Cannabis must be the most exciting, biggest, and fast-growing industry ever. With worldwide laws relaxing toward it, information about its medicinal properties is making headline news. There is a massive commercial need for cannabis and its derivatives, and some wonderful new products are entering the market at a rapid pace. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is largely responsible for this.
CBD oil is the latest industry trend, a safe and effective alternative to many medications, with an abundance of therapeutic uses. However, with so much CBD oil and CBD extract on offer, choosing can be overwhelming and confusing. Broad-spectrum, whole plant extract, full-spectrum, and isolate; just understanding the differences can prove confounding for even experts.
Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, CBD is non-psychoactive. As a non-intoxicating cannabinoid with huge medicinal promise, it is now popular on a commercial scale never before seen. Easily accessible to consumers most everywhere, it does not make anybody “high,” the most famous side effect of cannabis use. Instead, most CBD extract derives from hemp, a cannabis plant with less than .3 percent THC.
Cannabis plants contain not only an abundance of cannabinoids, but they have hundreds of phytochemicals too, which include terpenes, flavonoids, and other compounds. A full-spectrum CBD extract goes through minimal refinements, so it typically still includes all of them. It is rich in all the different cannabinoids, except THC, flavonoids, terpenes, and others that cannabis has to offer.
More commonly just “whole plant” CBD extract, full-spectrum CBD oil contains all of the goodness found in hemp plants. You get more of its medicinal properties and health benefits, and you get them in quantities and ratios intended by nature. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, this “entourage effect” promises synergistic healing from all fronts and angles, since they all work together.
On its own, CBD is the subject of much study. It stands out among all other cannabinoids has having the most therapeutic potential. CBD isolates consist of products labelled as pure or 99 percent CBD, depending on the form of CBD extract it comes in. Isolated to extract just the CBD compound, they contain no other active molecules and deliver exclusively medicinal doses of CBD, nothing else.
Because of their compatibility with the human endocannabinoid system, CBD and other cannabinoids offer a horde of medicinal benefits. They bind to, interact with, and influence endocannabinoid receptors throughout the body, namely CB1 and CB2 receptors. In turn, these receptors react to cannabinoids similarly to the body’s own endocannabinoids, acting in much the same way.
Because full-spectrum CBD products contain high levels of all cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids, the U.S. National Library of Medicine explains how they have the ability to treat a wider range of ailments. Recent studies indicate that full-spectrum is superior to isolates in treating inflammatory conditions, since terpenes alone show much promise in human health too, and deserve inclusion.
Having said that, there are notable benefits to using CBD isolates too. They allow you to consume high quantities of CBD and know exactly how much you are taking, and with mounting evidence to show CBD exclusively responsible for treating some diseases and their symptoms, nobody is overlooking its value as an antidiabetic, anxiolytic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, and more.
Furthermore, some folks find most CBD extract with a very unpleasant, unpalatable taste. They prefer CBD isolates, which come in capsules, gummies, and tastier products, since their lack of flavor makes them suitable for use in food and beverages. Additionally, powdered CBD isolates are a very effective option for creating your own CBD products, such as massage and bath oils.
Then there is cost. Isolates are often pricier than full-spectrum CBD oil products. They undergo a much more extensive process of refinement, and require higher quantities of cannabis to extract such high levels of isolated CBD. Full-spectrum oils are cheaper and more valuable for your health, so unless you need a high concentration of CBD specifically, it may be wisest to try full-spectrum out first.
To know which CBD oil products will work best for you, you are going to have to try them all out. See how you react to full-spectrum and isolate alike. Different conditions react differently to each of them, so experts recommending experimenting with various products and sticking with the ones that you enjoy most. If you find isolate not working optimally, then try full-spectrum, and vice versa.
Play around with different doses too. Cannabis research is still in its preliminary stages, but there is much evidence for the therapeutic value of less refined CBD extract, such as full-spectrum CBD oil, and all of its intact phytochemicals. More study is underway, with more health benefits emerging near daily. CBD offers many secrets for the unlocking. Scientists are just now starting to scratch the surface.
