Cannabidiol is one of the 80 naturally-occurring chemicals found in marijuana. In recent times, it has received widespread attention and is being touted as a ‘miracle oil’. This has led to it becoming one of the latest marijuana fads with trail taking place earlier this year in which a federal court ruled against protecting Cannabidiol (or CBD as it is popularly called) from federal law enforcement.
While CBD is used in different forms by people, the two major forms are Full spectrum CBD and CBD isolate which will be compared.
What Is Full Spectrum CBD/Hemp Extract?
This is also referred to as whole plant CBD and contains all the cannabinoids that are found in marijuana. Examples of such cannabinoids include CBN (Cannabinol), CBG (Cannabigerol), and THCV (Tetrahydrocannabivarin). It is also known to contain a number of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and so on.
CBD is gotten by way of Carbon Dioxide or Ethanol extraction after which the product is distilled to get CBD oil. CBD oil maintains all the properties found in Marijuana which includes THC.
It has been found to aid in the treatment of various ailments such as inflammation, epilepsy, anxiety and psychological issues. It, however, has also been found to not have any physocactive effects on users as full spectrum CBD is extracted from industrial marijuana which has a low THC ratio (usually about 0.03% maximum).
29 states currently fully legalize the use of all CBD products in the united states as they continue to grow in popularity. 17 states, however, have regulations guiding the use of CBD products base don their THC level.
What Is CBD Isolate?
While full-spectrum CBD is not the purest form of CBD and contains all the properties found in marijuana, CBD isolate is the most ‘processed’ version of CBD and undergoes a number of processes before the final product is ready.
In this case, the CBD is extracted from the plant and all the other Cannabinoids are removed, resulting in a refined end result.
Much like full spectrum CBD, CBD isolate is gotten by using Carbon Dioxide extraction techniques in order to extract the CBD oil from the marijuana plant. The difference between them is that CBD isolate is not left in this state. Rather, it goes through further purification to ensure that other properties and waves are extracted from the final product.
This means that all the properties such as CBG (Cannabigerol), and THCV (Tetrahydrocannabivarin) will not be present in CBD isolate. As a result, the final product is tasteless and odorless. The final product further undergoes rigors testing to ensure that all these properties are not present and that it is free of contamination. CBD isolate is also completely free of THC, unlike full spectrum CBD which might contain up to 0.3% of THC.
As with full spectrum CBD, it has no physocactive effects and there is no risk of getting high of it. Depending on the legislation in the user’s state of residence, CBD isolate might be the only legal option. This also applies to individuals who are required to undergo drug testing as THC is not present in CBD isolate and thus, will not appear in test results.
Which Is Better, Full Spectrum or Isolate?
Looking at the basic explanations of both, it is easy to quickly assume that CBD isolate is the more preferable of the two. The removal of other cannabinoids gives the impression that it is ‘purer’ and safer to use. Many merchants who sell CBD isolate often use its ‘purity’ as a selling point.
However, this belief is untrue as full spectrum CBD has been shown to be the better of the two for use.
Despite the long-standing belief, a study performed by the Lautenberg Center for General Tumor Immunology, Jerusalem in 2015 showed otherwise.
During the study, two sets of mice were given dosages of CBD isolate and Full spectrum CBD respectively and observed. The group of mice who were given full spectrum CBD recorded increased levels of relief compared to the other group.
Also, when the dosage of full spectrum CBD was increased, there was a considerable increase in the amount of relief reported in the mice. This was not the case in the mice that were given CBD isolate despite the increased dosage.
This has been chalked down to the fact that the purification process that CBD isolate undergoes removes the cannabinoids along with vitamins, minerals and so on that are actually beneficial to the user.
While the study suggests that full spectrum CBD is more beneficial to the user, it cannot be applied to individuals who need to undergo drug tests for career purposes.
It must also be considered that 17 states in the U.S have laws that restrict cannabis product usage based on their THC level. For individuals in such states, CBD isolate might be a better option.
The benefits of full spectrum CBD
It has been established that full spectrum CBD is overall more beneficial for users than CBD isolate, but why is that?
The reason for this is something called the entourage effect. Full spectrum CBD contains all the cannabinoids found in the marijuana plant which work together to provide better results than a single cannabinoid would have done on its own.
Some of the cannabinoids contained in full spectrum CBD include Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Cannabigerol (CBG), Cannabinol (CBN), Cannabichromene (CBC), Terpenes, Limonene, Pinene, Linalool, and Humulene. Also included are many vitamins, minerals, and proteins.
Conclusion
Both CBD isolate and full spectrum CBD have their unique qualities and benefits.
While CBD isolate is the more refined version of the two, full spectrum CBD retains essential cannabinoids, vitamins, and minerals that work together to create a more calming effect that can be used to treat various ailments from epilepsy to anxiety.
Also, before choosing one over the other, consider both the legal restrictions in your state of residence as well as whatever drug-testing requirements exist in your place of work.
Author Bio:
Headshop headquarters is an online head shop located in Austin, Texas. They set themselves apart with customer service, quick shipping, and high quality glass products.
