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Pros and Cons The biggest disadvantage of CO 2 extraction is the high cost of the equipment because of the considerable pressure required to convert it from a gas to a liquid. The equipment tends to be very expensive or relatively expensive compared to other competing extractions. “It’s not that CO 2 is usually better than the others. It’s all about the pros and cons. Depending on what you want to make and who your target audience is, different technologies will have different values,” Joseph notes. For example, pure extraction without residual solvents can be attractive to specific markets. “More generally, there is a huge difference between making CBD products with boutique type applications and CBD products that are condemned by mass production environments,” he adds. Residual solvents in CBD: A comparison of extraction methods While CO 2 is notorious for the purity debate, ethanol and hydrocarbons are notorious for potentially leaving harmful residues in the final product. However, Andy Joseph makes it clear that it should be clarified that we are only talking about one potential. “Ethanol can come in different purity levels. There’s pharmaceutical grade ethanol, 200 proof, and then vodka. Technically, they’re all alcohols, but the difference between them is obviously in the purity. As for hydrocarbons, they do start out of the ground at some point in time, which obviously means they can contain heavy metals and contaminants,” Joseph clarifies. That’s where the challenge of using them as solvents comes in “If you use a grade that is not pure enough for extraction, there are definitely contaminants left in the extraction process. But it’s really about the potential. It really depends on how well the process is done and how much filtration is done,” he adds. On the other hand, CO2 extraction (co2 extraction equipment – Careddi) is considered to be safe and harmless. It almost becomes a sign that immediately signifies quality and cleanliness. “It’s just carbon dioxide – the same substance that makes up our bodies,” Joseph briefly argues. But even this solvent requires secondary filtration. “Secondary and tertiary filtration is done across the board – whether we’re talking about CO 2, hydrocarbons or ethanol. Many times, unwanted elements are not necessarily contaminants, but need to be excluded from the CBD concentrate – chlorophyll is a good example,” Joseph explains. “Lipids, oils, and fats are other substances that fall into the same category,” he adds, “and if they are not separated from the CBD extract, then they will settle in the final product. Imagine encountering this situation on the shelf in a pharmacy or store. Some people would certainly find the layer unattractive and would put off buying it.” “In terms of contaminants, sometimes getting them below the state allowable limits can be a real challenge. Secondary processing plays a big role here, and that usually means a lot of extra work,” Joseph explained. Pesticides in Cannabis: Helping the Illegal Market for Years Related Pesticides in Marijuana: Helping the Illegal Market for Years Safety Notes Another issue to address is definitely the safety precautions regarding different solvents. In the case of hydrocarbons, this is a major issue. Extracting CBD in this way means operating explosive gases. “The safety precautions required to operate a hydrocarbon extraction system are very important,” Joseph notes, “and the process is done in a special facility called a Class I, Zone 1 explosion-proof facility.” “However, the extraction of hydrocarbon CBD can absolutely be done safely. It’s just that the costs associated with it are high,” Joseph emphasized. Thus, extraction of hydrocarbon CBD is not always unsafe, but ensuring that the process is done in a safe manner can be very expensive. The bottom line: It all depends on the end product you’re trying to make “The reality is that almost every extraction method can produce almost any type of CBD product, but some methods are much better than others. It all depends on the efficiency of a particular situation. That’s where the complementary aspect comes in handy,” Joseph says. CBD extraction methods are complementary in the sense that they don’t necessarily run in tandem (one after the other), but in parallel (creating the product for which they are best suited). He gave us some useful examples: hydrocarbons are particularly good at making casual light-tap products – crushing, shredding, reactive resins; CO2 is good at terpene extraction and crude extract production; and ethanol shines in terms of volume – although it is the weakest of the three, it can handle large volumes most efficiently. “Ethanol’s biggest drawback is that it’s a ‘one-trick pony.’ It’s really only good at making large amounts of one product – distillates or isolates. A good example of this is the comparison with sugar or flour. It’s used as an ingredient, especially in food products.” “All in all, the CBD extraction methods are really complementary because there is a constant demand for all of these types of CBD products,” concludes Andy Joseph.