Full spectrum CBD oil vs. CBD isolate: What's the difference?

25. 04. 2024

What is the difference between full spectrum CBD oils and CBD isolates?

The differences between these two forms of CBD depend on how the extract was produced. Full-spectrum extract It is produced by removing the fibres, large proteins and cellular structures and retaining all the medicinal compounds contained in the cannabis. The production of CBD isolates starts the same way, but goes through additional stages to remove everything but the pure CBD. Each of these extracts has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Comparison of full-spectrum extracts and CBD isolates

Metrics	Full-spectrum extracts	CBD isolates
Cost	More expensive	Cheaper
Cannabinoid content	Contains many different cannabinoids	Contains only CBD
THC content	May contain THC	They are unlikely to contain THC
Potential	Stronger potency	Lower potency
Health benefits	Effectively counteracts many ailments	It has limited health benefits
Taste	They usually taste better in their raw form due to their terpene content	Bland taste, which must be added separately
Side effects	Low likelihood of side effects	Higher chance of side effects
Accompaniment effect	This type of extract uses the effect of the accompaniment	Accompaniment effect not possible

What is the entourage effect?

The entourage effect is the term used to describe the beneficial synergy naturally occurring in the cannabis plant. All of the natural compounds from the plant together produce more significant results than alone. Cannabinoids work best when they work together in harmony, much like a group of musicians playing together for a full orchestra.

Singling out one instrument will not produce the same result for the performance of the entire orchestra. Synergy is a well-known concept in chemistry and is quite commonly used in herbal medicines. Keep this in mind when thinking about the differences between full-spectrum extractand CBD isolates. One of the most significant differences between these products is the presence of the entourage effect in Full-spectrum extract.

1. What is full spectrum CBD?

The cannabis plant contains hundreds of different compounds. The final product contains most of these compounds as well. A full-spectrum extract can be said to have a richer "diversity in the cannabinoids contained" than a pure CBD isolate, or even broad-spectrum extracts, which we will discuss later.

Production of full spectrum extracts

During the production process, a solvent is applied to the raw cannabis. In the past, organic solvents such as butane, alcohol or ether were used. Now a process called supercritical CO2 extraction is used. Carbon dioxide gas is kept in a closed system at a certain temperature and pressure. These precise metrics put the gas in a "supercritical state" where it is neither a liquid nor a gas. This gives CO2 properties that allow it to penetrate raw cannabis as if it were a gas, but dissolve compounds from the leaves and flowers as a liquid would.

Supercritical CO2 is present in the extraction of all compounds from the plant, including terpenes, cannabinoids, lignans, flavonoids and polyphenols are highly effective. Once done, the supercritical fluid separates and the pressure is released. The gas evaporates immediately, leaving behind all the plant phytochemicals.

In this extraction, there is no chance of harmful solvents being left behind, making it the cleanest extraction method. In some cases, the extract is additionally purified and mixed with other batches of product to balance the average values between them cannabinoids The final product contains a virtually identical balance of phytochemicals naturally produced in the plant.

Advantages and disadvantages of full-spectrum CBD extracts

Benefits	Disadvantages
Takes advantage of the accompaniment effect	Final cannabinoid concentrations are usually unpredictable and highly dependent on the source plant material
A more holistic form of CBD supplementation	May contain higher concentrations of THC
Can be made at home using alcohol or other solvents and dried plants	Each batch is unique, making it more difficult to determine the amount of substances listed on product labels
May produce fewer side effects	The effects of individual combinations of terpenes with cannabinoids may make it difficult to predict the effects of

When to use full-spectrum extracts?

In general, it can be said that full-spectrum extracts is an excellent choice if you're using CBD for a medical condition. The effects of full-spectrum extracts are stronger and have broader benefits than isolates, thanks to the additional compounds abundant in the plant.

Who should use full-spectrum extracts?

People taking CBD for specific health conditions (such as anxiety, depression, Alzheimer's, insomnia or arthritis)
People who prefer products based on a holistic philosophy
People who don't mind the higher price of higher quality products

When to avoid full-spectrum extracts?

Full-spectrum extracts are not for everyone. They are sold at a higher price, have inconsistent cannabinoid profiles and often contain small amounts of THC. It is also more difficult to get a high dose of CBD compared to a concentrated CBD isolate.

Who should not use full spectrum extracts?

People who want to avoid even small amounts of THC
People on a tight budget

2. What is CBD isolate?

CBD isolate is exactly what its name says - an extract that contains CBD separated from the other ingredients. These purified extracts make it easier for CBD producers to measure out the exact dose of CBD during production. If they want 300 mg of cannabidiol in their CBD oil, they add 300 mg of pure CBD per bottle. With full-spectrum extracts, this is much more difficult because each extract has different levels of CBD and other cannabinoids. CBD isolates make it easier for manufacturers to standardise their products so that they always contain the same concentration of CBD as stated on the packaging, which is particularly difficult with full-spectrum extracts.

Production of CBD isolates

For CBD isolates, the initial procedure is the same as for full-spectrum extract. Once the extract is made, further processing removes all other compounds from it, leaving behind a pure extract. This isolation process is done using a process called chromatography, which is the same process used to isolate THC and many other chemicals in other industries. The extract is gently heated and pushed up through a special cylinder.

Each compound has a different molecular weight and comes out of the other end of the cylinder at different times. Scientists know the exact molecular weight of CBD, so they can separate it at the right moment to exit the cylinder. The extracted oil then goes through a 'winterisation process' which further removes any waxes and other plant materials that may still be in the product after the separation process. The final product is usually in the form of crystals (crystals are usually only formed from pure chemicals).These crystals can then be dissolved into whatever form the producer wishes to produce.

Advantages and disadvantages of CBD isolates

Benefits	Disadvantages
Using CBD isolates, it is easy to achieve precise concentrations of CBD in products	Their use does not carry the benefits of the accompaniment effect
It tends to be cheaper than full-spectrum products	Isolates are more likely to have side effects
Manufacturers can guarantee that their products do not contain THC	They don't have as many health benefits as full-spectrum products

When to use CBD isolates?

CBD isolates are more common than full spectrum oils . Manufacturers who use isolates can guarantee that their products are free of psychoactive THC and find it much easier to standardise the CBD content of their products. This reduces the cost of these products and increases the reliability of their effects.

Who should use CBD isolates?

People who need cheap and effective CBD
People who want to avoid using even small amounts of THC
People who need the highest possible dose of CBD

When to avoid CBD isolates?

CBD isolates are far from perfect. They lack many of the effects that they can provide full-spectrum extract through other cannabinoids, terpenes and other phytochemicals. This makes them less rich in terms of health benefits than their full-spectrum counterparts.

Who should not use CBD isolates?

Most people taking CBD for specific health conditions
People who prefer holistic products

3. What are broad spectrum extracts?

There is a third group of CBD extracts, the so-called broad-spectrum. Broad-spectrum extracts are isolates of single compounds that have been mixed to mimic the natural levels of cannabinoids in cannabis. Manufacturers take isolated CBD, CBC, CBG, CBN and various other cannabinoids and terpenes and mix them to create a more "natural" product.

These products are somewhere between full spectrum extracts and isolates. They do not provide the same level of synergy as a full spectrum extract, but they have more chemical diversity than isolates, while maintaining lower costs and more consistent manufacturing processes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. If a full-spectrum extract contains THC, does it have psychoactive effects?

Full-spectrum extracts are always clearly labelled as to whether they contain trace amounts of THC (less than 0,03 %) or higher amounts. Trace amounts in normal doses do not have psychoactive effects - the THC content is too low. For example, kombucha contains traces of alcohol, yet people consume it without getting drunk. This is because it is difficult to induce the intoxicating properties of the ingredients in trace amounts, as is the case with broad-spectrum CBD with low THC levels.

Of course, it is also possible to have full-spectrum extract, which contains psychoactive amounts of THC, but this is a different product, the sale of which is currently illegal in this country. If you are worried that consuming CBD oil will have psychoactive effects on you, you don't have to. If the bottle contains less than 0.03% THC, no psychoactive effects will occur.

2. How do I tell the difference between full spectrum extract and CBD isolate?

Now that you know which extract you should get, it's important to learn how to distinguish between them. Most companies only list the CBD content of their products without mentioning the amount of all the other cannabinoids. While the product description usually states whether it was made from full-spectrum extract or isolate, sometimes the information is much less transparent. If you can't find the answer on the product description website, the surest way to find out is to look at third-party test results.

3. How do I find third-party lab test results?

If you can't find these tests, try a Google search. This should help you find a website with published lab results (but sometimes companies don't make it easy, so you have to search).

Note: if you cannot find a Certificate of Analysis for the product you are looking for information on, please go to another company. Third party testing is the only real form of quality assurance in this currently highly unregulated industry.

Summary: Should I use CBD isolate or full spectrum extract?

Both have their benefits and uses, but it all depends on what you expect from the product.

Want to mix CBD with other products?
Do you hate the taste of cannabis?
How much do you want to spend?
Want to know exactly how much CBD you're taking?

When you first learn about the miraculous medicinal effects of CBD, it is often accompanied by information about the other cannabinoids, antioxidants and terpenes contained in the cannabis plant. CBD works best in conjunction with all the other compounds found in the cannabis plant. By removing these other compounds, the healing power of the extract begins to suffer. People often forget the importance of the flavonoid, terpene, polyphenol and minor cannabinoid content of CBD extracts.

In addition, we need to remember that every person is different. It is possible that your body will respond better to CBD isolate than to a full-spectrum extract.

Author: Canatura

PHOTO: Shutterstock

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