So, you’ve taken a leap into the vast world of CBD, but there’s one slight issue. You’re starting to notice different products are made with different types of CBD oil.
What’s the deal?
Or, more specifically, what’s the difference between full spectrum CBD, broad spectrum CBD and CBD isolate? Furthermore, how will these differences manifest as far as effects go?
These are all valid questions and concerns, especially if you’ve only just dipped your toe into the waters of CBD.
What kind of CBD product is best for you? When’s the best time to take your CBD gummy or CBD oil tincture? And now you’ve got another choice to make: full spectrum CBD, broad spectrum CBD, or CBD isolate?
Allow us to break down these three CBD oil types and give you all the information you need to make an informed decision.
The Beginning: Hemp Farming and the Cultivation of CBD
No matter what kind of CBD oil you opt for, it all goes through similar farming methods. Agricultural hemp production methods have come quite a long way over the years, from steam extraction to solvent extraction to the cleanest, most efficient extraction method, CO2 extraction.
You’ve probably heard us say this before. Still, it’s essential to find companies growing their hemp with organic techniques, because the end result is an overall cleaner product. And a cleaner product means more of the CBD and other cannabinoids you’re paying for in the product, and less (or preferably, no) harmful chemicals that can make their way to CBD products from less scrupulous CBD brands.
The First CBD Extraction Process: Full Spectrum CBD Oil
After the crops have reached their optimal state, it’s time to prep them for the CBD oil extraction process. There are many CBD oil extraction methods, but you want a company utilizing the CO2-extraction process because it doesn’t leave any chemical residue behind.
Besides, when a company takes the time, effort, and additional resources required to grow their crops organically, it’s highly unlikely they’ll opt for an extraction process that negates all their hard work.
With CO2 extraction, we begin by crushing the buds, leaves and stalks of the hemp plant, squeezing out all the oil we can. Then, pressurized CO2 gas is used with very little heat to extract the CBD oil. When this extraction process begins, a container is filled with carbon dioxide, as well as the plant matter. As the pressure rises, the carbon dioxide turns into liquid. This is known as supercritical CO2.
The CO2 extraction process produces the purest CBD oil, free of potentially harmful solvent residue. The CO2 extraction process does cost a bit more than solvent extraction, but when you consider the quality of the oil, it’s a small price to pay for your overall health and wellness.
When this first pass is completed, you are left with full spectrum CBD oil. This CBD oil contains all of the phytochemicals found within the hemp plant, including CBD, other cannabinoids, terpenes, essential oils, and trace amounts of THC (less than 0.3%).
Although there are trace amounts of THC, full spectrum CBD oil is still considered non-psychoactive because the amount of THC is so tiny that it isn’t likely to intoxicate you.
While we’re talking about THC, remember that THC is not inherently bad: it’s just THC. Its use can have some negative effects, such as drowsiness, decreased reaction time, psychosis/hallucinations, anxiety attacks, and more. But it does have some therapeutic value. For example, it has been used to help stimulate appetite and to treat pain, as well. All of our products have less than 0.3% THC, but some people may benefit from higher amounts.
Many believe one of the main benefits of full spectrum CBD is how it enhances the therapeutic experience, due to the naturally occurring compounds still present in the oil. This enables something called the Entourage Effect. This term describes the phenomenon that happens when all of those compounds work synergistically to produce enhanced therapeutic effects.
A downside to full spectrum CBD oil is the slight possibility of a false positive on a drug test, due to those trace amounts of THC — especially if taken regularly. Additionally, since it contains the full spectrum of the plant’s naturally occurring compounds, full spectrum CBD oil carries a more robust hemp flavor and aroma.
How Does the Entourage Effect Work?
As stated above, the Entourage Effect is the synergistic relationship between the different compounds present in CBD oil. There are over 100 other cannabinoid compounds present in the hemp plant, and each one has a unique way of boosting the therapeutic effects of your CBD oil. Instead of working merely in parallel with one another when they interact with your body’s endocannabinoid system, these different compounds actually enhance each other’s effects, giving you a deeper, more pronounced CBD experience.
Aside from the cannabinoid compounds, terpenes also bring their own particular skill sets to the party and contribute, each in their own way, to the Entourage Effect. The cannabis plant is known to have over 200 different terpene profiles. Some people only credit terpenes for taste and smell, but they also have other specific benefits, including calming and sleep-inducing properties, and more.
The Follow-up CBD Extraction Process: Broad Spectrum CBD Oil
Broad spectrum CBD oil goes through the exact same process as full spectrum CBD oil, but it undergoes an additional phase that filters detectable amounts of THC from the oil.
At one time, people believed you couldn’t access the Entourage Effect with broad spectrum CBD oil, because when you extract the trace amounts of THC, some minor cannabinoids and terpenes (but not all) also get removed in the process. However, you still have other helpful cannabinoids and terpene profiles in broad spectrum CBD oil that do, in fact, enable the Entourage Effect. It won’t be as pronounced as it is in the full spectrum CBD option, but it’s still there.
Overall, broad spectrum CBD oil is excellent for people who’d like to minimize their consumption of THC. Simply put, broad spectrum CBD oil is a great middle-ground CBD product for consumers. You have some of the naturally occurring cannabinoid compounds from the hemp plant, but less likelihood of consuming the potentially troublesome one.
Total CBD Extraction: CBD Isolate
CBD isolate is the purest form of CBD — 99% pure CBD. Some people prefer the versatility CBD isolate provides, because it’s tasteless and odorless compared to the previous options.
This has much to do with the fact it contains no additional cannabinoids, terpenes, or essential oils.
However, this is also considered a downside to many. Since it is pure CBD, there are no other compounds present in the oil for any synergistic effects.
“What’s the Best CBD Oil Type for Me?”
As you can see, these are three different CBD oil options available and all have their pros and cons. It’s all about aligning with your preferences.
If you want to take advantage of the whole plant (and the Entourage Effect) and drug testing is not an issue, look into full spectrum CBD oils.
Alternatively, if you want to veer away from those trace amounts of THC, look into broad spectrum CBD or CBD isolate options. This is especially helpful if you have routine drug tests you have to take and can’t risk the possibility of failing a drug test — false positive or not!
If the latter isn’t much of a concern, it’s a good idea to test them all and see which CBD oil options work best for your personal body chemistry. While some of us may think we want the full spectrum CBD impact, we may enjoy the experience of broad spectrum CBD or CBD isolate more.
You don’t know until you try. There are many different options, product-wise, so get ready to have some fun during the experimentation process!
Think it’s time to get on board with a full spectrum CBD tincture oil? Check out our CBD Oil Calming Tincture today!
