Let's say you're trying to find a supplement to help soothe your sore muscles after a workout. Or maybe you're looking for something that may help calm your busy thoughts so you can fall asleep a bit easier. Your Google searches will probably lead you to two products: CBD oil and hemp oil. Then there are other sites that mention hemp extract and hemp seed oil.
What are the differences between hemp oil & CBD oil? Does hemp oil have cbd? And where do full spectrum hemp extract and hemp seed oil fit in? Read on to learn the differences between hemp vs CBD.
A Guide to Hemp and CBD Products
Ready to dive a little deeper? Here is the full guide to hemp oil and CBD products.
- What is hemp?
- What is hemp oil?
- Does hemp oil have CBD?
- What is hemp extract?
- What is the difference between hemp oil and hemp seed oil?
- What does hemp seed oil have that CBD oil doesn’t?
- What is CBD oil?
- How does THC fit into all of this?
- The hemp vs. CBD trail mix analogy
- How do I know which is best for me?
- CBD benefits for health and wellness
What Is Hemp?
Hemp is a plant in the Cannabis genus that has 0.3% or less THC content (by weight). There are many different kinds of hemp plant, but the most common is Cannabis ruderalis, or industrial hemp.
What Is Hemp Oil?
Before CBD oil came into vogue, the term “hemp oil” was used interchangeably with “hemp seed” oil. Nowadays, many companies (incorrectly) use “hemp oil” interchangeably with “CBD oil” as well. Unfortunately, this leads to misinformation around the CBD space. Hemp oil is sometimes referred to as "full-spectrum hemp oil." This means that the oil was made using multiple parts of the hemp plant.
Does Hemp Oil Have CBD?
That depends on which part of the hemp plant is used to make the final product. Hemp oil made from the stalks, stems and flowers of the plant will contain CBD; any product made from the seeds of the plant will contain little or no CBD.
So, where does hemp extract fit in?
What Is Hemp Extract?
Hemp extract is just that: an extract of hemp. Synonymous with CBD oil, it is specifically elicited from those parts of the hemp plant known to have low levels of cannabidiol, which provides all the anti-inflammatory and analgesic benefits. Cannabidiol, or CBD for short, is just one chemical compound that can be extracted from hemp or marijuana plants.
For Zebra CBD products, we use the term "hemp extract" to clearly describe how our CBD is sourced. We extract our CBD oil only from the aerial parts (flowers) of the hemp plant for optimal health benefits.
What Is the Difference Between Hemp Oil and Hemp Seed Oil?
As mentioned, hemp oil can be made from seeds, stalks, flowers or any part of the hemp plant, while hemp seed oil is derived only from the seeds of the Cannabis sativa plant.
Hemp seed oil is rich in nutrients, vitamins and fatty acids, and contains bioactive compounds. You'll often see hemp seed oil products advertised as a vitamin supplement or in hair and skincare creams because of their fatty acid content. Make sure to read the ingredients when you pick up your next hemp oil product.
What Does Hemp Seed Oil Have That CBD Oil Doesn't Have?
A lot, actually. Hemp seed oil may contain:
- omega-6 essential fatty acids.
- omega-3 essential fatty acids.
- linoleic acid.
- oleic acid.
- protein.
- fiber.
- Vitamins A, C and E.
The question then becomes, why is CBD oil the product you want?
What Is CBD Oil?
CBD oil, or cannabidiol, is an oil made from the non-psychotropic chemical compound called cannabidiol. Cannabidiol can be extracted from plants in the Cannabis genus, like hemp and marijuana. Although, for it to be sold in products nationwide, the CBD oil must be extracted from hemp plants. Ingredients to look for on a CBD oil label include cannabidiol (CBD), full-spectrum hemp, hemp oil, hemp extract blend or full-spectrum flower oil. It’s easy to tell the difference between CBD oil and hemp seed oil, because the latter will have hemp seed oil listed as its only ingredient.
How Does THC Fit Into All of This?
THC — or tetrahydrocannabinol — is the psychoactive chemical compound in a Cannabis plant. Both CBD and THC can be found in hemp and marijuana plants, but the two chemical compounds are not the same. THC is the ingredient in marijuana products that causes the psychoactive effects of feeling "high." The effects of THC may include:
- increased sleepiness.
- a sense of happiness or euphoria.
- a hard time focusing.
- heightened sensory awareness.
- increased appetite.
- relaxation.
- a sense of paranoia or panic.
The amount of THC in a plant from the Cannabis genus determines whether the plant is considered hemp or marijuana. If a Cannabis plant has a content of less than 0.3% THC by weight, it is considered hemp, and not monitored by government agencies. If a plant has 0.3% or more THC content by weight, it is considered marijuana, a controlled substance.
The Hemp vs. CBD Trail Mix Analogy
We've created a sweet analogy to help mitigate confusion behind our question, "Does Hemp Oil Have CBD?"
Think of hemp and marijuana plants like different kinds of trail mix. Think of the chemical compound of CBD as chocolate chips. The hemp trail mix has chocolate chips (CBD), and so does the marijuana trail mix.
If you poured the trail mix right into your hand and ate it as is, you would be getting a mix of almonds, pretzels, dried fruit and chocolate chips (CBD). This handful of snacks is hemp oil.
If you picked all of the chocolate chips out of the trail mix until you had a nice chocolatey pile in your hand, that would be CBD oil.
The marijuana trail mix looks a lot like the hemp trail mix. It has chocolate chips, dried fruit, pretzels and almonds, but it has another ingredient that differentiates it from the hemp trail mix — THC. For the sake of the analogy, we'll call THC peanuts.
Technically, the hemp trail mix has small, trace amounts of peanuts (THC) — less than 0.3% by weight. However, think of the presence of "peanuts" in hemp trail mix like food labels that say things like: "This product was made on shared equipment that produces peanut products." The peanuts are technically there, but only enough to make a difference for the most peanut-sensitive individuals.
You can still pick through your marijuana trail mix and just enjoy the chocolate chips, but because there are actual peanuts in the mix, things get trickier.
Let's take this analogy a little bit further.
Where do you eat the most trail mix? Summer camp.
Because some campers have bad reactions to peanuts, the marijuana trail mix is carefully monitored by the camp counselors (the FDA). So even if you just pulled out the chocolate chips from your marijuana trail mix and avoided the peanuts altogether, that marijuana trail mix and the chocolate chips you pulled out of it would still be banned from certain areas of the camp. But because there are only trace amounts of peanuts in the hemp trail mix, it's allowed all over camp.
Hemp Seed Oil or CBD Oil: How Do I Know Which Is Best for Me?
It depends on what you're looking for. Now that you know a little bit more about hemp products and CBD products, let's go over the best usage cases for each.
What Is Hemp seed Oil Good For?
The major difference between hemp seed oil and CBD oil is this: plant substance.
If you take hemp seed oil products, you may get more vitamins, omega fatty acids, fiber and proteins than if you take CBD oil. Hemp seed oil is similar to olive oil and sunflower seed oil in its nutritional health benefits. As a nutritional supplement to your health regimen, hemp seed oil might be the right choice for you. But there is a serious drawback to choosing hemp seed oil products.
The CBD content is much lower in hemp seed oil products than in CBD oil products. By choosing hemp seed oil products, you will be losing out on many ways CBD can enhance all aspects of your general wellness.
CBD Benefits For Health and Wellness
If you're looking for something that will help you de-stress and could help relax sore muscles after a tough run, or to quiet your busy mind so you can sleep or improve your energy and mood levels, that's where you want to choose the more focused product: CBD oil.
Cannabidiol works with your natural endocannabinoid system to improve many aspects of health and wellness.
Uses For CBD In Your Everyday Life
Here are some of the ways that CBD may help you:
- Healthy sleep habits: If you're someone who has a hard time closing your eyes and drifting off to sleep, CBD oil enhanced with natural melatonin may be the perfect solution to get you into better sleep habits.
- Helping to ease everyday stress: If you're looking for something to help you take a few more deep, calming breaths during your stress-filled day, try a CBD oil product that incorporates a natural calming agent like valerian root.
- Post-workout muscle relief: To help your muscles feel more at ease after a tiring workout, a CBD product that combines CBD's benefits with lavender's relaxing properties could yield satisfying results.
- Improving focus and energy: You may be the kind of person who always has a million ideas, and struggles to focus on just one. Or you may have a hard time finding the energy to complete an ever-growing to-do list. If you need help with focus and energy, CBD oil may be a perfect solution for you.
- Nourishing skin wellness: Your skin is your body's largest organ. CBD oil moisturizers may help replenish your skin's natural oils and leave you feeling pampered and glowing.
Zebra CBD: Clearing Away the Confusion Around CBD
It's easy to get confused with all the information (and misinformation) that CBD companies put out about CBD products, hemp oil and CBD oil when you're researching these by yourself. Don't worry; you're not alone.
As a leader in the CBD industry, the team at Zebra CBD can help you find the answers you're looking for. We believe that you deserve to know exactly what you're getting, whether you're looking for an answer online or when purchasing a CBD product.
Source:
Healthline. CBD Oil vs. Hempseed Oil: How To Know What You’re Paying For. https://www.healthline.com/health/hemp-vs-cbd-oil
