CBD distillate is a concentrated hemp extract for anyone who likes to make things themselves. The same small tin can become your own CBD oil, a skin balm or something to dab. This guide explains what distillate is, how to handle its thick texture and how to use it at home step by step.
At a glance
- CBD distillate is a refined hemp extract with a high cannabinoid content. Ours contains around 90 percent, of which about 82 percent is CBD.
- Distillate is fat-soluble and dissolves easily in oil over low heat.
- It can crystallise over time. This is normal and can be reversed with gentle heat.
- Use a precision scale and keep the heat low when working with distillate.
- Never mix in carrier oils such as MCT oil if the distillate is going into a vape.
What is CBD distillate?
CBD distillate is made by refining a hemp extract in several steps, including distillation, until most of the plant fats, waxes and chlorophyll are gone. What remains is a thick, golden mass with a high cannabinoid content. Our CBD distillate is a broad spectrum distillate with around 82 percent CBD, 3 percent CBG and 1 percent CBN. It is free from THC and contains natural terpenes and flavonoids from the hemp.
The difference from CBD isolate is that isolate is almost pure CBD in crystal form, while distillate keeps several cannabinoids and some of the plant’s terpenes. That combination is why many people prefer distillate, with the so-called entourage effect in mind, the theory that cannabinoids and terpenes work together. We compare the two in more detail in CBD isolate vs distillate.
How to handle the thick texture
At room temperature distillate is very viscous, almost like set honey. Over time it can also crystallise and get a grainy or glassy surface, as in the photo above. This does not affect the content. Here is how to make it easier to work with:
- Warm it gently. Place the closed tin in warm water for a few minutes and the distillate softens. Avoid direct heat from a hob or microwave.
- Weigh with a precision scale. A scale that shows hundredths of a gram makes it easy to work out the strength of what you mix.
- Use clean tools. A small metal or silicone spatula works well, and everything should be clean and dry.
- Choose Crystal Resistant if you want to avoid crystals. CBD distillate Crystal Resistant is made to stay liquid at room temperature and comes in a glass syringe that makes it easy to measure out.
Make your own CBD oil
Because distillate is fat-soluble, making your own oil is the most common use. You gently warm a carrier oil in a water bath, stir in weighed distillate until it has fully dissolved and pour it into a dark glass bottle. The oil turns slightly golden and keeps some of the distillate’s own hemp aroma.
You work out the strength from how much CBD the distillate contains. With our distillate at around 82 percent CBD, 1 gram of distillate gives roughly 820 mg of CBD. Dissolved in oil to a total of 10 ml, that gives around 80 mg of CBD per ml, or about 8 percent. You will find the full recipe with different strengths in our guide How to make CBD oil at home.
Make your own CBD balm
Distillate also works well in homemade skincare, such as a simple balm for hands and elbows or a lip balm. Here is a vegan base recipe that makes one small tin:
- 10 g coconut oil
- 10 g shea butter
- 4 to 5 g candelilla wax, a vegan alternative to beeswax
- 0.5 to 1 g CBD distillate
- Optional: 2 to 3 drops of essential oil, such as lavender
- Melt the coconut oil, shea butter and wax in a water bath.
- When everything is liquid, stir in the distillate until it has dissolved.
- Take the pan off the heat and add any essential oil.
- Pour into a small tin or lip balm tubes and leave to set.
More wax gives a firmer balm and less wax a softer one. It is a good idea to test on a small patch of skin first, especially if you add essential oils. To read more about CBD in skincare, see what the research says about CBD skincare.
Dab distillate or fill your own cartridges
If you have a dab rig or an e-rig, distillate can be used as it is. Keep the temperature low. Researchers at Portland State University showed in 2017 that terpenes can form harmful substances when heated strongly, and this also applies to distillate that contains terpenes.
Many people also fill their own vape cartridges with distillate and add terpenes for the aroma. It is important to mix only distillate and terpenes, never carrier oils or thickeners. During the 2019 outbreak of lung injuries in the United States, vitamin E acetate, a thickener, was found in the lung fluid of 48 of the 51 patients examined. We go through how to mix terpenes into distillate in How to use terpenes.
Storage and tips
- Store cool, dark and dry in a tin with a tight lid.
- Do not overheat. Low heat is enough to dissolve distillate in oils and fats.
- Label what you make. Write the contents, strength and date on bottles and tins.
- Keep out of reach of children and pets.
You will find our distillate and our other extracts in the isolates and extracts category.
What is the difference between CBD distillate and CBD isolate?
Isolate is almost pure CBD in crystal form. Distillate has a high CBD content but also contains other cannabinoids such as CBG and CBN as well as some of the hemp’s terpenes.
Why has my distillate crystallised?
Distillate with a high CBD content can crystallise over time. This is normal and does not affect the content. Warm the closed tin gently in warm water and the distillate becomes viscous again.
How strong will my homemade oil be?
It depends on how much distillate you use. With our distillate at around 82 percent CBD, 1 gram of distillate in a total of 10 ml of oil gives roughly 80 mg of CBD per ml.
Does CBD distillate contain THC?
No. Our CBD distillate is free from THC according to the lab report, which you can find on the product page.
CBD distillate is a concentrated hemp extract and is not a medicine or food. How you use our products is your own responsibility.
Sources
- Meehan-Atrash J, Luo W, Strongin RM (2017). Toxicant Formation in Dabbing: The Terpene Story. ACS Omega, 2(9), 6112–6117.
- Blount BC et al. (2020). Vitamin E Acetate in Bronchoalveolar-Lavage Fluid Associated with EVALI. New England Journal of Medicine, 382, 697–705.
