Hemp crude oil is in high demand. Manufacturers are looking for both it and distillate in order to make other products consumers are asking for within the industry.
However, hemp compounds aren’t regulated by the FDA. There’s no way to prove quality and purity without first doing a little groundwork.
At the very basic level, you want to know:
- Where your hemp comes from.
- How much THC it contains (only 0.3 percent, or less, is legal).
- Whether or not the whole plant gets used during processing (full-spectrum crude).
- What testing occurred, if any.
Purity counts
All of these factors can establish quality, and purity really does count. Especially if, as a manufacturer or processor, you’re planning on taking the crude oil and transforming it into something else, you need to know you’re working with a pure extract.
Doing this is becoming more and more common as demand for different hemp-derived products changes. Right now, crude and distillate are in demand because they’re the building blocks for isolate. This is the necessary form of hemp to create cannabinoids like D8 and D10.
Crashing hemp crude oil
In order to make CBD isolate, crude undergoes a process known as crashing. This term refers to the end-result of the process, where CBD crystals spontaneously form. It’s from these crystals that it’s possible to create a pure form of CBD. Even if you start with a distillate that’s around 3/4 pure, by the time you’ve crashed the compound into an isolate, you’ve got a compound that’s 90 percent or more pure.
The slow route to checking quality
Many manufacturers and processors need quality, but doing all the research to prove the purity of a sample of hemp crude oil or distillate is lengthy. It’s also not totally guaranteed that all the information you get about a hemp crop is accurate.
This is a slow, somewhat unreliable route to establishing quality that people working in the hemp industry can’t always rely on. Maybe it’s time to try something different.
Putting crude through the freezer test
So, a better way needs to be established. One that allows a processor to show the quality of their hemp crude oil with simple test results. That’s where the freezer test comes in.
The freezer test establishes quality in a way that eliminates the need for farmers or processors to send out a sample of crude to each manufacturer who’s interested in buying product. It allows you to show proof your product is “clean,” and free from impurities. It also establishes that the hemp crude oil went through proper processing and winterization.
All you need to complete the freezer test is a sample of your hemp crude oil or distillate and methanol. Combine 10 parts methanol to one part crude oil and shake the mixture until it all dissolves. Then, place the mixture in the freezer for 6-12 hours.
During its time in the freezer, the lipids, sugars, and any other contaminants in the sample separate from the raw product. While there’s no scale of what’s good or bad quality, you do get a clear picture of how much unwanted material is in a particular batch of crude oil. From there, you’re able to make an informed decision as to whether this particular crude is right for your needs.
Feel confident in your crude
At Arbor Vita8, we’re proud of the quality of all our products and compounds. We use the freezer test ourselves to illustrate just how superior our practices are. To learn more about our wholesale products and our processing services, contact us today.
