There are many smoke-free alternatives, such as the consumption of edibles, oils or concentrates, that allow us to enjoy the amazing components present in cannabis. The key process in the elaboration of these extracts is the extraction process, which allows complete separation of terpenes and cannabinoids. There isn't a single extraction method, though. Nor a single solvent capable of extracting the substances we're looking for: butane gas, ethanol or CO2 are the most commonly used water-insoluble solvents. The medical and recreational cannabis legalization wave that is sweeping numerous US regions or the expected forthcoming regulation of recreational marijuana (oils included) in Canada, where therapeutic pot is already legal, make the demand for cannabis concentrates grow more and more. As a matter of fact, approximately 51 % of total revenues of the Canadian medical company CanniMed, recently acquired by Aurora Cannabis, came from 2017 cannabis oil sales. Bearing in mind that revenue in that year increased 70 % compared to the previous year, it seems clear that the extraction of cannabis is gaining significance. Some months ago, this company announced the construction of an ethanol extraction oil-processing facility that would allow them to distribute 12 million oil bottles per year. Aphria, Aurora Cannabis, CanniMed or Canopy Growth are other licensed companies that can produce and sell cannabis oil. As it was to be expected, this boom is causing many cannabis-related companies to improve their extraction methods.
But… which companies are creating the necessary industrial cannabis extraction equipment for these and other smaller companies? Which technologies and methods can effectively extract terpenes and cannabinoids from cannabis buds? One of the longest-standing companies is Eden Labs, located in Seattle and specialized in the design and manufacturing of a wide range of botanical extraction equipment for nearly 20 years. The legalization wave of recreational cannabis that reached Washington back in 2012 pushed them further forward and, in 2014, their total revenue amounted up to $5.5 million. Their most famous industrial systems are the Hi-Flo systems, which are basically supercritical CO2 extraction machines. When at a high temperature and pressure, carbon dioxide behaves like a fluid rather than a gas, which is where the name supercritical fluid comes from. That CO2 liquid passes through plant matter and starts to dissolve oils. "It's like getting an enormous Nespresso coffee machine to work", said one of the workers of the company while showing the huge and complex valve-, condenser- and pumping mechanism-packed system.
Eden Labs is not the only company using CO2 supercritical as a solvent for the extraction of cannabinoids: this substance has gained popularity over the last years. The company Advanced Extraction Systems also uses it and proof of its major role is that they've sold CO2 supercritical extraction systems to Canopy Growth, a publicly traded multinational company that sells medical marijuana both in Canada and in other countries. Apeks Supercritical, a US company manufacturing CO2 extraction systems since 2001, or the Canadian Quadron Cannatech, which sells not only cannabis products but also Boss, its own extraction equipment (already used by several Canadian companies and one US company), are based on the use of CO2 as a solvent too.
One of the leading oil production companies, Organa Labs, uses supercritical CO2 extraction machines. The process doesn't end with the extraction, though: the resulting oil is subject to a chemical process that causes decarboxylation and so activates the THC effects as a result of the high temperatures. Later on, it's mixed with ethanol before undergoing a freezing process aimed at removing unwanted substances such as chlorophyll and waxes. And, as a final step, they use a distillation device to get rid of any ethanol remains. Other companies are specialized in the manufacturing of hydrocarbon extraction equipment instead. Precision Extraction Solutions, for example, offers a wide range of butane and propane extraction systems. In their PX1, when high-grade butane is subject to cryogenic temperatures, it's passed through the material tank. During the process, the butane dissolves the plant trichomes (glands with high cannabinoid content) and removes other unwanted substances to obtain pure cannabinoid-rich oil. Extraction Tek Solutions is another company manufacturing hydrocarbon extraction systems.
Despite being one of the most widely used extraction solvents (to create BHO dabs, for example) for its effectiveness and its low price, butane is highly flammable and environmentally damaging because it derives from oil. Eden Labs has also an extractor that uses ethanol to separate cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant. This ethyl alcohol is precisely the top solvent for Capna Fabrication, a company responsible for the creation of a super-cooled extraction method known as Ethos-4 that sprays cannabis plants with ethanol at cryo temperatures. According to the company, this process has 95 % THC extraction efficiency rate, with no waxes or chlorophyll.
In the meantime, other companies are already betting on innovation, as is the case of Radient Technologies. They have patented MAP (Microwave Assisted Processing), a microwave technology based on the selective heating of the moisture found in all natural materials. Although the company hasn't really gone into much detail, they claim this extraction method to perform far better than others. What is certain is that the signing of the contract with the Canadian multinational company Aurora Cannabis speaks for itself. Not in vain has Aurora invested millions in Radient and acquired 17.2 % of the company's shares. The Canadian company claims that cannabis concentrates are gaining prominence within the industry, such support will thus undoubtedly contribute to their expansion strategy. Companies such as Hielscher, Sono Mechanics and Sonics & Materials also work on ultrasonic extraction performed with a wide range of solvents. Under intense ultrasound, plant cells are destructed and cannabis compounds are released. And last but not least, the Canadian company Abattis has just announced the completion of several experiments confirming the usefulness of column chromatography extraction technology, a method that uses proprietary polymers to extract THC and CBD. In chromatography, substances are separated as they pass through two phases: a mobile phase and a stationary phase. As we have seen, many companies are coming up with extraction systems that use a wide range of solvents and technologies to extract cannabinoids and terpenes from marijuana plants and to create the so much in demand cannabis products. It's difficult, though, to choose just one, as this limitless field leaves plenty of room for innovation and is shaped according to the end-user's experience.