There are so many products on the market, and we wanted to make it easier for people to understand Cannabinoids in all of their glory.
From Isolate, to Full Spectrum, Nano emulsion, terpenes, and fatty acids. What does it all mean, and how can they help you.
Testing and research is picking up and at Desert Stone Tools we believe in educating ourselves through the over 20,000 scholarly articles now currently published and growing online. We want to put every bit of western scientific passion into our blends, as well as offer references to the community.
Extraction Methods:
CO2 Super Fluid Critical Extraction (SFCE)
Supercritical fluid extraction (SCFE), based on the utilization of a fluid under supercritical conditions, is a technology suitable for extraction and purification of a variety of compounds, particularly those that have low volatility and/or are susceptible to thermal degradation. The interest in SCFE is promoted by legal limitations of conventional solvents for food and pharmaceutical uses. The physicochemical properties of supercritical CO2 (higher diffusivity, lower viscosity, and lower surface tension than conventional solvents) facilitate mass transfer and allow an environmentally friendly operation
Hydrocarbon Extraction
This early extraction method was created using a light hydrocarbon solvent like to extract cannabis oil. Commonly butane, pentane, propane, hexane, isopropyl alcohol or acetone are used as solvents. These hydrocarbons have a low boiling point and can be easily used to extract CBD oil. This cheap and easy method of extraction comes with a variety of issues that make it non-ideal. The resulting oil usually contains a lower concentration of terpenes and cannabinoids like CBD and a higher concentration of THC. There is also unsafe residue that can remain that may interfere with immune function. This extraction method proved to be both dangerous an inefficient. This method of extraction is rarely used by commercial CBD companies today.
Lipid Extraction
One of the lesser used extraction methods is called lipid extraction. This method uses the fats, or “lipids”, to absorb and encapsulate the hemp-produced compounds. Often organic coconut oil is used in this extraction process. Lipid extraction does not require the use of any harsh solvents or CO2.
Nanoemulsions (submicron emulsions)
Another novel drug delivery form. They are single-phase and thermodynamically stable isotropic systems that consist of emulsified oil, and water and amphiphilic molecules. The diameter of the emulsion globule (droplet) reaches approximately 20-500 nm, although usually this diameter is from 100 to 500 nm (Bernardi et al., 2011; Chime et al., 2014). The core of the aqueous phase. Choosing the proper surfactants (ionic, zwitterionic, cationic, or anionic) is essential due to the side effects, if used in high concentration. When using nanoemulsions as drug delivery carriers it is possible, for example, to increase drug loading, enhance drug solubility and bioavailability, and protect the drug from enzymatic degradation (Kotta et al., 2012). One of its disadvantages is stability, thus it is better to prepare nano emulsions right before use. Nano emulsions were investigated to be used in the treatment of many diseases, such as HIV and cancer, phase inversion temperature methods) or high-energy methods (high-pressure homogenization and ultrasonic emulsification) (Wang et al., 2007). All Nanoemulsions prepared with one of the above methods should be characterized for their particle size, zeta potential, viscosity, as well as morphology.
There are benefits in bio availability to the user, which comes at a higher price due to the high cost in production for nano emulsion, and the product will have a relatively shorter life cycle compared to the more stable co2 distillates.
Additional CBD Extract Processing
After a CBD extract is created, there are some additional steps that are performed to get the product ready for consumption.
Activating via Decarboxylation -The naturally occurring cannabinoids found on the cannabis plant come in an acid form. For example, the following common acid forms of cannabinoids found in CBD products are:
CBDA (Cannabidiolic acid)
THCA (Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid)
CBGA (Cannabigerolic acid)
When a low temperature method like supercritical CO2 extraction is used, the original acid forms of the cannabinoids is preserved. In order to activate these cannabinoids and removed the acid molecule, the CBD extract undergoes a process called decarboxylation. Though this process sounds fancy, it is simply the heating of an extract. Through this heating process, the acid molecule is removed and CBDA change to CBD, THCA changes to THC and so on. The result is the extract becomes what the industry refers to as 'activated'. These molecules interact with the body differently than the 'activated' or non-acid forms of these same substances. For example, THCA is non-psychoactive, while THC is psychoactive. Limited research and anecdotal user experiences point to these raw cannabinoid forms providing some unique health benefits. This is driving some companies to include the acid forms of these cannabinoids in addition to the activated non-acid forms.
Purifying via Winterization
When an extract is created from cannabis, there are a wide range of fatty acids, plant materials, chlorophyll, cannabinoids, and terpenoids contained in the extract. There is an optional process called winterization which works to further purify the extract. The process of winterizing consists of soaking the CBD extract in alcohol and freezing it in order to separate the waxes, lipids, and residual solvents. The end result is a more concentrated extract in terms of cannabinoids. This process is not always desired because through this process some of the terpenes are also removed from the extract. This can have a negative outcome on the entourage effect.
Isolates:
Now that you understand CBD extraction, its time to take things a step further. Today you'll commonly find single-molecule CBD isolates. At their purest form, these isolates are a crystalline white powder comprised of 99%+ cannabidiol. All other cannabinoids, terpenes, plant materials, oil, and chlorophyll is removed in the creation of this powder. All that is left is naturally sourced CBD crystals that carry no odor or flavor.
This isolate is made by first extracting oil using one of the methods we discussed above. Next, chemists use a process known as chromatography to remove plant materials and other cannabinoids. Lastly, the compound is heated and activated from CBDA to CBD using a process called by decarboxylation.
This isolate is often desired because it can be dissolved in liquid, added to food products, tinctures and more. The isolate is also beneficial because it is clearly defined as legal under the Drug Code 7350 for Marijuana Extract.
Isolates are Not Full-Spectrum - As a consumer, you should understand that while isolate products are versatile, they are not as effective as an oil containing a full-spectrum cannabinoid profile. The single-cannabinoid CBD is less effective than a full-spectrum product due to the entourage effect.
Isolate Vs. Full Spectrum
So let’s get into it. It was previously believed that CBD in its isolated form was more potent and concentrated than full spectrum CBD; however, in 2015, the theory was debunked by a study from the Lautenberg Center for General Tumor Immunology in Jerusalem. In the study, researchers administered full spectrum CBD and CBD isolate to two different groups of mice. When comparing the data of the two groups, the results proved that the group administered with full spectrum CBD were provided with higher levels of relief. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that full spectrum CBD continued to provide relief as the dose increased, while CBD Isolate did not provide the same effect when there was an increase in dosage.
The Entourage Effect - Not the Show…
“Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been the primary focus of cannabis research since 1964, when Raphael Mechoulam isolated and synthesized it. More recently, the synergistic contributions of cannabidiol to cannabis pharmacology and analgesia have been scientifically demonstrated. Other phytocannabinoids, including tetrahydrocannabivarin, cannabigerol and cannabichromene, exert additional effects of therapeutic interest. Innovative conventional plant breeding has yielded cannabis chemotypes expressing high titres of each component for future study.
This review will explore another echelon of phytotherapeutic agents, the cannabis terpenoids: limonene, myrcene, α-pinene, linalool, β-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, nerolidol and phytol. Terpenoids share a precursor with phytocannabinoids, and are all flavour and fragrance components common to human diets that have been designated Generally Recognized as Safe by the US Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies.
Terpenoids are quite potent, and affect animal and even human behaviour when inhaled from ambient air at serum levels in the single digits ng·mL−1. They display unique therapeutic effects that may contribute meaningfully to the entourage effects of cannabis-based medicinal extracts. Particular focus will be placed on phytocannabinoid-terpenoid interactions that could produce synergy with respect to treatment of pain, inflammation, depression, anxiety, addiction, epilepsy, cancer, fungal and bacterial infections (including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Scientific evidence is presented for non-cannabinoid plant components as putative antidotes to intoxicating effects of THC that could increase its therapeutic index. Methods for investigating entourage effects in future experiments will be proposed. Phytocannabinoid-terpenoid synergy, if proven, increases the likelihood that an extensive pipeline of new therapeutic products is possible from this venerable plant.”
Terpenes
Cannabis sativa, referred to here as cannabis, has been used for millennia as a medicine and recreational intoxicant. The species Cannabis sativa comprises both marijuana and hemp. Medicinal cannabis is highly valued for its pharmacologically active cannabinoids, a class of terpenophenolic metabolites unique to cannabis. These compounds are primarily found in the resin produced in the glandular trichomes of pistillate (female) inflorescences. Cannabis resin also contains a variety of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes which are responsible for much of the scent of cannabis flowers and contribute characteristically to the unique flavor qualities of cannabis products. Similarly, terpenes in hop (Humulus lupulus), a close relative of cannabis, are an important flavoring component in the brewing industry. Differences between the pharmaceutical properties of different cannabis strains have been attributed to interactions (or an ‘entourage effect’) between cannabinoids and terpenes. For example, the sesquiterpene β-caryophyllene interacts with mammalian cannabinoid receptors . As a result, medicinal compositions have been proposed to incorporate blends of cannabinoids and terpenes. Terpenes may contribute anxiolytic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and sedative effects .
Fatty Acids:
Immunocytochemical Localization of Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor and Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase in Rat Retina There is substantial evidence that cannabinoids, the psychoactive components of the marijuana plant, act through two families of inhibitory G protein-coupled receptors, CB1R and CB2R (see Axelrod and Felder, 1998; Howlett, 1998, for reviews). CB1 receptors are distributed primarily in neural tissue (Devane et al., 1988), whereas CB2 receptors are found predominately in immune cells (Munro et al., 1993). The localization of CB1 receptors in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) has been studied by in vitro autoradiography, in situ hybridization, and immunocytochemistry; all these studies show enrichment of CB1 receptors in the hippocampus, basal ganglia, cerebellum, and pyriform and cerebral cortices (Herkenham et al., 1991; Mailleux and Vanderhaeghen, 1992; Westlake et al., 1994; Pettit et al., 1998; Tsou et al., 1998a).
Although there have been numerous studies on the therapeutic use of cannabinoids in the treatment of glaucoma, pain, motor deficits, and chemotherapy-induced nausea (see Voth and Schwartz, 1997, for review), interest in cannabinoid research has increased following the isolation of an endogenous ligand for cannabinoid receptors from porcine brain (Devane et al., 1992). This endogenous ligand, anandamide (arachidonylethanolamide), inhibits adenylate cyclase (Vogel et al., 1993) and is hydrolyzed by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), a membrane-bound enzyme (Hillard et al., 1995), to arachidonic acid and ethanolamine (Deutsch and Chin, 1993; Cravatt et al.,1996).
Other endogenous ligands, collectively now referred to as endocannabinoids have been described. For example, 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) is also a substrate for FAAH (see Mechoulam et al., 1998, for review). Cannabinoids are known to have profound effects on neural function, including dopaminergic (Schlicker et al., 1996; Glass and Felder, 1997; Gessa et al., 1998), GABAergic (Manueuf et al., 1996; Romero et al., 1998; Chan et al., 1998), and glutamatergic mechanisms (Shen et al., 1996). Regarding the eye, in addition to the effects of cannabinoids on intraocular pressure and ocular blood vessels (see, e.g., Green, 1979, 1998, for review), recent studies indicate the presence of cannabinoid function in the neural retina. For example, CB1-receptor agonists stimulate dopamine release from the guinea pig retina (Schlicker et al., 1996).
CB1-receptor expression has been detected in the rat retina by in situ hybridization and RT-PCR (Buckley et al., 1998; Porcella et al., 1998). Also, hydrolysis of anandamide, measured in porcine ocular tissues and brain, occurs at twice the rate in the retina as in the brain (Matsuda et al., 1997). Furthermore, there are reports that cannabinoids may increase photosensitivity (Dawson et al., 1977; Reese, 1991; West, 1991; Consroe et al., 1997), which in view of recent data may have a retinal component. The availability of specific antisera against CB1 receptors and FAAH has facilitated investigation of the distribution of cannabinergic transmission in the mammalian CNS (McIntosh et al., 1998; Patricelli et al., 1998). Here, these antisera have been used to study, in detail, the cellular localization of cannabinergic transmission in the rat retina.
In Conclusion
We choose co2 extracted processing as it is highly concentrated, while keeping all of the main molecular components in tact with a high purity level
We choose full spectrum over isolate and nano processes because of the product stability, shelf life, taste, and the entourage effect.
We are currently formulating our sublingual, gummy bear, and vape cartridge lines in order to offer higher bioavailability to our customers.
We hope this helps
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Very informative...thanks!