Hemp Extraction
A more efficient, safer, and greener system is needed to extract the cannabidiol (CBD) oil from industrial hemp flower so that commercial CBD oil can be more easily purchased by people with chronic anxiety, pain, or seizures. The primary specification is that the machine prototype must be at least 90% efficient in extracting CBD oil from 1oz of hemp flower. By law, industrial hemp must have a content of 0.3 dry weight% delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or less. Strains are currently being grown with CBD content of 10-15%. The secondary specifications are that the extraction system has minimal plant solid matter content, is safe to operate (does not require flammable solvents or extreme pressures), does not emit volatile organic compounds, and is more economical than current extraction methods. This project will deliver an extraction method that eradicates previous requirements of weeks of drying and curing of hemp flower, several hours to complete a batch, and complicated, time-consuming, and costly downstream processing to produce finished extracts. A functioning prototype that will successfully extract and produce CBD oil will be designed, built, and tested by April 30th, 2019.
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