How to Choose Your Full Spectrum CBD Products
When shopping for CBD products, one of the first things you notice is products advertising their “full-spectrum” CBD oil content. But what exactly does full-spectrum mean? You may be wondering if it’s good, if it’ll affect your experience of CBD, or if it’s just another buzzword for CBD products. We’re here to fully answer your questions by explaining exactly what full-spectrum CBD oil is and how it will influence your experience. To start with, it’s definitely not just a buzzword. ‘Full-spectrum’ is one of the most important labels on the bottle of CBD oil.
Quick Answer: What Does “Full-Spectrum CBD Oil” Mean?
Full-spectrum CBD oil is a direct oil extract from the hemp plant. It contains all the natural compounds that are in the hemp plant contains. The compound with the biggest percentage is CBD with trace amounts of over a hundred other lesser cannabinoids and terpenes. One of the lesser cannabinoids is THC, of which there is 0.3%
The extra cannabinoids and terpenes provide something called the entourage effect, which can enhance your experience of the CBD oil product. The entourage effect is why full-spectrum CBD oil is used and sold.
The more complicated answer explains how CBD reacts in the body, how CBD oil is derived from hemp, and why that all come together into full-spectrum CBD oil products.
Deriving CBD Oil From Hemp Plants
Full-spectrum CBD oil starts with a hemp plant. It can be derived from purpose-grown hemp and from hemp that is also processed into textile fibers. CBD oil comes from extracting the oil from the stems, leaves, and flowers of the plant.
The hemp plants are shredded, pressed, and filtered until an extracted oil remains. In fact, unprocessed CBD oil is a natural byproduct of the industrial hemp process. What is left is full-spectrum CBD oil, which is then tested for purity and safety before it is then used to make CBD products.
It’s important to note that hemp plants are not the same as cultivated marijuana plants. The male plants have not been separated from the female plants, and the flowers are quite small in comparison. The THC concentration is very low; 0.3% or less, as opposed to the high percentages found in cultivated marijuana plants. CBD is grown from hemp that is or could be used for industrial textiles like canvas and rope.
Cannabinoids and Terpenes
What makes full-spectrum CBD oil special is that it contains all the compounds naturally found in the hemp plant. These compounds are called cannabinoids and terpenes. CBD and THC are both cannabinoids. CBD stands for cannabidiol and THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, and they are two of over a hundred cannabinoids in the hemp plant. There are also over a hundred different terpenes. The cannabinoids are, generally, responsible for the physical and mood effects of the cannabis plant, while terpenes generally provide flavor and aroma, among other lesser effects.
In hemp plants that are used to create CBD oil, CBD is the most powerful cannabinoid with a very high percentage of CBD. THC in hemp plants is 0.3% or less and is one of the trace cannabinoids.
The Endocannabinoid System
Your body has a neurotransmitter receptor set called the endocannabinoid system. Your body produces natural cannabinoids that interact with the endocannabinoid receptors. This system primarily influences your immune system and mood, which relates to the various beneficial effects that many people have experienced. There are two types of endocannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2. CB1 relates to psychotropic effects associated with marijuana, while CB2 relates to the positive body effects associated with CBD.
Each cannabinoid in hemp interacts with your endocannabinoid receptors in a different way. Understandably, THC primarily affects your CB1 receptors, while CBD only interacts with your CB2 receptors.
The Entourage Effect of Full-Spectrum CBD Oil
In full-spectrum (and broad-spectrum) CBD oil includes all the cannabinoids, including trace amounts of THC. So, in addition to affecting your CB1 receptors with CBD, all the other trace-cannabinoids and some of the terpenes interact with both receptor types, enhancing the effects that you feel. While CBD does what it does best, the compounds that make up the “full-spectrum” of natural components in the hemp plant each provide their own smaller effect. And because those effects are all focused on the same system, they strengthen, support, and enrich each other. This, in turn, enhances the effect that the CBD has and makes it a more rich experience with some additional minor effects that might not be present with CBD alone in CBD isolate form.
This is called the Entourage Effect. The entourage effect can mean that CBD feels stronger, lasts longer, or provides a greater effect than pure CBD could do alone. The entourage effect can help CBD effect your body more completely and even reach CB1 receptors that it would normally not reach, deeper in the body, or further down in the limbs. The reason for this is because the extra cannabinoids adding to your receptors can ‘fill up’ the close receptors so that the CBD and entourage last longer in your bloodstream unabsorbed until they reach further CB1 receptors that are not reached as early in the absorption process.
Full-Spectrum CBD Oil Is a Full-Spectrum Experience
So what is full-spectrum CBD oil? It is oil extracted from the hemp plant with all the natural cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant still included. This gives you a broader and more powerful or pervasive effect. Including trace amounts of THC among the other trace cannabinoids that provide an entourage effect.
Full-spectrum CBD oil differs from broad-spectrum CBD oil, where the THC has been removed along with a few other components in the extraction process. And the spectrum CBD oils differ from CBD isolate, where all the cannabinoids and terpenes have been removed, leaving only THC and oil.
Should You Try Full-Spectrum CBD Oil?
Each person should do their own careful experimenting with CBD to discover what works best in your body and gives the experience you prefer most. But full-spectrum CBD is more advisable for some people than others. And because it contains small amounts of THC, some people need to be careful if choosing full-spectrum CBD oil.
Do Not Try Full-Spectrum CBD If You:
- Are worried about trace amounts of THC in your system
- Live in a state where marijuana and THC are illegal
- Have a government job
- Have a strict job with regular or random drug testing
Conclusion
Full-spectrum CBD oil is best for people who are looking for a complete hemp-based natural experience. You may enjoy full-spectrum more than isolate if you like smoking or cooking with marijuana leaf, as these also have the benefits of natural cannabinoids and terpenes. Or if you are looking to alter your experience of a multi-symptom condition. For more insights into CBD or to start on your CBD journey, contact us today!
