What is a closed-loop extraction system, and why does it matter? A closed-loop extraction system recovers and reuses its solvent in a sealed circuit instead of venting it. In cannabis processing it moves butane, propane, or a blend (commonly around 70:30 butane to propane for live resin) through chilled biomass, dissolving cannabinoids and terpenes, then [...]
RSO Dosing Protocol: Carrier Oil Science, Titration Schedules, and Why Most Guides Get It Wrong RSO dosing starts at 5mg THC (a rice grain of 60% oil), titrates to 25-50mg over 4-6 weeks, and the carrier oil you dissolve it in changes bioavailability by 3-4x. MCT oil delivers 2.5x the plasma THC of olive oil [...]
Novel Cannabinoid Synthesis from CBD: THCP, HHC, THCV, and the Chemistry Legislators Cannot Outrun THCP binds CB1 receptors at 33x the affinity of delta-9 THC. HHC resists oxidation because catalytic hydrogenation eliminates the double bond at C9. THCV acts as a CB1 antagonist below 10mg and flips to partial agonist above 20mg. Every one of [...]
Cannabis extracts degrade through three distinct mechanisms: THCa nucleation (shatter sugaring at supersaturation ratios above 1.3x, onset within 48-72 hours above 25C when THCa exceeds 65%), oxidative conversion (THC to CBN at 0.5-2.0% per month at 25C with light, 0.08-0.15% per month at 4C in dark), and terpene volatilization (myrcene half-life 8-12 weeks at 25C, [...]
Cannabis filtration media splits into two functional classes: depth filtration (celite, perlite, filter paper) that removes particulates by size exclusion at 1-25 micron pore ratings, and adsorptive chromatography media (activated carbon, bentonite clay, silica gel, alumina, magnesium silicate) that removes contaminants by chemical interaction. Activated carbon adsorbs 85-95% of color bodies but strips 8-15% of [...]
Cannabis pesticide remediation removes chemical residues from contaminated extracts using targeted adsorption: activated carbon grabs nonpolar organics like myclobutanil (log P 2.89) and bifenazate (log P 3.40) through van der Waals attraction in micropores sized 8-20 angstroms. Bentonite clay captures polar and cationic pesticides like daminozide (log P -0.29) through ion exchange at interlayer sites. [...]
The Short Answer The catalyst you choose determines which cannabinoid you make, how fast you make it, and how much cleanup you need afterward. BF3 etherate pushes CBD toward delta-9-THC with 70-85% conversion in 1-3 hours at 60-80C (in toluene; never in DCM which boils at 40C). pTSA and CSA favor delta-8-THC through a longer [...]
Every state with legal cannabis has different extraction licensing requirements. Different agencies, different fees, different facility standards, different timelines. This is the only guide that compiles them with the numbers that matter: application costs, annual license fees, facility classification requirements, allowed extraction methods, and the specific compliance details that determine whether your lab application gets [...]
What is CBD Isomerization? CBD isomerization is an acid-catalyzed rearrangement that converts cannabidiol into delta-9 THC, delta-8 THC, or other THC isomers. The reaction uses a Lewis or Bronsted acid catalyst (p-toluenesulfonic acid, boron trifluoride etherate, sulfuric acid, or others) to protonate the CBD molecule and trigger ring closure at the cyclohexene ring. The resulting [...]
Every CBD isomerization reaction produces byproducts. That is not a failure. That is thermodynamics. The acid catalyst does not care which ring closure pathway the molecule takes. It offers activation energy, and the CBD molecule responds by forming a distribution of products: delta-9 THC, delta-8 THC, iso-THC isomers, and degradation compounds that show up as [...]
