There is a lot of misinformation on CBD oil on the internet. You really have to look at certificates of analysis (COA) to determine what is really in the product you just purchased. There are three different forms of hemp extracts that are sold to consumers and many have been mislabeled. These three forms are full spectrum CBD oil, broad spectrum CBD oil, and isolate CBD oil. Here is a brief summary of the differences and what to look for on the COA.
Full Spectrum
Full Spectrum CBD oil contains all the cannabinoids from the hemp plant. Obviously, the prominent cannabinoid is CBD, but it also includes minor cannabinoids including CBG, CBN, CBC, THC <0.03, and others. The minor cannabinoids will be determent by what was in the hemp plant that was extracted. Many people have reported that full spectrum is the most beneficial way to take CBD oil because of the entourage effect and the minor cannabinoids playing a major role. The entourage effect is a theory that all the cannabinoids in hemp work better together than in isolation. FS products also contain terpenes and flavonoids, which bring additional therapeutic benefits. Sometimes you will see products labeled “Full Spectrum no THC”. Be wary of these products as full spectrum contains THC.
Broad Spectrum
Broad Spectrum is like full spectrum oil but has removed the THC from the oil. It still retains other minor cannabinoids as full spectrum oil. Be careful if you are trusting broad spectrum for drug tests, although some of these products say that they are THC free there could still be trace amounts of THC in the product. Make sure that you read over the COA provided for the product.
Isolate
Isolate is pure CBD and only contains CBD. No other cannabinoids are present in isolate CBD products. For those looking for a product that THC won’t show up on a drug test, they should look for Isolate products. I would still make sure to check out the COA of isolate products to guarantee that there is no THC in the product. The downside of isolate is that you do not receive the entourage effects as minor cannabinoids and terpenes are removed from the isolate.
Vermont Organic Science believes in the entourage effect and only produces full spectrum oil. We have found that a product that contains all the minor cannabinoids with CBD has the best results.
Shop USDA certified organic CBD products here!