Extracts 101
At Avitas, we’re focused on bringing you the absolute best vaping experience possible. We never compromise our all natural, additive-free oils by adding any cutting agents (ie…PG, PEG, VG, MCT), thickening agents (ie..vitamin e acetate, honey cut, etc.), non-cannabis terpenes (plant derived or synthetic), or any other chemicals to increase vapor plume or THC uptake. And that’s a promise.
We ensure that every batch of oil is of incredibly high quality, so we don’t use flavorings to mask off-tasting product or poor quality starting material. The flavor of our oil comes from the natural terpenes from the strain we extract. The strain on the label is what’s in the cartridge. Period.
We like being the very best at what we do, and that’s why we take it a step further. To ensure the healthiest oils, and clean, pure vaporizing pleasure, we thoroughly de-wax our oils through a process called winterization. Our method provides a smooth, irritant-free vaping adventure that we work hard to ensure is superior to all other products on the market.
But, wait, you might ask, is all wax bad? Just what wax are we taking out of the oil equation? We’re so glad you asked.
Vaporization vs. Combustion
The only way to answer this is to dive headfirst into a bit of science! First, let’s discuss the difference between vaporization and combustion. Vaporization is a phase change, causing the molecules to turn from a liquid or a solid state into a gas form that we inhale. Combustion is a chemical process, which transforms hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and water.
Ideally, when we vaporize an oil, it breaks down into very small molecules that are easy on our lungs. However, we don’t live in a perfect world. Occasionally, when molecules are exposed to very high heat (such as when they contact the heating element of a vaporizer battery) they don’t just turn into a gas, but can transform into other molecules that might irritate our lungs, or have potentially harmful effects. These side products are what make you hack and cough.
This occurs to a greater extent with waxes because they’re composed of larger molecules and have more options for degradation products. Additionally, even if they don’t degrade into other molecules, it’s better to avoid inhaling vaporized waxes and lipids directly, because inhaling droplets or vapors of these types of compounds are not ideal for our lungs.
What’s Makes a Wax?
So, what causes these side products in some oil? Here’s where wax comes in. In this case, what we’re calling wax is mainly the phospholipids that make up the cell walls of the cannabis plant. When the plant is broken down by grinding and during the high-pressure extraction process, these phospholipids become part of the oil. Here’s where the winterization process comes in.
At Avitas, we remove the wax through a very cold treatment of our raw extract to solidify this compound. We then physically separate them from the liquid cannabinoids and continue to refine the oil from there, upping your vaping pleasure to the max.
We know we don’t have to do this, but we want to. We take our processes seriously and are committed to being transparent about what we do. It’s part of our commitment to our customers and our product, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.