Many different terms in the CBD world confuse consumers. Full Spectrum (FSE), Broad Spectrum, Isolate, Nano, Water-Soluble, the list goes on and on. We strive to educate the consumer on this ever-changing industry and product selection. This blog post will go over the difference between FSE (Full Spectrum), BS (Broad Spectrum), and Isolate.
FSE – Full Spectrum Extract
First, let us go over what an extract is. CBD oil, CBD topicals, CBD consumables, CBD vape cartridges, etc., are from some form of hemp extract. Hemp extract is simply a concentrated form of the plant. CBD% in the plant is typically around 15%. An extract will concentrate that to 70+%.
FSE is the simplest form of hemp extraction. Typically there is only one extraction method used to concentrate the plant. These methods usually use a solvent such as ethanol, CO2, butane, or others. Solventless extraction like rosin works for a full spectrum extract. You can purify FSE further by going through distillation.
Full spectrum means that it contains the whole plant in concentrated form. The extraction process eliminates nothing, and all cannabinoids found in the plant are in the extract. Hemp is mainly concentrated in CBD, but there are also other cannabinoids such as THC, CBC, CBN, CBG, among many others. FSE contains all the cannabinoids found in the plant and terpenes and flavonoids.
Full Spectrum vs Broad Spectrum CBD
Broad spectrum is similar to full spectrum, but it removes THC from the extract. There are other processes and methods needed to remove THC from the extract. While full spectrum contains THC and the other minor cannabinoids, broad-spectrum will still have the minor cannabinoids like CBG and CBC. If you are looking for CBD products with minor cannabinoids but no THC, look for broad spectrum CBD. I will warn you to make sure you look at a certificate of analysis on broad spectrum products to ensure no THC in the product.
Full Spectrum vs Isolate CBD
FSE vs. Isolate CBD is where things get much different compared to full spectrum vs. broad spectrum. Isolate is very simple to understand; it is just CBD, there are no other cannabinoids. Isolate is a crystalline structure that most of the time looks like a fine powder. Most isolates test close to 100% CBD. If you are looking to make sure your CBD product contains no THC, CBD isolate products are what you want.
Vermont Organic Science believes in the full spectrum of cannabis and hemp. All of our USDA-certified organic CBD products are full spectrum. You can look at our certificates of analysis to see the variety of cannabinoids in our products. Feel free to reach out with any questions on FSE or other CBD extracts!