavailable to the body and able to interact efficiently with our endocannabinoid system, decarboxilation involves heating the cannabinoid acids into their more accessible forms. After decarboxilation, each of the cannabinoid acids yields their corresponding cannabinoid compound. For example, after the extracted oil goes through decarboxilation, the acid form of CBDA becomes CBD.
*Our tinctures, soft gels & topicals end here in the extraction process.
At this stage in the extraction process is where we add in MCT oil to our full spectrum tinctures. Our tinctures, soft gels, and topicals are free of residual solvents, toxins, or pesticides and have a full profile of terpenes & cannabinoids.
STEP 4:
Winterization
Winterization is a step of further refinement of the Full Spectrum Hemp Flower Oil and takes place after the initial CO2 CBD Extraction process. Here, along with unwanted fats, waxes, and chlorophyll, certain cannabinoids and terpenes are also removed and yield a reduction in the original “full spectrum” profile.
STEP 5:
Distillation
During this process, the dewaxed or winterized oil is further refined to remove additional cannabinoids and terpenes, as well as additional chlorophyll and flavonoids yielding a highly concentrated and transparent oil that can test with concentration levels of 70-80% CBD. At this stage, CBD levels are high, but the presence of the synergistic compounds of cannabinoids & terpenes that deliver the highly efficacious “Entourage Effect” may be reduced.
STEP 6:
Chromatography
To achieve a product that is Free of any detectable THC a process of Chromatography is used to separate the cannabinoids via molecular structure. This is a very targeted process that removes the THC molecular from the distillate leaving only CBD and a few other cannabinoids in minimal quantities. This product can result in a 80 – 90% CBD concentration.
STEP 7:
Isolation
During this step only the CBD molecule is isolated through a process of polar attraction. A solvent that has the same polarity as CBD, usually Pentane, is added to the distillate. Because the Pentane is the same polarity as the CBD, all the oppositely charged molecules are attracted to the Pentane and the CBD is separated, thus isolated. The other molecules including all remaining cannabinoids are bound to the Pentene. The result is a 99% CBD extract with no other compounds other than some of the residual solvent remains. With this product, you have no synergist effect of the combination of terpenes or cannabinoids that are known to be effective when utilized for certain health issues.