• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Write For Us
  • Our Team
Extraction Magazine
No Result
View All Result
  • Botanical Extraction
    • Cannabinoids
    • Psychedelics
    • Nutraceutical
    • Product Refinement
  • Industry News
    • Business
    • Sustainability
    • Safety & Compliance
    • Partners
  • Extraction Technology
    • Equipment
    • Methods
    • Solvents
    • DIY Extraction
    • Analytical Techniques
  • Medical Research
  • Glossary
  • Business Directory
  • Botanical Extraction
    • Cannabinoids
    • Psychedelics
    • Nutraceutical
    • Product Refinement
  • Industry News
    • Business
    • Sustainability
    • Safety & Compliance
    • Partners
  • Extraction Technology
    • Equipment
    • Methods
    • Solvents
    • DIY Extraction
    • Analytical Techniques
  • Medical Research
  • Glossary
  • Business Directory
No Result
View All Result
Extraction Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home Industry News

The Cost of Cannabis Extraction

Lance Griffin by Lance Griffin
July 2, 2020
in Industry News
The Cost of Cannabis Extraction

Personal projects aside, cannabis extraction is big business. It behooves any business to perform cost-benefit analysis (CBA), which weighs all potential costs against perceived benefits to inform decision-making. Different types of cannabis extraction incur distinct costs, which the cannabis extractor must consider when designing their operation.

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction equipment is generally more expensive compared to hydrocarbon and ethanol extraction equipment.  For example, Apeks Supercritical manufactures The Force®, a supercritical fluid extraction rig designed for high output that can process up to 200 pounds dry biomass per day. It retails for $458,500. ExtractTek’s Modular Extraction Platform, a closed-loop system for hydrocarbon solvent, can process up to 360 pounds per day and retails for about $70,000. Ethanol equipment may be capable of even greater processing at the same price point.

READ ALSO

How AI-Designed Formulas Just Cracked the $2.3B Terpene Code

Cannabis Extracts Market Projected at US $16.6 B in 2025

On the other hand, carbon dioxide is ubiquitous and non-flammable, making it accessible and affordable compared to other solvents. Furthermore, CO2 can be almost completely recycled. Ethanol is less selective, which may require more extensive post-refinement or lowering the solvent to sub-zero temperatures with additional energy consumption. At large scales, supercritical CO2 may thus outpace other techniques with lower operational costs.

Additionally, ethanol and hydrocarbon solvents have stricter facility requirements due to their flammability. These extraction operations must be situated in Class 1, Division 1 (C1D1) facilities with substantial regulations that include eliminating all ignition points and monitoring gases in real time. The build-out cost for this type of facility has been estimated at $350-$500 per square foot (e.g., $15,000,000 for a 30,000 square foot C1D1 facility). That said, C1D1 can be contained in a single room of a facility with other areas classified as C1D2 for less restrictive measures in areas outside the extraction room.

Solventless extraction systems are much cheaper on the surface but rely on more significant labor/energy relative to product output. Some rosin presses are viable for commercial purposes, such as the Longs Peak Rosin Press from Pure Pressure capable of pressing 35 grams of flower under 8 tons at 300° F. Able to process 7 pounds each day, the machine is available for $7,395.  Consumers are willing to pay for additional labor/energy given an exceptional solventless product. Solventless extraction is thus well-suited to artisanal products like traditional hash.

Regardless of extraction strategy used for unicorn poop strain or other strains, best practices and used equipment are other ways to ensure that extraction costs are maintained to a minimum. When balancing costs, the extractor must ultimately determine the needs of their market and how they can manipulate costs to provide concrete benefits.

Image: Image by M. Maggs from Pixabay

Related Posts

AI-powered cannabis cultivation system optimizing terpene and cannabinoid production with real-time data analytics
Business

How AI-Designed Formulas Just Cracked the $2.3B Terpene Code

July 14, 2025
Cannabis oil and concentrates representing the booming extracts market projected at $16.6 billion in 2025
Business

Cannabis Extracts Market Projected at US $16.6 B in 2025

July 7, 2025
Transparent cannabis leave, sci-fi, futuristic-looking, in a lab setting.
Business

AI & IoT‑Powered Process Control in Cannabis Extraction Is Here

July 1, 2025
Green Extraction Techniques
Sustainability

Green Extraction Techniques and Smart Solvents for Bioactive Recovery

June 25, 2025
Industrial supercritical CO2 extraction equipment in modern processing facility showing market growth to $75 million in 2025
Industry News

CO₂ Reigns Supreme: How a “Magic” Gas Just Conquered a $75M Market

June 2, 2025
A vision for the cannabis business
Business

Cannabis Business In South America

May 1, 2025
Next Post
Optimizing Protein Extraction from Cannabis Buds for Proteomics

Optimizing Protein Extraction from Cannabis Buds for Proteomics

LATEST ARTICLES

AI-powered cannabis cultivation system optimizing terpene and cannabinoid production with real-time data analytics

How AI-Designed Formulas Just Cracked the $2.3B Terpene Code

July 14, 2025
Cannabis oil and concentrates representing the booming extracts market projected at $16.6 billion in 2025

Cannabis Extracts Market Projected at US $16.6 B in 2025

July 7, 2025
Turnkey cannabis extraction lab equipment integrating extraction, purification, and distillation in a single automated system

Turnkey Extraction and Purification Units for Cannabis Processing

July 1, 2025
Transparent cannabis leave, sci-fi, futuristic-looking, in a lab setting.

AI & IoT‑Powered Process Control in Cannabis Extraction Is Here

July 1, 2025

Subscribe Now

Subscribe to our newsletter now to receive quick updates from us



    Background
    About

    Extraction Magazine is the trusted provider of botanical extraction news, ever-changing politics, cool gadgets and technologies, and methods for producing safe, ethical, and compliant formulations.

    Advertisers
    Navigation
    • Botanical Extraction
    • Industry News
    • Extraction Technology
    • Medical Research
    • Glossary
    • Business Directory
    Recent Posts
    • How AI-Designed Formulas Just Cracked the $2.3B Terpene Code
    • Cannabis Extracts Market Projected at US $16.6 B in 2025
    • Turnkey Extraction and Purification Units for Cannabis Processing
    • AI & IoT‑Powered Process Control in Cannabis Extraction Is Here
    Subscribe to our Newsletter
    loader

    Sitemap

    © 2025 Extraction Magazine is the trusted provider of botanical extraction news and the leading media in the ever-changing extraction industry.

    No Result
    View All Result
    • Industry News
    • Botanical Extraction
    • Medical Research
    • Medical Research
    • Glossary
    • Our Team
    • Write For Us

    © 2023 Extraction Magazine is the trusted provider of botanical extraction news and the leading media in the ever-changing extraction industry.