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Forget everything you know about making products from hemp extracts, because a small revolution is underway! A number of manufacturers - including Green Exchange - are now offering their customers a new alternative to the good old crude: mother liquor.
What is mother liquor? Where does it come from? What is it used for? Will it dethrone crude? We tell you all about it.
What is mother liquor?
Mother liquor is the residual liquid from the crude oil purification process. Long considered a waste product because it was so complex to process, this liquid, rich in hemp molecules, is now recycled and used in the manufacture of numerous CBD products.
Mother Liquor in a nutshell
| Trade name | Mother liquor remedied |
| Product type | Full spectrum with less than 0.3% THC |
| Taste | Light (contains terpenes) |
| Cannabinoid concentration | Less rich in CBD than crude, but more concentrated in minor cannabinoids (CBN, CBG, etc.). |
| Color | Brown |
| Applications | Cartridges, e-liquids, cosmetics, edibles, etc. |
| Texture | Viscose |
How is mother liquor made?
As mentioned above, mother liquor is basically a residual liquid from the extraction process that ends up in the waste bins to be treated.
As a reminder, there are three main stages in the hemp extraction process:
- First of all, the resin contained in hemp flowers is separated from the plant material. Different extraction techniques are available, depending on the solvent used (supercritical CO2, bioethanol, hydrocarbons, etc.);
- The resulting liquid is then purified. This contains chlorophyll, vegetable fat and possibly traces of solvent. To remove these undesirable components, winterization is carried out, which consists of separating them by cold before filtering them (a mechanical process);
- After filtration, the result is crude on one side and mother liquor on the other.
The mother liquor we offer our customers is not sold as is. As we shall see, this viscous liquid contains not only impurities, but above all, a prohibited guest...
What's in mother liquor?
In its raw state, mother liquor is a full spectrum product, meaning it contains CBD, but also all the other cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids.
The problem: it also contains chlorophyll residues, vegetable fat and, above all, THC at over 0.3%.
To use it in the manufacture of products intended for sale, an additional step is needed to bring THC levels down to the legal threshold, known as remediation.
After remediation, the mother liquor may undergo an additional distillation stage to remove any unwanted plant residues (chlorophyll, fat, etc.). This results in a more concentrated mother liquor.
What is remediated mother liquor?
A remediated mother liquor is a mother liquor that can be used as such to produce hemp-based products. Its THC content has been reduced to 0.3%.
To reduce the concentration of THC, a technique called chromatography is used. Roughly speaking, this process consists of separating the THC from the rest of the solution by causing it to migrate using a solvent. After remediation, a purification step is required.
As mentioned above, it can then be distilled to obtain a pure product.
In a nutshell:
| Mother liquor untreated | Mother liquor remedied | Mother liquor remédiée distillée |
| Contains all the cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, chlorophyll, vegetable fat, etc. Cannot be sold as is, as THC content exceeds 0.3%. | Full spectrum, with less than 0.3% THC. Contains chlorophyll, vegetable fat, etc. | Full spectrum, less than 0.3% THC and no impurities. |
What's the difference between mother liquor and crude?
Mother liquor and crude are two products of the extraction process that can be used to make many cannabinoid and terpene-based products.
Although mother liquor has long been considered a waste product, it is not a low-cost alternative to crude. In fact, when properly processed, the quality of mother liquor is just as good as that of crude. Both products are extracted from the same biomass and undergo similar chemical processes.
Although both are full spectrum, the main difference between crude and mother liquor lies in their composition:
- Crude is particularly concentrated in CBD;
- Mother liquor, on the other hand, contains less CBD (the part missing from crude), but is richer in minor cannabinoids such as CBN and CBG.
CBD concentration, whether in crude or mother liquore, varies from batch to batch depending on the hemp flowers used and the extraction technique chosen.
The key point is that crude is richer in CBD than mother liquor. But mother liquor is richer in minor cannabinoids. So these two products don't necessarily compete with each other, they complement each other.
What can you do with mother liquor?
Mother liquor is a raw material almost as versatile as crude. In fact, it can be used to make all kinds of full spectrum products such as :
- Vape products: cartridges and e-liquids;
- Edibles such as candy;
- Cosmetics: creams, oils, etc. ;
- Supplements: capsules.
Crude is preferred for the production of concentrates such as isolate and distillate.
In any case, if you're thinking of buying mother liquor or crude in bulk, our team can help you make the right choice. We're well aware that mother liquor is a new product, and that it raises many questions and concerns. However, as we shall see, thinking outside the box can be worth while! In fact, mother liquor has more advantages than disadvantages.
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Mother Liquor Remédié (non-distilled)
Green Exchange Lab offers a range of raw materials for manufacturers and assemblers of CBD products. In this context, here's our Mother Liquor remedy.
Mother Liquor cured but not distilled. 🍁 CBD content: 34%.
Format : Bulk
A production delay may be necessary to process your order. Please contact us when you place your order to make sure. -
Mother Liquor Remediated and distilled
Green Exchange Lab offers a range of raw materials for manufacturers and assemblers of CBD products. In this context, here's our remediated and distilled Mother Liquor.
Mother Liquor remediated and distilled Format : Bulk A production delay may be necessary to process your order. Please contact us when you place your order to make sure.
Mother liquor: advantages and disadvantages
If you're a CBD product manufacturer considering incorporating mother liquor into your manufacturing process, here are a few things to keep in mind:
The plus
- Mother liquor is much cheaper than crude, because it is ultimately a recycled waste product;
- However, these savings do not come at the expense of quality! In fact, in addition to its relatively low CBD concentration, mother liquor is extremely rich in hemp molecules;
- Finally, mother liquor is a highly versatile product. Indeed, as we've said, in most cases, mother liquor can replace crude.
The -
The only real disadvantage of mother liquor is that it is initially concentrated in THC, and the process used to lower its level requires specific equipment. You need to be extremely vigilant, as buying (and selling) a product containing more than 0.3% THC is illegal and punishable by law.
In short, if you want to enjoy the benefits of mother liquor, it's all about sourcing your supplier properly! And that's just as well, because we've got a few ideas on the subject...
Where can I buy mother liquor wholesale?
Mother liquor may be a residual liquid, but that doesn't mean it's a poor-quality product! On the contrary, when properly processed (remediated and possibly distilled), mother liquor is a valuable raw material that can be used to produce high-quality products.
However, for your wholesale mother liquor purchase to truly be a bargain, it is crucial to choose an experienced CBD lab such as Green Exchange Lab whose state-of-the-art facilities allow for quality mother liquor to be crafted with :
- THC levels of less than 0.3% guaranteed by laboratory analysis;
- The absence of any potentially harmful residues;
- A purity equal to that of crude in the case of distilled mother liquor.
Green Exchange Lab is a pioneer in cannabinoid extraction and the first wholesaler of remediated mother liquor in France. So, if you have any doubts, don't hesitate to contact our expert team!
