So you want to experience cannabis concentrates… but you are wondering how they are made. This article provides an overview of the most common cannabis extraction methods used today.
The world of cannabis concentrates is ever evolving and we are so excited about it! If you are new to concentrates, the endless choices might have you overwhelmed. Fret not! We’ll walk you through the common extraction processes and give you a better look at how concentrates are made.
What is Hydrocarbon Extraction?
To understand this extraction method, you have to know what a hydrocarbon is. The term hydrocarbon refers to an organic chemical compound that is composed exclusively of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Hydrocarbons are naturally-occurring and form the basis of several crucial sources of energy like natural gas and coal. Essentially, if it has only hydrogen and carbon atoms, then its a hydrocarbon. If that seems confusing, don’t overthink it. The molecular structure of a hydrocarbon can be seen below. Let the dark grey balls represent carbon while the white represent hydrogen.
Using the hydrocarbon butane which acts as a solvent (or something that is able to dissolve other substances), extractors are able to separate cannabinoids like THC and CBD, as well as terpenes from the marijuana plant. After the cannabinoids and terpenes are collected, the mixture is then heated to evaporate any existing butane and what is left is the extract or concentrate.
What is Solventless (non-solvent) Extraction?
Solventless extraction is a cannabis extraction method that does not include the use of chemicals to separate the cannabinoids from the plant matter. Instead, fresh cannabis is tossed into a bath of ice water and agitated with paddles. The ice bath and agitation breaks off trichomes, or the appendages on the surface of cannabis that produce and hold a majority of the plant’s cannabinoids and terpenes. The picture below shows trichomes on a plant. Once these are broken off, they collect at the bottom of the ice bath and then are sifted through wash bags – you can think of these bags like a big cheesecloth. The liquid is able to drain through the bags, leaving the trichomes behind.
Courtesy of High Times Magazine
The next step in the Solventess method is allowing the trichomes to dry forming hash, which is then put into smaller ‘rosin press bags’ and then pressed with heat to form cannabis concentrates. These concentrates include Rosin, Budder, Diamonds, Sauce + more.
For a quick video on Kola’s Solventelss process, follow this link: https://youtu.be/huBeeOhOshg
Kola is happy to help answer any questions you may have about cannabis extraction. If you would like to learn more about the methods we use, follow us on Facebook & Instagram and Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Reach out through email at [email protected] and we will be happy to help!
Stay feeling good, friends! C.M.
