Out of all of the new hemp-derived products, one of the ones that is getting a lot of attention is broad-spectrum hemp. With all of the varying terms that seem to pop up everywhere we look on the internet it is difficult to get a clear view of the differences between what terms mean what. Broad-spectrum, full-spectrum, isolate and even crude hemp oil and products are available throughout the markets. What do they mean? Why are broad-spectrum hemp products different than other ones? We hope to explain the differences to you in a way that is easy to understand.
What is Hemp?
The cannabis family can be a little confusing for people that don’t quite understand what the differences are between the plants and what they all have to offer. When it comes to hemp plants, they are a breed of cannabis known as cannabis Sativa. Many years ago, cannabis Sativa was labeled as a strong marijuana plant that had the capacity to get the user as high as a kite. Since those days, hemp farmers have bred and cross-bred cannabis plants in order to create a strain of cannabis that had a low THC content, but a high CBD content.
Now that the government has lifted the ban on hemp products it is legal to grow and sell in the United States, under the stipulation that it has a total THC content of 3% or less. Industrial hemp that is grown for industrial purposes on farms in the US is what most of the hemp-derived products in the country come from.
Full-Spectrum Hemp
On top of all of the cannabinoids, including THC and CBD, that are available in the hemp plant, there is also a good amount of terpenes and flavonoids that are present as well. When we talk about full-spectrum hemp, we are actually referring to a full-spectrum hemp extract. The way that hemp oil products are manufactured is that the actual essential oil of the hemp plant is extracted from the solid hemp plant then used to create whatever product that the manufacturer intended to make. Most of the CBD products that are labeled as full-spectrum CBD are, in all actuality, full-spectrum extracts that contain the full spectrum of the hemp plant.
As we mentioned above, the hemp plant is home to over 100 different cannabinoids, several flavonoids, and a plethora of terpenes that make up the essence of the hemp plant. In a full-spectrum distillate extract, all of the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavinoids will still be present in the extract…including a small amount of THC.
Broad-Spectrum Hemp
In the event of a broad-spectrum hemp extract, all of the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids that are present in the hemp plant are preserved in the extract except for the THC. In simple terms, broad-spectrum hemp products do not have THC in them. What makes broad-spectrum hemp extracts different is that they have all of the other components present that are in the full spectrum extract, but the THC is left behind. Because of this, CBD enthusiasts believe that they can still get the entourage effect that full-spectrum hemp products promise, but without the THC.
Hemp Products with CBD
Since the oil that is extracted from the hemp plant is the active ingredient that fuels the CBD products that are on the market, you can find the different spectrums that are available in most of those products. For example, when it comes to CBD tinctures you can find them in full-spectrum, broad-spectrum and even CBD isolate forms. Isolated CBD products are products that only contain CBD that has been isolated from the rest of the compounds of the hemp plant.
It all comes down to the preference of the user as to which kind is best for use. If you do not want any THC whatsoever in your system, you are much better off choosing a broad-spectrum, or even a CBD isolate product. If you don‘t mind a little bit of THC, maybe you could benefit from a full-spectrum hemp product.
The beautiful thing about all of it is that you have a choice today. Choose whatever you like.
