Understanding CBD Oil
One of the fastest growing health trends out there is CBD oil.
It is almost impossible to turn on your television, browse the Internet or simply drive around town without seeing advertisements for various CBD oils and other CBD related products.
Unfortunately, as is the case with many health trends, there is quite a bit of confusion around exactly what CBD oil is.
With terms like broad-spectrum, full-spectrum, isolate, hemp oil, hemp seed oil, many people are left feeling confused and overwhelmed as to what CBD oil option would be best for their individual needs.
If you have found yourself feeling confused as to what CBD oil is all about, rest assured that you are not alone.
It is our goal here at Kanteeva is to provide you with the information that you will need to make an educated decision on whether CBD oil is an option for you and what type of CBD oil may be best for you.
After reading this article, you should have a basic understanding about the different types of CBD oil available so that you can further discuss your options with your healthcare provider(s).
If you still have any questions or comments after reading this article, please post them in the comments area below and a Kanteeva team member will respond back to you as soon as possible.
What is CBD Oil?
CBD oil is any type of cannabis oil that contains the cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) as the primary active ingredient.
Cannabidiol is one of the two most prevalent cannabinoids contained in the cannabis plant.
There are three main types of CBD oil that are all created differently and have different chemical profiles:
- Full-spectrum CBD Oil
- Broad-spectrum CBD Oil
- Isolate based CBD Oil
The first type of CBD oil that we are going to discuss is often referred to as the most “natural” form of CBD oil, full-spectrum CBD oil.
What Is Full-spectrum CBD Oil?
Full-spectrum CBD oil is a CBD oil that has been created by using a whole plant extract that has had no cannabinoids or other beneficial compounds purposely removed.
Yes, this does mean that full-spectrum CBD oil will contain some of the psychoactive cannabinoid THC. However, it is important to note that most full-spectrum CBD oils have such little THC content that most people do not feel psychoactive effects.
The most apparent benefit of full-spectrum CBD oil is that it is made from whole cannabis plants and contains natural fatty acids, flavonoids, vitamins, minerals, terpenes and many other lesser known cannabinoids.
These cannabis compounds work together to create synergies known as the “Entourage Effect.”
To learn more about this phenomenon, please read this Kanteeva article.
Full-spectrum CBD Oil is made from High CBD cannabis strains, including hemp strains, that have very low amounts of THC. If the same extraction process was used with a high THC strain it would result in cannabis oil with high THC levels.
What Is Broad-spectrum CBD Oil?
Broad-spectrum CBD oil is made when full-spectrum CBD oil has the majority of THC removed from it.
Broad-spectrum CBD oil still contains the other compounds found in full-spectrum CBD oil like natural fatty acids, flavonoids, vitamins, minerals, terpenes and other cannabinoids, but almost all of the THC has been removed.
For example, a broad-spectrum CBD oil may only contain 0.25 mg of THC per ml while the CBD content per ml is 10 mg. This would make a 40:1 CBD to THC ratio which is higher than the majority of the most potent CBD cannabis strains.
Broad-spectrum CBD oil is ideal for people who want to experience the benefits of CBD while consuming minimal amounts of THC.
Since broad-spectrum CBD oil still contains multiple cannabinoids like CBN, CBG, CBD and trace amounts of THC, you can still experience many of the benefits associated with The Entourage Effect.
If you would like to learn more about what some of these different cannabinoids do, please take a moment to look at our Kanteeva article Cannabinoids - The Basics.
A Warning for People Seeking to Purchase Broad-spectrum CBD Oil
Be aware that there are some manufacturers who try to pass off CBD isolate products with added terpenes and cannabinoids as broad-spectrum CBD oil.
If you are considering purchasing broad-spectrum CBD oil, look at the lab profile for the product to ensure that you are purchasing true broad-spectrum CBD oil and not an isolate based oil that has had terpenes and cannabinoids added back into it.
What is CBD Isolate?
CBD isolate is created when the CBD molecules are isolated from the other cannabinoids, terpenes and compounds found in the cannabis plant.
In its natural state, CBD isolate has a crystal or powdery white composition.
To create CBD oil from CBD isolate, many manufacturers often add some type of carrier oil.
The most common type of carrier oil used for this process is called MCT oil and according to healthline:
MCT oil is a highly concentrated source of medium-chain triglycerides. It's man-made, through a process called fractionation. This involves extracting and isolating the MCTs from coconut or palm kernel oil.
It is important to know how CBD oil, derived from a CBD isolate, is manufactured because some companies claim to create broad-spectrum CBD oil when in fact they are creating a CBD isolate oil and then adding a few additional cannabinoids, terpenes and other cannabis compounds.
While CBD isolate oil can deliver specific benefits associated with CBD, when products are made from only one cannabinoid, like CBD isolate, The Entourage Effect is not present.
Is Hemp Oil or Hemp Seed Oil, CBD Oil?
Understanding the differences between broad-spectrum, full-spectrum and isolate based CBD oils can be confusing. When you add additional terms such as hemp oil and hemp seed oil, the confusion goes from bad to worse.
Hemp oil, or hemp seed oil, is a product that is produced from the seeds of the hemp plant and is created as a nutritional supplement or carrier oil.
Hemp seed oil is rich in both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, protein and various other nutrients and minerals.
Both hemp oil and hemp seed oil are interchangeable terms that describe the same product.
If you are looking for CBD oil derived from hemp, then you need to look for products that are labeled as containing CBD or cannabidiol, not hemp. When hemp oil/hemp seed oil products use words like “Cannabis sativa, 500 mg,” they are referring to the weight of the hemp seed oil rather than the amount of CBD contained in the product.
Hemp oil, or hemp seed oil, typically contains no CBD or other cannabinoids.
It is a completely different product than CBD oil.
Hemp seed oil, or hemp oil, is manufactured from the seeds of the hemp plant while CBD oils are manufactured from the flowers or buds, leaves and stems of the cannabis plant.
Please remember that all types of CBD oil (full-spectrum, broad-spectrum & isolate based CBD oil) can be made from Hemp. Hemp is typically defined as any cannabis plant that has a THC content of 0.03% or less.
How to Find the Best CBD Oils for Your Needs
To find the best CBD oil products for your individual needs, it is important that you do some research before making a purchase.
Always look for lab results from the company, which are often referred to as a Certificate of Analysis, or COA.
If you find that the product you are considering purchasing does not have a COA, then you should not buy it. When you purchase CBD oil without a COA, there is no way to tell what you are actually buying.
All producers and manufacturers of medical cannabis products are legally required to put the exact levels of significant cannabinoids on the labels of their cannabis products.
When looking at the COA for the product that you are considering purchasing, make certain that it contains all of the cannabinoids and compounds it should. For full-spectrum CBD Oil products, you should see low concentrations of THC and they should also contain CBD and additional cannabinoids to be considered a full-spectrum CBD oil.
For broad-spectrum CBD oil, you should see similar results, the THC levels be very low or have a non-detectable (ND) value.
For isolates, and CBD oils that are derived from isolates, you will typically only see CBD as a detectable cannabinoid in the product. To determine if a broad-spectrum product is truly broad-spectrum or isolate derived, read the label or packaging provided to be certain that the product contains multiple cannabinoids and does not include words like “made from CBD isolate” or “derived from CBD isolate.”
What’s the Best Kind of CBD Oil?
To receive the most medical benefits from The Entourage Effect, you are going to want to use a full-spectrum CBD oil. This is not just Kanteeva’s opinion either, as a clinical study conducted in 2015 showed that test subjects treated with full-spectrum CBD oil reported higher levels of relief than those using CBD isolates.
This does not necessarily rule out the benefits of using a broad-spectrum CBD oil, since there are still many cannabinoids and compounds in the final product.
If you are concerned with consuming even trace amounts of THC, then your best option is likely going to be a broad-spectrum CBD Oil product that shows a Non-Detectable (ND) result for THC on its Certificate of Analysis (COA).
CBD isolate oils can also have benefits, but for most consumers, a full-spectrum or broad-spectrum CBD oil is going to deliver more benefits.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of what CBD oil is and what the different types of CBD oil are.
If you are considering using CBD oil, it is very important that you first discuss your options with your healthcare provider(s).
There are some medical conditions that CBD oil is not recommended for and there are also some medications that are known to interact negatively with CBD oil.
We also invite you to read our various Ailment Articles to learn more about how medical cannabis may be an option for you or someone you know.
We Want to Hear from You
Have you or a loved one found success using CBD oil or medical cannabis? If you have, we would love to hear from you.
Please help us spread the word about the amazing benefits that medical cannabis patients are finding all over the world by becoming part of the Kanteeva community.
With your help, thousands of others could finally find relief too.
Please share your stories, comments, and questions below. If you are a medical cannabis patient, please also mention what strain has been effective at helping you find relief.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article, we look forward to hearing your story soon!
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