You Mean there is a Difference between CBD and Full Spectrum?
Let’s talk CBD. So, you have made the decision to start implementing CBD into your daily life but then you get hit with the question, “would you prefer pure CBD or full spectrum hemp oil?” “Dear goodness,” you think, “there are more decisions to be made?” It would certainly be nice to be able to have a one-size-fits-all product that we could just hand over and that would be it, wouldn’t it? This is not the case but that does not mean that this should be a difficult decision or even a painful process in the slightest. After all, you are doing this because your ultimate goal is to feel better and we want to make sure that happens. It all starts with finding the product that is right for you.
There are various final forms of CBD products and it is essential to understand the distinctions amongst them. The two key categories of CBD are Pure CBD and Full Spectrum Hemp Oil. It is important to note that no CBD category is necessarily superior to the other. We are all unique individuals with a body that is unique to us and we each come with a diverse set of needs and preferences. It is significant to remember that what may work for one person may not work the same for another. The decision may feel overwhelming at first, but the differences are actually quite simple and once you understand these differences the choice between the two will become much clearer.
What's the Point? Isn't CBD Just CBD?
It may seem like this is being made to be more complicated than it should be but there are very good reasons as to why it is split up this way. Let’s take a look at why. CBD, short for cannabidiol, is one of many naturally occurring compounds in the cannabis plant. Cannabis? Yes! CBD products are derived from the hemp plant which is a member of the cannabis family. These naturally occurring compounds are actually called cannabinoids and CBD is one of the most researched of all cannabinoids. However, there are over 100 cannabinoids present in this wonderful plant. Wow! Now, the important takeaway here is that CBD is not something that was created in a lab but rather is a single molecule derived from a plant. This plant is made up of a lot more than just CBD, though. After all, it is not called a CBD plant. It’s called a hemp plant. The reason it is important to remember that CBD comes from a plant and not created somewhere off in big pharma land is because in order to obtain the CBD you have to extract it. You have got to pull it out somehow as we are obviously not all sitting here munching on leaves. Now there are different ways to do this. You can extract the CBD and leave it intact with other beneficial plant material or you can extract it and process it down to the level where nothing else is left but CBD.
Due to the heavy research that has been conducted on CBD and all of the promising and positive findings on what it can do for the mind and body, it was originally thought that CBD alone was all that was necessary. While CBD is a powerful natural agent and can certainly stand on its own, it has since been discovered that CBD that has not been completely isolated away from the rest of the plant has its own unique set of advantages. The reason that one form has not been eliminated in the favor of the other is because they both have their place. Serving the same purpose, helping your body and mind be the best that it can be, they each have unique reasons as to why one person may choose one over the other. We will explain those differences in detail for you.
Full Spectrum Hemp Oil
You may sometimes hear full spectrum hemp oil referred to as “whole plant” or “full plant.” The reason for this is because the full hemp extract is included in this CBD product. In addition to CBD, which is the most abundant cannabinoid in a full spectrum hemp extract, you will find additional cannabinoids, terpenes, and phytonutrients. Included in this are minimum quantities of THC, another cannabinoid that is found in trace amounts in hemp. Some may be alarmed by this, but it is only present at 0.3% or less which is within the legal federal limit for CBD products. So, don’t be alarmed! Full spectrum products are still non-intoxicating and that tiny amount of THC carries great therapeutic benefits even without the “high.” The benefit of leaving these additional plant compounds intact is due to a phenomenon called the “entourage effect.” The entourage effect is the synergistic way in which all of these plant compounds interact with one another to provide a stronger therapeutic value than any one compound working alone. You don’t want the team captain without the team, right? This product is closer to the way that nature intended it to be as it does not undergo the level of processing that a pure CBD product would need to undergo. The terpenes and flavonoids that are also naturally present, while providing great benefits, can give the product a distinct taste and aroma that may be unpleasant to some. The biggest deciding factor when it comes to a full spectrum product is drug testing. While there are only trace amounts of THC, within the legal threshold of 0.3%, there is no guarantee that it will not show up on a drug test. There are too many factors that come into play for anyone to make that guarantee such as weight, diet, metabolism, and dosage. For some, even the slightest possibility of a false positive is not worth the risk. This is the very reason that we provide options because we believe that should not have to stop you from experiencing all of the wonderful benefits that this plant has to offer.
Pure CBD
Pure CBD is just as it sounds; CBD pure and simple. There are no active compounds present other than cannabidiol (CBD). There are no additional cannabinoids, terpenes, or phytonutrients here. Which means there is also no THC. Remember, both pure CBD and full spectrum hemp oil products are extracted from the hemp plant. In this case, all other plant material is stripped away leaving you with a product that is purely CBD. You can visualize it like this, you take the hemp plant and turn that into full spectrum hemp oil. You then take that full spectrum hemp oil and turn that into pure CBD. That is a simple explanation of the order of processing the plant needs to undergo in order to get to a specific end point. Now, don’t get too hung up on the word “pure” as many people tend to do. The word “pure” does not translate into “better.” What it means here is that there is nothing else but CBD. This also means that there is no “entourage effect.” Due to the lack of the entourage effect, pure CBD is often taken in higher doses than a full spectrum product. In addition, pure CBD is also tasteless and odorless which makes it ideal for those with a sensitive palate.
Let’s compare it to a concept that is much more familiar. Say you have a bowl of varying fruits. You’ve got strawberries, mangoes, apples, and bananas all mixed together in a delightful and nutrient dense snack. Okay, now remove everything but the apples. Your fruit bowl is now “pure apples.” Is that better? Not necessarily. Your apple still has nutrients and benefits all on its own. Could you benefit from having even more nutrients as you would if you still had your big bowl of mixed fruit? Yes, but maybe you are allergic to strawberries or mangoes give you heartburn. So, the apple alone is what is best for you in this case and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Think About it This Way
Let us provide you with a couple more quick analogies to help simplify things. Let’s look at the difference between fresh juice and whole produce. Fresh juice contains a lot of nutrients but without the whole fruit or vegetable are you really getting all of the nutrients you could be and are those nutrients absorbing optimally? A whole fruit or vegetable contains additional nutrients and fiber that get lost when processed into juice. That’s not to say that whole produce is always better because fresh juice certainly has its place. You can also compare it to the world of superheroes. CBD is the superhero in this scenario and the superhero by itself is the Pure CBD. Now, let’s give our superhero a few sidekicks. This is your full spectrum hemp oil. A superhero is great on its own but wouldn’t that superhero be even better with the help of a few sidekicks? If you are looking to get the most out of your CBD, trying to target specific ailments, and have no worries of drug testing then you may want to consider a full spectrum hemp oil product. If you have sensitivities to THC and other plant material, are looking to cook with something flavorless, and are concerned about regular drug testing then you may want to consider a pure CBD product. It can be a little bit of trial and error, too. Everyone’s body is unique and thus, so will be their experience with CBD. Regardless of the form you choose, CBD carries numerous benefits and it is easy to see why it’s becoming increasingly prevalent in the world of natural health.
