How Is CBD Extracted? CO2 vs Ethanol Extraction Explained

From Plant to Product: How Extraction Actually Works

Before CBD reaches an oil bottle or a distillate, it has to be separated from the raw plant material. The two dominant methods in commercial production are CO2 extraction and ethanol extraction — each with a different cost, purity, and equipment profile.

CO2 Extraction

Supercritical CO2 extraction uses carbon dioxide under high pressure and controlled temperature, in a state between liquid and gas, to pull cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant material. This method is prized for precision — operators can fine-tune pressure and temperature to selectively extract specific compounds — and it leaves no residual solvent in the final product, since CO2 simply returns to gas form at normal pressure.

The trade-off is cost: CO2 extraction requires expensive specialized equipment, making it better suited to large-scale, high-value production runs.

Ethanol Extraction

Ethanol extraction soaks the plant material in food-grade ethanol, which dissolves cannabinoids and terpenes out of the plant matter. The ethanol is then evaporated off, leaving a concentrated extract behind. This method is faster and less capital-intensive than CO2 extraction, making it popular for mid-size producers, but it can also pull more plant chlorophyll and other unwanted compounds into the extract if not carefully controlled, requiring additional filtration steps.

What This Means for the Products You Buy

Both methods, done properly, produce clean, compliant extract — the method itself isn't a reliable indicator of quality on its own. What matters is what happens after extraction: winterization to remove waxes and lipids, and independent lab testing to confirm cannabinoid content and the absence of solvent residue. Every batch behind our 90% CBD distillate and 99.8% CBD isolate goes through this full process, verified by a certificate of analysis.

See our quality and testing standards page for the full breakdown of how every product — regardless of extraction method — gets verified before it's listed for sale.

For Brands Formulating Their Own Products

If you're building a white-label line and deciding between distillate and isolate as your base, extraction method and refinement level directly affect flavor neutrality, solubility, and cost. Our white label CBD guide walks through which base material suits which product format.

For the technical standards the European hemp industry works to, see the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA).