Every day there are new trends and developments in the field of cannabis. There is also a lot going on in the CBD area. The latest news is that two camps have emerged. On the one hand you have the “isolate CBD” users, and on the other hand there are the “full-spectrum CBD” supporters. What is the difference? And what are the similarities? Read on and discover everything about full-spectrum and isolate CBD.
Full-spectrum versus isolate – the basic differences
Full-spectrum CBD is made from an extract that contains all cannabinoids and other substances that are naturally present in the weed plant. The word full spectrum means, as the name suggests, that it contains the full range of substances present. In the first place it contains cannabinoids such as CBD, CBN, CBC and CBG, but it also packs all kinds of flavonoids and terpenes. This is contrast to an isolate CBD which only contains CBD. In this case CBD is isolated from a marijuana extract and out of this CBD oil, tinctures or other products are produced. Read on and discover everything about full spectrum and isolate CBD.
But what are the benefits and differences between the two? The biggest difference is that CBD which contains the entire spectrum has more therapeutic options. An isolate is one-sided in that respect. Another difference is that an isolate CBD contains for sure no THC. A full spectrum contains THC, although in a very low dose. The THC content is present in such low content that it has no psychoactive effect.
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But what about the therapeutic effect? This is due to the entourage effect. All cannabinoids in cannabis (which also occur in other plants) react with receptors in the human body. This fusion of cannabinoids and receptors and the effects that follow are called the entourage effect.
Active substances
A full CBD spectrum contains the complete package of active substances from the marijuana plant. So not only CBD, but also terpenes, a small amount of THC, wax and chlorophyll. So a ‘full spectrum’ simply packs more therapeutic power. An isolate, on the other hand, is much more refined and is full of CBD. So if you only benefit from CBD, that is a better choice. But it does not have much to offer in terms of entourage effect.
Broad Spectrum CBD
It is quite impossible to talk about full-spectrum CBD and CBD isolate without mentioning the other CBD spectrum type – CBD broad spectrum. Casually, you may say that broad-spectrum CBD comes in between CBD isolate and full-spectrum CBD.
The reason for saying so is simple. See, full-spectrum CBD harbors all the phytocannabinoids, including THC. The case is different from isolate CBD, though. Importantly, it is also worth mentioning that isolate CBD is mostly 99.9% pure, which means that there are no other phytocannabinoids, other than CBD.
That said, broad-spectrum CBD harbors all the phytocannabinoid minus THC. You can as well say that broad-spectrum CBD is full-spectrum CBD without THC, or rather isolate CBD plus the other phytocannabinoids, minus Tetrahydrocannabinol.
Benefits of broad-spectrum CBD
Even though not every other CBD brand realizes the benefits of broad-spectrum CBD, a couple of others know what is in store for the consumer. This typically means that they are specialists and should anyone be in the quest to find the beneficial broad-spectrum CBD, they know where to delve.
There are several benefits of going the broad-spectrum CBD way. These comprise:
Firstly, it is illogical to compare CBD isolate to broad-spectrum CBD. This is how…in broad-spectrum CBD; the user benefits not only with CBD, but also other chemical compounds such as terpenes, flavonoids, and loads more.
Secondly, since there is no THC in broad-spectrum CBD, the user benefits from all the phytocannabinoids with no worry about failing a cannabis drug test. That is, one wouldn’t have to worry about missing that job opportunity or travel permit citing the failure to ace the urine test.
How to make Broad Spectrum CBD
The process isn’t overwhelming as it would have been the case with isolate CBD, but it is more difficult to manufacture broad-spectrum CBD as compared to full-spectrum CBD. This is how to go about it. The process starts with treating raw hemp at first. Most CBD brands use the CO2 extraction method to extract cannabis plant matter from the industrial hemp plant.
Secondly, the broad-spectrum CBD manufacturer goes the extra mile and separates THC from the other plant matter. This means that the other cannabis chemical compounds remain intact, as they are supposed to be while maintaining Cannabidiol.
Full-spectrum vs CBD Isolate: Why does the difference count?
By now, you are aware of what the three spectra of CBD really are. So, why is it helpful to learn the differences?
Well, you would need to avoid confusion at all costs when you are in the quest to purchase your CBD product, and this includes conducting due diligence. Let’s face it: It’ll be utterly disappointing to you if you visit your favorite CBD brand, ask for isolate CBD, but then get full-spectrum CBD in return.
This will, of course, mean that you will meet uncertainties such as failing urine tests, getting the product that won’t provide the fathomed benefits, and loads more. The importance of understanding the difference mostly lies in the way you will know what you are paying for and meeting the exact expected reasons for buying any type of CBD.
Understand the entourage effect
The entourage effect and the different CBD spectra go hand-in-hand. So, the full-spectrum CBD enhances the entourage effect. That is the ability of phytocannabinoids and phytochemicals to work together.
In addition to CBD and THC, some other phytocannabinoids you may expect to find in full-spectrum CBD; thus, promoting the entourage effect include:
- Cannabidivarin (CBDV)
- Tetrahydrocannabinol Acid (THCA)
- Cannabinol (CBN)
- Cannabidiol Acid (CBD)
- Cannabigerol (CBG)
- Cannabichromene (CBC).
The inclusion of these different cannabis chemical compounds, therefore, explains why you may expect to pay higher prices when shopping for full-spectrum CBD as compared to the CBD isolate and broad-spectrum.
The logic here is simple – you are paying for the benefits you are accruing when you take all the different cannabinoids in a single product, and thus, the entourage effect will come into play.
When terpenes also work together with the other cannabis cannabinoids, the entourage effect also gets fostered. These are responsible for bringing about the distinct scents of a particular cannabis strain.
With more than 200 terpenes of cannabis, this explains why some CBD products may be somewhat earthy, skunky, or lemony. Of course, the presence of terpenes in full-spectrum CBD products means that there is the promotion of the entourage effect; thus, making them give the user their expected benefits.
Which CBD spectrum is better?
Better here is, for lack of a better word, relative. It all depends on what the user needs to garner after taking their favorite CBD product. Each one has a uniquely functioning Endocannabinoid System (ECS), and this means that it is daunting to rate a specific CBD spectrum better than the other.
The best way to decide what type of CBD to take and which to avoid is by going through the merits and merits of each. Where there are many benefits and relevant to your pain point, is where you should wade off your cash.
Importantly, note that you should avoid confusion by reading the…
Factors determining CBD Spectrum
Even though there is no much we can do to know exactly what the CBD spectrum gets used in a specific product, doing some background search is vital. You may need to scourge through a brand’s third-party laboratory test reports and also cross-check their Certificates of Analysis.
That way, if you find that no other products get mentioned other than CBD, you will undeniably know that you have purchased isolate CBD.
If, on the other hand, Certificates of Analysis and Laboratory reports say that there are products such as THC, terpenes, CBD, CBN, et al., you will be buying full-spectrum CBD.
