CBD is now found in everything from oils and skincare to balms and intimate wellness products. But have you ever wondered how CBD is extracted from hemp flowers - or what actually happens between a hemp plant growing in a field and CBD appearing in a finished formula?
CBD isn’t simply squeezed from the flower. The cannabinoids contained within hemp need to be carefully extracted from the plant material before the resulting extract can be refined, tested and formulated into a finished product.
There are several ways of doing this, with CO₂ extraction and ethanol extraction among the most commonly used methods.
So, let’s follow CBD’s journey from flower to formula.
Where does CBD come from?
CBD - short for cannabidiol - is one of a large number of naturally occurring compounds called cannabinoids found in Cannabis sativa.
CBD and other cannabinoids are particularly associated with the resinous parts of the plant, including its flowers.
Look very closely at a hemp flower and you’ll find tiny structures called trichomes across its surface. These produce and contain cannabinoids alongside other plant compounds, including aromatic terpenes.
Hemp and cannabis aren’t completely different species of plant - both are varieties of Cannabis sativa. However, plants cultivated and processed for legal CBD production have to meet relevant regulatory requirements, particularly concerning controlled cannabinoids such as THC.
And that brings us to an important distinction.
Is CBD the same as THC?
No.
CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) are different cannabinoids.
THC is principally associated with the intoxicating “high” produced by cannabis. CBD itself doesn’t produce the same intoxicating effect.
This distinction becomes particularly important during CBD extraction because an initial plant extract can contain numerous naturally occurring compounds rather than CBD alone.
How is CBD extracted from hemp?
After hemp has been harvested, the plant material is generally dried and prepared for extraction.
The basic purpose of CBD extraction is relatively straightforward:
Separate cannabinoids and other desired compounds from the remaining plant material.
Doing that efficiently, consistently and on a commercial scale requires considerably more sophisticated equipment than the principle might suggest.
Different producers use different extraction techniques, but two methods you’ll frequently encounter are:
- Supercritical CO₂ extraction
- Ethanol extraction
Both use a solvent to draw compounds from the hemp plant, although they achieve this in very different ways.
What is CO₂ CBD extraction?
CO₂ extraction is one of the best-known methods of extracting CBD from hemp.
CO₂ - carbon dioxide - is the same compound naturally present in the air around us.
Under carefully controlled combinations of pressure and temperature, carbon dioxide can enter what’s known as a supercritical state. At this point, it has properties associated with both liquids and gases.
That makes it particularly useful as an extraction solvent.
Supercritical CO₂ can be passed through prepared hemp material, where it interacts with and extracts cannabinoids and other plant compounds.
Once extraction has taken place, the pressure can be changed so that the CO₂ separates from the extracted material.
The result is a concentrated botanical extract that can then undergo further processing.
One of the attractions of supercritical CO₂ extraction for CBD is the degree of control manufacturers can have over the extraction conditions.
But extraction is only the beginning.
How does ethanol CBD extraction work?
Another commonly used method of extracting CBD from hemp involves ethanol.
The prepared hemp material is exposed to ethanol, which acts as a solvent and dissolves cannabinoids and other soluble plant compounds.
The liquid containing those extracted compounds is then separated from the remaining plant material.
The ethanol is subsequently removed and can potentially be recovered, leaving behind a concentrated hemp extract.
Ethanol extraction can be highly efficient, but - just like CO₂ extraction - the extraction method alone doesn’t determine the quality of the finished CBD.
The starting material, equipment, processing conditions, purification and testing all matter.
What happens to CBD after extraction?
The material immediately produced during CBD extraction isn’t necessarily the clear, refined CBD ingredient you might imagine when looking at a finished product.
It’s a concentrated plant extract containing a mixture of compounds.
Depending on the type of CBD ingredient being produced, the extract can therefore undergo several additional stages of filtration, refinement and purification.
One process you may encounter is called winterisation.
Despite the rather cosy name, there are no scarves or hot chocolate involved.
Winterisation is a purification process that can help remove substances such as plant waxes and fats from an extract.
The extract can be mixed with alcohol and cooled to very low temperatures. Certain components separate from the mixture and can subsequently be filtered out.
Further processing can then be used to produce the desired cannabinoid profile.
And this is where those terms you see on CBD packaging - full-spectrum, broad-spectrum and CBD isolate - start to make a lot more sense.
Full-spectrum vs broad-spectrum CBD vs CBD isolate
Not all CBD ingredients are the same.
Full-spectrum CBD
A full-spectrum CBD extract retains a range of compounds naturally present in the hemp plant.
Depending on the particular extract and applicable legislation, this may include several cannabinoids, terpenes and other plant compounds, potentially alongside permitted trace quantities of THC.
Broad-spectrum CBD
Broad-spectrum CBD also contains a range of hemp-derived compounds, but undergoes processing intended to remove THC.
This means other cannabinoids and plant compounds can remain while THC is removed or reduced according to the required specification.
CBD isolate
CBD isolate takes refinement considerably further.
CBD is separated and highly purified, producing an ingredient consisting almost entirely of cannabidiol rather than the wider range of compounds found within a broader hemp extract.
It’s tempting to assume one must automatically be “better” than another, but they’re simply different ingredients.
The appropriate choice depends on the product being formulated, its intended use and the regulatory requirements that apply to it.
What is CBDA - and how does it become CBD?
There’s another interesting part of the journey from hemp flower to CBD.
Inside the plant, a significant proportion of what will eventually become CBD exists naturally as CBDA - cannabidiolic acid.
CBDA is a precursor to CBD.
Heat can convert CBDA into CBD through a chemical process known as decarboxylation.
That’s one reason temperature is an important consideration during cannabinoid processing.
Depending on the manufacturing process, producing a refined CBD ingredient can therefore involve several stages including extraction, filtration, heating, separation and purification.
What happens to THC during CBD extraction?
This is particularly relevant when discussing CBD products in the UK.
Extracting compounds from hemp doesn’t mean that a solvent somehow recognises CBD and politely leaves every other cannabinoid behind.
The plant naturally contains a mixture of compounds.
Depending on the plant material and extraction method used, the initial hemp extract may therefore contain THC and other controlled cannabinoids alongside CBD.
Additional processing and refinement may be necessary to alter the cannabinoid profile and reduce or remove unwanted compounds.
And that’s one of the reasons independent laboratory testing and cannabinoid analysis are important when evaluating CBD products.
Testing can help manufacturers establish what cannabinoids are actually present and at what concentrations, alongside other quality and safety checks appropriate for the ingredient or finished formulation.
Does using CO₂ or ethanol make CBD synthetic?
No. Using a solvent to extract CBD from hemp doesn’t automatically make the resulting CBD synthetic.
Think of making a very sophisticated cup of tea.
When you add hot water to tea leaves, the water acts as a solvent, drawing soluble compounds from the leaves into your cup.
CBD extraction works on a considerably more technical level, but the underlying principle is similar: a solvent helps separate particular compounds from plant material.
In CBD production, that solvent might be supercritical CO₂ or ethanol.
The solvent is then separated from the extracted material before the resulting hemp extract undergoes further processing.
Why does the CBD extraction method matter?
Because the phrase “contains CBD” doesn’t tell you very much by itself.
Two products might both contain CBD while using very different ingredients, concentrations, formulations and manufacturing processes.
At Fleur by Fable & Femme, we’re interested in more than simply the number printed on the front of a bottle.
We want to understand:
- Where the CBD comes from
- What type of CBD extract has been used
- How the finished product has been formulated
- What testing has been carried out
- Whether the product and its ingredients meet the relevant UK requirements
CBD isn’t magic - and we don’t think it should be marketed as though it is.
It’s a fascinating plant-derived compound with an equally fascinating journey from flower to finished formula.
Understanding that journey makes it easier to look beyond impressive-sounding marketing and make more informed choices about the products you buy and use.
How is CBD made? The short version
If you’ve made it this far and just want the quick answer:
Hemp is grown → harvested and dried → cannabinoids are extracted from the plant material → the extract is filtered and refined → its cannabinoid profile may be further processed → the ingredient is tested → and finally, it can be incorporated into a finished CBD formulation.
Quite a journey for one little flower.
FAQs: CBD Extraction
How is CBD extracted from hemp?
CBD can be extracted from prepared hemp plant material using several methods. Two commonly used commercial processes are CO₂ extraction and ethanol extraction. The resulting hemp extract can then undergo further filtration, purification and refinement.
Is CBD extracted from hemp flowers?
CBD and its precursor CBDA are particularly associated with the resinous parts of the hemp plant, including its flowers and their trichomes. Commercial extraction processes can use prepared hemp plant material to recover cannabinoids before refining the resulting extract.
What is the best method for extracting CBD?
There isn’t necessarily one extraction method that makes a CBD product automatically superior. CO₂ and ethanol extraction can both be used effectively. The quality of the starting material, manufacturing controls, purification, formulation and testing are also important considerations.
What is CO₂ extraction for CBD?
CO₂ extraction uses carbon dioxide under controlled temperature and pressure as a solvent to extract cannabinoids and other compounds from hemp. Supercritical CO₂ extraction is commonly associated with commercial CBD production.
What is the difference between CBD isolate and full-spectrum CBD?
Full-spectrum CBD extracts retain a broader range of naturally occurring hemp compounds, while CBD isolate is highly purified so the resulting ingredient consists almost entirely of cannabidiol. Broad-spectrum CBD sits somewhere between these approaches, retaining multiple hemp-derived compounds while being processed to remove THC.
Does CBD contain THC?
CBD and THC are different cannabinoids. A CBD ingredient may be produced as part of an extract containing other cannabinoids, while highly purified CBD isolate is different again. The cannabinoid profile of a particular product should be established through appropriate testing and must comply with applicable UK requirements.
Is CBD intoxicating?
CBD itself isn’t considered intoxicating in the same way as THC and doesn’t produce the characteristic “high” associated with cannabis.
A note from Fleur by Fable & Femme: This article is provided for general educational information only and isn’t intended as medical advice. CBD and cannabinoid products are subject to UK legislation and regulatory requirements, and not every CBD product or formulation is suitable for every use.