The CBD market has exploded in recent years, and you can find CBD products just about anywhere. Even at gas stations and convenience stores!
And no wonder CBD is so popular. The latest research shows it can be an amazing tool for helping to improve sleep, calm stress, and ease physical strain.
But here’s the truth you need to know before using CBD: quantity does NOT equal quality.
With little to no regulation, many manufacturers who want to cash-in on the CBD ‘craze’ sell inferior products that have little to no benefit.
For instance, oftentimes companies will bottle hemp oil and slap a CBD label on it.
Hemp oil (which is NOT the same as CBD oil) is high in Omega-3s, so it might be great for a salad dressing. But it contains virtually no CBD, the specific cannabinoid that helps your endocannabinoid system function properly.
If you’ve ever tried CBD and it hasn’t worked, this could be why…
There’s no CBD in it to begin with!
To make sure you’re getting all the amazing benefits of this potent phytochemical, you need to find CBD products that contain pure CBD oil.
That may sound obvious, but there’s more to the story…
Your CBD oil of choice should be derived from organically grown hemp (or cannabis plants) that are raised in the right conditions in healthy, pesticide-free soil, and harvested at just the right time.
This will help ensure purity and potency, but what’s equally important is the extraction method – how the cannabidiol is removed from the hemp plant and then bottled or packaged.
There are several types of extraction, but we recommend shopping for products that use the highest industry standard, CO2 extraction.
Here’s a breakdown of each method of extraction and why we think CO2 is the best (and why we use that process for SomaLeaf)…
EXTRACTION BY SOLVENT
Ethanol Extraction: This method of CBD extraction uses ethanol to remove the CBD from the hemp plant. The hemp plant and ethanol are heated up together and once the solvent evaporates, CBD is left behind. This method is much less expensive than CO2 extraction method; however, the product is not as pure or potent. Chlorophyll may also be left behind, which can cause negative side effects. Though chlorophyll can be removed, the final CBD product itself will not be as strong.
Butane Extraction: This method is similar to ethanol extraction, but butane is used to extract CBD from the hemp plant. This product is sometimes chosen over ethanol, as it leaves behind a CBD oil that’s more potent. However, it can also leave behind residues that can affect users negatively.
Both ethanol and butane extraction may destabilize the cannabinoids, potentially creating lower-quality CBD oil with a shorter shelf life.
DIY/AT-HOME EXTRACTION
Dry Ice Extraction: Many DIY and at-home CBD oil users may extract their own CBD using the dry ice extraction method. This is due to the fact that it is a relatively easy process and simple equipment is required.
Olive Oil Extraction: The raw hemp is heated to a specific temperature (decarboxylated) and then added to the oil and heated again to extract the cannabinoids. The olive oil does not evaporate like ethanol or hydrocarbon solvents, so the final product will not be as concentrated and is more of a CBD-infused oil instead of a concentrated extract. While this is fairly easy to do and relatively safe and inexpensive, the final product will be much less stable and will contain a much lower dose of CBD than commercial products. Meaning, you will have to take a much higher dosage to notice any benefits.
STEAM DISTILLATION
Steam distillation is normally used for extracting essential oils from plants, but it can also be used for CBD production. In this process, steam is used to free the cannabinoids from the raw plant material. The resulting vapor, full of the desirable compounds, is then cooled and condensed. The resulting oil and water are then separated. Steam distillation is inexpensive, safer (as it doesn’t use solvents), and pretty easy to learn how to do. However, it’s pretty inefficient…You need a LOT of plant material and the results can be inconsistent. Also, the heat from the steam can damage the molecular structure of the CBD, making it less potent.
CO2 EXTRACTION
This is perhaps the best and safest method of CBD extraction. This tactic uses pressurized carbon dioxide to pull out the CBD, along with other chemicals, from the hemp plant. Using low temperatures and high pressures, carbon dioxide serves as a solvent with no hazards that other extraction methods can cause. This results in a pure, potent CBD product that lacks any potentially hazardous residues – like solvents, microbes, and fungi. However, this method of extraction is very sophisticated and requires expensive equipment, which means the product will likely cost more.
Even though SomaLeaf has a state-of-the-art lab that uses superior CO2 extraction, we have taken great care to price our Relief CBD Turmeric tincture at a price that won’t break the bank.
The result is an affordable, pure CBD oil in an effective dose that CAN get you results, sometimes in a matter of minutes!
So, skip the gas station products but not the convenience of your corner store…
Shop online right here – and SAVE UP TO 25% OFF – and have SomaLeaf delivered to your door.
Not only that, but unlike other CBD, SomaLeaf is designed to be absorbed — click here to learn more.
