Loveland Molecular Laboratories Clean All of our extracts are produced in our state-of-the-art laboratory and are free of any residual solvents for the purest oil possible. Consistent We use the right solvents to create targeted product sets that are of consistent concentration and purity. Potent With potency as high as 850MG/G, our concentrated, full-spectrum CBD oils have 4x the cannabidiol concentration of foreign sourced hemp products. LOVELAND MOLECULAR LABORATORIES, A DIVISION OF ELITE BOTANICALS, IS A PROCESSING AND REFINEMENT FACILITY IN LOVELAND COLORADO FOCUSING ON NON-PSYCHOTROPIC CANNABINOID AND MEDICINAL PLANT EXTRACTIONS PRODUCING SOME OF THE FINEST CONCENTRATES AND BOTANICAL OILS AVAILABLE ANYWHERE. WWW.LovelandMolecular.com
Company Overview The Loveland Molecular Laboratories extraction facility is one of few licensed and certified facilities in the State of Colorado focused on whole-plant, non-psychotropic cannabinoid processing of botanical material. The laboratory is housed in a 2500sq ft. facility in Loveland, Colorado and is physically attached to a pharmaceutical quality assurance laboratory providing some of the most comprehensive testing and analytical capabilities available in Colorado. In addition to processing all product from the Elite Botanicals farms in Loveland, we are able to provide processing services to 3rd-parties across a variety of botanical extraction methodologies, solvents, and systems. THESE INCLUDE: ORGANIC ALCOHOL EXTRACTIONS AND DISTILLATION ORGANIC HYDROCARBON EXTRACTIONS (N-BUTANE & D-LIMONENE) SUPER-CRITICAL CO2 FOR SELECTIVE EXTRACTIONS WINTERIZATION, DECARBOXYLATION & FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION Loveland Molecular Laboratories has a staff of trained experts capable of producing pure, consistent and potent wholeplant extractions with no residual solvents. Working with leading chemists, engineers and scientists, Loveland Molecular Laboratories is working with advanced distillation procedures using green solvents while continually striving to advance the state of cannabinoid processing and terpene isolation for the industry.
Solvent Facts What you Should know: There are pros and cons to each extraction process technique in use today. Loveland Molecular Laboratories offers botanical extraction services using a variety of solvents and procedures and believe our clients should make their decisions based on science and their desired results vs. marketing hype. The information below provides an overview of our capabilities and focuses on educating our clients about the facts behind some of the processing choices. Residual Solvents Test Results Test Result Limit Methane ND 1 ppm Ethane ND 1 ppm Propane ND Not N-butane ND 800 ppm Iso-butane ND 800 ppm N-pentane ND 1 ppm Iso-pentane ND 1 ppm Ethanol ND Not Isopropanol ND Not Acetone ND Not Heptane ND 500 ppm Naphtha ND 1 ppm There is an abundance of misinformation about the use of various solvents for botanical extraction of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, etc. Terms like toxic and caustic are now being used to describe certain solvents (generally organic hydrocarbons that are derived from petroleum distillates) to seed doubt and generally intended create a bias towards a competing process. This type of marketing is misconceived and does not serve the customer well by promoting fear and uncertainty. Whether using CO2, n-butane, alcohol or d-limonene, it should be recognized that all cannabis extraction processes have a level of hazard associated with the procedures, but all can produce a safe final product as long as the proper techniques are used. While almost all of the marketing you read on the topic is designed to sell what a vendor is offering. We prefer to take a slightly more agnostic approach and feel that if everyone understands the strengths, weaknesses and process involved in each - they can decide the best solution for themselves. Despite the many opinions out there - These are not new or revolutionary procedures and the safety of many of these solvents has been thoroughly studied. The US pharmacopeia has set guidelines as to what amount of a particular solvent a person can be exposed to on a daily basis without developing complications due to overexposure. One of the keys to using solvents safely in extracts is to use only highly purified Class 3 solvents (those with low toxic potential to humans including ethanol, isopropanol, butanes, pentanes, etc.) and then to ensure comprehensive removal of any and all solvent residuals in post extraction processing.
All solvent-based extracts performed in Loveland Molecular Laboratories using hydrocarbon or CO2 gases must possess at least 99.9% purity. Additionally, all of the products produced are required to undergo a residual solvent test for purity control. Loveland Molecular Laboratories regularly achieves 0ppm when using hydrocarbon solvents and under 500ppm when using organic ethanol solvents in our crude oil extractions. While extracts made from food grade ethanol, isopropyl alcohol or CO2 of at least 99% purity do not require residual solvent testing (according to Colorado marijuana laws), this analysis is still performed as part of our standard operating procedures, aligning with our mantra of use the right solvent for the right purpose and Clean, Consistent, Potent. Distillates are 100% solvent free regardless of initial extraction methodology. CBD Oil Capabilities Product outputs tailored to our client s production requirements: HYDROCARBON EXTRACTIONS N-BUTANE: n-butane is an all-natural, organic solvent and is used as an emollient, propellant and refrigerant and it is Generally Recognized As Safe by the FDA for human consumption. When combusted, the waste product from n-butane is CO2 and water. While FDA and International Conference on Harmonization specifications allow levels up to 5000PPM in products, in our application we regularly achieve 0PPM in any CBDA product produced. 0PPM for any decarboxylated product is to be expected, as the application of heat in the additional processing removes the potential for any solvent whatsoever. nbutane is an efficient and comprehensive solvent, has a small loading ratio and it can be recovered quickly, translating to relatively quick production times. The MSDS for nbutane essentially states that it is harmless except for the fact that it is flammable and is extremely cold in liquid state. The n-butane used in the extraction laboratory environment is 99.999% pure n-butane, and this product is distilled prior to use as a solvent to ensure any potential for foreign materials in the gas is negated. Elite can process over 80lb per shift with our hydrocarbon extraction systems. Coupled with our comprehensive purge procedures, oil product can be available within 48 hours after initial extraction (depending on additional processing procedures desired). HYDROCARBON EXTRACTION - D-LIMONENE: Limonene is a colorless liquid hydrocarbon chemically known as a cyclic terpene. The D isomer is obtained commercially from citrus fruits through two primary methods: centrifugal separation or steam distillation physical separation techniques in contrast to chemical separation techniques (such as solvent extractions). D-Limonene is a hydrocarbon solvent that is one of the terpenes commonly found naturally in the cannabis plant. It is important to note that the reason this solvent is not commonly used is due to the similar boiling point of d-limonene and the cannabinoids. To overcome this issue, Elite uses a unique distillation process to remove the solvent from the final material. This extraction process allows for the use of an all-natural, organic, green solvent yet without many of the challenges or compromises introduced by more volatile solvents or CO2. Elite can process approximately 40lb per day with d-limonene solvents and distillation equipment. Coupled with our comprehensive purge procedures, crude oil product can be available within 72 hours after initial extraction (depending on additional processing procedures desired).
ORGANIC ALCOHOL EXTRACTION: Organic Alcohol has been shown to be one of the most effective cannabinoid solvents that can produce an efficient extraction, while retaining high terpene content, and is also safe for consumption in its raw solvent form. Note that this extraction method generally leaves behind the plant waxes, which may have benefits that are favored by some product manufacturers. The alcohol is also a polar solvent vs. the non-polar nature of the hydrocarbons and CO2 and as such can also extract less desirable materials from the material - such as chlorophyll. We extract at temperatures below -30deg C to avoid this, but the nature of the solvent at a molecular level is different and should be recognized. Elite can process over 60lb per shift with our alcohol extraction systems. CO2 EXTRACTIONS CO2 extraction is already a standard extraction method for the food, dry cleaning and herbal supplement industries. It is a common food additive as well. In fact, CO2 is used: to produce carbonated soft drinks, for the removal of caffeine from coffee beans for decaffeinated coffee, as an environmentally friendly solvent for dry cleaning, and as an extraction solvent when producing essential oils. The use of Supercritical CO2 as a solvent is also common in the herbal supplement industry when pesticides and metals are removed from agricultural crops without adulterating the desired constituents from the plant matter. The CO2 extraction process allows compounds to be extracted with little damage and low toxicity; it utilizes a highpressure vessel containing cannabis, which then has Supercritical CO2 inserted into the vessel, and pumped through a filter where it is separated from the plant matter once the pressure is released. Finally, the supercritical CO2 evaporates and is dissolved into the cannabinoids. We run our CO2 systems to allow for a terpene rich whole-plant extraction. Our CO2 extraction partner (Spherex) can process between 2-3 US tons of material per month. TECHNOLOGY STRENGTHS WEAKNESSES n-butane Alcohol CO2 Non-Polar Solvent Efficient & Comprehensive Extraction Food-grade/ingestible Efficient & Comprehensive Extraction Green Solvent No Solvent Removal Required Comprehensive Extraction Highly flammable Petroleum/Natural Gas Derivative Comprehensive Solvent Removal Necessary Polar Solvent Naturally pulls less-desirable components Comprehensive Solvent Removal Needed More Challenging to Remove Solvent Without Excessive Heat Efficiency (depending on material and procedure) d-limonene Green Solvent Non-Polar Solvent Comprehensive Extraction Challenging Solvent Removal
Additional Services ACID OR NEUTRALIZED FORM (AKA DECARBOXYLATION) Raw cannabis contains the acidic form of the cannabinoids. In our CBD rich hemp, those cannabinoids are primarily CBDA with trace amounts of THCA both of which are not psychoactive. When controlled heat is applied, the CBDA/ THCA molecule loses its carboxylic functional group (COOH) in the form of water vapor and carbon dioxide and become the neutralized forms of the molecules - CBD. This process is called decarboxylation or decarbing. Smoking or vaporizing cannabis decarboxylates the cannabinoids by the heat of the combustion (or vaporization). If the target product set is for oral ingestion, most clients prefer their product fully decarboxylated (also referred to as activated ). CBD oil products produced with n-butane or alcohol as the primary solvent can either provided in a non-decarboxylated CBDA dab-grade form that is solvent free and terpene rich or in an Activated form that is fully decarboxylated. The other extraction methodologies traditionally default to decarboxylated cannabinoids as a result of the distillation processes used ABSOLUTES / WINTERIZATION Executing a secondary extraction with a polar solvent can provide additional purity to extracted oils and is desired by many clients and necessary for certain product sets. While this process also removes more of the volatile terpenes in the product, it also eliminates the fats, lipids and waxes that are present in the raw whole-plant extract. The secondary solvent leveraged is organic alcohol and while this process adds additional time to the processing procedures, the absolute extract produced is one of the purest available. THC REMOVAL Many clients desire a crude oil extraction without additional refinement, but also need the THC at compliant levels to be sold as a raw hemp product. In this proprietary process, we are able to reduce the naturally occurring and concentrated THC levels in the crude oil extraction to compliant levels (or completely remove to nondetectable levels). DISTILLATES - The final processing step in refinement of extracted oils can be provided in the form of a distillate fraction in which the cannabinoids are isolated into separate fractions from the plant terpenes and flavonoids and any other, less desirable, residuals in the crude oil (chlorophyll, lipids, etc.). The resulting oil is very light in color, has almost no taste or aroma, is very consistent, solvent-free and fully decarboxylated. The cannabinoid content is also higher (in the range of 85%) as compared to crude oil.
Product Sets / Availability / Pricing WE ARE CURRENTLY RESERVING PROCESSING SHIFTS FOR THE FALL HARVEST. VOLUME N-BUTANE, ETH CO2 WINTERIZATION DISTILLATION ISOLATION <500LB $3.00/G OUTPUT $200/LB INPUT +$0.40/GRAM +$2.60/GRAM +$4.00/GRAM 500-1000LB $2.50/G OUTPUT $150/LB INPUT +$0.30/GRAM +$2.20/GRAM +$3.00/GRAM 1000-5TON $2.00/G OUTPUT $125/LB INPUT +$0.25/GRAM +$2.00/GRAM +$2.50/GRAM 5TON+ $1.00/G OUTPUT $100/LB INPUT +$0.20/GRAM +$1.80/GRAM +$2.00/GRAM Pricing Example: 2,000 LBS for processing to thc-free crystallized isolate = $6.75 per Gram Output: alcohol extraction, average 10% return on crude extraction at 50-60% CBD = 90,600 grams winterization, distillation average return of 50% at 80-85% CBD = 45,300 grams Isolate return of ~65-70% of starting material at 99.9% CBD = 29,445 grams Total Cost of Service = $198,753.75 Total Output = ~29.5 kilos of 99.9% pure CBD crystal WE HAVE CAPACITY FOR 3RD PARTY MATERIAL TOTALING OVER 1,300 LB PER SHIFT PER WEEK. A 20% DOWNPAYMENT IS REQUIRED TO SECURE A PROCESSING RESERVATION. IF YOU HAVE CRUDE OIL THAT YOU WOULD LIKE REFINED INTO A DISTILLATE or A CRYSTALLIZED ISOLATE: Pricing Starts at - $2.00/GRAM (Distillate) - $5.00/GRAM (Isolate) (output volume) Please Contact Us for an Appointment/Reservation Info@LovelandMolecular.com 970.624.8907