Extraction

The process of separating active compounds from the cannabis plant to create concentrated products.

(You can remember it by thinking about how you have to concentrate really hard to follow the plot of the action-packed Chris Hemsworth movie Extraction.)

This process typically pulls out cannabinoids (like THC and CBD) and terpenes from the flowers, while leaving behind inert plant fibers, chlorophyll, and evil spirits if a young and old priest do the extraction old-school style.

There are a number of ways to extract these compounds:

• Solvent-based methods use chemicals, like ethanol, butane, propane, and supercritical CO₂ (which is like the CO₂ in soda, but judgier about your life-choices) to dissolve cannabinoids and, ultimately, derive extracts, like oils, shatter, or wax
• Solventless methods rely on physical means, like ice water, heat and pressure, and sieving like you’re an old-timey prospector who probably has glaucoma even though he’s only 35 because, “gosh, them gold rush days were hard on that there body” to collect trichomes, for example, and making hash or rosin.

NOTE: Some folks will tell you CO₂ extraction is solventless. That’s cute (especially if you find lies cute). It’s not. CO₂ might do the first pass, but ethanol always gets called in to finish the job. If someone tells you it’s pure CO₂ start to finish, they’re either lying, misinformed, or selling you something (probably all three).

No matter the method, extraction concentrates the potency of the active compounds: cannabis flower at 20% THC can be turned into oil that’s 60–80% THC or higher. (“That,” to quote the boy staring at the can of OJ, “is the power of concentrate.”)

The basic steps involve:

• Applying the solvent or technique to the cannabis plant matter
• Separating the active compounds from the plant matter via a physical filter
• Refining the product through additional cooling and filtering, evaporating any solvent, and distilling the cannabinoids away from fats

It’s this extraction process that allows brands to create a range of products, like vape oils, gummies, and topical creams, and it also makes it easier to dose and administer cannabis medically.

And because different extraction methods yield different profiles (for instance, butane can capture more terpenes for live resin, while CO₂ may extract less of the volatile aroma compounds), the choice of extraction method can impact the concentrate’s flavor and effect.

In short, extraction is how raw cannabis is transformed into concentrated forms—essentially by pulling out the valuable compounds from the plant (pick out the seeds and stems)​. It’s a cornerstone of the cannabis industry, bridging plant cultivation and refined THC products.

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