The difference between cannabis extract and distillate lies in the level of refinement and purity.
Cannabis extract refers to the collection of oils from the plant material.
Distillate is a form of cannabis extract that has undergone further purification to remove unwanted compounds and plant material.
This results in a highly concentrated and pure form of one specific cannabinoid.
Understanding the Processes: Extraction vs. Distillation
Distillation is a process that separates compounds based on their boiling points.
Extraction is a process that separates compounds based on their solubility in the extraction solvent.
In the cannabis industry, extraction involves collecting oils from the plant material.
Distillation is used to purify the extracted oil into desired constituents that can be used in marketable goods.
The Creation of Cannabis Distillates: Techniques and Purity
To create cannabis distillates, different extraction processes can be used, such as short path distillation and short path wiped film distillation.
Short path distillation involves operating a specialized set-up where cannabis extract material is fed through a heated flask.
An increased amount of heat is applied along with a vacuum to draw vapors up into fractionating tubing.
Cannabis distillates are concentrated extracts that are close to 100 percent pure.
They often have a high THC content, but some distillates can be created with a high CBD content.
After distillation, a cannabis distillate typically has a delta-9 THC content of 95% to 99% purity.
Legal Considerations and the Role of Short-Path Distillation
It is important to note that the legality of cannabis distillate varies depending on the jurisdiction.
In states where cannabis is legal, the manufacture of cannabis distillate is permissible for recreational or medical use.
However, in states where cannabis is not legal, a distillate must not contain more than 0.3% THC to be federally legal.
Short-path distillation separates components from the extracted oil by utilizing the differing chemical characteristics of the compounds.
It targets the solubility and vapor pressure of the compounds, among other characteristics, to selectively evaporate and collect specific constituents.
This process relies on temperature control and monitoring the vapor temperature or color changes to achieve desired separation.
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