When it comes to cannabis oil extraction, there are several different ways. Determining the best process is a subjective one best left to those who are doing it… they know their goals and what kind of space they have… along with what kind of money they can afford to pay.
Solvent-Based Extraction
The choices tend to be ethanol, butane or propane. All are easy to find and relatively cheap. They can be good at drawing out the desirable compounds for cannabis oils and the equipment is pretty simple. This can be good for people who are on a budget.
These materials are all VERY flammable, though, so special consideration has to be taken about the conditions. Otherwise, it can be dangerous. The people have to pay close attention throughout the process, otherwise solvent residue can remain on the final product, which can reduce the desirability.
Steam
People like to use this in order to get other essential oils. It stands to reason that this would be a good way to get cannabis oil. It gets cannabinoids out of the plant product and then gets cooled down. The biggest plus is that no solvents are used, which makes it very safe.
The biggest drawback is that people are going to be sacrificing a larger amount of plant matter to get a lower oil return. Some of the properties are very heat sensitive, so they could get damaged if the process gets too hot.
Using Olive Oil
Yes, this is what is found in people’s kitchens. People who use this method are not looking to do it in bulk and make it commercial grade. The olive oil method is more for those who are aficionados and want to do it safely in their own home.
The end product is harder to keep fresh. Since it is not as potent, whoever makes it will have to take more of it. Again, this is more for recreational use in the home.
C02 Extraction
Doing it this way is safe for the environment and the end product tends to be precisely what the person extracting it intended.
The equipment is very technical and it costs a lot of money. People have to know what they are doing when they use it. Otherwise, a lot of material can be wasted.
It just takes a bit of research to determine which of these suits their needs. Then they can go ahead and do the best extraction for them.