The second is ethanol, a flammable and potentially harmful chemical, which can accumulate in your body and diminishes the potency of the cannabinoids and destabilizes the raw benefits of the CBDa, rendering it less effective. Many times CO₂ extraction is touted as healthy but it also commonly uses ethanol to recapture lost phytochemicals.

Until now, there have been two main processing methods for CBD. The first is CO₂, which is a combination of heat (which decarboxylates the CBDa in the plant, diminishing its potency and efficacy) and high pressure (which damages the bioassay -- or “life force” activity -- of the cannabinoids).