There is a lot of confusing and misleading information going around regarding hemp oil and CBD oil. While people often use these terms interchangeably, they are two completely different products. Despite both coming from the Cannabis sativa plant, hemp oil and CBD oil have many key differences. In terms of their chemical makeup, production methods, CBD content, regulations, as well as their effects on the human body, they are different. Understanding the difference between CBD oil and hemp oil will help you make a more informed decision when it comes to choosing the best product for your needs. Maybe you’ve come across products labeled CBD rich hemp oil and wondered what that is all about.
Keep reading to find out more about CBD oil and hemp oil.
Due to its association with marijuana, hemp tends to have an unfairly negative reputation among the general public as well as lawmakers. First of all, marijuana and hemp belong to the same species of plant – Cannabis Sativa L. However, they have different chemical compositions, appearances, and genetic makeup.
Legally, hemp refers to cannabis that contains 0.3% or less THC content. At these levels, the THC content is negligible and can’t cause any psychoactive effect in the body.
THC, an acronym for tetrahydrocannabinol, is the main psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana. Thus, it is responsible for the ‘high,’ or intoxicating effect recreational users seek and the law frowns upon.
This means that consuming hemp-derived products won’t make you high since their THC content is so little.
The hemp plant has many potentials uses, so much so that it can take some time to list them all down. In addition, almost all parts of the plant, from the leaves to the roots, are valuable and useful. Here are the four major parts of the hemp plant:
Hemp seeds are perhaps the most useful parts of the hemp plant. Not only is their consumption advisable due to their nutritional value, but they also help to produce hemp biofuel. The latter can serve as a more sustainable option for fossil fuels.
The leaves and flowers of the hemp plant are a sought-after component due to their cannabinoid content. These parts of the plant contain hundreds of cannabinoids, including CBD in high concentrations, which has many potential therapeutic benefits.
The flowers and upper leaves of the hemp plant also can undergo steam distillation to extract essential hemp oil.
The essential hemp oil has a strong therapeutic aroma, and it’s a common ingredient in soaps, candles, and perfumes. It also sees the application as a flavoring in certain foods and beverages.
The stalks of the hemp plant are among the most versatile parts of the plant. The parts of the stalks of the plant are the bast and hurds. Those go into the production of a wide variety of products.
The bust or fibers go into the production of textiles for clothes, shoes, and belts, as well as building and insulation materials.
The hurds usually goes into making horticultural mulch and also into an animal litter.
There is literally no part of the hemp plant that people don’t use. For thousands of years, the roots of the hemp plant went into use for medicinal purposes. The roots were used to treat skin inflammation and burns, fever, and infections.
Hemp seeds are, of course, the seeds of the hemp plant. They are small, brown, and edible. While hemp seeds come from the cannabis plant, they don’t contain THC or CBD. This means that by eating hemp seeds, you won’t get high or gain the full benefits associated with CBD.
Hemp seeds are highly nutritious, though. They are rich in protein, healthy fats, vitamins B and E, as well as certain minerals, including iron, sodium, calcium, potassium, etc. Regular consumption of hemp seeds also appears to improve heart health.
People can eat hemp seeds raw, make milk out of them, or grind them and until making protein powder.
Hemp seed oil, also known as hemp oil, is a highly concentrated, nutrient-rich dark thick oil produced by cold-pressing the hemp seeds.
Unlike hemp seed oil, CBD oil is coming from the leaves, flowers, and stalks of the hemp plant, as these parts contain high concentrations of CBD.
The supercritical fluid extraction technique, also known as CO2 extraction, is the most commonly used method of extracting CBD oil. Manufacturers can also extract them using the traditional solvent-based extraction technique. Unlike hemp seed oil, no cold pressing can extract CBD since it is not present in the seeds themselves.
Hemp seed oil is an excellent source of nutrients. Its wide range of benefits are due to its high concentration of:
In addition, it also has a healthy 3:1 omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio.
The topical application of hemp seed oil is able to help treat symptoms of certain skin disorders. That is thanks to polyunsaturated fatty acids found in the oil; its oral consumption can also help manage symptoms of eczema.
Prolonged inflammation can lead to a wide range of health problems. An omega-6 fatty acid known as gamma-linolenic acid present in the hemp seed oil has strong anti-inflammatory properties.
Hemp seed oil is rich in the amino acid arginine. Consuming foods rich in arginine might reduce the risk of heart disease.
Omega-3 fatty acids appear to be able to help lower blood pressure among people with hypertension. Hemp seed oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Cannabinoids are chemical compounds that interact with cannabinoid receptors found in the body to produce various effects.
CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is a chemical compound naturally occurring in the cannabis plant. It is the second most common of these chemical compounds after THC. CBD is non-intoxicating, and its seemingly in possession of several potential therapeutic benefits for the body.
CBD oil is an oil extracted from CBD rich cannabis strains or hemp. There are three main types of CBD oil available on the market:
Full-spectrum CBD oil: This type of CBD oil captures all the compounds found in the cannabis plant, including THC but in lower concentrations.
Broad-spectrum CBD oil: This contains a range of compounds found in the cannabis plant but without THC.
CBD Isolate: This contains only CBD.
In the hemp plant, CBD concentrates in the aerial parts of the plant. Here, aerial refers to the part of the plant above the ground. This means that CBD is in high concentrations in the leaves, flowers, and stalks of the hemp plants. CBD isn’t present in the roots of the hemp plant nor in the seeds themselves.
There are several different techniques for extracting CBD from the raw hemp plant material.
One of the most common extraction methods is the solvent-based technique. In this method, a range of solvents such as ethanol, propane, or butane goes into extracting CBD from the hemp plant material.
Many CBD oil manufacturing companies prefer using the Supercritical Fluid Extraction method, which uses CO2 instead of solvents. Special equipment applies freezing temperatures and pressurized CO2 gas until it achieves a supercritical cold liquid state. The liquid then passes through the raw plant material and extracts cannabinoids present in it as well as the terpenes.
CBD works by interacting with the endocannabinoid system and its receptors throughout the body. It seems able to provide relief for a wide range of conditions as well via several potential therapeutic effects.
Here are some of the potential benefits of CBD
Another benefit of CBD is that it can lessen the effects of THC if taken beforehand in the right proportion relative to the THC you are about to take.
No, there is no such thing as CBD rich hemp oil since hemp seeds do contain little to no CBD content. As discussed earlier, hemp oil is strictly derived from the seeds of the hemp plant. Any genuine product being sold as hemp oil doesn’t contain CBD.
Some unscrupulous suppliers will try to sell hemp oil in the guise of CBD rich hemp oil. So, you need to be very careful when buying your product.
However, you can infuse CBD oil into hemp oil to gain the benefits of both worlds. It is safe to combine the two as well as to take them separately.
The simple answer is yes, but it will also depend on what you are looking for. While hemp oil is highly nutritious and has its own set of benefits, it doesn’t match the many potential benefits provided by CBD oil. If you are specifically targeting your skin health as well as heart health, hemp oil can be a good choice for you. CBD oil, on the other hand, far outshines hemp oil in many other areas.
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