What Is Hemp Extraction? The Real Science

You have questions, we have answers. What would you like to know about CBD?

What are Cannabinoids?

Cannabinoids are a group of 100+ naturally occurring chemical compounds, including CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), that are produced by cannabis plants along with many other botanicals, as well as the human endocannabinoid system (ECS). These compounds interact with cannabinoid receptors within the ECS to produce a variety of non-psychoactive and psychoactive effects.

What are Hemp Oil Extracts?

Hemp Oil Extracts are the concentrated oils that we extract from hemp plants by removing fats, waxes, and certain plant materials which vary depending on the extraction method used. Our US hemp oil extracts contain over 80 phytocannabinoids. The primary cannabinoids found in our extracts are CBD, CBG, CBC, and CBN, all of which are non-psychoactive.

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a safe, non-psychoactive, naturally occurring compound in plants (a phytocannabinoid) which is most prominently found in hemp plants. Leafwell products are made with hemp oil extracts that contain CBD. CBD is one of the over 80 cannabinoids found in hemp plants that has been most extensively researched and has shown early promise in delivering a myriad of benefits for both pets and people.

How does CBD work?

CBD primarily interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system, a grouping of millions of cannabinoid receptors found throughout your body but are primarily clustered in the brain and central nervous system. While CBD is a phytocannabinoid, or plant-based cannabinoid, your body also naturally produces cannabinoids, known as endocannabinoids. Almost every organ of your body, including your skin and digestive tract, contains cannabinoid receptors.

Unlike THC, CBD does not interact strongly with the two classical cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). This is why CBD does not cause any psychoactive effect. Instead, CBD inhibits the enzymes that break down endocannabinoids, leading to an increase in your body’s naturally produced cannabinoids. This increase even occurs in our furry friends, making CBD useful for pets too!

What are phytocannabinoids vs. endocannabinoids?

Cannabinoids can be classified as phytocannabinoids or endocannabinoids, based on where they are derived. The prefix “phyto” means “plant”, which refers to the plant-based origin of phytocannabinoids. Alternatively, the prefix “endo” in endocannabinoids means “within”, indicating these cannabinoids are produced within the body. Both phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids interact with the endocannabinoid system of the nervous system.

What is the Endocannabinoid System?

1) The Endocannabinoid System (“ECS”) is a collection of cannabinoid receptors within mammal’s bodies that interact with both endocannabinoids (produced by the body) and phytocannabinoids (produced by plants). The interaction between cannabinoids and the ECS is what causes the variety of benefits experienced by people when taking products that contain hemp oil extract.

2) The full extent of the ECS’ role in our bodies is still being researched having only been discovered in the 1990s with scientists identifying the CB1 receptor in 1990 and CB2 in 1993. CB1 receptors are found primarily in the central nervous system and brain while CB2 receptors are found in the peripheral nervous system.

3)Research so far has shown that the Endocannabinoid System influences many different parts of the body including the brain, immune system, central nervous system, organs, and connective tissues, among other parts of the body.

Our Extraction Process

Our focus at Leafwell is delivering the best quality products to all of our customers. Given this, we utilize an ethanol extraction in our process

We utilize Ethanol extraction because it does a better job of preserving cannabinoids & terpenes due to the lower temperatures used. It’s also been extensively researched by the scientific community and regarded as one of the safest and preferred methods for herbal extraction, including pharmaceutical medications. Our process uses an organic food grade ethanol which is classified as Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS) by the FDA as an extraction solvent. It’s a class 3 solvent which means that it is not known to be hazardous for humans.

Before getting to a final product we have an evaporation process that removes all of the Ethanol used in either the extraction or winterization and a proprietary distillation process that further refines our hemp oil extract to the premium concentrate used in all of our products.

To cap it all off we get all of our concentrates and batch of products tested by an independent third-party lab and make those available to you, so you know what you’re getting.

One part that many of our competitors touting CO2 extraction won’t tell you is that CO2 extraction yields a crude oil that still needs to be refined before it can be used in final products. This usually means winterization (freezing in ethanol) to separate out the fats & waxes from the oil. Unlike our competitors which just look for a marketing gimmick to sell product (or just don’t understand their own process), we want you to truly understand our process.

Have more questions?

+ 1 (646) 600.5838
contact@leafwellbotanicals.com
Steamboat Springs, CO 80487