Whole-Plant Infusion for CBD: Why We Do It
At Sunsoil, we are on a mission to create the best CBD products. This mission guides every choice we make, from our farming methods to our whole-plant infusion process.
To make our CBD oil, we mix hemp with coconut oil and water in large pressure cookers. We heat that mixture, then we press it. The natural compounds of the hemp, including CBD, are infused into the coconut oil. What we’re left with is a rich, whole-plant hemp extract.
In this article, we’ll show you why we developed our unique infusion process—and how infusion compares to methods used by other companies.
The Benefits of Infusion
Infusion is the best method for maintaining the integrity of the whole plant. Just as whole foods have holistic benefits, whole hemp plants provide similar value. Hemp plants contain more than just CBD. They are rich in naturally occurring compounds—cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and others—that we aim to preserve in our whole-plant infusion process.
We use whole-plant infusion primarily because its simplicity preserves the purity and integrity of our plants. Whole-plant infusion is a one-step, toxin-free process to capture the full spectrum of our USDA certified organic hemp plants.
It’s also a naturally efficient process. Infusion involves fewer steps than traditional CO2 or solvent extraction. Relative to those other methods, infusion is also more effective at capturing the cannabinoids such as CBD—meaning there is less waste in the process. This efficiency is at the heart of why Sunsoil can offer CBD at lower prices than its competitors.
Whole-plant infusion enables us to make whole-plant hemp extract that is high-quality and low-cost – two qualities that help feed the core of Sunsoil’s mission.
Whole-Plant Infusion vs. CO2 Extraction
CO2 is the most prevalently used process for extracting CBD. CO2 extraction was developed and popularized in the recreational marijuana industry.
CO2 extraction is a multi-step process that uses compressed carbon dioxide to extract the cannabinoids and terpenes from hemp. Some CO2 processes break apart the plant’s different compounds (like THC or CBD) then put them back together in the desired proportions. In most cases, this extract is then added to a carrier oil, such as MCT oil for better absorption into the body.
Contrast that to our infusion process, where we directly infuse hemp into the carrier oil in one step. All that’s added to our process is heat and pressure. The compounds in the hemp (which are lipids) naturally infuse into the organic coconut oil (which is also a lipid) without needing to break them apart and put them back together.
This creates a whole-plant infused oil that preserves the plant’s cannabinoids and terpenes in a simple, raw form that’s easy for the body to absorb.
Sunsoil does not use any CO2 or elaborate equipment, and the whole process takes place in a USDA-certified organic processing facility. The plant’s cannabinoids and terpenes are never tampered with or altered, so the plant’s compounds are left intact.
Whole-Plant Infusion vs. Solvent Extraction
Solvent extraction is another method for producing hemp concentrates. With solvent extraction, chemicals such as ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, butane or propane are pressurized and run through the plant material to strip it of cannabinoids and other compounds. The resulting concentrate can then be infused into oil or turned into an isolate powder.
Solvent extraction is generally more efficient and less expensive than CO2 extraction, but the chemicals used can potentially pull waxes from the plants and leave behind trace contaminants. Like CO2 extraction, it also requires substantial secondary processing to create a usable extract that’s ready to be formulated.
At Sunsoil, we believe in simple, natural products. This is why you’ll find fewer ingredients in our products and why we will never use harsh solvents to extract our CBD.
Sunsoil’s Process
From seed to shelf, Sunsoil’s process is simple, efficient and vertically integrated. From planting to infusion to formulation, we take a hands-on approach every step of the way.
Sunsoil’s process begins with breeding our own seeds and starting them in warmed greenhouses in the spring. Each seedling is then hand-planted in our organic, nutrient-rich Vermont soil. After 100 days of being tended in the field, each plant is harvested by hand at its peak ripeness and hung to dry in barns built with untreated wood (with heat and ample air flow).
Finally, the dried organic hemp is added to large pressure cookers along with a measured amount of organic coconut or MCT oil. Heat and pressure work together to infuse the plants’ compounds into the oil, thus creating our full-spectrum CBD Oil.
Sunsoil’s CBD oil is tested in its two-ingredient form and twice again after it’s mixed with ingredients like organic peppermint oil and formulated into our finished products.
The simplicity of this approach makes for a better product in every way – from quality to efficiency to price point.
As Nature Intended
Sunsoil is committed to using only the simplest ingredients and processes to make our full-spectrum organic hemp extract. The sun, seeds and soil work as nature intended and then we use the cleanest, most efficient means possible to bring a high-quality product to our consumers.
At Sunsoil, we recognize cost can be a prohibitive barrier to people accessing whole-plant CBD oil. Infusion allows us to offer quality CBD products at one of the lowest prices per milligram among leading CBD manufacturers. This makes whole-plant infusion the natural choice for pursuing Sunsoil’s mission of doing the most good for the most people. Accessibility and quality are at the core of this mission. Whole-plant infusion enables Sunsoil to live up to both.