What is Cannabidiol?
After the farm bill legalizing hemp-derived CBD passed in 2018, there has been a “green rush” of cannabis-derived products in the market. You can find them in coffee shops mixed into lattes, in grocery shops as beauty products, and as tinctures to help you get a good night’s sleep. While CBD is becoming a part of the daily life routine of most people, they still don’t know much about it. In order to understand what hemp oil or CBD oil is, you first need to know what cannabis is.
Cannabis and It’s Strains
Cannabis is a famous drug that is obtained from the cannabis plant. A cannabis plant contains different cannabinoids like THC, CBD, etc. These cannabinoids differ in percentage from strain to strain. The most common strains found are Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis Indica. Cannabis Sativa is used to make Hemp and CBD oil, and Cannabis Indica (also known as marijuana), is used to alter a person’s mood. Where both strains come from the same plant, they are two different things. Cannabis Sativa derived products contain high levels of CBD (cannabidiol) with little to no trace of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), and Cannabis Indica is used by smokers as it contains high amounts of THC. Cannabis Sativa, or Industrial Hemp, is legal in the USA, but the legality of Cannabis Indica varies from state to state.
CBD Oil
A cannabis plant is famous for two cannabinoids, CBD and THC. THC is a cannabinoid that is responsible for the “high” associated with cannabis as it is a psychoactive compound. On the other hand, CBD is a totally non-psychoactive compound which doesn’t make a person feel high. As we are only going to discuss CBD oil if you have more questions like what is cannabidiol? Or how to use it, you can read the linked article.
- Extraction Process
CBD oil is mostly extracted from the hemp plant using two methods – CBD isolate or full-spectrum CBD. CBD isolate produces a concentrated dose of CBD oil. It is best if you want to reap the benefits associated with CBD. It is said that CBD regulates certain aspects of a person’s behavior, like his motivation, anxiety, depression, etc. On the other hand, full-spectrum CBD produces a pure oil extracted from the whole plant. So, with addition to containing CBD, it may also contain other cannabinoids found in the hemp plant.
Hemp Oil
Whenever you see hemp oil, you should automatically conclude that it comes from Cannabis Sativa, as discussed before. However, most retailers trick consumers by putting hemp and CBD oil in the same category, which is hardly the case.
- Extraction Process
Hemp oil is obtained through a process called cold pressing, which involves pressing hemp seeds to get the oil. Hemp oil has been sold in the market for quite some time as it is excellent for hair, skin and to maintain health. Hemp oil derived from hemp seed contains 0 traces of cannabinoids, whether it is CBD or THC. Whereas, when the oil is derived from the hemp plant itself, it a totally different procedure and contains about 20% or more CBD.
Difference Between CBD oil and Hemp Oil
The main difference that you need to understand when it comes to hemp oil and CBD oil is that while hemp oil can only be extracted from the hemp plant, CBD oil can come from various other cannabis plants that might contain a higher level of THC. So, if you want pure CBD oil extracted from hemp, you should read the ingredients or inquire about the retailer before making a purchase.
