FAQS

CBD is the abbreviation for Cannabidiol, one of the resinous molecules known as phytocannabinoids, found in the flowers, leaves and stems of the cannabis sativa plant. CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid and one of the two major cannabinoids, the other being THC, which does have psychoactive properties. 

CBD is found in greater abundance in the hemp variety of cannabis sativa, which has a low THC concentration (below 0.3% as a legal standard). There are over 100 identified phytocannabinoids in the cannabis sativa plant.

CBD oil is made by extracting the compounds from the flowers and leaves of the hemp plant. There are various methods of extraction that can be used: however, the top two are CO2 and Ethanol Extraction. CO2 Extraction requires expensive equipment: however, it has an advantage of being able to selectively extract specific compounds and allows for purity of the cannabinoids and flavor (terpenes) in the refined CBD oil.

Ethanol Extraction involves heating the material to achieve decarboxylation and then soaking the plant material in ethanol for a period of time. Then the liquid is filtered from the material and left in the open and allowed to evaporate. One of the advantages to this method is it does produce a high volume of full spectrum hemp extract.

CBD oil has the natural compounds present in the flowers and leaves of the hemp plant that include cannabinoids, terpenes, fatty acids and flavonoids. The actual compound profile depends on the processing. The plant material can be refined/processed to have the full-spectrum of plant compounds, a broad-spectrum of plant compounds with the THC removed or an isolate that is up to 99% pure CBD.

Many tinctures and other CBD products also have carrier oils added to them after processing. CBD oils that do not have carrier oils are also available from processors for wholesale and product development purposes.

The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is a vast biological regulatory system of receptors on cells found in the brain, organs, tissues muscles, skeletal and immune systems of human and all mammalian bodies. This regulatory system plays various unique roles in basic physiological systems that include: immune response, cardiovascular function, respiration, metabolism, cognition, pain response, and sleep cycles.

The body naturally produces its own cannabinoids that interact with the ECS, and these are called endocannabinoids. Plant based cannabinoids (phytocannabinoids) also interact with the endocannabinoid system similarly, in both direct and indirect ways.

Decarboxylation, often referred to as decarbing, is the process of heating the plant material for a period of time at approximately 230°F. The result is the activation of the CBD to maximize the potency and bioavailability of the cannabinoid and is often preformed either before or after the extraction process.

Winterization is essentially an alcohol wash of the cannabis/hemp material and then freezing it. This helps to separate the pure CBD from all residual compounds like lipids, waxes and starches.

At the molecular level the more OH groups (oxygen bonded to hydrogen) present in a molecule the more it will exhibit solid characteristics. For instance CBD has two OH groups compared to THC, which has only one. If, for instance, both of these compounds were together under the correct level of purity and temperature, CBD would be more likely to crystallize or reform crystals than THC. This, of course, would be subject to the actual ratio of concentration.

The degree of concentration is important when it comes to crystallization. The standard is that CBD distillate must be at least 80% purity to crystallize on it’s own. If you experience that, then it means that your CBD is most likely above 85%. Not necessarily a negative in terms of purity!

CBD oil has the natural compounds present in the flowers and leaves of the hemp plant that include cannabinoids, terpenes, fatty acids and flavonoids. The actual compound profile depends on the processing. The plant material can be refined/processed to have the full-spectrum of plant compounds, a broad-spectrum of plant compounds with the THC removed or an isolate that is up to 99% pure CBD.

Many tinctures and other CBD products also have carrier oils added to them after processing. CBD oils that do not have carrier oils are also available from processors for wholesale and product development purposes.

Bioavailability is the degree to which your body can absorb and use ingested compounds and drugs. The method and route of administration, rate of metabolism, lipid solubility and binding proteins affect absorption. These factors play into the level of absorption and efficacy when it comes to ingesting CBD.

CBD oil is NOT water-soluble and therefore has a somewhat limited bioavailability when ingested: however, a recently published Pharmacokinetic Study shows how a colloidal drop delivery system, VESIsorb ® dramatically increases absorption and efficacy of CBD. This is an important development for increased bioavailability of CBD and CBD infused products.

Yes. CBD is federally legal in the United States ONLY if the THC content is below 0.3%. Some states have various buying restrictions and you need to check with each particular state to confirm their laws pertaining to CBD.

CBN (Cannabinol) is a cannabinoid that is produced from the degradation of THC when the harvested plant is subjected to high temperatures (sunlight) and exposed to air (oxygen). This occurs over time as the THC natural degrades into CBN. Many of the properties of THC are attributed to CBN: however, the psychoactive effects of CBN are negligible (about 1/10th).

CBC (cannabichromene) is one of the most abundant cannabinoids found in the hemp plant. CBC, like CBD and THC, also stems from the precursor CBGA. It converts through the enzyme process to CBCA and through decarboxylation, either over time or quickly, if exposed to heat; it will lose a molecule of CO2 and become CBC. CBC also shows promise for therapeutic benefits similar to CBD. CBC is also non-psychoactive.

CBDV (cannabidivarin) has a molecular structure similar to CBD and it is also non-psychoactive. It is found in greater abundance in indica strains of the plant or low THC strains. Varins have two less carbon atoms than their non-varin counterparts. CBDV is one of the varin analogs of cannabinoids (designated with a V after the name) and are just slightly different versions of their siblings, meaning CBDV will have the same or similar properties to CBD: however, there may be a shorter duration of effect or differences in dosage response.

Although THCV (Tetrahydrocannabivarin) is similar to THC there are several key differences. The main difference is the origin within the plant. THCV has a different parent cannabinoid, known as CBGVA (cannabigerovarin acid), than THC, CBD and others. Like THC, THCV is psychoactive, however, the effects wear off faster.

Water Dissolvable CBD, or water soluble CBD, can be consumed by mixing in beverages, foods, or as a tincture. In addition water-soluble CBD oil can be crafted into any edible products like gummies, candy, chocolate and any other innovative edible product recipe.

Hemp flower is the dried flower or bud of the hemp plant that has been removed from the stalk and contains a very minimum amount of stems. Biomass is the dried hemp plant material that includes stalks, leaves, flower/buds, and seeds that have been harvested.

Hand harvested/dried hemp is generally employed for smaller farms or plots of land. The plants are cut at 2 to 3 cm above the soil and left on the ground to dry. Hand harvesting and drying means you can have more control over the process.

For large hemp farms, mechanical harvesting has become more common and adapted cutters or cutter-binders are used. The mechanical process can be used to separate the harvest for a different form of processing. The upper part of the plant with the leaves can be separated and collected for cold pressing and the lower part can be used for fiber or other uses and can be left on the field.

First the Crude oil is extracted from the dried hemp material biomass that includes the flowers, leaves, stalks and seeds. The two most common extraction processes are ethanol solvent or CO2 extraction to pull the CBD and other phytocannabinoids and compounds from the plant material.

The CBD crude oil can then be refined further by what is called winterization, basically an alcohol wash and then it is frozen. This process removes the organic plant compounds like lipids, waxes and chlorophyll. The result is a pure, potent, transparent distillate.

A COA is a Certificate Of Analysis. This is a document issued by an accredited laboratory that includes a full composition of the product, including: list of cannabinoids, microbiological levels, terpenes and any possible contaminants, which could include pesticides, solvent residue or heavy metals.

A COA is an assurance to your customer that your product is of the highest quality. It goes beyond the label in that it breaks down the full composition of your product by an accredited third party laboratory and it reassures your customer that you are a law abiding and reliable manufacturer.