As a relative newcomer on the horizon, the global hemp market is currently worth over 5 billion dollars and is projected to grow to a staggering 15.2 billion dollars by 2027. Google hemp oil and you might drown in the onslaught of news, controversial headlines, and questions about hemp, CBD, and THC’s legality and effectiveness. If you are new to the hemp oil shopping experience, it can be overwhelming to see the slew of terms, products, and slick marketing aimed at separating you from your money, often with misleading claims and unclear labeling. At Pure Hemp Supply, our promise is truth in advertising, so let’s start with some basic definitions for the new CBD and hemp oil user. One of the most popular questions we see is, “Is hemp oil the same as CBD oil?”
First, let’s clear up the term hemp oil. Hemp oil is an umbrella term, often used interchangeably to describe full-spectrum CBD oil and hemp seed oil. What you need to know is the difference between the two. And while we are at it, we’ll clear up some of the confusion surrounding CBD itself. While there is some overlap, the difference lies in the parts of the plant used to derive each oil, the process of retrieving the oils, and the chemical makeup of each product.
Hemp Seed Oil vs. CBD Oil
First, both products are derived from the Cannabis Plant. But to be classified as hemp products, the oils must be processed from the Cannabis Sativa plant, known for its low THC levels and high levels of the cannabinoid CBD.
What Is Hemp Seed Oil?
Let’s define hemp seed oil. That’s the easy part. Hemp seed oil is made by cold-pressing hemp seeds into a nutrient-rich, golden-colored oil popular in the food and beauty industry. While hemp seed oil has many health benefits, our product line at Pure Hemp Supply focuses on offering high-quality full-spectrum CBD oil. Where it gets tricky is diving into the specifics of CBD oil and its close cousins, CBD concentrate and CBD isolate.
What Is CBD Oil?
Full-spectrum CBD oil a term for the oil derived from the leaves, flowers, and stalks of the Cannabis Sativa plant. The plant itself contains three major phytochemical components: cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids.
- Cannabinoids: Cannabis Sativa contains over 100 cannabinoids, with the most well-known being CBD and THC. Legally, CBD oil can only contain trace amounts of CBD, and most hemp strains are developed to include higher concentrations of CBD and lower THC concentrations. (All Pure Hemp Supply oils are lab tested to ensure compliance with FDA regulations). CBD is the cannabinoid most responsible for the therapeutic results of hemp-based products.
- Terpenes. Cannabis is made up of approximately 150 terpenes, the chemical compounds responsible for determining the plant’s fragrance. It is a well-documented fact that our sense of smell plays an essential role in the psychology of mood, stress, and memory. (We all have that one smell that takes us home!) In fact, aromatherapy has been a stable of civilization going back to ancient Roman and Egyptian cultures. Source. Cannabis terpenes as a class, including D-limonene, commonly found in citrus plants, have well-known anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, and immunostimulating properties. Source.
- Flavonoids. Hemp is home to approximately 20 flavonoids, the most widely found phenolic compound in the plant kingdom, including fruits, veggies, and grains. (If you just read the phrase phenolic compounds and are scratching your head, you aren’t alone. Phenolic compounds are a by-product of plant metabolism not directly involved in the growth and development process but still provide a vital assist in the plant’s survivability and health.) Like terpenes, multiple studies show that the flavonoids found in cannabis have similar beneficial effects, including anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory action and neuroprotectivity. Source
Full-spectrum CBD oil contains all the above compounds, including the trace amounts (less than .3%) of THC. And remember, the (legal) trace amounts of THC shouldn’t cause you to feel high, but you should always check the labeling and third-party testing of your chosen CBD products. A quick note here: Broad Spectrum CBD oil is CBD oil with all traces of THC removed. Some buyers may be concerned about even trace amounts of THC and opt for products that contain no THC at all.
The Extraction Process
While hemp seed oil is derived from cold pressing the seeds, various methods are used to make full-spectrum CBD oil.
- Solvent Extraction: Solvent extraction is a simple extraction method using a solvent, usually ethanol, to remove extracts from the leaves, plants, and stalks. The plant matter is soaked in ethanol to dissolve the extracts from the physical plant matter. After straining the liquid from the trimmings, the ethanol and extract mix is heated to dissolve the ethanol, leaving behind the extract. While this is a simple process, the chemicals involved are dangerous and highly combustible and can result in trace amounts of the solvent being left behind in the final product.
- CO2 Extraction: CO2 Extraction uses a specific form of carbon dioxide in a supercritical state to remove the plant matter compounds. (Supercritical just means the CO2 is in a not quite liquid, not quite gas state that has the properties of both). Supercritical CO2 is super important because it can pass through plant material like gas AND dissolve it like a liquid. (Science sounds like magic sometimes!) It’s a multi-step process that starts with putting the CO2 into the supercritical state, adding it to a high-pressure extraction chamber with the Cannabis Sativa plant trimmings where it passes through the materials and dissolves the extract AT THE SAME TIME. (Magic, I tell you). Finally, it moves to a low-pressure separator chamber where the CO2 is separated from the extract, and the oil is drained. This method produces high-quality CBD perfectly safe for ingestion but is more expensive due to the specialized equipment needed and is most commonly used by industry professionals.
- Ice water extraction: The final method is ice water extraction and produces more of a powdery residue typically known as “hash.” It’s as easy as it sounds but time-consuming and messy! Plant trimmings are finely chopped and mixed with regular ice or dry ice. Then, water is added, and the whole mixture is strained (usually multiple times in a series of finer bags to create the purest extract.) Finally, the extract is allowed to settle, and the excess water is poured off. The final product is allowed to dry, producing the powdery resin that gives the hash its moniker.
(At Pure Hemp Supply, we use a sophisticated method of CO2 extraction as part of our soil to oil process to provide the highest quality CBD oil to you, our customer.)
CBD Concentrate vs. CBD Isolate
Finally, let’s talk about CBD concentrate versus CBD isolate. CBD concentrate is simply the cannabinoids and other phytochemicals after being further filtered and processed to increase potency and effectiveness, resulting in a higher CBD dose for the consumer. Depending on the process, it can take the form of a waxy or resin-like solid. CBD isolate is the purest form of CBD, devoid of all other compounds native to the hemp plant, delivered in a crystal or powder form. CBD isolate has all the benefits of CBD but lacks the compounding properties of all three phytochemicals acting together, known as the Entourage Effect. The isolate is distilled after the extraction process using a combination of heat, steam, and vacuum pressure to separate the chemical compounds and provide the highest quality product available. Now we know that was a lot of information to take in at once. Here is the cliff notes version just in case. Hemp oil is used interchangeably to refer to hemp seed oil and both full and broad-spectrum CBD oil. Hemp seed oil is just that – oil extracted from the seeds of the hemp plant. It contains no CBD or THC. Full-spectrum CBD oil is oil extracted from the leaves, stalks, and flowers of the Cannabis plant and contains trace amounts of THC (less than .3%). Broad-spectrum CBD oil has all traces of THC removed. CBD concentrate and isolate are increasingly purer forms of CBD with isolate consisting of CBD only and no other chemical compounds.
At Pure Hemp Supply, we sell a range of full-spectrum CBD products derived from our potent Hail Mary Strain and rigorously tested for safety and efficacy. You can shop with confidence, armed with your new industry knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of what’s out there, what’s in it, and why it matters.
