MJBiz - July 2023 - 37

profile without any leftover solvent
residue. CO2
edibles; for this, the company removes
extraction is also safer
than hydrocarbon extraction, which
carries the risk of explosion.
" It's the solventless solvent, " said
Laurel " Lo " Friesen, founder and CEO
of Seattle-based Heylo Cannabis. The
woman-owned business produces vape
oil cartridges, dabbable concentrates,
topicals and extracts for companies to
use in their edibles products.
Friesen, a trained chemist, said
that Heylo created a new category
of concentrates that she calls " jam "
because it is spreadable.
Friesen got her start in the cannabis
industry with Seattle-based Eden
Labs, which is considered a pioneer
in supercritical CO2
extraction. She
developed her own variation of that
extraction method called RawX, which
processes material at relatively low
pressures and temperatures for longer
periods of time.
Supercritical CO2
takes a little bit
longer than ethanol or hydrocarbon
extraction. But what you sacrifice
with time you get back in control and
versatility, Friesen said.
Versatility
To make great cannabis oil, you
must start with top-quality flower,
Friesen said. This means going to
cannabis farms, helping with harvest,
understanding pest-management
programs, conducting extensive
sampling and developing relationships
with the growers.
She added that CO2
extraction
provides selectivity and versatility,
meaning that the manufacturer can
adjust the pressure and temperature
used during the extraction process to
extract specific ratios of cannabinoids
and terpenes.
" You can fractionate, " Friesen said.
" You can really change the parameters
and customize your methods for exactly
what you're looking for, whether that's
to extract 100% terpenes or 100% of the
cannabinoids or all of it, all at once. "
the terpenes and leaves cannabinoids.
" Versatility means that I can use the
solvent in many different ways and
produce many different products from
the same machine, " Friesen said.
While CO2
runtimes-the time it
takes to for an extraction machine to
process biomass-have a reputation for
being long, Friesen said technological
advances such as better pumps
and broader ranges of pressures
and temperatures have shortened
runtimes.
Lo Friesen is the founder and CEO of Heylo
Cannabis in Seattle. Photo by Phil Donley
Equipment costs
Friesen estimates that getting a
CO2
extraction facility started costs
$100,000-$300,000, depending on the
scale of production and the equipment
vendor (she buys from Eden Labs).
The $100,000-$300,000 figure doesn't
include real estate or rental costs, she
cautioned.
An extraction machine is the most
The ability to extract for specific
terpenes and cannabinoids is useful for
several of Heylo's own formulations,
such as the jam product CBGeezus,
which contains 15% THC, 1% CBD,
5.6% various terpenes and 36% CBG-a
nonintoxicating cannabinoid that
appears only in trace amounts on
cannabis flower and which patients
have praised for its anti-inflammatory
and anti-insomnia properties as well
as other health benefits. Another
example is the vape oil Reggae Shark,
which contains 31% THC, 30% CBD,
6.5% terpenes and 2.3% CBN, the
cannabinoid reported to improve sleep.
Heylo also has oil extract for clients
who don't want cannabis flavor in their
expensive piece of the setup, followed
by lab equipment and post-processing
supplies.
Extraction equipment sellers will
want to know what kind of products
you intend to make, how much
cannabis material you plan to process
daily, rules and regulations in your
state and the size of your lab.
Friesen also recommends asking
extraction machine vendors for
references and interviewing the
referred companies about processing
times and efficiencies, as well as all
the different ways you can use the
equipment.
Shoppers should ask about
financing, warranties, customer service
and whether the company will train
your employees on how to use the
equipment.
" If you're looking to get started, you
need to talk to the right people, take
your time and make sure you're getting
the right equipment, because getting the
wrong equipment is the biggest mistake
that people make, " Friesen said.
mjbizdaily.com | July 2023 37
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