While the large majority of hemp users continue to
focus mainly on cannabidiol, there’s a growing number of CBD enthusiasts who
are starting to explore other cannabinoids that exist in the hemp plant. Two cannabinoids that are considered minor
compared to CBD
are CBN
and CBG,
and each of these cannabinoids is beginning to see a rise in attention thanks
to their individual and unique properties.
As interest is growing in both cannabinol and cannabigerol,
more companies are creating products based on these cannabinoids. While both naturally occur in hemp, they
exist in such low levels that one would not be able to distinguish the unique
effects of each one. So, companies are
finding various ways to isolate these individual compounds and create formulas
that showcase what they are capable of.
Companies can choose from various methods to extract
these unique compounds, and some may be better than others based on the unique
nature of each cannabinoid, as you’ll see.
How CBG and CBN Differ from CBD
First, let’s get into the key differences between
these various cannabinoids.
Most of us are familiar with CBD, as it’s the dominant
compound in the hemp plant. Meaning, there’s more cannabidiol than anything
else. This is one reason why it’s so enormously popular – it’s simple to
extract from the hemp plant given its high levels that naturally occur. Also is
more available than other cannabinoids found in hemp.
But that doesn’t mean that other cannabinoids aren’t
also highly valuable, potentially speaking.
Cannabinoids all essentially do the same thing, which is bind with cannabinoid
receptors that are strategically placed throughout the body, in order to
produce regulatory effects that play a role in how we feel, both physically and
mentally. Each cannabinoid binds with
specific cannabinoid receptors in a particular manner to yield slightly
different effects. We all know the noted
effects of CBD, but CBN and CBG may also have a lot to offer.
Very generally speaking, there’s about 20% CBD in the
hemp plant flower’s chemical composition.
Meanwhile, only about 1% CBN is present in the flower, and the same goes
for CBG.
Therefore, extracting both CBN and CBG presents
particular challenges. It’s not as easy
to simply isolate the compounds and concentrate them through an extraction
process, as it is for CBD. Furthermore,
there are some economical challenges, as a lot more plant material is needed to
produce, say, a 30ml bottle of CBN isolate or CBG isolate oil than CBD isolate
oil.
How Hemp is Extracted
Now, let’s talk about the general manner in which the
hemp plant is turned into an extract. An
extract is the oil-based concentrate which is added to the products that we are
familiar with, like edibles, vapes and tinctures. To produce this extract, the hemp flowers are
put through an extraction process which is designed to lift the compounds from
the plant, while discarding the unnecessary plant material that is no longer
rich in these desirable compounds.
Typically, a supercritical
CO2 extraction method is used as a preliminary means. This method forces pressurized CO2 through
the plant material, which efficiently separates the compounds from the plant
without damaging their chemical integrity or stability. This process ultimately leaves you with full
spectrum hemp extract, which contains the full variety of compounds as they
naturally exist in hemp.
However, that’s not the only method of extracting
cannabinoids from the hemp plant.
There’s also a distillation process which may offer a cleaner taste, and
more potent levels of the compounds.
This is quickly becoming a popular method throughout the industry for
this reason.
Finally, solvent-based methods exist, but should be
avoided as they introduce impurities into the final product more often than
not. Companies typically go with solvent
methods in order to save money.
Producing Isolates
The methods that we explained above leave you with an
extract that contains the full chemical composition of hemp. This means that they contain the 20% or so
CBD, and 1% or so of CBN and CBG. Still,
more people are desiring higher levels of CBN, CBG or both. That’s where isolates come in.
Isolates
are simply extracts containing a single compound in the plant material. The process is relatively tedious, requiring
that individual cannabinoid compounds are carefully removed from the resulting
full spectrum extract in their totality, and concentrated to produce an
adequate, useful amount. Usually,
chromatographic measures are employed to do this as efficiently as
possible. But bear in mind that CBG and
CBN isolates are going to be more expensive than CBD isolates. Again, this is because more plant material is
required to yield the same amount of CBG or CBN isolate as CBD isolate.
Also, bear in mind that CBN, CBD, and CBG are not the
only cannabinoids that are being extracted for their individual properties that
make them unique from others in the plant material. As time goes on, we’re learning more and more
about each cannabinoid individually.
Further, hemp has terpenes which are compounds that may also be useful,
and more and more companies are extracting these on an individual level as
well.
How to Know How Your Cannabinoids Have Been Extracted
CBD, CBG and CBN can be extracted through various
means, at the discretion of the company.
Some methods are cheaper than others, and some yield more stable and
bioavailable compounds. To know how a
company extracts their cannabinoids, you can search their website for information. Most companies these days are transparent
about these methods. If you can’t find
information easily, you can always reach out to the company and ask them.
Ultimately, the manner in which a cannabinoid was
extracted can tell you a lot about the integrity of the company as well as the
potential effectiveness of a particular product. This is why we encourage you to explore the
various cannabinoid products out there, paying particular attention to the extraction
process that was used.
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