Extract

An extract is a substance obtained from plant-based raw material through an extraction process designed to recover certain compounds naturally present in the plant. In the hemp sector, extracts are mainly produced to concentrate or preserve cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids and other plant constituents. They serve as the basis for a wide variety of hemp-derived products.

Depending on the method used, an extract may retain much of the plant's natural composition or, conversely, be highly purified to isolate specific compounds. The characteristics of an extract therefore depend both on the raw material and on the manufacturing process used.

The principle of extraction

Extraction consists of separating certain constituents of hemp from the rest of the plant material. Several techniques are used in the industry, including supercritical CO₂ extraction, ethanol extraction and other processes suited to plant materials.

Each method has its own characteristics and influences the final composition of the extract obtained. The various purification stages may also change the quantity of cannabinoids, terpenes or other molecules naturally present.

The composition of a hemp extract

An extract may contain a wide variety of compounds derived from hemp. Among the best known are cannabinoids such as CBD, CBG, CBC, CBN and their acidic forms, along with terpenes, flavonoids and many other plant constituents.

The exact composition varies according to the cultivated variety, production conditions, extraction method and desired level of purification.

The different categories of extracts

There are several major categories of hemp extracts. Full Spectrum extracts seek to retain a very broad spectrum of natural compounds. Broad Spectrum extracts also preserve several constituents of the plant while following a different formulation. Highly purified extracts may, in turn, lead to the production of isolates composed almost exclusively of a single cannabinoid.

Each category serves different manufacturing objectives and has its own chemical composition.

Extract, concentrate and isolate

Although these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they do not refer to exactly the same thing. An extract is the product obtained after extraction. A concentrate more broadly refers to a product in which certain constituents are present at a high concentration. An isolate is a molecule that has been almost entirely purified, such as a CBD isolate.

These concepts help provide a better understanding of the degree of processing undergone by a hemp-derived product.

A base for many hemp products

Extracts are used in the manufacture of many product categories, including CBD oils, resins, certain concentrates, cosmetics, technical products and various specialised preparations.

The development of extraction techniques and analytical methods has greatly contributed to diversifying the extracts available today. They now occupy a central place in the modern hemp industry and form the basis of many marketed products.