Full-Spectrum CBD Oil vs. Isolate – What’s the Difference?
What is the difference between the full-spectrum CBD oil vs. isolate?
If this question comes to your head whenever you think of buying CBD products, worry not – you are not alone. Actually, this is one of the most frequently asked questions by novice CBD oil users and it’s perfectly understandable. After all, there is a significant difference between the full-spectrum CBD oil vs. isolate, so your final choice will determine the type of effects you’re going to experience.
For some strange reason, people tend to make a huge discussion out of the whole full-spectrum CBD oil vs. isolate debate. This, in turn, makes the subject look like some sort of insolvable riddle that takes hundreds of in-depth scientific studies to figure out.
In fact, it’s not really that difficult to tell the diference between the full-spectrum CBD oil vs isolate. Nonetheless, before we move on to the core of our article, let’s make a quick review on what CBD oil is and how it works.
The Science Behind CBD (Cannabidiol)
CBD, short for Cannabidiol, is one of over 100 cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. Along with THC, CBD is the most thoroughly studied phytocannabinoid so far. But contrary to THC, CBD has no intoxicating properties. Simply put, Cannabidiol won’t make experience any kind of “high”.
Furthermore, CBD does not bind directly to cannabinoid receptors in our Endocannabinoid System (ECS). Instead, it acts as a modulator, stimulating the ECS to produce more of its natural endocannabinoids. On top of that, CBD inhibits the FAAH enzyme which is responsible for breaking down anandamide, the human equivalent of THC.
The endocannabinoid system is spread throughout the entire body, with its receptors being present in the central nervous system, immune system, peripheral organs, cell tissues, and more. Thus, it’s responsible for regulating many essential functions, such as inflammation, pain perception, mood control, stress relief, temperature control, etc. The main role of the endocannabinoid system is to maintain homeostasis in the body. Whenever the system goes out of whack, it can be supplied with phytocannabinoids to improve its performance.
So, by stimulating the performance of the Endocannabinoid System, CBD can help many people improve the overall quality of their lives or prove a natural and safe alternative to over-the-counter supplements.
Now that we have refreshed your knowledge a bit, it’s time to answer the main question:
What Is the Difference Between the Full-Spectrum CBD Oil vs. Isolate?
The main difference between the full-spectrum CBD oil vs. isolate lies in the content of such products. Without further ado, let’s get started.
Full-Spectrum CBD Oil
The “full-spectrum” term generally refers to CBD oil products that contain not only CBD but also other cannabinoids and terpenes naturally occuring in the plant. The list of cannabinoids most often includes CBG, CBN, CBC, CBDA, and CBGA.
Some people, however, have misunderstood this term, claiming that full-spectrum CBD oil contains THC, too.
Well, this is, of course, true – but only to some extent.
CBD can be sourced from both marijuana and hemp. If you live in a state that allows the recreational or medical use of marijuana (or both), then you may find CBD oil products that have significantly larger concentration of THC inside. Hemp-derived CBD, on the other hand, contains less than 0.3% THC, which makes it legal in all 50 states.
You’re probably wondering if THC from CBD oil can show up on a drug test. Technically speaking, it can. But in reality, one would need to consume somewhere between 1,000 – 2,000 mg of CBD oil to get THC detected on the test, but it would still be a false positive.
This, of course, refers only to marijuana CBD oil. When it comes to hemp CBD oil, it’s extremely unlikely to show up on a drug test.
Full spectrum vs. Broad Spectrum
When shopping for CBD oil, you may come across products called “Broad Spectrum”. They claim to have 0% THC. Nonetheless, as attractive as they might look, it’s important to perform some lab test on these products to make sure this is a real claim. We strongly encourage you to exercise caution when approaching these products if you’re about to take a drug test soon. Broad-spectrum CBD oil products have sometimes gone through extra processing in order to get rid of as much THC as possible while maintaining some of the other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids.
CBD Isolate
CBD isolate is exactly what it sounds like; pure, isolated CBD without any other compounds. No THC, no other cannabinoids, no terpenes – nothing. Products labeled as “CBD Isolate” will generally be claimed to being 99% pure CBD. Just like we said, since CBD has literally been isolated from the plant, you can’t expect other cannabinoids or extra substances to appear in the final product.
When it comes to buying CBD isolate, you have three options. You can find pre-made isolate oils that typically consist of a carrier oil, such as coconut or MCT oil, infused with the powder. Pre-made oils aside, CBD isolate also comes in the form of the “raw” crystaline powder or slabs. Slabs are a form of concentrate.
Looking for the best isolate to get the most out of your CBD? Then, dear friends, you should always verify the purity. While many isolates fall into the 99.9+% range with no identifiable of THC and other phytocannabinoids, there are others that show lower levels of purity. 99.5% or lower isolates may still have trace amounts of THC.
There are also products out there called terpsolates. A terpsolate, as the name suggests, is the crystaline isolate infused with terpenes. You can combine terpsolates with a CBD isolate to boost its effects.
Full-Spectrum CBD Oil vs. Isolate: Whis One Works Better?
Previously, people believed that CBD in its isolated form showed greater potency because of its high concentration of Cannabidiol. However, a study from the Lautenberg Center for General Tumor Immunology in Jerusalem, debunked this theory in 2015.
In the study, the group of researcheres applied full-spectrum CBD oil and CBD isolate to two different groups of mice. When they compared the data, the results proved that the full-spectrum CBD oil had better effects than isolate.
More interestingly, the study demonstrated that the effectiveness of the full-spectrum CBD oil increased proportionately to the dosage. On the contrary, CBD isolate did not provide the same effect despite the increase in dosage.
This, by no means, discredits the effectiveness of CBD isolate. It may happen that you are allergic to some active compounds of the hemp plant. Or, you don’t necessarily need to draw from the ehnhanced benefits of the full-spectrum CBD oil. If that’s the case, go ahead and try the isolate.
As researchers continue to explore the benefits of hemp and cannabis, we will learn more about the functions of other cannabinoids in the plant. What they can do for us might be amazing for future research, and thus, help us understand the plant more thoroughly.
But why do cannabinoids work better when put in a full-spectrum extract?
The Entourage Effect
The entourage effect in cannabis refers to the synergy achieved by all cannabinoids and terpenes to boost the benefits of one another. It was first discovered by the aforementioned group of researchers who tested the full-spectrum CBD oil vs. Isolate on mice.
For example, CBD and THC are like yin and yang. CBD alters the intoxicating effects of THC by blocking receptors in the places to which THC wants to bind. At the same tame, Cannabidiol boosts the anti-inflammatory properties of THC and inhibits the FAAH enzyme which is responsible for the breakdown of anandamie, the so-called human version of THC.
The cited research suggests that other cannabinoids, as well as terpenes and flavonoids, can impact the activity of CBD in our system. Keep in mind that the scientists applied only hemp-derived, full-spectrum CBD oil to mice. The hemp-derived CBD oil contains only trace (if any) amounts of THC. The researchers observed, however, that the full-spectrum oil still provided better effects than the isolate. This indicates that all active compounds create this synergy when contained in an extract.
Nonetheless, it remains unknown how exactly this synergy occurs. Let’s hope that future studies will provide us with more details on this phenomenon.
Full-Spectrum CBD Oil vs. Isolate: A Final Note
If you’re just getting started with CBD, it’s obvious that you will look for different products infused with Cannabidiol. The abundance of CBD goods is, least to say, impressive. However, the most-debated topic among the community of CBD enthusiasts is the difference between full-spectrum CBD oil vs. isolate.
Both forms of CBD application come with different benefits and can be used for different purposes. When it comes to efficacy, people once thought that CBD isolate is more powerful and thus more effective than the full-spectrum CBD oil. However, this belief was debunked by the 2015 Israeli study that highlighted the indubitable advantages of whole-plant extracts over isolates.
Here at CBD Sky, we strongly believe in that both Full Spectrum and Isolate extraction methods are beneficial depending on the specific individual. Our CBD products are premium extracts sourced from the finest-quality hemp and extracted with CO2 for the ultimate purity and potency. Our selection of CBD goods is backed by third-party lab testing to make sure their effects always meet the label claims.
Browse our shop and get yourself a bottle of full-spectrum CBD oil today!