cbd process – Culture For Good

Since the cannabidiol (CBD) industry is still so new, there are numerous businesses and scam artists trying to make a quick profit off low quality and, sometimes, improperly handled material.

However, this shouldn’t scare you away from the industry as a whole. With a few simple steps, it’s easy to spot and purchase quality CBD.

It’s important to remember that, just because a company claims to be trustworthy doesn’t mean they are. Though regulations within this industry exist, they’re still being worked out. In other words, a few untrustworthy businesses out there have gotten away by working around these regulations.

Throughout this blog, we’re going to review what you need to keep your eye out for and offer all the knowledge you’ll need when shopping for CBD.

1How Was The CBD Made?

In order to isolate CBD (or other cannabinoids), they must be extracted from a hemp plant. Unlike other industries, there is no standard extraction method. This means different brands might have different methods.

The unfortunate truth to this is some extraction methods can be harmful to consumers. Companies may choose a more toxic solvent (such as propane or butane) for the sake of obtaining the cannabidiol at a cheaper price.¹

A reputable company most likely uses organic ethanol and/or supercritical CO2 extraction. Both of these are safer for both the consumer and the environment.

Before buying a CBD product, it’s important to research how the company extracts its CBD. You can either take a look around their website or reach out to customer service to get more information.

2Where Was The Hemp Grown?

Many newcomers to CBD usually aren’t informed hemp is a “hyperaccumulator”. This means hemp has the ability to absorb anything on the grounds it was harvested on.²

A high-quality CBD product will make sure its hemp was grown on healthy soil. Whereas a low-quality CBD product may not care for the soil the hemp was grown on. And this kind of mentality is very dangerous to the consumer.

For hemp grown on soil filled with heavy metals will absorb those metals. In effect, the person who consumes the CBD will become vulnerable to that material.

3How Much THC Does It Contain?

In states where marijuana is legal, the cannabidiol might be extracted from a marijuana plant rather than a hemp plant. In turn, the product may also contain higher amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) than desired.

Luckily, federal regulations surrounding the CBD industry require CBD products to contain no more than 0.3% THC. Furthermore, the THC count must always be labeled on the product.³

Still, if you live in a state where marijuana is legal, there is a chance you’ll run into some products that contain more THC. This isn’t necessarily a sign of a bad company (as long as that company labels their products properly) but is something to keep in mind.

4Are There Third-Party Lab Results?

Once the CBD is extracted from the hemp plant, a reputable company will have the product tested at a third-party laboratory and provide the results to the public. The main purpose of these labs is to make sure the CBD lives up to the claims of the business.

When trying to find a CBD business to trust, keep an eye out for these results.

Final Thoughts

We know it can be difficult to find the right CBD company for you. That’s why Culture for Good not only follows all the advice given in this blog but provides a variety of products for different kinds of people.

If you’re interested in cannabidiol and want to find products from a company you can trust, we invite you to check out Culture for Good’s products page.

Reference Sources

¹ PubMed: Extraction Method and Analysis of Cannabinoids in Cannabis Olive Oil Preparations.

² Springer: Comparative assessment for hyperaccumulatory and phytoremediation capability of three wild weeds

³ CDPH: Labeling Requirements: Manufactured Cannabis Products

August 24, 2021September 2, 2022

In CBDby Callie Gilman

3 Reasons CBD Can Be So Expensive

With so many out there emphasizing on the great things CBD, many more people open up to giving it a try. Yet, what those people are soon to find out is just how expensive CBD oil and other products are.

If you’re just becoming apart of the CBD community, you may consider the prices too ridiculous for the average consumer. And you’re in every right to have this belief. Yet, it’s often overlooked just as to WHY cannabidiol is so expensive.

This article seeks to give you a proper explanation as to CBD’s prices and, hopefully, offer you reasons to continue your interest in these products.

1Regulations

Going from a hemp plant to a little bottle of CBD isn’t as easy as it may first appear. In fact, it’s a long, laborious, and – most importantly – an expensive process.

To begin, the hemp plant has the ability to yield different amounts of CBD. With that, growers naturally want to cultivate the plants that are only CBD rich. In order to do so, the hemp must be harvested from the perfect seed in the right conditions. And both these factors are limited.

Of course, there’s always the option to grow hemp indoors. However, this is an even more expensive process as farmers must make sure the plants receive consistency in temperature, lighting, and water.

Not to mention, regulations have forced farmers to pay big licensing fees¹.

In fact, farmers who decide to grow any cannabis plant (whether it’s marijuana or hemp) are taxed much heavier than your average vegetable farmer. Of course, this all depends on where you’re located. Many states within the U.S. have different regulations that come with different taxes.

2Extraction Is Difficult

Once the hemp plant is grown, the CBD must be extracted and isolated to place in products. This is another huge blow for companies wallets as the process and equipment come with a large cost.

To make it brief, the extraction process is as follows²:

The plant must be heated and pressurized with carbon dioxide (CO2).
The CO2 retrieves cannabinoids, terpenes, and other compounds.
This extraction must then be purified.
The result will then be frozen and purified again.

Of course, every extraction facility has their own way of going about the process. After the CBD is frozen, some mix it with coconut oil as a means of helping the human body intake the cannabidiol itself. Still, regardless of the facility’s method, there is no cheap and effective way to get CBD out of the cannabis plant.

And in order for these facilities to continue providing this service, they must charge a hefty fee to those providing products to the public.

3Market And Legality

The above two reasons are precisely why CBD is so expensive once it’s offered to the consumer. And it can’t be forgotten that each CBD company runs just like any other business.

They need to hire people, market themselves properly, and pay further fees for operating a cannabis business*.

Due to the 2018 Farm Bill, there is potential for the government to loosen up on their regulations surrounding CBD. If so, farmers, facilities, and businesses owners alike may not have to pay as much in taxes and fees.

Furthermore, as science continues to progress, there may a cheaper, yet effective, alternative to extracting CBD from the hemp plant.

Final Thoughts

As things stand now, consumers are forced to pay expensive prices for CBD products. Though this is unfortunate, it’s important to remember that every time you do make a purchase, you’re contributing to an industry that holds lots of potentials. And your contribution could one day make CBD more affordable for those who are in need of this alternative medicine.