The CBD market is constantly evolving, and with that stunning evolution comes an ever-growing bank of terms used to describe various aspects of hemp as well as its unique properties and effects. We know that this can be quite confusing, as so many of these terms play a major role in how effective your overall experience is with this type of product.
To make matters more confusing, many products labeled as “CBD” contain more compounds than just the CBD compound, and many products labeled as “hemp” don’t actually contain any CBD at all. Confusing, right? Well, the good news is that we are here to try to clear things up as best as we can.
Hemp: More Than Just CBD
Hemp is a member of the cannabis genus, and it’s often confused with marijuana. The reality is that hemp and marijuana may come from the same genus, but they are two entirely different plants. While they share many of the same compounds, the most important thing to know is that marijuana is a psychoactive plant, meaning that it will get you high, because of its high THC level. In hemp, the THC level that naturally occurs is so low that it won’t get you high, even in high doses.
The female hemp plant is where you’ll find the compounds that are extracted and used for wellness purposes. More specifically, these compounds exist in the flowering buds of the plant. Within these buds you’ll discover a large array of cannabinoids including CBD and THC, along with others that are also capable of regulating the body through the endocannabinoid system, like CBG, CBN and CBC. Additionally, you’ll find nutrients, terpenes and more compounds that offer useful effects to the body.
The Basics on CBD Itself
CBD is cannabidiol, which happens to be the leading compound in the hemp plant. Cannabidiol is the most prominently occurring compound in the plant, and it’s a cannabinoid, which means that it binds with cannabinoid receptors throughout the body to promote regulatory effects that improve overall wellbeing. CBD is the most widely studied cannabinoid in the hemp plant, but it’s not the only one that may help improve your wellness state.
Hemp vs. CBD in the Wellness Industry
You’ll notice that a lot of products on the market have essentially the same formulas, but some are called “hemp” and some are called “CBD.” This can be problematic and misleading, because a lot of “CBD” products actually contain multiple compounds in hemp. Further, a lot of “hemp” products contain only CBD. Allow us to explain below.
The Different Types of Hemp Extracts Used in CBD Products
To get a better understanding of what a product labeled as “hemp” or “CBD” actually contains in terms of the plants chemical composition, it’s important to identify the type of hemp extract being used in the formula. This information should be made available by the manufacturer.
CBD Isolate
This is a hemp extract that contains only the isolated cannabidiol compound, which is concentrated. No other hemp compounds are present. Therefore, the only compound in hemp that you’re taking is CBD itself.
Full Spectrum
This is an extract that contains the complete variety of compounds in the hemp plant. This includes every cannabinoid, nutrient, terpene, flavonoid and other compound that is found in the flowers of the female plant. It also contains the trace amount of THC that’s non-psychoactive and completely legal.
Broad Spectrum
A THC-free extract alternative to full spectrum hemp, still containing very other desirable compound as it naturally occurs in hemp.
As you can see, this information offers much more detail than blanket terms like “CBD” and “hemp,” so looking for these three types of extracts when choosing a product will give you a better idea of what to expect.
Hempseed
There’s one other factor worth mentioning, which is hempseed products. The seeds of the hemp plant are very rich in nutrients, making hempseed oil and other hempseed products valuable to wellness. But, hemp seeds do not contain cannabinoids and terpenes, which are what most of us desire when we buy a hemp product.
Hempseed products are widely available, and often used for culinary purposes. But many companies are trying to capitalize on the CBD trend by labeling hempseed products as “hemp” products, which is technically factual, but misleading. One may buy a hempseed product mistakenly assuming that it contains CBD. Plus, companies are guilty of not going out of their way to make this distinction.
Therefore, it’s wise to read the ingredients on a product to know what it contains. The ingredient list should clearly state whether the product is derived from hempseeds or hemp extract, which refers to an extract made from the compound-rich flowers.
“CBD” and “Hemp” are Two Profitable Words in the Wellness Industry
So, it makes sense that they’re often used interchangeably, despite the fact that this can easily confuse consumers. But, the good news is that now you know what to look for when shopping for these types of products, so that you can know exactly what’s inside of them in order to customize your daily routine according to your unique goals and needs.
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