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As many of you already know, CBD is an organic substance. An active compound carefully extracted from the cannabis plant. This substance must be treated with the utmost care and respect so that consumers can achieve the best results from it. Obviously this starts with the cultivation phase and the extraction of cannabinoids from the plant material, but it certainly doesn’t end there. In fact, the most important part of producing effective and stable CBD products comes after the extraction of the substance: in its storage.
CBD Oil Production Without boring you with too many details, we’d like to give you a quick explanation of what CBD really is and how CBD oil is produced. We believe this is important to know and helps explain why CBD is sold in its current form.
CBD (short for Cannabidiol) is one of the many active compounds found in industrial hemp. It is a fatty element that occurs naturally in the flowers and leaves of mature cannabis plants. You understand correctly, CBD is not naturally present at all stages of the plant’s development. In fact, you’ll find the highest concentration of CBD in mature cannabis plants. This has to do with the fact that cannabinoids such as CBD and other elements found in cannabis change as the plant grows.
It has also been discovered that the cannabinoid cannabigerol (CBG), described in this previously published article, is the precursor to CBD. This means that before CBD becomes CBD, it starts out as CBG. Then, following a specific process that occurs as the cannabis plant matures, CBG slowly converts into CBD-acid or THC-acid, depending on the strain. This is why it’s so important to know which cannabis strain you’re using and when to harvest the plants—to determine what you’ll extract and what effects the product may offer. This is the first step in producing the best cannabis extracts for high-quality CBD oil.
Oxidation of Cannabinoids
As one might expect, cannabinoids continue to change over time. And the rate at which they change depends on environmental factors. Fortunately, CBD is a very stable compound—and it will remain CBD for about 10 years before it oxidizes and converts into the very rare CBD-HQ. However, at Dutch Natural Healing, we’ve found a way to accelerate this process. This puts us in the fortunate position of being able to produce this very special cannabinoid and offer it to consumers in our online store.
Although other elements in hemp extracts are less stable. Take for example THC-a, which could easily be converted by decarboxylation into the psychoactive delta9-THC. After that it can be oxidized and turned into a more sedative cannabinoid: CBN. For this to happen, all you need is UV radiation from daylight and oxygen. Although this process takes many years to complete. And let’s be honest, most CBD oils don’t last that long with regular use…
Our best CBD oils are made with extracts from carefully selected industrial hemp plants, which are harvested very slowly. This ensures that they contain a high concentration of CBD, but that’s not all. As we let our farmer mature the plants a little longer compared to other CBD producers. Result in a wider variety of cannabinoids – such as CBN, CBC and CBG – to help the synergistic effect of the product. After export, we ensure that our products are well stored and remain stable. Consequently, for CBG extracts and CBG oil we ensure that our plants are harvested earlier to contain higher levels of this “stem cell” cannabinoid.
Volatile Terpenes Although cannabinoids aren’t the only compounds present in our CBD oil—nor are they the ones we need to keep stable. To achieve the best entourage effect, we ensure that every CBD product we produce also contains a wide variety of terpenes. These aromatic compounds give each strain its unique smell and taste—and determine how the cannabinoid product will affect the body and mind. In short, CBD products that contain more limonene (also found in lemons), for example, will provide a more energizing effect—ideal for use during the day. Meanwhile, CBD products with higher concentrations of the calming terpenes myrcene or linalool will have a more relaxing effect—and are therefore better suited for nighttime use. The richer your product is in terpenes, the better its effects will be.
And while cannabinoids are quite stable and take a long time to oxidize, terpenes are known to be highly volatile. This means that even the slightest change in temperature, UV light, or oxygen can cause terpenes to evaporate—slightly reducing the product’s effectiveness with the loss of each particle. To prevent this from happening and ensure the longest possible shelf life for our products, nearly all Dutch Natural Healing CBD products are bottled in dark bottles that block UV radiation. Once you’ve tightly sealed the bottles with the screw cap, the terpenes aren’t going anywhere—unless you let them!
Obviously, you will find CBD HQ to be bottled in a clear bottle. This product has a beautiful color, which we like to see and show to the world. The CBD HQ is always closed with a spray head. This means you don’t have to open the bottle (and let the terpenes escape) to use the product. It is recommended to store them in a dark and cool place and keep the bottles closed when not in use.
Source: dutchnaturalhealing.com
