By 2025, marijuana sales will touch the 23 Billion USD mark in the U.S. alone. That is a big leap from the humble 477.96 Million USD in 2016. So, if you are planning to start up a marijuana ancillary products company, or planning to begin using, now is the time.
Several concentrate extraction services will supply cannabis oil (a.k.a. concentrate or concentrated cannabis), that you can incorporate in your final products. How to find a suitable extraction service can be a looming concern. These are the few things that you should ask yourself when looking for a concentrate extraction service.
What Extraction Method Do They Use?
There are several methods to extract cannabis oil from the flower. Extraction was carried out by hand rubbing, dried leaves to turn them into a sticky resin. It is now done using high-pressure compressing machines.
Nowadays, there are three popular methods of extraction; supercritical CO2 extraction, alcohol extraction, and hydrocarbon extraction. Check the method the extraction service uses.
Supercritical CO2 Extraction
Still, in its nascent stage, this method has become popular with concentrate extraction services. This method was used to process tea, coffee, and vanilla. Now, it has caught the fancy of the marijuana industry. The process involves the use of pressure and temperature control equipment that converts CO2 into a supercritical fluid. This fluid passes over plant leaves to extract wax and oil.
The process makes CO2 a highly tunable solvent. It means that you can extract unique compounds from the leaves, thus opening new avenues for creativity. The result is a concentrate that can be used in a variety of products like creams, pain-relief oils, edibles, and dog treats.
Hydrocarbon Extraction
This technique helps extract an enormous variety of terpenes from the plant, thus making the extract concentrated. Extraction companies use this process when the extract is needed in the form of tinctures or vape oils. It involves butane, which has a lower boiling point. It is washed over the plant to extract the oil, which has more “whole-plant” like characteristics.
Also, this process requires manual intervention, as it is challenging to automate. Therefore, the scale of operations is lower when compared to other automated methods.
Alcohol Extraction
The most popular method of alcohol extraction is also the most efficient method of getting cannabis concentrate. The process is versatile as it can be done in hot, cold, or room temperature. The process is also scalable as it allows the extractor to process large batches at once. This gives economies of scale.
Scalability
Apart from the extraction method used, you should also check how scalable they are. The goal of your business is to maximize sales, and this means scaling production over time. Your supplier should be able to match the pace of your business growth.
Location
The nearer the supplier, the more you save on transport expenses. Cost-minimization can help you increase profit, and sell your products at lower prices, thus capturing a larger market share.
Your suppliers are the backbone of your business. Having a trusted concentrate extraction services provider can be all that matters to take your business to new heights.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
