Distillate vs Full Spectrum
Exploring the richness of the ever-evolving cannabis world may be greatly satisfying. This practice can be essential in keeping up to date. Considering this, we turn to the distillate vs full spectrum debate. Comparing these two extracts offers valuable insight into their unique characteristics and benefits.
We will discuss their distinct extraction paths and provide detailed information on the extracts' structure and use. Weca help you uncover possibilities and educate you on making a suitable choice.
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Distillate vs Full Spectrum
Whether you are a novice cannabis consumer or an experienced one, it can be difficult to understand the different types of concentrates and oils used in the industry. So, we dedicated the sections below to exploring distillates and full spectrum oil in greater detail.
Understanding distillate
Cannabis distillates are one of the purest concentrated forms of cannabis available. This concentrate can be either full CBD or full THC content. Usually, cannabis distillates have a concentration of the chosen cannabinoid of up to 90%.
They are viscous oils that typically have a gold-amber hue. However, the exact color may vary based on the extraction process and the specific strain of cannabis involved.
Furthermore, cannabis distillates are best known within the hemp community for their purity and potency. Many of you prefer distillates over other cannabis products due to their refined structure. They undergo a purifying process that eliminates potentially harmful substances from their structure, such as metals.
Distillate extraction process
Cannabis distillates are achieved through fractional distillation. This process utilizes heat to separate all other cannabis content besides CBD or THC. For instance, to create a THC distillate, manufacturers use decarboxylated THC oil.
To describe this process briefly, the THC oil is caused to evaporate using heat. After, it undergoes a process of cooling that transforms it back to liquid. However, we mustn’t leave out what happens when the oil evaporates.
Since the cannabis materials are very sensitive to heat, each group of compounds separates and transforms back to liquid. This results in pure THC being set aside from other harmful chemicals.
Additionally, it's worth noting that other cannabis compounds, such as flavonoids and terpenes, are also set aside and eliminated from the final distillate form. We should also point out that fractional distillation occurs in a controlled laboratory setting and requires specialized equipment.
Understanding full spectrum extracts
Full spectrum cannabis has a reputation for being the most natural and potential therapeutic concentrate. This type of concentrate goes through a more gentle extraction process.
Hence, it maintains most of the naturally occurring components of cannabis. Full spectrum cannabis stands out from the rest as it contains flavonoids, terpenes, and essential oils, in addition to cannabinoids.
Full spectrum extraction process
The process aims to retain the plant's therapeutic compounds and maintain as many natural properties as possible. You can obtain full-spectrum cannabis through the use of several techniques, such as ethanol extraction, CO2 extraction, and rosin press.
CO2 extraction is one of the most popular methods in the cannabis industry. While to most, CO2 extraction is known as a solventless method, we may say that it's not entirely solventless. This extraction includes supercritical CO2 as a solvent.
Still, compared to solvent-based methods, it is considered a cleaner and safer alternative. It also allows manufacturers to target various compounds and achieve an oil composition similar to hemp's.
As part of this process, CO2 undergoes both high temperature and pressure. The extraction begins by placing the plant material in the extraction vessel. Then, CO2 is brought to the vessel by an extraction pump.
When the plant and CO2 meet, the material dissolves and is transferred to a separate vessel. Specific molecules bond to CO2 under controlled heat and pressure and separate from the plant. The extract is moved to a different collection jar while the CO2 containing undesirable plant molecules returns to the tank and is available for reuse.
The Main Differences Between Distillate and Full Spectrum
The main difference between distillates and full spectrum cannabis oils lies in the production's goal. When extracting full spectrum oil, manufacturers focus on maintaining as much of the cannabis content as possible using more gentle methods. For example, CO2 extraction, cold pressing, and other solvent-less techniques.
In contrast, distillation aims at stripping away as much cannabis materials as possible and producing a high-potency THC or CBD product. While this is the most prominent difference we find when comparing distillate vs full-spectrum cannabis, there are other aspects in which these two products differ. Here are some of them:
Composition and extraction methods
As we explained, distillates and full spectrum oils follow a different production approach. In distillates, heat is used to evaporate the substance, thus eliminating most of the components in the cannabis profile.
On the other hand, the full spectrum oil extrusion is a more controlled method during which only certain chemicals bind to CO2. This allows full spectrum products to maintain a more comprehensive cannabinoid profile. So, to explain their differences more clearly, we will look into the chemical composition of both extracts.
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Chemical composition differences
Unlike distillates, full spectrum oils have a wider cannabinoid diversity. Since terpenes and flavonoids are extremely sensitive to heat, they easily get eliminated during fractional distillation.
This is not the case with CO2 extraction. It allows full spectrum oils to maintain both cannabinoids as THC and CBD and a terpene and flavonoid profile.
Distillation is focused on purity and is directed at securing a high THC or CBD percentage. Depending on the quality, cannabis distillates can have from 65% to 90% THC or CBD in their structure. While such concentrates are focused on purity, they cannot offer the entourage effect.
Cannabinoid and terpene profiles
In the cannabis community, the entourage effect is known as an experience that can only be obtained by various cannabis components interacting with one another. Simply put, the more diverse the profile of the cannabis product, the better the chances of the entourage effect.
Furthermore, terpenes are considered to contribute to this effect substantially. Many enthusiasts believe combining terpenes and cannabinoids might have a mood-stabilizing effect.
It is also believed that despite the relatively low levels of terpenes, they are significant to the entourage effect. While some of you vouch for these premises, they are not scientifically proven.
Moreover, we need to highlight that the entourage effect is associated solely with full spectrum cannabis. A recent study investigating the feasibility of the entourage effect of full spectrum oils points to the need for a more specific full spectrum design. It also shows that studying the possible benefits of the entourage effect will likely be easier if a more specific cannabinoid-terpene combination is established.
Consistency, appearance, and use
When comparing the effects of distillate vs full spectrum cannabis products, we can say that distillates offer an overall greater consistency in effect. In distillates, the oil is carefully formulated by eliminating other cannabis content to obtain either pure THC or CBD. Due to this standardization, distillates may offer you a potent experience with each use.
Distillates and full spectrum oils have a similar appearance. The best way to recognize distillates is by their thick liquid form and golden to-amber hue. While this is true with most distillate products, some can also have a clear to light yellow appearance.
Also, the color of distillates is directly linked to their purity. Green or black distillates are best to avoid since these are said to feature minimal quality and possible contamination.
On the contrary, full spectrum oils have a range of colors from light yellow to dark brown or even black. For instance, a dark green color in CBD full spectrum oils usually signifies that the oil has not been processed or filtered and is still raw. If you are looking for a more concentrated form in CBD full spectrum oils the color you should look for ranges from dark brown to black.
THC distillate vs full spectrum consumption methods
THC distillates and full spectrum oils have versatile uses. Both cannabis extracts can be infused into edibles or administered through a syringe.
Using a syringe is a popular consumption method as it helps achieve maximum precision. This might be the most effective way to select a desirable dose and experience rapid effects. Most administer the desired full spectrum or distillate dose either sublingually or infuse it into your food.
Various full spectrum edibles are available on the market in the form of chocolates and baked goods. Moreover, distillates and full spectrum oils are commonly used in cannabis cooking. You may use these cannabis extracts to create cannabutter and then use it for creating a variety of cannabis dishes.
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Conclusion
Comparing distillate vs full spectrum oils shows that these two extracts have different purposes. Distillates are crafted with purity and high potency in mind, while full spectrum oils are created to obtain a more comprehensive cannabis content.
Their difference in structure is one of the most relevant aspects in this comparison as it determines their effects and uses. Distillates stand out with their singular focus on either THC or CBD, offering a potent experience. In contrast, full spectrum extracts embrace the plant's entire chemical structure, potentially offering an entourage effect.
The choice between these two forms reflects your diverse needs and preferences. Both full spectrum and distillate extract have various uses and can be consumed in the form of edibles, cannabis-infused dishes, pills, or be used sublingually.
