There are many steps involved in obtaining CBD from the hemp plant and turning it into the finished oil, gummy, or salve you may see at the store.
Extraction and Production
For cannabidiol (CBD) to be extracted from the hemp plant, it must go through an intense process of refinement. After high-CBD hemp is harvested, dried, and processed, the raw plant material will be sent to a manufacturer for production. The manufacturer will reduce the raw hemp into unrefined and refined oils. Through methods of ethanol or CO2 extraction, different cannabinoids can be extracted and separated into isolated forms. CBD isolate is CBD in its purest form and is often used to make high-strength CBD products. In this form, CBD becomes hydrophobic and difficult to turn into a finished product. To make it easier to work with, CBD will be thoroughly and evenly mixed with oil using high-pressure homogenizers. This way, the CBD can be successfully blended into a finished product.
Quality Assurance
Once a CBD product is made, it needs to be thoroughly reviewed and sent out for testing. Every batch of products must be sent to an ISO-certified third-party laboratory for testing and analysis. Many states have strict guidelines on what ingredients are allowed in CBD products and require every company to ensure there are no harmful elements present. The lab can perform tests to guarantee the potency of a product and screen for the presence of heavy metals or pesticides. The lab results will assure the contents of the product are accurate with what is listed on the label and that no toxins are present. CBD providers should always be transparent about their manufacturing process and where their ingredients are coming from.
All CBD products go through similar extraction and testing procedures. For your CBD product to be reliable and effective it must abide by the industry’s standards and regulations.
