What Is CBD Distillate? And, What Can You Do With It?

Posted on by TJ
A mason jar filled with distillate. text reads "What is CBD distillate?"

Key takeaways

  1. CBD distillate is a highly concentrated CBD extract
  2. Sunset Lake CBD uses CBD distillate in many of its products 
  3. Because it’s already decarboxylated, you can use CBD distillate at home with ease

Table of contents

If you’ve browsed cannabis and hemp products online, you may have come across small jars of a honey-like substance called distillate. Like hemp flower, CBD distillate is sold based on weight and concentration. Unlike flower, distillate has CBD concentrations that can make even the most wound-up person relax.

In this post, we’ll talk about what CBD distillate is, the extraction process we undertake to obtain it, and what you can do with CBD distillate.

What is CBD distillate? 

CBD distillate is a honey-colored, viscous oil that usually contains between 70-85% CBD by weight. Like most cannabis extracts, CBD distillate is oil soluble and will readily mix with carrier oils.

What does CBD distillation mean?

Distillation is a purification process that involves evaporating and condensing a liquid to remove specific impurities. Think of a classic chemistry kit, complete with a Bunson burner, a condenser, and a collection beaker.

We distill CBD the same way but at a larger scale. We start by vaporizing cured resin (or “crude”) and then recondensing it into a liquid.

The distillation process removes some other cannabinoids, terpenes, and organic materials, such as chlorophyll, from the original full-spectrum extract.

Does CBD distillate contain THC?

In most cases, CBD distillate contains THC, sometimes as much as 2-3% on a weighted basis. This ratio makes sense when you consider that most hemp plants produce CBD and THC at around a 25:1 ratio. If our distillate contains 75% CBD, then 3% THC isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

If our goal is to remove the THC and create a broad-spectrum CBD distillate, we can subject it to further distillation. At this point, most manufacturers will opt to make CBD isolate and remove all other cannabinoids and impurities. The process is less costly than specific cannabinoid remediation.

However, almost all commercially available CBD distillates will contain less than 0.03% THC by weight.

What do you do with CBD distillate?

You can do a lot with CBD distillate, and we’ll tell you right now that, as manufacturers, the sky is the limit. Sunset Lake has added distillate to CBD oil tinctures, gummies, our chocolate fudge, and more. Below, we’ll explore a few at-home projects that you can pursue with CBD distillate.

A hand pulling a 1500mg Full Spectrum CBD Oil Tincture from a tote bag

Make your own CBD oil

If you have access to CBD distillate and MCT oil, you can make your own CBD oil at home. However, you’ll want to do some math before you combine any ingredients. You’ll want to refer to your distillate’s certificate of analysis.

By adding your distillate to MCT oil, you’ll be diluting it. But the beauty of making your own is that you can make it as strong as you’d like. We recommend doing the following,

  • Use rubber gloves – CBD distillate can be incredibly sticky and hard to scrub off.
  • Use glass instruments – To ensure your final product is good (and doesn’t taste like metal), try to use glass wherever possible.
  • Use heat – It’s okay to use a little heat to speed up the mixing process. Don’t go overboard. The last thing you want is to destroy your CBD.
  • Label clearly and store airtight – If you live with others, label your creation and make sure to store your DIY CBD oil in an airtight container.

Smoke distillate with a rig

CBD distillate is a concentrate, which means that you can smoke it if you have the right equipment. This usually consists of a water pipe connected to a “nail” that you preheat to vaporize the distillate.

This route can be a bit rough on the throat if you’re not used to smoking or inhaling cannabinoids.

Make edibles

Because CBD distillate is already extracted and decarboxylated, making your own edibles is a breeze. All you need to do is add your distillate to a fat like butter and cook it into your favorite recipes.

We recommend using a dosing calculator if you decide to make your own edibles. Eating cannabinoids generally enhances their effects and longevity.

Make your own vape cartridges

If you’re ready and willing, you can also use CBD distillate to make your own vape cartridges.  Add a small amount to your favorite vaping liquid and enjoy CBD’s therapeutic effects. This would work with 510 threaded cartridges and other vape pen carts.

A final word on CBD distillate

If you’re looking for a high-concentration CBD product, shopping for CBD distillate may be your best bet. Cured resin contains too many impurities and will lend a heavy hemp flavor to most of your projects.

High-quality full-spectrum CBD distillate is a near-flavorless concentrate with many uses. Just be sure to look at test results to ensure your distillate product’s purity and that it is free of any residual solvents.

Español