CBD Types explained

I today’s blog I wanted to talk a little bit about the different terms that people use in the CBD industry to differentiate between the types of active CBD that is being produced.

In all the hemp products that are being distributed, there are essentially three different types of CBD. The question we are dealing with today is what exactly is the difference between isolate, broad spectrum and full-spectrum CBD oils? The goal today is to explain the differences in such a way so you can better and more easily understand it.

First to clarify exactly what we are looking at is Hemp derived CBD products. There are a few companies extracting CBD from low THC marijuana but, that is not what we are focusing on today. Nor are we making any medical claims regarding the reported effects of hemp products either positive or negative.

In our research, we found companies on both sides of the aisle. Some were more than willing to let us in on their processing secrets while others were quite secretive, almost to the point of questioning why we were so curious. Therefore, we are going to “stick to the basics” and break it down in a way that's very easy to understand. Hopefully, by the end of this blog, everybody will have a clearer knowledge of what isolate is, what broad-spectrum CBD oil is, and what full-spectrum CBD oil is.

First what happens is, the extraction companies start with hemp. Either it's PCR hemp, which is vital cannabinoid rich hemp or industrial hemp. The difference between those two is really the decision of the formulator. For our purpose today, we are simply going to call it hemp. They take their hemp and they run it through an extraction process which means they're taking all of the plant material, or all of the hemp material after it's been harvested and they're putting it into an extraction machine. They're either running a solvent through all of that material. Whether it's co2, ether, water or something like that. They use some sort of non-volatile solvent and what comes out on the other end of that machine is crude. A CBD crude oil is very similar in texture and in looks to motor oil. It's literally very dark, the smell is very strong and the flavor is very bitter. And while it is very high in all of the compounds and cannabinoids that everybody is seeking, it's not very consumer friendly just because it's so bitter, strong and ugly. So, what people do, or what processing companies do is, they take that crude and they refine it even further. They put it through the distillation process and in doing so, there's going to be some minor changes both on a chemical and molecular level. I guess you could say you're going to convert the CBD and what happens is you end up with a product that is much more Consumer friendly. Not only does it taste better, it looks more appealling. That's what we know as full-spectrum CBD distillate. Now, when I'm talking about a full spectrum product or full spectrum CBD oil or distillate I'm referring to a product that contains everything including all of the cannabinoids all of the compounds the flavonoids and the oils vitamins everything including THC. That's what we are talking about when using the term full-spectrum CBD distillate.

The full-spectrum distillate is used a few different ways. The most common way that people are using the full-spectrum product is to create new and other products. They're using it as the active ingredient in gummies, tinctures, dog treats etc. which more than likely contains a full-spectrum CBD distillate. The primary reason is that full-spectrum distillate is less expensive to produce because it does not require extensive distillation to remove the unwanted extra ingredient of THC.

Another product that comes from full-spectrum distillate is what is called broad-spectrum CBD. Broad –spectrum CBD is full-spectrum distillate with the THC removed and all the “extra” compounds left in. There is an entire segment of the consumer market that's very interested in trying and using CBD products but for whatever reason, more often job related, they are wary of consuming THC. I recently spoke to a gentleman who owned a “head shop” and he laughingly told me that his customers will only buy full-spectrum products because they thought that they would get them high. I guess it’s for each their own… So, that’s what is happening. The manufacturer is further refining the distillate and pulling out the THC. The broad spectrum CBD distillate is then being used to create other gummies, tinctures dog treats etc. minus the THC.

The third way that full-spectrum CBD distillate is used is to create CBD isolate. The CBD isolate is exactly what it sounds like. It's the CBD molecule that's been isolated and extracted on its own and processed into the form of a white powder with very little flavor, and very little smell. If processed correctly, pure-isolate CBD will usually be, almost all, pure CBD. Sadly, many full and broad-spectrum products contain only small traces of CBD with some containing none at all. CBD isolate is a very useful product in that it can be easily incorporated into just about any type of product or recipe that you could think of. It also contains a higher percentage of cannabinoids than the previous mentioned distillates. The downside is, the cost to process the isolate is more expensive and many people think that because isolate doesn't contain any of the other cannabinoids or pretty much anything else found in the hemp plant, like stems and seeds that create the “entourage effect, it is not going to perform as effectively as a broad or a full spectrum product.  Regardless of which type you prefer, we recommend that you maintain an open mind and fully investigate the product that best meets your requirements.

I hope this information helps in your learning more about CBD, what it is and the way it is processed.

Thanks again for reading our blog…CBD Doc.