It didn’t take long for researchers and experts to determine what gives hemp its powerful effects. Contained within its leaves, cannabinoids and terpenes work together to imbue hemp users with a blissful blend of wellness benefits that have captured an entire market.
To enhance the experience, professionals have developed a number of ways to extract the contents of hemp. That’s why today, hemp extracts and CBD oils line store shelves. But are they all the same product? Here’s what you should know.
Although some vendors and users interchange the terms hemp extract and CBD oil, they actually world apart. Strictly speaking, hemp extract is hemp seed oil which pertains to the oil extracted by pressing hemp seeds.
This stuff has been known to contain loads of antioxidants and amino acids (among many other things) and is used generally as a carrier oil. Think along the lines of sunflower seed oil or olive oil.
Hemp seed oil offers a wide array of uses and benefits, especially when used in combination with other herbal and natural remedies. In terms of CBD content, however, hemp extract has nil.
Remember that all of the cannabinoids in the hemp plant are found only in the leaves and stalks. The roots and seeds however are completely void of any cannabinoids or CBD for that matter. So essentially, hemp oil, despite its name, doesn’t contain any of the specialized organic compounds found in the hemp plant.
From the name itself, you can kind of already tell what CBD oil is all about. This stuff pertains to the actual extract of the hemp leaves and stalks which contains a rich expression of cannabinoids, including cannabidiol or CBD.
The reason why CBD almost always gets all the attention is that it makes up most of the cannabinoid content of the hemp plant. In most varieties, CBD makes up about 20-25% of the plant’s cannabinoid profile, making it the most prolific of any in its family of compounds.
But despite being called ‘CBD oil’, most CBD oils don’t contain just CBD. There are about three major types of CBD oil on the market. These include:
There’s a lot of debate surrounding CBD oil and whether it should be isolated or noted. According to some studies, full-spectrum oils produce what’s called the ‘Entourage Effect.’
What this essentially means is that when cannabinoids and terpenes are extracted altogether, they work to elevate each other’s effects. So you get more profound, pronounced benefits when you use full spectrum or even broad-spectrum oils.
But then again, the research supporting CBD as a stand-alone substance also makes valid points. Generally, it all boils down to how your body responds to the product and which blends work best for you.
The most important thing to remember when dealing with hemp or CBD oils is that they come from hemp. With the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, we can be sure that any hemp-derived product won’t cause mind-altering effects.
That’s because the cannabinoid responsible for inducing psychoactive results doesn’t exist in copious amounts in hemp. In fact, according to the law, for any part of the Cannabis sativa L. plant to be considered hemp, it would have to contain 0.3% THC or less.
If we go even further, you’ll find that products like hemp seed oil have never been banned because hemp seeds don’t contain cannabinoids at all.
As long as you’re buying your products from a reputable, trusted source, you can be sure that your hemp seed and CBD oils will not get you high. If they do induce any sort of psychoactive effects, you might want to check the labels, expiration dates, and lab tests just to be sure.
On that note, it’s also worth mentioning that both hemp seed oil and CBD oil are completely federally legal. However, there are some localities that have imposed unique laws regarding the use, sale, and possession of CBD oil.
Although hemp seed oil and CBD oil come from the hemp plant, their effects, benefits, and uses differ greatly. The presence of cannabinoids in the leaves and stems means that CBD oils produce results that mirror those of hemp flowers.
Hemp seed oil, on the other hand, works more like its natural, plant-derived oil cousins. Enjoyed as a carrier oil, hemp seed oil also offers a range of benefits, albeit entirely void of any cannabinoid content.
