One of the most common questions we’re hearing lately is, “What’s the difference between CBD and Hemp Oil?” So we wanted to write a little about this to clear up some of the confusion. Here are a few things to be aware of when it comes to CBD, Hemp Oil, and other similarly labeled products:

  1. Full Spectrum Hemp Oil is more than CBD.

We’ve talked about this briefly in our post 3 Possible Reasons CBD Isn’t Working for You but the reason some CBD products are more effective than others is because some use the whole plant (full spectrum), some only extract the CBD (“isolates”), and some extract the CBD with certain other molecules (“broad spectrum”). You know the phrase “team work makes the dream work” right? It’s the same with plants, including hemp. 

All of a plant’s molecules combined are greater than the sum of its parts, so while an isolate or a broad spectrum product may have the main ingredient everyone is talking about, it might missing important terpenes and cannabinoids (like CBG and CBN) that work with your endocannabinoid system (read more about that in our post, What is the Endocannabinoid System and How Does it Work?)

We recommend looking for a full spectrum hemp oil, which will use an extract of the entire hemp plant, therefore giving you the full effect.

  1. Pay attention to the CBD content.

We’ve seen a few products on the market labeled “Hemp Oil’ or even “Hemp Seed Oil” being sold for the same purposes as full spectrum hemp oil. Unfortunately some of these don’t have any CBD at all, or any of the other cannabinoids and terpenes. One thing we suggest is checking the label for the CBD content. There should be a percentage, or mg/mL ratio. Also check to see whether it’s “full spectrum,” “broad spectrum,” or “isolate.” If you don’t see those things on the label, chances are you aren’t getting a legitimate product.

  1. Ask for lab tests.

While checking the label is a great start, and most reputable companies won’t lie about CBD content, it’s best to look at lab results. Many hemp companies are now providing the lab results for each product, and that’s the best way to know for sure what you’re getting. To see the lab results for any of our products, hover your phone’s camera over the QR code, or go to https://greenriverbotanicals.com/lab-tests/#lab-tests

There are thousands of CBD hemp products on the market, and not all of them are what they seem. Hopefully this information helps you find the right hemp product without spending money on a lot of trial and error. 

To shop our line of full spectrum hemp oil, click here.