CBD oil is essentially an oil made from the extract of the hemp plant. There are two main methods of making it and some people even make it at home. The first method is using ethanol. For the CBD and other cannabinoid molecules to become active and effective to the body they need to be heated up. This is why you cannot get the effects from just eating raw hemp. Once the plant has been heated up, the plant material is then soaked in ethanol to release the compounds. After a certain amount of time, the plant material is then filtered out of the ethanol, and the remaining liquid is left to allow the ethanol to evaporate. The ethanol method is a great way to get good, pure CBD oil that can be certified as organic. Ethanol is, however extremely flammable and can, therefore, pose a risk to those who use it. The other main extraction method is through the use of Carbon Dioxide. This method is also known as the ‘supercritical carbon dioxide method’ and works using the same process as decaffeinating coffee. This is the process that produces the purest and best quality CBD oil and involves cooling carbon dioxide to a state where it is both liquid and gas, and then mixed with the plant material. It then passes through a separator where the chosen compounds are taken out and left in. This means that producers can decide on what they want in their CBD oil – whether to want to completely eliminate THC, for example. The supercritical CO2 method is more expensive to carry out and get the equipment for but is also seen as favorable for many people.