Full vs. Broad Spectrum CBD Oil: A Side-By-Side Comparison

The use of CBD is gaining traction as more studies release positive findings.
In November 2019, a new study confirmed that CBD helps chronic pain patients with reducing pain intensity and improving their sleep quality.
Americans are now Googling CBD more than other health trends such as acupuncture, meditation, and exercise. In a recent study, researchers found that search results for "CBD" and "cannabidiol" jumped up by 117% in 2019.
Its clear people are interested in CBD. Learning the differences between broad-spectrum CBD vs full-spectrum CBD has something of a learning curve though. This might account for the 6.4 million CBD Google searches that occurred in April 2019, the last month the study collected data.
In this article, we’ll cover all the basics of CBD oil and give you a side-by-side comparison of the different types.

Types of CBD

There are several different CBD types. This variety in selection lets people choose what method of consumption they prefer. Here are a few of the more common types of CBD:

Full-Spectrum CBD

Full-spectrum CBD has all the cannabinoids, including THC. The amount of THC it has is low and does not give a "high" effect.
There are over 100 different cannabinoids found in the hemp plant. CBD and THC are the most abundant and important cannabinoids in cannabis. Some of the other minor cannabinoids that are also important are cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN), and cannabichromene (CBC).
THC Level Differences: .3%
Benefits: The full-spectrum CBD creates an entourage effect that helps reduce significant pain.

Broad-Spectrum CBD

Broad-spectrum CBD is the middle ground of CBD oils. It falls between isolate and full-spectrum CBD. It has undergone a special refinement process that removes all THC.
To get broad-spectrum CBD, full-spectrum CBD goes through an additional extraction step called liquid chromatography.
In broad-spectrum vs full-spectrum CBD, many medical users prefer full-spectrum for its entourage effect.
THC Level Differences: 0%
Benefits: Treats conditions like anxiety and depression without any THC or its euphoric effects. This is ideal for people who must still be able to pass drug tests.

THC Isolate

THC isolate consists of 99% THC-A and is in a crystalline form. THC-A is the acidic version of THC and doesn't have the psychoactive side effects in its crystalline form.
Once heated, the THC-A turns into THC. This allows people to decide their method of consumption, whether they want to ingest the crystals or smoke them. Isolate has all terpenes removed and does not produce an entourage effect.
THC Level Differences: THC-A is the non-psychoactive acidic form of THC. When heated, it turns into THC.
Benefits: It has strong anti-inflammatory properties, making it ideal for arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), migraines, and epilepsy.

CBD Extraction Methods

Have you ever wondered how CBD products are made?
There are several different extraction methods used to create CBD. The most common methods are:

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Extraction

As the name suggests, this method uses supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) to pull CBD oil from the plant.
The CO2 extraction method uses pressurized carbon dioxide to pull cannabinoids and terpene oils from the plant material. This method provides the most pure CBD profile.

Steam Distillation

When steam distillation is used, steam saturates the plant and separates the CBD oil.

Solvent Extraction

The solvent extraction method is similar to the process followed by steam distillation. The key difference is solvent extraction uses a solvent, like olive oil, instead of water to separate CBD oil from the plant.

CBD Leading the Way

The popularity of CBD isn't showing any signs of slowing down and is expected to exceed $1.8 billion in earnings by 2022.
Whether you choose to use full-spectrum or broad-spectrum CBD will depend upon your unique needs. There are a plethora of choices available at The Little CBD Store to meet the rising demand from medical patients.
Contact us today if you have any questions or want to check on the status of an order.
Full vs. Broad Spectrum CBD Oil: A Side-By-Side Comparison was originally published to: The Little CBD Store Service Blog