How Is Hemp Oil Made?

First, it’s important to keep in mind that hemp plants aren’t marijuana plants but they’re both in the marijuana plant family. The marijuana plant itself has been a drug-producing powerhouse for thousands of years, but the hemp plant has only recently been grown and processed into hemp extract. CBD hemp oil is typically extracted from hemp, which is a federally-legal crop that’s being used to create products from food and flour to protein powder and hemp milk.

Hemp is a cannabis plant (Cannabis Sativa) with less than 3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Furthermore, hemp oil, just like the ones in Synchronicity, is for a wide range of uses and benefits. This is the reason the hemp oil industry is growing.

What Is Hemp Oil?

Hemp for food products is grown and sold as the fiber of the plant. The stalks are used for creating oil, and the seeds, also known as hurds, are used to produce hemp seed oil. The hemp plant is not cut down; it’s just left to grow. This is why harvesting the plants is only a minor operation. To harvest the plants, the stalks and stems are cut off the plant, then placed in a large machine known as a harvester.

Moreover, hemp oil is extracted from the stalks and stems, and the resulting oil is processed using an extraction machine. It’s then separated into triglycerides, and solvents are added to lower the extract’s boiling point. The solvents are generally vegetable oils like olive or coconut oil. After this stage, the oil is ready to use. It is then further purified using distillation, UV light, and carbon block filtration.

All hemp oils are pure, natural, pesticide-free, and have a long shelf life. Thus, they’re typically sold as oil with no additives or flavorings, but some companies will mix them with flavorings to increase shelf life.

Hemp oil is also very low in saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium, cholesterol, trans-fats, and low in saturated fats. One tablespoon of hemp oil can replace two or three tablespoons of other oils.

In addition to being low in fat, hemp oil is also very rich in antioxidants. Also, it has an impressive amount of vitamin E, which is known to prevent damage to cells from free radicals.

How To Produce Hemp Oil

Glass bottle with cannabis oil and a test tube with hemp leaves on a marble background. Copy space.

There are many ways to extract hemp oil from the plant. In the current industry setting, there are three major methods to produce hemp oil:

1. Winterization

Winterization is an integral part of the production of profitable cannabis extracts. The cold process removes fat and other lipids that may cause the cannabis extract to be less dense, drier, and more sticky. Without this step, the final product is less pure, resulting in a harsher and less enjoyable result. Here’s a brief description of the process.

In the cold process, cannabis is freeze-dried. The cannabis is then placed in a chamber where it’s kept at a temperature of -100 degrees Fahrenheit for four hours. After this, the cannabis is placed in a freezer overnight. The freezer’s heat breaks the oils in cannabis, making the final product more volatile than if it had been stored in the freezer for longer. After which, it’s thawed out the following day.

Once the cannabis is thawed out, it’s then subjected to cold extraction. The cannabis is exposed to a cold vacuum that forces all the moisture out of it. After this, the cannabis is further processed using a cold process extraction machine. This machine has two separate chambers, where the heat and cold process can be separately applied.

The next process, pyrolysis, uses a second cold vacuum to produce carbon dioxide gas, which causes cannabis to emit a pleasant odor. After which, the entire process is repeated in a third chamber.

When combined with pyrolysis, this produces a superior product, which is stronger, smoother, and less harsh. It also ensures that the final product is free from chemicals that can be harmful to your body, especially the lungs.

2. Short Path Distillation

A short path distillation is a highly portable, compact, and effective distillation system for laboratory applications. This method uses multiple flasks for the short extraction of condensate from water in small tubes, and, typically, condensates are collected at different points along the condenser paths. The use of multiple flasks allows more control and better distribution over the end product.

The short path distillation process is similar to other common water distillation processes, where the vapor is forced through a porous material. The condenser coil is used to trap the vapor inside the coil, and then it exits the condenser through the condenser tube. It passes over a coil or other heat resistant metal structure called the evaporator coil, then it flows into a cooling container, such as a freezer. When the vapors reach the cooling device, they’re cooled off and then condensed into liquid form.

The condenser coil is placed on the outside of the container to trap the vapors. If the coils are placed properly, the coil can effectively trap the vapors, preventing evaporation. This means that the water molecules don’t escape through the tubing but are collected by the coil.

The tubes are made of small tubes, usually four inches or less, and are usually placed in a twenty-gallon tank. A temperature is maintained in the tank to keep the vapors contained. The condenser coil also has a fan to circulate the vapor and prevent condensation.

3. CO2 Extraction

The process of CO2 Extraction works by removing unwanted chemical contaminants by applying carbon dioxide into the biomass. During the carbon dioxide treatment, the biomass can absorb the carbon dioxide and extract the chemical contaminants through the biomass. Once the unwanted chemical contaminant has been removed from the extracted carbon dioxide, it’s then released back into the environment.

Once the carbon dioxide treatment is complete, and the oil extraction product is tested, the remaining product will need to be tested for quality. This means that it’ll need to be tested for contaminants, solvents, and other environmental conditions.

Final Thoughts

In the last few years, hemp has become more mainstream–even millennials are attracted to CBD products. This is why many industries are starting to grow hemp fields and produce hemp oil because of its wide range of uses and health benefits.

As the hemp plant becomes increasingly popular as a substitute for prescription drugs and other types of medications for medical conditions, it has become the target of many government agencies to limit or prohibit their production.

While federal regulations have made it difficult for commercial hemp farmers to legally grow hemp, they’re allowed to grow industrial hemp. There’s a gray area in a place that allows for hemp oil’s commercial production, but it can only be done on a limited scale. It’s also important to understand the many ways to produce hemp oil, so you know the right equipment to use.