Cold extraction method for cannabinoids and terpenes from cannabis by organic solvents

Abstract

The invention relates to methods of producing extracts from cannabis plant material, where the extracts comprise cannabinoids and terpenes. The methods comprise extracting fresh or dried plant material with a cold organic solvent. The methods allow for the extraction of cannabinoids and terpenes, while leaving behind impurities such as waxes and chlorophyll that are commonly found in extractions with room temperature (RT) or warm solvent extraction methods. The methods can produce extracts having more than 90% cannabinoids.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composition comprising a cannabis extract and a lipid solvent, the lipid solvent comprising one or more of omega-3 fatty acids, monacylglycerides (MAG), diaglycerides (DAG) and phospholipids. 
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the omega-3 fatty acids are omega-3 monacylglycerides, omega-3 diaglycerides, omega-3 phospholipids or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the omega-3 fatty acids comprise alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the lipid solvent is selected from the group consisting of fish oil, flax seed oil, camelina oil, evening primrose oil, ahiflower oil, hemp seed oil, black current oil, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein the lipid solvent is a fish oil, and wherein the fish oil comprises MAG and DAG. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 5 , wherein the fish oil comprises between about 1% and 3% MAG and between about 1% and 40% DAG. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein the lipid solvent is flax seed oil, camelina oil, evening primrose oil, ahiflower oil, hemp seed oil, or black current oil, and comprises MAG and DAG. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein the flax seed oil, camelina oil, evening primrose oil, ahiflower oil, hemp seed oil, or black current oil comprises between about 0.2% and 3.0% MAG and between about 0.5% and 7.0% DAG. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein the lipid solvent comprises fish oil and one or more of flax seed oil, camelina oil, evening primrose oil, ahiflower oil, hemp seed oil, or black current oil. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the cannabis extract comprises at least one bioactive molecule. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one bioactive molecule comprises a cannabinoid, flavonoid or terpene. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the cannabinoid comprises Δ 9  tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), cannabichromenenic acid (CBCA), cannabigerovarinic acid (CBGVA), tetrahydrocanabivarinic acid (THCVA), cannabidivarinic acid (CBDVA), cannabichromevarinic acid (CBCVA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabivarin (CBV), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromevarin (CBCV), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), cannabigerol monomethylether (CBGM), cannabielsoin (CBE), cannabicitran (CBT), or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the cannabinoid comprises THC, THCA, CBD, CBDA or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein the terpene comprises myrcene, terpinolene, β-caryophyllene, selina-3 7(11)-diene, guaiol, 10-epi-y-eudesmol, β-eudesmol, α-eudesmol, bulnesol, α-bisabolol or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, diluent or excipient. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is formulated for oral administration, topical administration, transmucosal administration, parenteral administration, subdermal administration, or inhalation. 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 16 , wherein the composition formulated for oral administration is a liquid, gel, softgel, powder, tablet, caplet, capsule, gelcap, food additive, drop, beverage, pill, lozenge, rinse, paste or gum. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 17 , wherein the composition formulated for topical administration is a liquid, gel, cream, ointment, lotion, salve, balm or paste. 
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 16 , wherein the transmucosal administration comprises buccal administration or intra-nasal administration. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cannabis extract is produced by
 a. providing cannabis plant material comprising stems, leaves, seeds, flowers or a combination thereof in an extraction chamber;   b. contacting an organic solvent at a temperature of between about 0° C. and −80° C. with the cannabis plant material;   c. extracting at least one bioactive molecule from the cannabis plant material into the organic solvent for a first period of time, thereby producing an organic solvent comprising a cannabis extract, wherein the extraction step takes place at between about 0° C. and −80° C.;   d. filtering or centrifuging the organic solvent and the cannabis plant material to remove solid materials; and   e. recovering the cannabis extract from the organic solvent; thereby producing the cannabis extract.