CBD Distillate and Crystallization – Everything You Need to Know

Many of you who have indulged in some high-quality CBD oil products may have encountered the scientific event which is the crystallization of your CBD oil. This may then leave you wondering why, or how your top-quality CBD oil has turned to crystals just like that. The answer, in fact, lays in science and contrary to the notion of some that are less-informed, this is actually a sign that your CBD is of very premium quality.

Let’s investigate further to find out exactly what causes this to happen, and the all-important question of why it happens.

How Does My CBD Become Crystalized?

Now, the first question on the minds of almost anybody who is not a seasoned veteran in the industry is WHY or HOW has my supposed high-quality CBD become crystallized when I have not even done anything with it.

Without boring you with complex scientific information, let’s examine exactly how this happens.

Basically, the process of recrystallization can be “boiled down” to a molecular level. The more –OH groups present in a molecule, the more solid characteristics it is going to exhibit. Many have used the example of table sugar, which possesses 8 alcohol groups and a strongly crystallized structure to exhibit this point.

Back to CBD and we can note that it possesses two –OH groups when compared with one –OH group for something like THC. What this effectively means is that if you put these two together under the correct temperature and at the correct level of purity, CBD will be much more likely to reform crystals than THC depending on the ratio of concentration.

An important point mentioned there is purity. This degree of concentration is important when it comes to crystallization. It is generally accepted that the purity of CBD distillate must be at least 80% in order to crystallize by itself. In fact, if this is something which you have noted happening to your CBD distillate of its own accord, chances are that the level of purity is above 85%. This is certainly not a bad thing!

Below this level of concentration it is possible to crystalize your CBD distillate, but only through a thorough crystallization process utilizing the correct technology to regulate the temperature and ensuring the correct use of solvents.

Typically, many who note this type of crystallization occurring have done so when they are using CBD in vape form. They then tend to notice some smaller crystals appearing in the vape.

Regardless of where it occurs, it is also accepted that when complete crystallization takes place, if that is your intention, then the level of purity can also be increased to above 90% for the finished crystal form.

In the following steps, we will look at exactly what this means for the quality of your CBD and how you can get the distillate back to its original form, removing the crystals which have become present as they are not always easy to work with if you are trying to enjoy your CBD distillate in liquid form.

What Does This Mean for the Quality of My CBD?

This is a large area for discussion simply due to the fact that there are many myths and rumors circulating about CBD crystallization and what it actually means for the quality of your product.

Some will tell you that this signals a poor quality or impure product. You can take it from us here at Grass Chief that those people are completely incorrect.

So, what does it actually mean for the quality of your CBD?

You should be pleased to hear that this actually means your CBD is of really good and pure quality. As we mentioned above, the concentration level required for this process of crystallization to occur of its own volition is usually 81% or higher.

This is simply the –OH groups which we mentioned above, binding together the molecules to form crystals, this only happens at very high levels of concentration though. In fact, the task of crystalizing your CBD distillate is not a particularly simple one for even those who are trying to achieve it. This only serves to demonstrate the levels of purity which are at work when your CBD is coming together to form crystals.

Ways to Work with Your Crystalized CBD

This section is basically answering your question of what to do when you notice your CBD distillate has begun to crystallize. Presuming that this was not your intention in the first place, there are indeed a few things which you can do which all revolve around heating.

Basically, what you want to achieve in this case is to reheat your CBD to above 160 degrees as this is the temperature below which the concentrate begins to crystalize. This sounds like an easy fix, but it can be quite delicate since you want to try and ensure an even heating pattern which will not contaminate or damage your CBD.

Two of the most effective methods that we have found though (at your own risk) is to place the crystallized CBD into a zip lock bag and try as best you can to ensure it is completely airtight. Following this, run it in warm it up with warm water for a period of 5-10 minutes, or a hairdryer. This should ensure your CBD starts to flow again.

Another solution would be to place it in an oven for 5-7 minutes at the lowest temperature just to warm it up. This should also do the trick, but be careful not to damage any of your accessories. One thing is for certain though, even if it can be a pain, you know you are dealing with a top-quality product!

High Purity CBD Which is Not Re-Crystalizing

Now, with this new-found knowledge, you may begin to wonder why your CBD is not crystalizing! Perhaps you bought from a seller who promised to deliver a certain level of purity, say 85%+ and this has not even shown signs of crystallization. Well, there are a couple of simple explanations for that too.

First off, for CBD distillate to begin recrystallizing of its own accord is actually quite rare. As we mentioned, the temperature is just one factor. If this is not the case, then you will see no action.

Secondly, a thing which many sellers will do is add some type of agent to help prevent the product from crystallizing before it reaches you. Again, if this is the case, you will not notice any change, although the idea of adding to any highly concentrated CBD product for this purpose is a divisive and debatable one.

Finally, in the great minority of cases, the product may fall just below the threshold of purity required for recrystallization, though this is also an unlikely and pessimistic thought, particularly if you are using a top-quality supplier!

Final Thoughts

The bottom line on this one really is very simple. If you do receive a CBD distillate product which is showing signs of crystallization, you should actually be quite pleased. Sure it can be a chore to get the pure liquid form back, but at least with this marker, you can be completely sure of a top-quality pure product.