CO2 Oil – Extraction, Uses and Benefits

Carbon dioxide-based methods not only extract more botanical compounds faster, but they also eliminate the need for some post-processing steps. This gets your CBD extract into blends and final products — and on its way to the shelf — faster than other extraction methods, too.

What is CO2 Oil?

CO2 oil, sometimes also called CO2 hash oil or CO2 cannabis oil, is the general name used to refer to any cannabis concentrate made using CO2 as a solvent. Beneath the umbrella of CO2 oil there are actually several specific types of cannabis concentrates. But as long as the process through which the concentrate was made uses CO2 as the solvent, the final product can be considered CO2 oil. This also includes CO2 hemp extraction, which uses hemp plants to produce CBD oils and other hemp-derived concentrates.

CO2 Oil Extraction Process

Supercritical CO2 extraction is a process through which CO2 gas is compressed beyond its “critical point” so that it becomes a “supercritical fluid.” That fluid is then applied to cannabis plant matter, stripping away many of its cannabinoids and terpenes. After that, the entire solution is brought back to temperatures and pressures at which the CO2 reverts to gas and evaporates, leaving behind the chemicals extracted out of the cannabis plant material.

Supercritical CO2 extraction is known for producing a high quality product primarily because the CO2 gas can reach its supercritical point at pressures and temperatures that don’t damage the cannabinoids and terpenes being harvested. Additionally, CO2 evaporates away cleanly and does not contaminate the final product.

How to Use CO2 Oil?
CO2 concentrates are consumed primarily through vaporization. Concentrates like CO2 hash oil and CO2 cannabis oil are often used in a vape pen with a pre-filled cartridge. Concentrates like CO2 wax or some other form of CO2 THC extract are often consumed by dabbing. To consume CO2 dabs, you heat a “dab nail” until it’s hot enough to vaporize the concentrate. Once the nail has reached the desired temperature, a small “dab” of concentrate is placed on the nail, where it immediately vaporizes. The vapor is then inhaled, typically through a water pipe.

Benefits of using CO2 Oil

Advantages of Using CO2 as a Solvent

Compared to conventional solvents, CO2 is relatively inexpensive, non-toxic, non-flammable and inert (chemically inactive). It also has the distinct advantage of being able to diffuse through cannabis plant material like a gas, and to dissolve plant material like a liquid.