At which stage are THC, CBD, and terpenes derived?

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD (cannabidiol), and terpenes are primarily derived during the extraction stage of cannabis processing. This is the phase where plant material is processed to isolate and concentrate the desired compounds for various uses.

During extraction, various methods such as CO2 extraction, ethanol extraction, or hydrocarbon extraction are employed to separate cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant material. The aim is to create a product that contains the active ingredients needed for therapeutic, recreational, or commercial purposes.

While cultivation is essential for growing cannabis plants that contain these compounds, the actual derivation of THC, CBD, and terpenes happens in extraction when these substances are processed from the plant into a usable form. Manufacturing comes after extraction and refers to creating a variety of products from the isolated compounds, while testing involves analyzing these compounds for quality and potency. Thus, the correct answer reflects the crucial step where the desired cannabinoids and terpenes are concentrated from the raw cannabis plant.