Avoid, knock-off and low-grade CBD Oil products without Guide to the best full spectrum CBD Oil Products
When it comes to choosing CBD products, there are plenty of options. Oftentimes, it can seem like there are too many options, ultimately making it difficult to determine what product will best fit your individual needs. CBD products are made with full-spectrum CBD oil, broad-spectrum CBD oil, and CBD isolates. What exactly do these terms mean, though, and what makes them different from one another?
Full Spectrum, Broad Spectrum, and CBD Isolate: What is the Difference?
Plant medicine has been used for centuries, with medicinal plants and herbs being used by countless cultures for thousands of years to treat innumerable maladies and conditions. Traditionally, cultures have turned to whole-plant medicine, as therapeutic plants contain a variety of compounds that work together to create their beneficial effects.
Cannabis is no different and is an extremely complex plant that contains over 400 different chemical compounds. There are over 100 identified cannabinoids, the most famous of which are CBD and THC. Other cannabis compounds include terpenes, flavonoids, fatty acids, minerals, and more. Together, these various compounds are suggested to work synergistically together to create what is known as the entourage effect. A better understanding of the entourage effect can lend to a better understanding of the various types of CBD oil.
Finding Quality Full Spectrum Premium CBD Oil Products
How can I identify quality CBD tincture and CBD oil product formulas in online marketplaces? User’s that share reviews and add a star rating will be your guide. When you decide to buy premium full spectrum CBD tincture make sure it has a scientific measurement of the cannabinoid test ranges. Most CBD products such as you would purchase from companies like Premium Jane, Purekan, and Medterra will display the mg measurements of terpenes that the oil contains. These are the important full spectrum elements you are looking for as they provide great benefits for issues like pain without causing side effects. I also check out social media for shop reviews and for users who are sharing star ratings and reviews.
Highlights of our Understanding the CBD Oil Entourage Effect
The term “entourage effect” was coined in 1998 by cannabis researchers S. Ben-Shabat and Raphael Mechoulam, who used the word to describe the synergy that occurs with various cannabis compounds. While it is not completely understood how these compounds work together, most experts agree that CBD products that contain all the compounds contained in cannabis itself are more effective than a single isolated CBD molecule.
Take the 2015 study, for example, that found full-spectrum CBD to be more effective at treating inflammation. It highlighted what is referred to as the “bell-shaped response curve,” discovering that the effectiveness of CBD isolate hits its highest point with a medium dose but decreases with higher and lower doses. Graphically, this curve resembles an inverted “U,” which is where the bell-shaped response curve got its name.
Full Spectrum CBD Formulas Provide Maximum Benefits
When researchers used a full-spectrum CBD oil in the same experiment, however, the bell shape disappeared. They discovered that while CBD isolate was only effective with a moderate dose, full-spectrum CBD was increasingly responsive when dose sized increased.
Full Spectrum, Broad Spectrum, and CBD Isolate Explained
Full-spectrum CBD, broad-spectrum CBD, and CBD isolate are all used to make various CBD products, but not all lend to the entourage effect. While each type of CBD oil contains the potential benefits cannabidiol is famous for, they each contain a somewhat different chemical composition.
- Full Spectrum CBD Oil: Full-spectrum CBD oil contains all compounds contained in the cannabis plant. This includes various cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and more. Full-spectrum CBD oil is a popular choice that is used by several CBD companies because it lends to the entourage effect.
Full-spectrum CBD oil does contain trace amounts of THC, which should be less than 0.3% when the oil is derived from hemp. If interested in a full spectrum CBD product, it’s advised to look at a company’s third-party lab test results which will indicate exactly how much THC the product contains.
- Broad Spectrum CBD Oil – Broad-spectrum CBD and full-spectrum CBD are remarkably similar in that they contain all the beneficial compounds in cannabis that lend to its therapeutic profile. The difference? Broad-spectrum CBD oil does not contain any THC.
After CBD is extracted, it goes through further refinement to create a high-quality finished product. During the refining process, unwanted cannabinoids and other compounds can be removed.
Can I Buy Premium CBD Tincture Safely Online?
Because of its legal status, some CBD manufacturers choose to remove all traces of THC from their CBD oil. The result is what’s known as broad-spectrum CBD oil. All other cannabinoids and beneficial compounds are left intact, making broad-spectrum oils ones that still lend to the entourage effect, albeit not as influential as full-spectrum oils.
- CBD Isolate – CBD isolate refers to CBD in its isolated form. Most CBD isolate products are characterized by containing 99% or more pure CBD. They don’t contain any other cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, or other various cannabis compounds.
While CBD isolate starts out like full or broad-spectrum CBD, it goes through further processing after the initial refinement process. Where broad spectrum processing removes the THC molecule from the extracted oil, CBD isolates processing removes all cannabinoids and compounds expect for CBD.
CBD isolate is a white powder. This powder is sometimes sold on its own but is typically mixed with a carrier oil to create CBD isolate tinctures. It is also used to create other CBD products such as capsules, edibles, topicals, and pet products. Because it does not contain any other compounds except for CBD, CBD isolate does not lend to the entourage effect.
How are the Best CBD Oil Products Formulas Produced?
Before full spectrum CBD, broad-spectrum CBD, and CBD isolate become actual products, they must first be extracted from the hemp plant itself. All CBD products start out as a hemp plant and go through an extraction process to remove the compounds that ultimately create CBD oil.
At the most basic level, extraction uses a solvent that is passed through the cannabis plant material to separate the active compounds contained in hemp (cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, etc.). The two most popular types of extraction methods to create CBD oil are:
- Supercritical CO2 Extraction: Uses highly pressurized carbon dioxide at low temperatures that transform the gas into a liquid state, which is then passed through the plant material to remove desired compounds. Supercritical CO2 extraction is the most popular extraction method, as it results in the purest extract you can find.
- Ethanol Extraction: Uses an alcohol-based solvent (typically ethanol) to pull compounds out of the cannabis plant material. Because ethanol is a polar solvent that mixes well with water, it also dissolves water-soluble molecules as well. This includes chlorophyll, which requires further processing to remove in order for oil not to contain a grassy, bitter flavor and a dark, deep hue.
Both types of extraction methods result in a full spectrum CBD oil, containing all the compounds that were originally present in the cannabis plant. Full-spectrum CBD oil does contain trace amounts of THC, but levels are so low that they do not cause a psychoactive effect like high-THC strains of marijuana. Most CBD oil available on the market is made from hemp that contains less than 0.3% THC.
To produce broad-spectrum CBD oil and CBD isolate, further processing must take place. To produce a broad-spectrum CBD oil, the THC molecule must be isolated and removed from the full spectrum extract. To do this, a proprietary chromatography process is employed that essentially strips the THC from the extract but leaves other cannabinoids and compounds intact.
- Further refining the oil to produce CBD isolate
In order to isolate the CBD molecule, further purification must take place after the initial extraction. A process known as winterization is performed, which removes plant waxes and lipids. Once oil has been winterized, it goes through a process called triple-pass fractional distillation. This removes other cannabinoids and compounds like terpenes, flavonoids, and chlorophyll.
This fractionated oil is next mixed with a solvent, and the combined mixture is then heated and cooled which triggers the CBD to give rise to a crystallized form. This crystallized CBD is then washed with the solvent to remove any impurities or contaminants. Finally, all solvents used during the isolation process are purged from the isolate, resulting in a product that is 99% pure CBD.
Raw Cannabinoids, the building blocks of High-Quality Full Spectrum Premium CBD Products
Extracts produced from hemp using extraction methods such as supercritical CO2 extraction or ethanol result in an oil that contains acidic forms of cannabinoids that have not yet been activated. These acidic forms of various cannabinoids contained in hemp extract are known as raw cannabinoids.
Activated cannabinoids are what is typically referred to as CBD or THC. Before they become these active compounds, however, they start out in an acidic form. TCH starts out as THCA (tetrahydrocannabinol acid), while CBD starts out as CBDA (cannabidiolic acid). This is true for all cannabinoids contained in the cannabis plant.
To convert the nonactive acidic forms of cannabinoids to active compounds, the extract must go through a process known as decarboxylation, which heats up the extract to the point that the acid molecule is removed. This “activates” the hemp extract, resulting in a product that contains the desired effects cannabinoids like CBD and THC are known for. The majority of full-spectrum CBD, broad-spectrum CBD and CBD isolate products that are widely available all go through the process of decarboxylation.
There is research that suggests that cannabinoids in their raw state have distinctive benefits of their own. There are a few raw cannabinoid extracts available on the market, although active products that have gone through decarboxylation are the most common. Products that blend both raw cannabinoids and active cannabinoids are also becoming increasingly popular.
What is Full Spectrum, Broad Spectrum, and CBD Isolate Oils Made With?
Once extracted, full-spectrum CBD oil, broad-spectrum CBD oil, and CBD isolate are all in an extremely concentrated form. To produce the CBD oil tinctures, the concentrated oil forms are mixed with a carrier oil. This is done to dilute the concentrated form and help deliver CBD to the body.
Common carrier oils typically mixed with CBD include MCT, coconut, hemp seed, avocado, palm, olive, and grapeseed. MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oils have become a popular carrier oil choice because CBD and other cannabinoids are fat-soluble and are most effective when combined with saturated fats. MCT oils allow for a higher concentration of CBD to be absorbed into the bloodstream.
Aside from carrier oils, many CBD oils are made with added flavors and/or other beneficial extracts. For example, there are many full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and CBD isolate oils formulated with melatonin to support a good night’s sleep.
Which Type of CBD Oil Product is the Best Choice?
With a better understanding of the difference between full-spectrum CBD, broad-spectrum CBD, and CBD isolates, it can be much easier to decipher what products might be the best choice for you personally. Cannabis is a very personalized medicine and each person that takes CBD has different needs.
While there is a general consensus that full-spectrum products are “better” because they lend to the entourage effect, not everyone is comfortable taking a product that contains THC. In this case, a broad-spectrum CBD oil or CBD isolate oil might be the best choice.
In the end, there’s still more research is needed to determine what type of CBD oil is best to meet the varying needs of different individuals.