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How are terpenes obtained?

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Raz Smith
How are terpenes obtained?

Until a few years ago, the world's true terpene meant nothing to the cannabis user. Now, it is one of the most appreciated aspects of the plant. Currently, the extraction of terpenes has opened a field of innumerable uses, ranging from cosmetics to food additives. But how are they obtained?

What are terpene profiles used for?

So terpenes for sale , which had always been there, initially resurfaced with the mission of complementing any type of extraction by giving it flavor and smell. But in addition to providing aromatic and taste qualities, terpenes also interact with cannabinoids in a synergistic way, modulating their effects through the so-called "entourage effect ". This means that if we have an isolated THC or CBD extraction, by adding the terpenes it will adopt the effects of that variety. For example, if we add a Blue Dream terpene profile to a THC extract, the final effect will be similar to when you smoke Blue Dream .

terpene extraction

Terpenes can also improve a flower-based cannabis product, which is why some users use them to enhance the aroma and flavor of the marijuana itself . The buds of the so-called 'light' cannabis, for example, tend to have little aroma, something that can be remedied with a few drops of terpenes, improving the experience when it comes to smoking.

Likewise, terpenes are also revolutionizing the vaporization sector, since they offer the possibility of achieving a much more real experience when adding them to the famous 'e-liquids' . The food industry has also welcomed the world of terpene profiles. And several brands of edibles use them to make honey, oil, jam, beer ...

How can terpenes be extracted and isolated?

Cannabis growers had already managed to obtain terpenes through conventional extraction methods (for example, by placing condensers between the oven and the recirculation pump). Thus , part of the terpenes were reserved as a residual product. The problem is that, through this method, many terpenes disappear in the process and contaminants can appear. The result therefore left a lot of nuances along the way , so it was not about full terpene profiles.

Terpenes are delicate and require extreme care to preserve their aromas and flavors. High heat and high pressure, either together or separately, cause the chemical structure of the terpene to break down. How then are impurities such as fats, chlorophyll and other metabolites removed from plants without damaging the terpenes?

terpenes

There is currently a wide variety of technologies that are used to isolate these terpenes and they vary depending on the polarity, volatility and size of the desired terpene. But generally they all fall into two categories: solvent-free and solvent-based (or solvent) extractions.

Solvent-free terpene extraction

The principles that have been used in the perfume and essential oil business for hundreds of years are used to make a solvent-free terpene extract. With two main methods: steam distillation and hydro distillation.

The steam distillation involves suspending the vegetable raw material over a container of boiling water. The hydrodistillation is similar, except that the plant material is placed directly into boiling water. As the steam passes through the plant material, the lighter oils, which include certain classes of terpenes, are drawn from the still until they come into contact with a condenser, which cools and liquefies the water and oils. Lighter oils float to the surface of the water and can be easily collected.

Solvent extraction of terpenes

Currently, a method that offers better yields is solvent-based extractions, which are carried out with lower boiling points using hydrocarbons and gases such as butane, ethanol, nitrogen or CO 2 . These methods incorporate vacuum pumps to reduce initial heat, keeping temperatures low enough to avoid degrading any bioactive compounds.

One of the most used alternatives is extraction with CO 2 . This process uses heat and pressure to convert the gaseous CO 2 into a supercritical fluid , which is passed through the vegetable matter producing a concentrated resin that needs to be refined in a vacuum drying oven, isolating the terpenes from the concentrate so that They can be removed separately, and ensuring that no solvent or water remains. CO2 is not flammable , which makes this process safer and more efficient.

Extraction by mechanical separation

Currently there are also ways to extract terpenes without the use of hydrocarbon-based solvents or steam. Thanks to the evolution of techniques that use pressure and heat such as Rosin , the same mechanical presses used to make Rosin can be used to separate the liquid portion of terpenes from a bud. However, mechanically separated terpenes are not completely isolated, so they still have a cannabinoid content.

Food grade terpenes

Most of the terpenes found in cannabis are also found in other plants; As a result, not all terpenes on the market are derived from cannabis. Food grade terpenes are derived from plants other than cannabis and may contain more than pure terpenes (as long as they are safe to use in food). Also, the level of terpenes in the natural cannabis plant almost never exceeds 5%. As a result, we do not know the effects of higher concentrations of terpenes in humans. Therefore, consumers using food grade terpenes to enhance the profile of their extractions may be skewing the natural balance of terpenes found in cannabis.

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