What is CBD?
What is CBD ?
Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound produced by the cannabis plant, is quickly growing in popularity and is likely to become more accepted in the mainstream. CBD oil is finding its way into a variety of products and cannabidiol extracts are being sold online, from tinctures and drops to CBD-infused edibles and CBD balms, as well as a wide range of cosmetics. It’s even becoming popular among pet owners who wish to help their pets live healthier lives.
The early 20th century saw the development of medications such as opioids, which used cannabis in combination with other pharmaceuticals. However, by the late 1930s the war on cannabis had erupted, meaning that cultivation of cannabis became illegal. In 1970, possession of any form of cannabis became banned by the Controlled Substances Act. This led to a decline in the use of cannabis-based preparations. However, many medications were developed that used cannabis combined with other pharmaceuticals. By 1996, California had legalized the use of cannabis for medical treatment despite federal prohibition. Since then there has been an increase in research on CBD and its potential benefits.
Over the past few decades, there has been an explosion of research into the benefits of hemp-derived CBD and other cannabinoids. CBD has been quickly gaining acceptance in the U.S. as a result of media coverage by respected health experts such as Dr. Sanjay Gupta. The message of CBD’s benefits is beginning to reach the masses.
Today, CBD oil is available to most people in the United States, and research into the effects of CBD on the human body has ramped up substantially. Modern technology has provided methods of refining and isolating hemp-derived CBD and even increasing the bioavailability of this oil through technologies such as nanoemulsions, which make CBD water-soluble and increase its potency.
The demand for CBD is growing so quickly that sales are expected to surpass $2 billion by 2022.
Let’s look at a few classifications and different methods from which CBD Oil is extracted:
Raw CBD Oil vs. CBD Concentrate
When the essential oils of the hemp plant are extracted for the first time, the resulting product is known as raw hemp extract. This raw extract can then be subjected to a series of filtration and distillation processes to remove unwanted compounds like waxes and chlorophyll, yielding various classes of oils with varying purity and CBD content. CBD concentrate or CBD distillate are the names given to these refined oils.
What Is CBD-Rich Oil/Phytocannabinoid-Rich (PCR)?
Another term you may hear is CBD-rich oil. This term is generally used to label a CBD oil which has gone through some initial filtration and distillation steps to remove unwanted compounds such as chlorophyll and waxes. The resulting product has a higher concentration of CBD than the raw extract, hence the term CBD-rich oil.
Raw CBD Oil vs. CBD Concentrate
When the essential oils of the hemp plant are first extracted, the resulting product is considered raw hemp extract. This raw extract can be put through a series of filtration and distillation processes to remove unwanted compounds, such as waxes and chlorophyll, and produce various classes of oils differing in purity and CBD content. These refined oils are referred to as CBD concentrate or CBD distillate.
What Is Full Spectrum CBD Oil?
We mentioned another class of compounds called terpenes. Raw PCR hemp extract contains terpenes as well as other cannabinoid compounds similar to CBD. Because it retains the natural balance of cannabinoids and terpenes found in the original plant, we refer to these products as full spectrum CBD oils.
What Is Broad Spectrum CBD Oil?
Broad spectrum CBD oil is very similar to a full spectrum oil. Full spectrum CBD oil, as we mentioned, retains the original concentrations of cannabinoids and terpenes found in raw PCR hemp extract. Broad spectrum CBD oil also contains these concentrations of beneficial cannabinoids and terpenes but has all trace amounts of THC extracted. This is ideal for those who want absolutely no THC in their CBD products.
What Is CBD Isolate?
CBD can also be isolated and purified. Pure CBD is known in the industry as CBD isolate. In their pure form and at room temperature, cannabinoids are solid crystals. Purified cannabinoids are colorless and odorless. CBD isolate can be consumed directly or used as an additive in other preparations such as edibles and beverages. Unfortunately, a CBD isolate is devoid of the beneficial terpenes and other cannabinoids found naturally in the plant.
What Is CBD-Infused Oil?
The term CBD-infused can be used to describe either a product which has been infused with purified CBD isolate or a product which has been infused with a CBD-rich, full spectrum or broad spectrum concentrate. A properly labeled product will specify which ingredients were used.
If the ingredients include “CBD isolate,” then the product is not full spectrum. If the ingredients include “CBD-rich hemp oil (or extract)” or “full/broad spectrum CBD oil,” then obviously you’re getting a full/broad spectrum CBD product. It’s important to know which is in a product because they produce different benefits.
A List of CBD Oil Products
To summarize, there are a variety of CBD products which contain varying levels of CBD as well as other cannabinoids and terpenes.
- Hemp seed oil — hemp seed oil, also known as hemp oil, is the oil produced from hemp seeds, does not contain CBD. Hemp seed oil or hemp oil does support inflammation symptoms
- Raw industrial hemp extract — A low-quality source of CBD oil.
- Raw PCR hemp extract — A high-quality, full or broad spectrum product which is rich in CBD and contains the naturally occurring compounds in hemp, including cannabinoids and terpenes.
- CBD concentrate or distillate — A full spectrum or broad spectrum product from which unwanted compounds have been removed.
- CBD isolate — Purified CBD that does not contain other beneficial terpenes and cannabinoids.
- CBD-rich oil/Phytocannabinoid-rich (PCR) — Either full spectrum or broad spectrum CBD concentrate or oil infused with CBD concentrate.
- Broad spectrum oil — An oil rich in CBD and the beneficial cannabinoids and terpenes present in hemp EXCEPT for THC.
- CBD-infused — Generally refers to a product infused with pure CBD, but is also used sometimes to refer to a full spectrum product.
Now hopefully we’ve cleared up some of these terms.
We’ll be working on basics & Frequently Asked Questions Faq’s
Does CBD Oil Get You High?
What Are the Side Effects of CBD Oil?
Will CBD Make Me Drowsy?
Can I Give My Pet CBD Oil?
