At Colorado Botanicals, our boutique hemp production method results in impressively pure and beneficial CBD products every time. The pride we take in our hemp cultivation, and processing techniques is well-deserved since our artisan approach delivers higher quality and greater potency.
In this guide, learn how we grow hemp at Colorado Botanicals, and then find out how we turn our organic hemp into finished cannabinoid products. Along the way, discover how Colorado Botanicals hemp products are in an entirely different category from the competition.
You may also learn more about our process by visiting this page here.
How We Grow Hemp
We do things the old-fashioned way at Colorado Botanicals: Our hands get dirty, and we spend lots of time outside, rain or shine.
Hemp cultivation in Colorado takes place over the course of four distinct seasons. Let’s explore the different stages Colorado Botanicals hemp goes through as it makes its way toward harvest:
Winter Pre-Planting
As soon as we’ve harvested the previous year’s hemp crop, we start preparing our fields for spring planting. At Colorado Botanicals, this begins with a thorough assessment of every aspect of our farm. We test the soil for the presence of pesticides that may have been carried from other farms by runoff water, and we make sure no heavy metals have made their way into our fields.
The extra step of microbial testing makes sure our farm’s water source is still clean and pure. Usually, though, all these tests come up negative. That’s partially because hemp is such a great bioremediator: it cleans soil and makes it even more fit for growing crops.
Spring Planting
Some companies are content to derive their CBD from just about any type of hemp plant. Genetics play a major role in hemp quality, however, which is why we only use genetically tailored seeds with success built into their DNA.
To give them the best shot at life, we germinate our hemp seeds in a greenhouse. Then, we use a simple wheel planter to stick them in the dirt. From here on, we mostly step back and let nature do the work until it comes time to harvest.
Summer Growing
Throughout the long, hot days of summer, our hemp plants start reaching maturity. Known as the “vegetative” portion of the growth cycle, this stage of hemp cultivation is perhaps the most delicate.
To protect our plants as they reach full size, we constantly monitor our farm for the presence of weeds and pests. We also infuse our soil with organic fertilizer prior to planting to give our hemp the best shot at optimum growth during the vegetative phase.
Fall Harvest
By the first few weeks of October, hemp is ready to harvest in Colorado. Over the last few months, shortening days have triggered our hemp plants to transition from vegetative growth to the production of thick, resinous flowers.
Generally, outdoor hemp flower is less potent than indoor-grown buds. Our proprietary genetics and careful cultivation combined with Colorado’s naturally ideal hemp cultivation climate, however, result in nugs that are just as juicy and resinous as the best indoor-grown CBD flower.
How We Extract Hemp
After we harvest our hemp by hand at the most optimal moment, we hang-dry it indoors. Consistent ventilation and low humidity ensure our plants dry quickly and prevent the buildup of mycotoxins.
Once our harvested hemp is dry, it’s up to us to polish the CBD it contains to jewel brilliance. Our proprietary production process progresses in six steps:
1. Hemp extraction
We use a proprietary form of CO2 extraction to remove CBD, terpenes, and other beneficial substances from our hemp without damaging any of these sensitive compounds. CO2 extraction is a finicky process, and it’s easy to oxidize terpenes and flavonoids if your parameters are set incorrectly.
2. In-House Lab Testing
Since we’re experienced hemp producers, nothing ever comes up. Nonetheless, we always rigorously inspect and test our hemp extract before sending it on to purification.
Of course, some natural impurities, like chlorophyll and waxes, are always discovered. That’s why we purify our extract before formulating it into finished products.
3. Proprietary Separation Purification Process
Our purification process leverages proprietary pharmaceutical technology to remove impurities from CBD hemp extract without damaging any of its beneficial compounds. Using precise applications of low heat, we separate the desirable substances in hemp extract while removing unwanted contaminants like lipids, waxes, and chlorophyll.
Since retaining the terpenes naturally produced in hemp is so difficult, most CBD companies reintroduce terpenes from non-hemp sources after extraction. Our proprietary process bypasses this step altogether, resulting in a single-source hemp extract that offers vastly improved quality and purity.
4. In-House & Third-Party Lab Testing of Hemp Extract
Just to make sure everything went right, we test our purified hemp extract in our own lab one last time. Then, we send our extract to an independent hemp testing lab to confirm it is pure and ready for product formulation.
We make absolutely sure our hemp extract is entirely free of contaminants at this point. It has never happened, but if we were ever to discover contaminants at this stage, we would ensure the quality of our finished products by destroying that batch of extract and starting over.
5. Formulation & Packaging
Once we receive the go-ahead from our third-party lab, we formulate our hemp extract into finished products. At Colorado Botanicals, we make our tinctures in-house, and we work with third-party partners to infuse our organic CBD extract into CBD softgels, CBD topicals, and CBD gummies.
6. Third-Party Lab Testing of Products
The Colorado Botanicals hemp production process isn’t quite over yet. Before we offer them for sale, we ask our partnered third-party lab to batch-test each of our products. This way, we can offer unbiased reports regarding the purity and potency of each Colorado Botanicals product to anyone who wants them.
From Our Farm to Your Hands
As we’ve made our way in the hemp industry, we quickly learned there are a lot of different standards of quality among CBD companies. Some companies seem perfectly happy to offer low-quality hemp extract combined with reintroduced terpenes as long as it passes toxin screens.
We know all too well, however, that hemp extract can only reach its fullest potency when the full entourage of terpenes and flavonoids present in hemp flower is kept intact. It’s true that doing things the right way is always harder, but at Colorado Botanicals, we’re convinced our customers deserve nothing but the best.