OLIVE Oil as Solvent As extraction solvents for the production of Cannabis oils, ethanol and olive oil have been shown to perform best, extracting all terpenes and cannabinoids as Lab tested very efficiently by the University of Sienna, Italy. Additionally, these solvents are not harmful.
Unfortunately, pure ethanol efficiently extracts chlorophyll from cannabis, which will give the final extract a distinct green colour, and often unpleasant taste and be very highly concentrated.
An Olive oil extract cannot be concentrated by evaporation, which means patients will need to consume a comparatively larger volume of it, as compared to the Ethanol extract (supplied in a syringe as opposed to in dropper bottle form).
The lower concentration means that the recommended one or two drops of the Entourage Oil can provide therapeutic effects, a good night’s sleep for example, without any unpleasant side effects.
A pin head of the Ethanol (alcohol) extractions can be a completely disorientating experience to the uninitiated – especially the elderly.
The background to the development and popularity of Cannabis extractions as a medicine can be traced to the Canadian Rick Simpson who is credited with creating Rick Simpson Oil, – PhoenixTears.org - Rick’s method uses a reduction extraction process where the solvent – the carrier in the extraction process is high grade alcohol – ethanol, naphtha - extraction process resulting in a dark green greasy liquid that is dispensed using a syringe.
Other extraction methods include a process called the Butane Honey Oil (BHE) extraction where the cannabis is compressed into a pipe with a single hole at one end and a number of holes at the opposite end. Butane Gas commonly found in cigarette lighter refills - compressed containers - is injected in the side of the pipe with the single hole. The Butane is then injected into the pipe and the pressure and Butane results in a butane/oil extract that it then boiled off to remove the butane.
Entourage Oil
Entourage Oil is much easier to consume in recommended dosage / Micro-dosagesLocally produced Extra Virgin Olive Oils is the solvent / base carrier of the bouquet of plant ingredients in Entourage Oil. Entourage Oil has no chance of any residue of an evaporation / reduction from high grade alcohol process in the extraction methods used.
The Science
The Department of Pharmacy at the University of Sienna (The University of Siena in Siena, Tuscany is one of the oldest and first publicly funded universities in Italy. The institution was founded in 1240. ) investigated various solvent extraction methods under clinical lab environment and what follows are a precis of points made, from that study, by Luigi L Romano, Department of Pharmacy, University of Sienna, Italy and from Arno Hazekamp - Plant Metabolomics group, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
"With a growing interest in Cannabis oils for self-medication it is important not to overlook the importance of quality control and standardization. In this regard it should be noted that none of the production methods for Cannabis oil have been validated in published literature, and no reports have been made on the chemical composition of these products either. As a result, although many believe Cannabis oil may cure cancer, no one seems to know what is actually in it. Instead, the positive effects of Cannabis oil are based almost exclusively on case-reports by people who have used it. This paper evaluates the effects of preparation methods, and particularly the sol-vents used, on the final composition of the different Cannabis oils. The obtained results are not intended to support or deny the therapeutic properties of these products, but may be useful for better understanding the experiences of self-medicating patients through chemical analysis of this popular medicine.”
Preparation of cannabis oil, mainly intended for oral use, usually involves temperatures that are relatively low compared to other forms of ad-ministration where heating of the material is typically performed at much higher temperatures (e.g. smoking, vaporizing or baking).
Content Besides cannabinoids, the cannabis plant contains a range of terpenes, which are the volatile compounds that give cannabis its distinct smell and may act synergistically with cannabinoids [10]. Although preheating the plant material may release more of the known active (neutral) cannabinoids (THCA into THC & CBDA into CBD), it may simultaneously also cause loss by degradation or evaporation of components such as terpenes. Our tests were intended to better clarify the balance between desired decarboxylation and unwanted degradation. Unheated cannabis material was analyzed as a control.
The use of olive oil as extraction solvent was found to be most beneficial based on the fact that it extracted higher amounts of terpenes than the other solvents/methods, especially when using an extended heating time. This may be explained by the highly non-polar but also non-volatile character of olive oil, resulting in a good solubilisation of terpenes while limiting their loss by evaporation.
Conclusions Concentrated cannabis extracts, also known as Cannabis oils, are increasingly mentioned by self-medicating patients as a cure for cancer. Despite this growing popularity, so far no studies have been reported on the chemical composition or on the different preparation methods of such products. Recognizing the need for more information on quality and safety issues regarding Cannabis oils, the small study presented here com-pared on the basis of cannabinoid, terpene, and residual solvent content a few generally used recipes for preparation of Cannabis oils.
Retaining the full spectrum of terpenes present in fresh cannabis material should therefore be a major focus during optimal Cannabis oil production.
When comparing five methods of Cannabis oil preparation, some interesting differences were observed between the resulting extracts. Specifically the preparation method described by Rick Simpson has attracted quite a following of self-medicating patients. This method favours the use of naphtha as solvent for cannabinoid extraction, without specifying issues regarding quality or safety.
Chemical analysis of our laboratory samples, as well as a sample obtained from a patient, showed that the heavy fraction (components with high boiling point) of naphtha indeed remains in the extract despite the recommended evaporation step. The potential harmful effects of these solvent residues have been discussed above.
The use of non-toxic solvents should always be advised, so that potential residues are not harmful to health.
Of the solvents tested, this leaves olive oil as the most optimal choice for preparation of Cannabis oils for self-medication. Olive oil is cheap, not flammable or toxic. As a trade-off, however, olive oil extract cannot be concentrated by evaporation, which means patients will need to consume a larger volume of it in order to get the same therapeutic effects."
Acknowledgements University of Sienna - Luigi Romano was funded for this research by the Puglia (Italy) regional government with a “Ritorno al futuro” grant. AH”
Warning:
No warranty whatsoever is made on entourgaeoil.co.za. There is absolutely no assurance that any statement contained or cited in any way touching on medical matters is true, correct, precise, or up-to-date. Even if a statement made about medicine is accurate, it may not apply to you or your symptoms. The information provided on wwwcannacanine.weebly.com is, at best, of a general wellness nature and cannot substitute for the advice of a medical professional (for instance, a qualified doctor/ veterinary physician, nurse, pharmacist/chemist) This Website, all its Pages & its Content are all published without prejudice by the writer, is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and no claims Latent or Patent are made herein.