Drug Discovery, Pharmaceuticals & Cannabis Testing Extracting active ingredients from cannabis plants Leos Benes, Dr Günther Crolly and Wolfgang Simon, Fritsch GmbH
The most common method to extract the active ingredients from the cannabis plant is supercritical CO2 extraction. At a temperature above 31˚C and with high pressure, the CO2 gets into the supercritical state, where it acts as a solvent. Passed through a chamber containing the plant material, it still has the density of a liquid but can fi ll the entire chamber like a gas. The advantage: The CO2 extracts the cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant without causing denaturation or damage to the product.
This produces a safe, high-quality, pure oil that can be processed for a variety of therapeutic uses. The big challenge: the highest possible yield of the ingredients in the shortest possible time. This requires optimum, homogeneous grinding of the cannabis plant.
The Universal Cutting Mill P-19 with high-performance Cyclone separator and 60-litre collecting vessel for CBD homogenisation on a production scale.
Perfect for CBD medium-scale homogenisation: the Variable Speed Rotor Mill P-14 classic line with high-performance stainless-steel Cyclone separator.
Cannabis before grinding.
A-22 NeXT with wet and dry dispersion unit - The Laser Particle Sizer for wet and dry dispersion. CBD homogenisation in small- and medium-scale Cannabis after grinding.
Homogenisation and characterisation of CBD isolates
Solid isolates of CBD can be produced as a nonhomogeneous ‘cake’ of materials or as a mixture of loosely associated granules comprising a wide particle size distribution. Creating material suitable for consumption or subsequent formulation in other products typically requires particle size reduction and/or homogenisation. Confi rmation of particle size distribution of a given sample may be achieved via traditional sieving methods or by using a particle size analyser. Primary considerations when selecting a milling system for CBD homogenisation include:
• batch size – throughput requirement per kg/batch or day • minimising losses – physical and/or chemical • the desired fi nal particle size range • easy cleaning to prevent batch cross-contamination • the (residual) moisture content
Small-scale homogenisation of CBD isolate may be achieved by low energy ball milling or by automated mortar grinding with pestle. Larger batches of CBD material can be quickly and continuously homogenised in a Variable Speed Rotor Mill with Cyclone separator down to the lower micron range to the fi neness of talcum powder. The combination of extremely fast homogenisation with active removal of material from the rotor area in a fraction of seconds means there is no time for a temperature increase due to friction, which could cause chemical degradation. Another advantage: Product contact surfaces are made of stainless steel or food-grade plastic vacuum hoses for the Cyclone separator and can all be cleaned between batches to reduce the likelihood of cross-contamination. A variable speed motor and a wide range of sieve rings provides precise control of particle size output.
CBD homogenisation in large-scale
We recommend a Universal Cutting Mill for homogenising CBD isolate to produce a uniform powder on a production-level scale. A precision milling solution for preparing cannabis biomass for extractions or pre-rolls, it can be confi gured just as effectively as a homogeniser.
We recommend the following system settings for this purpose: • Speed between 2000 – 3000 rpm • Rotor with notched edges and fi xed knives
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