Dark CBD: What Is It and How Is It Extracted

CBD is an extremely popular consumer product as well as a natural cannabinoid found in plants. We work with companies around the country looking to buy and install CBD extraction equipment for the purposes of producing the CBD crude oil other manufacturers put into their products. Some of our customers are into dark CBD.

 

Dark CBD is sometimes referred to as an extraction method. It’s not. Rather, it is a form of crude oil extracted from hemp plant material using one of the main extraction methods most of us are familiar with. Keep reading if you want to know more.

 

Extraction, Then Processing

 

Extracting crude oil from hemp plant material is very similar to extracting essential oils from other types of plants. The crude oil is then processed to create full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate products. All three types of products can be sold straight up or used as ingredients in things like vape cartridges and CBD-infused beverages.

 

Dark CBD is more or less a full-spectrum crude oil that doesn’t undergo any further processing after initial extraction. It is the purest of all full-spectrum oils. It’s called dark CBD because of its natural color.

 

Processing Changes the Color

 

Isolates, broad-spectrum oils, and full-spectrum products come in a variety of colors. Some are lighter or darker shades of brown. Much of a product’s color profile is the result of post-extraction processing. As crude oil is processed, more of its constituents are removed. This alters the color.

 

Dark CBD retains its dark brown color because it doesn’t undergo any additional processing. You get everything that comes out of the plant: cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, fatty acids, antioxidants, minerals, and on and on.

 

Neither Better Nor Worse

 

Whether you are a CBD consumer or someone looking to get into the extraction business, don’t be quick to believe that dark CBD is either better or worse for you. There is no scientific evidence to suggest either position. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped some in the industry from touting dark CBD as being the best kind of CBD because it hasn’t been processed.

 

As experts in CBD extraction, we can tell you there isn’t a single plant extraction process that doesn’t alter the material in question. But changing a substance’s constituents does not automatically make processing bad. Processing crude CBD doesn’t reduce the perceived benefits of the end product any more than pasteurization reduces the benefits derived from milk. Processed CBD is just different.

 

More Marketing Than Anything Else

 

In the absence of scientific studies proving otherwise, the hype surrounding dark CBD seems more marketing than anything else. Companies in the CBD space are always looking for a unique angle. They are looking for some sort of value proposition that helps them sell more product than the competition. Hence, dark CBD is the latest craze.

 

Just remember that dark CBD is not an extraction method. It’s the substance. More specifically, it is pure full-spectrum CBD that has not been further processed to reduce or eliminate unwanted constituents. It is raw, unadulterated, crude oil at its finest.

 

You can produce dark CBD using any of the common extraction methods found throughout the industry. From CO2 extraction to solvent extraction and even basic steam distillation, the first process material you end up with his dark CBD. What you do with it from there ultimately determines what the finished product becomes.

 

If you would like to learn more about our CBD extraction equipment and installation, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We can help you get your extraction operation up and running as quickly as possible.