How is CBD Oil Made?

What is CBD oil?

CBD oil is made from cannabidiol, which is found in cannabis plants. Historically, cannabis and CBD have been used in medicine due to the vast range of potential health benefits.

Today, many believe that CBD is a naturally occurring treatment for a variety of different ailments. Because of this, lots of people use CBD oil to relieve themselves of painful symptoms.

There is an extremely low risk of becoming addicted to CBD, making it a viable option for people who are looking for an alternative form of natural pain relief.

Despite this, there are strict restrictions regarding the usage of cannabidiol oil. This seems a little crazy considering the huge amounts of opioids being prescribed currently!

To help remove the social taboo surrounding CBD oil, we have decided to explain how it is made and how it can potentially be used to alleviate pain and various other symptoms. 

So how is CBD Oil made...

How is it made?

To begin with, CBD will need to be extracted from cannabis, to be more precise the industrial hemp plant.

The industrial hemp plant, as it is known in the UK, is a low tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) strain of the cannabis plant and therefore legal to be grown, under licence, in the UK and most of Europe.

There are different methods of extracting CBD from plants. The most common method is carbon dioxide extraction. 

To make it suitable for sale, CBD oil will then be diluted. Hemp seed and coconut oils are traditionally used to construct CBD oil. Coconut oil is a good product that is healthy for your skin and hair.

Meanwhile, hemp seed oil can relieve pain, improve your skin health, and lower your blood pressure thanks to the perfect balance of Omega 3 & 6. Because of this, these carrier oils add value to CBD. 

Olive oil is another carrier oil used to dilute extracted hemp oil, though this tastes great it is nowhere near as common as hemp seed and coconut oil!

Before a CBD oil is sold, it will need to be thoroughly tested. This will ensure that it is definitely safe and legal for consumers to use. 

Growing Hemp Plants for CBD Extraction

Hemp has become a popular crop for farmers because of its ability to thrive in poor soil conditions. It also produces high yields of biomass per acre.

In recent years, the demand for CBD oil has increased significantly. With this increase in demand, the price of CBD oil has risen dramatically.

As a result, some farmers have started growing hemp plants specifically for CBD production under glass or in some cases indoors.

This means that they can harvest their crops at any time throughout the year. They can sell the harvested plants or the extracts produced by using the plants directly.

Hemp plants grown in the UK and EU must contain no more than 0.2% THC of the dried cropped weight. 

This 0.2% limit is not the same as the 1mg THC limit that applies to UK CBD products. 

Extracting the CBD

The first step in making CBD oil is to extract it from the plant material. This process involves either soaking the raw material in alcohol or using a solvent extraction method.

Solvent extraction uses solvents like butane, hexane, ethanol, or propylene glycol to separate the cannabinoids from the plant material.

CO2 extraction is the most common way to extract CBD oil today. It uses supercritical carbon dioxide to pull out the cannabinoids from the plant materials.

Extracts can also be produced from cold pressing and "fermenting" the extracted oil, this method takes longer but can retain more of the valuable plant terpenes!

Super Critical CO2 is a gas at normal temperatures and pressures. To extract the oil, you heat the plant material to temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and then pressurize the mixture so that the pressure exceeds the critical point, which is around 7200 psi.

At this point, the liquid turns into a supercritical fluid and begins extracting the cannabinoids from the plant matter.

Once you have extracted the CBD oil, you must now isolate the specific compounds within the oil. This is called purification and removes the unwanted plant waxes and chlorophyll. 

Once extracted, the CBD must be stored properly if it’s going to retain its potency. Most people recommend storing CBD oil in dark glass bottles in a cool environment.

As light exposure will cause the CBD to degrade, this is why we package our products in dark green glass and boxes!

Our preferred extraction methods at Beliebis

At Beliebis we prefer the Co2 and cold-press methods. We choose these methods as they are clean and have a great balance of yield and retention of the key components of cannabis, the cannabinoids themselves, including CBD, as well as the plant's terpenes (cannabis' essential oils).

Uses for CBD oil

CBD is primarily used because of its pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory qualities. It is believed to cause this result by interacting with your body’s pain receptors.

There is also some evidence that CBD oil can be used to treat mental health conditions, such as anxiety, because of its calming properties. People who suffer from nerve pain have reported effective results from using CBD oil. 

How Do You Use CBD oil?

How you implement CBD oil will depend on what you are attempting to treat. For the most part, CBD oil is ingested. The dosage and instructions will depend on what brand you buy.

It should tell you this information clearly on the packaging. If it does not contain this information, do not use these brands!

As a rough guide, however, you should use a dropper to collect and squeeze the CBD oil under your tongue. Leave the oil under your tongue for at least a minute, though some products may want you to wait for longer, potentially 90 seconds. After this, you can then swallow any leftover oil. 

Just to reiterate, this is a general guide. Please carefully read and follow the instructions on your CBD oil before you take it as strengths and dosage can vary. However, if you chose our 10% CBD oil in a 10ml bottle, 5 drops equate to 16.5mg CBD.

There will be more specific information regarding usage and dosage on the product page and packaging. 

You can also find more information on how to take CBD oil here!

Frequently Asked Questions

As with any food supplement or medication, there can be a lot of misinformation surrounding CBD oil.

To help inform you and to put you at ease, we have taken some of the most commonly asked questions and answered them to the best of our abilities. This will give you a deeper understanding of CBD oil. 

What are the side effects of CBD oil?

CBD oil is safe to use. However, like other medicines, there are side effects that accompany the use of this oil. You should make yourself aware of these side effects before you take CBD oil. The main side effects you may experience include dizziness, diarrhoea, adjustments in your appetite, dry mouth, and nausea.

Of course, everyone will experience different symptoms when using CBD oil. The extent to which you will feel these side effects will vary. This is because everyone’s health is different. If you have severe side effects, you should contact a doctor. However, the majority of people who take CBD oil will not need to do this.

Should you tell your doctor that you are taking CBD oil?

Yes, we highly recommend that you talk to your doctor before you start using CBD oil. If you are taking other medicines, CBD oil may interfere with them. Therefore, for safety reasons, you should tell your doctor if you intend to use CBD oil.

They will be able to give you information that has been specifically tailored to your health, as opposed to this more general advice. If your doctor advises you to not use CBD oil, it is probably best to listen to the advice of a medical professional. 

How long does it take for CBD oil to work?

The time with which CBD oil will take to be effective will depend on a few factors, including what area of your health you are using it on, the brand, and your personal health.

If you are lucky, CBD oils will begin to work after 30 minutes. However, it can take up to 2 hours for them to take effect. Overall, CBD oils are quite fast-acting, especially when administered under the tongue, meaning you will not have to wait for long. 

Is CBD oil safe?

Yes, CBD oil is safe because it has been highly tested. Of course, there is a risk that you will suffer from some side effects when using CBD oil. For information on these side effects, check out the answers to the questions above. Unlike other medicines, there is a very low chance of becoming addicted to CBD oil. 

Can CBD oil be used for stress relief?

Because of its therapeutic properties, CBD oil can be effective at relieving anxiety and stress. Studies have found that CBD is successful at lowering stress. The extent that it works will differ. 

Closing Remarks

Because of its wide range of medicinal uses, CBD oil can be a great product to own. Not only can it relieve physical pain, but it is good for mental health conditions such as anxiety. This makes it quite a versatile medicine. In addition, due to the fact that it is a product found in nature, it is good for those who prefer natural medicines. 

However, due to the unnecessary stigma that surrounds it, there is a lot of confusion regarding the use of CBD oil. Unfortunately, many people will not use CBD oil due to a lack of understanding. Hopefully, our guide will have given you lots of helpful information to further educate you and to help remove this stigma. 

If you are looking for high-quality products in the United Kingdom, please check out our premium CBD oil range in our shop here.