Glossary

CO2 Extraction

aka supercritical CO2 · subcritical CO2

CO2 extraction uses pressurized carbon dioxide as a solvent to pull cannabinoids and terpenes from cannabis. Supercritical CO2 (above 31°C and 74 bar) behaves as both a liquid and a gas, allowing precise tuning of which compounds are extracted. The process leaves no residual solvent and is widely viewed as the cleanest commercial extraction method.

Example: CO2-extracted carts taste cleaner because there's no solvent residue.

Etymology: Adapted from food and pharmaceutical extraction; adopted in cannabis in the 2010s.