THE CHOICE IS YOURS
Are you using “FrankenCBD?”
Did you know many CBD oils marketed as “organic,” “natural,” “pure,” and “clean” are really “Frankenproducts” made using a variety of chemical and industrial processes? Stay with us a moment as we expose the mad science behind much of the CBD oil floating around the market.
FrankenCBD Step 1: Chemical Extraction
CULPRIT NO. 1: ETHANOL & OTHER SOLVENTS
We’re all familiar with ethanol, right? You know, that stuff they add to the gasoline you put into your car? The stuff used in nail polish removers? The stuff that, if consumed alone, can result in coma and death? Yeah, that stuff.
Well, it’s also one of the favorite methods used by CBD manufacturers as a solvent to strip CBD and other cannabinoids from hemp flower buds so they can be sold as a concentrate or as an isolate (more about that later).
The flowers are soaked in an ethanol solution where the hemp flowers stew for a while before the plant material (that is, what is now a yellow, rotten-looking batch of buds) is filtered out. The solution is then cooled, and attempts are made to remove the ethanol so only the stripped cannabinoids remain.
While many manufacturers point to the “purity” of this ghastly process, they try to avoid telling you about the detailed safety protocols and lab equipment they need to use since ethanol is highly dangerous. Indeed, ethanol is highly flammable, deadly if ingested in certain amounts, and could be carcinogenic. The danger is underscored by the universal recommendation that those working with ethanol solvents wear protective gear such as face sheilds, goggles, gloves, boots…you know, the equivalent of a hazmat suit. Sounds great, no?
Ethanol isn’t the only solvent out there, either. Other fun chemicals, like propane and butane, are often used as well.
CULPRIT NO. 2: SUPERCRITICAL C02 EXTRACTION
Ok, so at first glance, C02 (yup, carbon dioxide) certainly seems natural, right? After all, trees breathe it. Unlike ethanol solvents, it’s not the C02 itself that’s problematic, but what the C02 process does to the hemp flower.
The hemp is placed into a pressurized chamber and carbon dioxide is pumped into an extraction chamber. The pressure increases until the C02 begins to separate the cannabinoids from the plant. This process basically turns the plant material into gas and forces other materials into a liquid. The solvent is then moved into a vessel which lowers the pressure and temperature, separating the cannabinoids and terpenes.
This all results in a thick, disgusting looking substance which is further processed to remove any unwanted compounds.
We have more pictures of the process and results, but we don’t want to ruin your lunch.
FrankenCBD Step 2: Concentrates & Isolates
The Lipstick on the Pig
When the mad scientists are finished brutalizing their buds with one of the methods discussed above, they’re left with a cannabinoid concentrate resembling spoiled yogurt. This concentrate is sometimes further processed into an isolate (that is, a powder of pure, crystalline cannabinoid, whether it be CBD, THC, etc. The concentrate or isolate is then infused or mixed into a carrier oil. Sometimes, the mad scientists will even add actual hemp seed oil (which does not contain CBD, etc. in any meaningful amounts) in order to add a “natural” taste and smell that was lost during the “processing” of the cannabinoids back into the oil.
Then, voilà, you’ve got yourself some FrankenCBD!
While some of our competitors handle the extraction and mixing of the oil themselves, others simply purchase the already made concentrate or isolate to mix with their oil.
In either case, you’re left with a lab-created, Frankenstein-like monster that has lost much of the savor and potency of its former life as a creation of Our Lord.
Venerable Aubert Herbals:
We Enter through the Narrow Gate
Uniquely Potent, Completely Pure
Here at Venerable Aubert Herbals, we’ve left the mad science behind and looked to tradition, just like Venerable Aubert.
We do not use any chemical extraction process, we do not use solvents, and we most certainly do not buy pre-made concentrates or powders to make our oil.
We start with two simple ingredients: Organic hemp flower and organic MCT oil from coconuts. Then we use a proprietary heating process to gently coax cannabinoids, terpenes, and other wonderful compounds from the hemp flower right into our MCT oil.
While some folks have made use of a similar process for many years, it has been plagued by low cannabinoid yields. In other words, it’s really hard to keep everything natural and get a product with concentrations of 500 mg, 1,000 mg, and even 1,500 mg of CBD, not to mention the other cannabinoids.
Well, after years of research, testing, prayers, and even some tears, we’ve perfected the process to keep everything natural while retaining high yields of CBD, CBG, terpenes, and all the other beneficial plant compounds found in our hemp flowers. This process increases the “entourage effect” (the ability of the various cannabinoids, terpenes, and other compounds to increase the effectiveness and bioavailability of the CBD), resulting in a much more potent product, even at lower concentrations and dosages.
The bottom line is that you get a uniquely powerful and truly natural CBD oil you can trust.
So, join us as we look to the past to create the future, and free yourselves from the wiles of the mad scientists!
