What Is CO2 Extraction? How LiT Makes the Cleanest Vape Oil in Canada

If you have spent any time shopping for cannabis vape pens in Canada, you have probably noticed that some brands prominently advertise CO2 extraction while others say nothing about how their oil is made. That silence is meaningful. This page explains exactly what CO2 extraction is, why it produces a cleaner and better product, and why LiT has used it exclusively since 2019.

What Is CO2 Extraction?

CO2 extraction is a method of separating cannabinoids and terpenes from cannabis plant material using pressurized carbon dioxide. At specific temperatures and pressures, CO2 enters what is called a supercritical state , where it behaves simultaneously as both a liquid and a gas. In this state it is exceptionally effective at pulling active compounds from the plant without introducing any foreign chemicals into the process.

When the pressure is released after extraction, the CO2 simply evaporates as gas, leaving behind pure cannabis oil. Nothing is added. Nothing is left behind. The result is a clean, transparent oil containing exactly what the cannabis plant produced and nothing else.

How CO2 Extraction Compares to Solvent Methods

The majority of cannabis oil on the market , including most products sold by grey market brands across Canada , is produced using solvent-based extraction. The most common solvents are butane, ethanol, and propane. These methods are faster and cheaper than CO2 extraction, which is why they dominate the market.

The problem with solvent extraction is residue. Chemical solvents strip cannabinoids from the plant effectively, but they leave trace amounts of themselves behind in the finished oil. Removing these residues requires a secondary purging process, and the quality of that purge varies enormously between producers. Improperly purged oil contains measurable levels of residual solvent. You cannot taste it. You cannot smell it. But you inhale it every time you take a draw from a cartridge that was not properly purged.

With CO2 extraction, there is no solvent to purge because no solvent was introduced in the first place. The process is cleaner by design.

What Is CO2 Extraction

Why CO2 Extraction Preserves Terpenes Better

Terpenes are the aromatic compounds in cannabis that give each strain its distinctive smell and flavour. They are also responsible for a significant part of each strain’s effect profile , the reason Blue Dream feels different from Grand Daddy Purple goes beyond just THC content. Terpenes interact with cannabinoids to shape the overall experience in ways that researchers are still working to fully understand.

Terpenes are fragile. Many are volatile at high temperatures and can be destroyed or altered by chemical exposure during extraction. CO2 extraction is performed at relatively low temperatures, and because no harsh chemicals are involved, the natural terpene profile of the original plant is preserved significantly more completely than in solvent-based extraction.

This is why LiT’s Blue Dream tastes distinctly like Blue Dream, and our Grand Daddy Purple carries the rich grape and berry character that makes it one of Canada’s most beloved indicas. The terpenes survive the extraction process intact.

The Equipment Behind CO2 Extraction

CO2 extraction requires purpose-built pressurized equipment that operates at precise temperature and pressure settings. A proper CO2 extraction system costs significantly more than the equipment needed for solvent extraction , this is one of the primary reasons so many brands use cheaper methods. The upfront capital cost of doing CO2 extraction correctly is a real barrier, and brands that make the investment do so because they believe the quality difference matters to their customers.

LiT made that investment. Every product in the catalogue , from the 500mg and 1000mg refill cartridges to the disposable pens , uses oil produced through this process. There are no lower-cost product lines where we cut corners on extraction. Every cartridge is the same standard.

LiT Makes the Cleanest Vape Oil in Canada

CO2 Extraction and What Goes Into Your Cartridge

CO2 extraction produces oil, but that oil still needs to be the right viscosity to flow through a vape cartridge properly. Some brands solve this problem by adding thinning agents , MCT oil, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, or polyethylene glycol. These are cheap and effective for solving the viscosity problem, but they introduce compounds that do not belong in a cannabis product and that have associated health concerns when inhaled repeatedly.

LiT uses botanical food-grade terpenes , the same terpenes that occur naturally in cannabis , to achieve the right consistency. This preserves the authentic flavour profile of each strain while avoiding the introduction of any non-cannabis compounds. The result: no MCT oil, no PG, no VG, no PEG, no Vitamin E acetate. What you inhale is cannabis oil and botanical terpenes. That is all.

You can read more about why fillers are a concern on our Why No Fillers Matters page.

How to Tell If a Brand Uses CO2 Extraction

The simplest approach is to look for an explicit claim on the product page or brand website. A brand that uses CO2 extraction will almost always say so, because it is a meaningful quality signal worth communicating. If a brand does not specify their extraction method, or uses vague language like “pure cannabis oil” or “natural extract” without naming the process, it is reasonable to assume they are using a cheaper solvent method.

The second thing to look for is what the brand says is NOT in their oil. A brand confident in their clean process will name the additives they do not use. LiT explicitly states: no MCT oil, no propylene glycol, no vegetable glycerin, no PEG, no Vitamin E acetate. That level of specificity is not possible to fake , it is a verifiable production decision.

Why This Matters for Regular Vape Users

A casual user who vapes occasionally may find the difference between CO2 and solvent-extracted oil difficult to notice in a single session. Regular users notice it over time. Consistent exposure to residual solvents and thinning agents accumulates differently than consistent exposure to clean cannabis oil. The people who care most about extraction quality tend to be exactly the customers who use their vape pens frequently , daily or near-daily users who want to know what they are putting into their bodies over months and years of use.

LiT has built its reputation on these customers. Over 8,600 verified Canadian reviews rated 4.88 out of 5 since 2019. The majority of those reviews come from repeat customers who have tried other brands and come back to LiT specifically because of the quality consistency.

Shop LiT CO2-Extracted Vape Pens

Every product in the LiT catalogue uses CO2-extracted cannabis oil with zero added fillers. Browse the full range:

Free shipping on orders $149+. Discreet plain packaging on every order. Ships to all Canadian provinces and territories. Must be 19+ to purchase (18+ in Alberta, 21+ in Quebec).