FAQs

Q. What does hemp look like?

A. Hemp looks different from marijuana, though to the untrained eye they may seem to be basically the same. Hemp leaves are generally skinnier, while marijuana is much broader. In general marijuana is more bushy, while hemp will be thinner and taller, but this can vary by strain or cultivation method.

Q. Why do police officers often have trouble distinguishing between hemp and marijuana?

A. Hemp and marijuana buds can look almost identical, despite having very different amounts of different cannabinoids in each. The 2018 Farm Bill changed the legal definition of hemp, which used to share a legal definition with marijuana. Simply put, if cannabis has over 0.3% THC, it is marijuana. If cannabis has under 0.3% THC, it is considered hemp. Even in circumstances where police officers cannot tell the difference, they often use marijuana testing kits. The problem there, however, is that those kits are not up-to-date in terms of distinguishing between hemp and marijuana. Most of those kits are concerned with detecting THC rather than determining the concentration of THC itself. Since a lot of hemp contains THC, albeit in very low concentrations, it will still show up on testing kits.

Q. Where does Extract Wellness grow their hemp?

A. Our hemp comes from Sweetbrier Farms, which is based in Danville, Kentucky. Sweetbrier, established in 1845, is registered on the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places and represents 175 years of farming experience. It also sits on the largest aquifer in Kentucky, making its soil nutrient rich and perfect for growing high quality hemp.

Q. Who is Rick Dees?

A. Rick Dees is the host of Rick Dees Weekly Top 40, among the most popular radio programs ever. He is an award-winning songwriter, producer, radio host, and more. The public may not know, but he has a strong interest in organic farming, hence why he is involved with Sweetbrier Farms. We’re more than proud to have him as a business partner.

Q. Why is Extract Wellness partnered with Rick Dees?

A. Rick Dees is a world class songwriter, producer, radio host, and more, which creates great synergy with Extract Wellness’ existing operations. The partnership with Mr. Dees also connects us with his Sweetbrier Farms, a high-quality, licensed hemp grower in Kentucky. By doing so, we’ve improved the quality of our products by controlling the path of the products you enjoy from seed to shelf.

Q. Who was the first to use hemp?

A. Archaeological evidence strongly suggests that Second Century B.C. natives off the coast of China used hemp to make clothes.

Q. What are some non-medicinal uses for hemp?

A. Hemp can be used for an extremely wide range of products, including birdseed and ice cream, among more than 25,000 other products! The uses for hemp are endless, which is why the legalization and popularization of hemp has the potential to expand the economy greatly.

Q. What is hemp seed oil extraction process like?

A. The process basically consists of cold-pressing hemp seeds together. This creates the oil that is rich with the health-beneficial properties we’re interested in.

Q. Which CBD oil extraction process is the best?

A. There is much debate about this across the industry, and each has its pros and cons. Some of the more popular options include CO2 extraction, ethanol extraction, and lipid extraction.

Q. Why CO2 extraction?

A. This is a quick, cost-efficient extraction process that is popular among many brands. There are two ways for extraction in this method, subcritical or supercritical CO2 extraction. In short, the supercritical extraction method uses higher temperatures, which guarantees quicker extraction but comes with the risk of destroying additional cannabinoids, which would otherwise be preserved in the lower-temperature, longer subcritical extraction process.

Q. Why ethanol extraction?

A. Ethanol, otherwise known as grain alcohol, is an excellent solvent for extracting cannabinoids. However, this can be a much more ticklish and time-consuming process than either of the CO2 extraction methods, but can yield high-quality products. This is often done at room temperature or colder, but has been known to be done at high temperatures.

Q. Why lipid extraction?

A. Lipid extraction uses coconut oil or MCT oil for extraction, thereby avoiding the use of harsh solvents. This makes it a gentler process than the other methods mentioned. It can retain a broad range of beneficial extracts as well, though the formulations are likely to be less precise than the ones other methods yield.

Q.What happens after extraction?

A. After oil is extracted, it is distilled and purified, then lab-tested.

Q.What are some ways oils are purified?

A. If a CO2 supercritical method is used, then a process called winterization is used, where unneeded and unwanted plant compounds (like waxes) are removed from the solution with a high-proof alcohol. The alcohol and extract are mixed and frozen, then filtered to get rid of the undesirable elements. After that, the mixture is heated until the alcohol evaporates altogether from it. The ethanol process is much lengthier and comprises several steps, so just know that it’s incredibly labor-intensive, the purpose being to completely ensure the ethanol is removed from the extract. Independent, third party lab testing is done after that, to ensure that the product is up to our quality standards and contains the correct amounts of cannabinoids.