Processing & Extraction
Extraction systems, processing equipment, and manufacturing services that turn harvested plant material into oils, concentrates, and infused products.
Processing and extraction covers the equipment, engineering, and turnkey services that convert raw cannabis biomass into concentrates, distillate, isolate, and formulated inputs for vapes, edibles, and topicals. The category spans closed-loop CO2 and hydrocarbon (butane/propane) systems, solventless presses and ice-water washing, ethanol extraction skids, winterization and chromatography equipment, and the C1D1-rated rooms required wherever flammable solvents are used. Because extracted cannabinoids sit at the front of nearly every finished-product supply chain, equipment choices here determine downstream yield, purity, and what a state's testing labs will pass. Providers range from equipment manufacturers to installation and process-engineering firms and contract processors that run extraction for brands without their own facility.
Choosing an extraction partner starts with matching solvent method to product goals: hydrocarbon and CO2 extraction typically feed distillate and vape-cartridge lines, while solventless rosin and ice-water hash serve flower-adjacent, full-spectrum products with fewer processing aids to disclose. Confirm the provider's experience with your state's fire and building code requirements for C1D1 or C1D2 rooms, since local fire marshals — not just cannabis regulators — sign off on hydrocarbon facilities. For contract processors, ask about batch documentation, cannabinoid and residual-solvent recovery rates, and whether their process is validated to a GMP or ISO framework, which increasingly matters for multistate operators and export-oriented Canadian licensees.
Across International
UnclaimedLab/industrial equipment manufacturer — rotary evaporators, reactors, furnaces, distillation systems — supplying cannabis/hemp extraction labs among other industries.
Apeks Supercritical
UnclaimedCO2 extraction equipment maker; acquired by Isolate Extraction Systems in 2023 — current ownership status unclear, flagged for reverification.
Eden Labs
UnclaimedFounded 1994; makes supercritical CO2 extraction systems and Coldfinger ethanol distillation equipment for cannabis, hemp, and botanical processors.
Luna Technologies
UnclaimedHydrocarbon (BHO) extraction equipment and consumables maker; exclusive pre-approved hydrocarbon equipment provider in the Canadian market.
Root Sciences
UnclaimedFounded 2015; supplies hydrocarbon, ethanol, CO2, and solventless extraction/distillation equipment plus consulting to cannabis and hemp processors.
Vitalis Extraction Technology
UnclaimedCO2 extraction pioneer; renamed to Vitalis Equipment Technology Inc. in mid-2025, now also making CO2 refrigeration/heat-pump systems — flag rename/scope shift.
Events & dates for processing & extraction
See all on the calendar →Questions about processing & extraction
- What's the difference between CO2 and hydrocarbon extraction?
- CO2 extraction uses pressurized, food-safe carbon dioxide as the solvent and is favored for its clean regulatory profile and lower fire risk, though it requires more capital and slower run times. Hydrocarbon extraction uses butane or propane to pull a broader range of terpenes and cannabinoids, yielding products favored for flavor and potency, but it requires flammable-gas handling and a certified C1D1 room.
- What is a C1D1 room and when is it required?
- Class I, Division 1 (C1D1) describes an electrical area classification for spaces where flammable vapors, like butane or propane, are present during normal operation. Most states require hydrocarbon extraction to occur in a C1D1- or C1D2-rated room built to fire code, with explosion-proof electrical fixtures, ventilation, and gas detection, plus sign-off from the local fire authority alongside the cannabis regulator.
- What is solventless extraction and how does it differ from solvent-based methods?
- Solventless extraction uses mechanical force — heat and pressure for rosin, or ice water and agitation for bubble hash — to separate trichomes from plant material without a chemical solvent. It avoids residual-solvent testing requirements and appeals to markets branding around purity, but yields are generally lower and more labor-intensive than CO2 or hydrocarbon methods, making it better suited to smaller-batch, premium lines.
- What does a toll (contract) processor do?
- A toll processor runs extraction, distillation, or formulation on behalf of a licensed brand or cultivator that doesn't operate its own processing equipment, typically charging per pound or per batch. This lets smaller cultivators and brands access commercial-scale extraction without capital investment in equipment or a C1D1 buildout, provided the processor holds the appropriate state manufacturing license.
- What throughput should a commercial extraction system handle?
- Throughput is typically measured in pounds of biomass processed per hour or per day and varies widely by method — hydrocarbon and CO2 systems built for multistate operators can run several hundred pounds daily, while solventless presses are batch-limited and better suited to smaller volumes. Required throughput depends on cultivation volume upstream and the state's licensed production caps.
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