Hemp oil extract and CBD are popping up everywhere right now due to an ever-growing list of benefits, like stress management and immune support.*
But with increasing popularity comes increasing confusion, leaving people wondering, what exactly is the difference between the two? And how do you know which one to choose? Let’s dive into them a little further.
Hemp vs. CBD: The basics.
For starters, hemp and marijuana are two different plants from the same family: Cannabis. Each plant contains a variety of different compounds called cannabinoids, the two most well-known (and most studied) being THC and CBD. THC has psychoactive effects, which means it can get you high and is found in high concentrations in marijuana plants. CBD is known for its stress management properties* and will not get you high.
Hemp oil extract is an oil that’s made from the seeds, stalk, and/or flowers of the hemp plant. It is rich in the beneficial cannabinoid compounds. It should not be confused with hemp seed oil, an omega-3 rich culinary oil made from pressed hemp seeds that does not contain cannabinoids. CBD isolate oil, on the other hand, is an isolated extraction of one particular cannabinoid, cannabidiol.
So, what’s the difference?
Although they are marketed as being essentially the same thing, hemp oil extract and CBD oil extract do have some important differences. Hemp oil is a cannabinoid-rich extract that contains over 140 beneficial cannabinoids that produce the entourage effect, while CBD oil is an isolated extract of a single cannabinoid.
The bottom line.
The difference between hemp and CBD comes down to the cannabinoid content. Cannabinoids are beneficial plant compounds, including THC, CBD, and others. Both hemp oil and hemp-derived CBD products are legal and contain less than 0.3% THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid found in marijuana.
CBD oil is the isolated extract of a single cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD). Hemp oil is a whole-plant extract that contains all of the cannabinoids, including, but not limited to, CBD. When taken together, cannabinoids have a synergistic effect, called the entourage effect.
If you are looking to reap the benefits of the entourage effect, you should try full-spectrum hemp oil. If you are concerned about THC, even in small amounts, you should try CBD oil or broad-spectrum hemp oil.
Source: MBG Health
