Frequently Asked Questions:
Phasex/PHCO₂ -Specific

• Supercritical CO₂—four decades of expertise
• Broad- or full-spectrum offerings, which combines other cannabinoids
• Clean process

Phasex has a proud history of 42 years in the industry as a supercritical CO₂ extraction and toll processor. Our founder, Val Krukonis literally wrote the book on supercritical CO₂ extraction. We have run thousands of R&D, samples, and full-scale toll processing extraction projects with many other natural products (food and beverage, etc.)

Toll processing, also known as toll manufacturing or contract manufacturing, is a business arrangement in which a company (referred to as the “toll processor” or “contract manufacturer”) provides manufacturing or processing services to another company (referred to as the “customer” or “brand owner”). In toll processing, the customer provides the raw materials, and the toll processing company performs a particular process on the material. In this industry, Phasex typically works with the customer on a R&D project to establish the appropriate parameters and then provides toll processing work for the customer on a contract basis. Toll processing work ranges from milling, decarboxylation, extraction, remediation, fractionation, blending, mixing, analytical testing, packaging, bottling, labeling wholesale level materials.

Here are some key points about toll processing:

• Process parameters are typically set during an R&D project; or customers knows what they want, and they provide general parameters that may be modified as needed.
• Customer supplies raw materials and specifications, unless they need to be established during the R&D phase.
• Toll processor has expertise and equipment for the extraction, remediation, fractionation, or other purification tasks.
• Cost-effective solution for customers without in-house capabilities, so they don’t have to make the significant investment in supercritical CO₂ extraction equipment.
• Intellectual property protection and confidentiality.
• Adherence to quality control and compliance standards—cGMP, USDA-Certified Organic, and Kosher certifications.
• Flexibility and scalability to meet customer needs.
• R&D scale to pilot scale to multi-ton scale capabilities.

Yes, we do. Companies are often hesitant to outsource innovation and product improvement, especially a long-term project, without first learning the potential for success. Understanding this need, Phasex carries out short, fast-response feasibility studies to demonstrate that processing with supercritical fluids can achieve desired goals, both technically and economically. Read more about feasibility studies here.

Yes, you can. Supercritical fluid research programs conducted at Phasex are tailored to meet each customer’s specific needs and can include:

• Phasex conducts R&D studies using a variety of different business models and lab scale, pilot scale, and production scale equipment to conduct its studies. Equipment has a wide range of volume, pressure ratings, and capabilities up to 15,000 PSI.
• Phasex has in-house HPLC and other test capabilities.
• Phasex has unique equipment to provide view cells to complete studies.
• Feasibility studies using one of a dozen interchangeable extraction modules ranging in size from 1L to 10L
• Process development and optimization, including production of multi-kilogram quantities
• Economic assessment and generation of a process flow diagrams.

Read more about contract R&D here.

PHCO₂ branded products are extracted and remediated using Phasex’s proprietary supercritical CO₂ extraction and remediation processes.

Their differentiating characteristics in the industry include:

• They are high-percentage CBD hemp extracts that have been obtained using supercritical CO₂ extraction techniques.
• These extracts are free of residual solvents and other potentially harmful contaminants.
• The PHCO₂ process is a proprietary extraction method that is designed to preserve the integrity of the hemp plant’s natural compounds, including cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other beneficial plant compounds.
• PHCO₂ branded ingredients are intended for use in a range of CBD products, including tinctures, topicals, edibles, and more.

Read more about our ingredients here.

Phasex does not sell any products to consumers. Our business model is to sell ingredient material to brand, white label manufacturers, and other companies, including farmers who manufacturer branded products, which are then sold to consumers. Our customers manufacture many different products for use in various applications, markets, and products, which may include:

• CBD topicals and cosmetics
• Supplements and nutraceuticals
• Tinctures
• Flavors and fragrances
• Cannabis CBD/THC products
• Pet food markets
• Gummies
• Food and beverage

1. We don’t normally disclose our customers directly. However, customers typically fall into one of several categories—and include small start-up companies to large, well-known brand companies.
2. We sell products and toll processing services to companies across a wide variety of industries, including:

• Supplements and nutraceuticals
• Food and beverage brands
• Flavor and fragrance companies
• Cosmetic and topical companies
• CBD-focused companies that carry a wide variety of products containing CBD and other cannabinoids
• Cannabis brand companies adding CBD and other cannabinoids to their products
• Co-packer companies that manufacture products for companies across several industries
• Farmers who want their biomass converted into crude or distillate
• Distribution wholesale companies carrying multiple products including our USDA-Certified Organic ingredients and our American conventional ingredients

• Phasex ingredient full- and broad-spectrum materials typically range from 85-93%, along with some percentage of other minor cannabinoids.
• Customers using the Phasex proprietary process have more options than most other processes. The process we use allows customers to choose whether they want two different types of crude—chlorophyll included or excluded—some customers want the chlorophyll in their products while others do not.
• Customers then have the choice of what type of extract or distillate they want, which includes (1) compliant full-spectrum material (THC below 0.3%) or (2) broad-spectrum material (THC is non-detectible by most analytical labs).
• Additionally, Phasex can provide both a USDA-Certified Organic material or American conventional material. Both use our proprietary, supercritical CO₂ process.
• The primary difference is principally driven by our use of supercritical CO₂ as the extraction and remediation method to process our ingredients. Many other companies utilize ethanol or other flammable solvents.
  • The benefit of supercritical CO₂ is that it is a selective solvent, which means to extract something, you have to dial in the pressure or temperature to extract the particular component or similar components. Generally, the flammable solvents are more aggressive, and they pull out many other constituents as they are removing the CBD. One of the primary advantages of supercritical CO₂ extraction is that it can be fine-tuned to extract specific compounds by adjusting the heat and pressure. This allows for more control over the purity of cannabinoids and flavor compounds present in the CBD oil extracted using this method.
  • Another benefit of supercritical CO₂ is that there are no residual solvents because the CO₂ evaporates at atmosphere. With other solvents, there can be residual solvents in the material; the type of analytical method and level of detection of the particular test and equipment determines at what level it will be detected.
  • The winterization process is not performed through high-heat distillation because we use a unique, proprietary methodology which is based on our know-how of processing many other botanicals with over 42 years extracting and purifying many different materials.
  • We use a unique, proprietary method to extract and remediate or purify the material, which allows the material to attain USDA-Certified Organic status as long as the incoming biomass or crude is USDA-Certified Organic. In our supercritical CO₂ method, we remove the THC vs. the standard industry method of converting the THC into CBN and other cannabinoids.

Phasex’s PHCO₂ process is unique in the industry because instead of using a whipped film evaporation distillation process, Phasex uses a proprietary CO₂-derived method to remove the unwanted components of the crude to create a compliant full-spectrum or broad-spectrum distillate. Customers typically say they like the flavor and smell of the CO₂-derived material relative to alternatives. The CBD is removed using a USDA-Certified Organic process. As long as the incoming material is considered a USDA-Certified Organic material it retains this certification.

• Phasex has decided to use our supercritical CO₂ process and not further process the materials using other chemicals, which is what is required to create isolates. It has been our view since the beginning that the benefits of the CBD come from the entourage effect of multiple cannabinoids working together. Even though our distillates have only a small amount of the minor cannabinoids, it is our view that this blend of the whole plant hemp extract is what imparts the benefits of this unique plant.
• Distillates are typically a golden or amber oil, whereas CBD isolate is a white powder or refined crystal. Isolates are typically cannabidiol in pure form, whereas a distillate is an extract which contains between 80-92% of the specifical cannabinoid (CBD, CBN, etc.) along with other minors (CBG, CBC, CBT, CBL, or many others, including trace amounts of THC). Terpenes are also present in distillate, which give the hemp plant its distinguished smell and taste. Terpenes are not present in CBD isolates, which means it will not smell or taste line cannabis.
• Isolates typically contain just a single chemical versus a full- or broad-spectrum distillate contain a small percentage of the whole plant hemp extracts, including other minor cannabinoids. To make an isolate, you chemically remove all the other constituents so that you end up with just the one cannabinoid. Isolates are crystalline solids that, in their state, resemble white crystals. The isolate is usually processed into a white powder through some type of grinding procedure.
• Isolate materials are typically made by a recrystallization process. To perform recrystallization, a solvent (a chemical used to dissolve other substances) is added to a mixture (CBD distillate) and heated until all the distillate dissolves in a solution. After the CBD distillate dissolves, the mixture’s temperature is significantly lowered. This is called “crashing.” The mixture is then allowed to cool, and the CBD molecules within the mixture reassemble into a crystalline structure, separating themselves from the rest of the mixture. This manipulation of temperature is a well-known technique used in organic chemistry labs.

These products are typically sold as isolates and we have chosen to not sell isolates. 

Yes. We principally use Proverde in MA, and SC labs in CA and work with many other analytical labs as our customers often have their own preference for a particular lab. Our products are ingredient material. We are licensed to make an ingredient material as a supplier to manufacturing and brand companies that  make final products.

Our farmers and farms are in various location across the USA. We procure it from three states, primarily:

• Massachusetts: organic farm
• South Carolina: organic and also conventional
• Kentucky— organic and also conventional

We also procure raw hemp material from other states, depending on what our customer wants to use: Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Indiana, Maine.

Yes. This is a critical component and differentiator of who we are in the marketplace and the quality of our final ingredient offerings.

MDAR, in the context of CBD (cannabidiol) in Massachusetts, refers to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) is a state agency responsible for promoting and supporting agriculture in Massachusetts. In the context of CBD, MDAR is involved in regulating and overseeing the cultivation, processing, and sale of CBD products in the state.

In Massachusetts, the cultivation of hemp (the plant from which CBD is derived) and the production of CBD products are subject to regulations set by MDAR. These regulations cover areas such as licensing, testing, labeling, and compliance with state and federal laws. MDAR works to ensure that CBD products sold in Massachusetts meet certain quality and safety standards, protecting consumer interests and promoting transparency in the CBD industry.

It’s worth noting that laws and regulations related to CBD can change over time, so it’s always a good idea to consult the most up-to-date information from official government sources or MDAR directly for the latest information on CBD regulations in Massachusetts.

PHCO₂™ was one of the early adopters to offer USDA-Certified Organic whole hemp plant extract with all-natural minors. Phasex completed a stability study with a reputable firm in Massachusetts, ProVerde Laboratories, which verifies PHCO₂’s whole plant hemp extract ingredients are certified for two-year stability from the manufacturing date for cannabinoids and microbial contaminants. Read more here.

Synthetic CBD is artificially created in a lab, while natural whole plant hemp extract is derived from the Cannabis sativa plant. Synthetic CBD is a single molecule, whereas hemp extract contains a variety of cannabinoids, terpenes, and other beneficial compounds. Natural hemp extract offers the potential benefits of CBD along with the synergistic effects of other compounds (known as the entourage effect), while synthetic CBD lacks these additional components.

The main difference between synthetic CBD and natural whole plant hemp extract lies in their origin and composition.

Origin:
Synthetic CBD: Synthetic CBD is produced in a laboratory through chemical synthesis. It is created by artificially replicating the molecular structure of CBD.

Natural Whole Plant Hemp Extract: Natural whole plant hemp extract is derived from the Cannabis sativa plant, specifically from the hemp variety. It is extracted from the plant’s flowers, leaves, and stalks using various extraction methods, such as CO₂ extraction or solvent extraction.

Composition:
Synthetic CBD: Synthetic CBD is a single molecule that is chemically identical to CBD found in the cannabis plant. It is typically created by isolating and replicating the CBD molecule.

Natural Whole Plant Hemp Extract:
Natural whole plant hemp extract contains a range of cannabinoids, including CBD, as well as other beneficial compounds found in the hemp plant, such as other cannabinoids (e.g., THC, CBG, CBN), terpenes, flavonoids, and other plant nutrients. This combination of compounds is often referred to as the “entourage effect,” where the different compounds work together synergistically to produce potential therapeutic benefits.

Effects and Benefits:
Synthetic CBD: Synthetic CBD may provide similar effects to natural CBD, but since it lacks the full spectrum of compounds found in natural hemp extract, it may not produce the same potential benefits associated with the entourage effect.

Natural Whole Plant Hemp Extract: Natural whole plant hemp extract offers the potential benefits associated with CBD as well as the synergistic effects of the other cannabinoids, terpenes, and compounds present in the hemp plant. The combination of these compounds is believed to enhance the overall therapeutic potential of the extract.

It’s important to note that the use of synthetic CBD and natural whole plant hemp extract may vary depending on regulations and individual preferences. However, many people prefer natural whole plant hemp extract due to its potential for a broader range of effects and the presence of the entourage effect.

Water-soluble CBD refers to cannabidiol (CBD) that has been formulated to easily dissolve in water, as opposed to traditional CBD oil or tinctures that are not easily soluble in water. This solubility is achieved through various processes, such as nanotechnology or the use of emulsifiers.

The benefits of water-soluble CBD include:

• Increased bioavailability
• Faster onset of action
• Versatile use in beverages and water-based products
• Improved stability and consistency 
• Increased convenience and user-friendliness

End consumers are reminded to consult with a healthcare professional before using water-soluble CBD, especially if you have any medical conditions or are taking medications. Read more about water-soluble CDB here.

Aquazome, a water-soluble CBD ingredient. Aquazome can be used in many applications—from beverages (coffee, functional drinks), edibles, and lotions to water-soluble CBD tinctures, capsules and tablets, and other nutraceutical ingredients, along with equine and pet supplies.

Customers benefit from the many characteristics that the patented Aquazome provides:

• All-natural, food-grade ingredients, including a proprietary natural preservative system
• Higher standard potency—35% total cannabinoids (vs common industry amount of 10 to 20% CBD)
• If needed, a broad range of potencies ranging from 10% to 50% are available
• Pharmacokinetics (PK) study indicating 80% absorption vs. a fraction of that for competing technologies
• Revolutionary technology—competitively priced; higher bioavailability per serving; higher loading per gram of water-soluble ingredient (350 mg per gram), which means increased value in each drop of product due to increased CBD content—differs considerably from competitors’ material
• True water soluble that creates a homogenous mass, as opposed to water dispensable/dispersible
• Conventional as well as Certified Organic CBD emulsions available in broad- and full-spectrum
• Made with USDA-Certified Organic material; kosher-certified facility; GMP compliant

Read more about Aquazome here.