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CBD Isolate vs. Full Spectrum CBD: Which Works For You

CBD Isolate vs. Full Spectrum CBD: Which Works For You

CBD comes in many forms, as each has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. While every form of CBD can supply your body with potential health benefits, how they deliver those benefits may vary. 

So, while CBD isolate and full-spectrum CBD are both useful wellness tools, how do you know which form works best for you? Let’s discuss the differences between CBD isolate vs. full-spectrum CBD, and how to choose the right CBD for you.

What Is Full-Spectrum CBD?

Full-spectrum CBD, often called whole plant oil, contains the full profile of the cannabis plant. In addition to small amounts of THC, full-spectrum CBD includes terpenes, essential vitamins, proteins, fatty acids, cannabinol, and flavonoids. 

Full-spectrum CBD is made from cannabis plants that are very high in CBD. Broad-spectrum CBD contains all the same cannabis plant compounds as full-spectrum CBD, minus the amounts of THC.

Cannabis plants contain between 80 to 100 cannabinoids, while full-spectrum CBD contains everything the cannabis plant has, along with low levels of THC. This means you’re also getting a THC content of up to 0.3% by the dry weight of the plant. 

If a CBD product contains several naturally occurring cannabis plant extracts, such as aromatic compounds called terpenes and other cannabinoids – including 0.3% THC – this is full-spectrum CBD.

How Is Full Spectrum CBD Made?

Full-spectrum CBD is made by extracting the contents of a hemp plant. The plant material is placed in a special machine where a food-safe solvent like ethanol, propane, or butane separates the compounds from the plant material. 

The plant material is removed from the resulting extract, and the extract is processed to remove the solvent. Then, the full-spectrum CBD extract is diluted with a carrier oil, like coconut-derived MCT oil or hemp seed oil. 

What Is CBD Isolate?

CBD isolate is pure CBD (or cannabidiol) that does not contain cannabinoids, fats, terpenes, lipids, or other compounds found in the hemp plant. 

Hemp-derived CBD isolate is a heavily processed and purified extract, while orange-derived CBD isolate is created with proprietary science

How Is CBD Isolate Made?

Unlike full-spectrum CBD, CBD isolate doesn’t need to be made from a hemp plant. The way CBD isolate is made depends on what it’s derived from. It is the purest form of CBD and can be found in gummies and capsules, as well as other products.

CBD Made From Hemp

CBD isolate starts with the same process used to make full-spectrum CBD. After the extract is drawn from the plant, it undergoes additional processing. This processing removes everything but the CBD from the extract. Other cannabinoids, including THC, are separated and discarded.

When CBD isolate is made from hemp, it’s hard to guarantee that every other cannabinoid has been removed in its entirety. The goal is to remove all levels of these cannabinoids that standard lab testing equipment can detect. 

Hemp-derived CBD isolate can be blended with a carrier oil and used with a dropper. It can also be left in a crystalline form that looks similar to table sugar. CBD isolate crystals can be mixed into food or drinks.

CBD Made From Oranges

Peels has a proprietary process for making CBD isolate from orange peels. Orange peels contain aromatic compounds called terpenes, just like plants in the cannabis family. We rearrange those terpenes into bioidentical CBD, and the end result works exactly like hemp-derived CBD.

Because the CBD in Peels products, like gummies, isn’t made from hemp, it is THC-free and won’t contain other cannabinoids.

What Are the Pros and Cons of CBD Isolate?

CBD isolate boasts all the benefits of CBD without any other cannabinoids. This can be a good thing or a bad thing for CBD users, depending on your wellness goals. CBD isolate is often the best choice for many people with strict preferences or restrictions on what cannabinoids they can use. 

Pros of CBD Isolate

  • CBD isolate has no THC
  • CBD isolate tastes better than full-spectrum products

Due to various factors, some people are uncomfortable with THC products. They want the wellness benefits of cannabinoids like CBD, but they don’t like the idea of ingesting the small amounts of THC that may come with it.

When you use orange-derived CBD, the chances of encountering THC are zero. This means you can safely use Peels if you’re subjected to drug tests or if you need to abide by athletic guidelines.

CBD isolate also tastes better than full-spectrum CBD oil. 

Full-spectrum CBD oil tastes exactly like a hemp plant, with a very earthy flavor. If you don’t like the scent or flavor of cannabis, you may not want full-spectrum CBD.

CBD isolate doesn’t contain any other compounds from the plant, so it won’t taste like the plant. Since Peels is derived from oranges, it tastes like oranges. 

Cons of CBD Isolate

CBD isolate is an excellent tool for those concerned with THC, but the benefits come with a tradeoff.

  • CBD isolate is more processed
  • CBD isolate only offers the benefits of CBD

CBD isolate is more processed than full-spectrum CBD. It’s a single compound that comes from a plant with hundreds of compounds. When it’s derived from oranges, it’s made with a special scientific process. 

Many people use full-spectrum CBD because they want the benefits of all of the hemp plant compounds. When you use CBD isolate, you won’t get the benefits of the other cannabinoids and terpenes. It’s the cannabinoid that produces the most profound soothing effects, and it’s the most abundant cannabinoid in CBD oil. 

The other cannabinoids, like Cannabigerol (CBG), only exist in small amounts. Such small amounts may not be significant enough to produce the effects associated with those cannabinoids.

What Are the Pros and Cons of Full Spectrum CBD?

Full-spectrum CBD oil is one of the most popular CBD products as many people find that it’s a perfect fit for their needs. Meanwhile, others may find that their lifestyle or wellness choices make full-spectrum CBD off-limits.

Pros of Full-Spectrum CBD

The biggest selling point of full-spectrum CBD is that it has all the cannabinoids and terpenes the plant contains. These cannabinoids and terpenes are believed to work together in a process called The Entourage Effect. 

Cannabinoids seem to interact with each other. CBD acts as the star of the show, working with every cannabinoid receptor in your body without binding to those receptors and changing the way they work. 

CBD can dampen the psychoactive effects of THC and may impact the way the body utilizes minor cannabinoids, like CBC and CBG. 

Although detectable levels of these minor cannabinoids can be found in full-spectrum CBD, they’re likely not enough to produce substantial effects. If you’re interested in the benefits of cannabinoids other than CBD, you’re better off finding those extracts individually. 

Cons of Full Spectrum CBD

  • Full-spectrum CBD contains THC
  • Not legal in every state

People are quick to write love letters to full-spectrum CBD. For many people, full-spectrum CBD is worth the hype. But for a whole group of people who cannot or do not want to ingest THC, full-spectrum CBD is more of a problem than a solution.

Although the amount of THC in a single dose of full-spectrum CBD won’t be enough to get you high, it may be enough to cause you to fail a drug test. You need to use CBD daily in order to fully experience the benefits. 

When you’re ingesting a little bit of THC every day, you’re putting its byproducts in your body. THC, like other cannabinoids, is stored in body fat. Cannabinoids can stay in your system for a while, depending on how much you consume. 

Over time, these tiny amounts of THC can accumulate and slowly be expelled through your urine. This can make you fail a drug test for cannabis use, even if you didn’t use cannabis. If your job or athletic pursuits prevent you from ingesting products with THC, you can’t use full-spectrum products. 

In some states, full-spectrum CBD products are illegal. Although hemp-derived CBD is technically legal on a federal level, THC still isn’t. States have all written their own laws in regards to CBD products. 

How Peels Is Different

Peels is CBD for everyone. Since our CBD is made from oranges instead of hemp, it doesn’t contain any other cannabinoids. It boasts all the benefits of CBD without any of the potential consequences of THC. 

Adding Peels to your daily ritual is something you can feel good about - in more ways than one! 

Sources:

Cannabinoids, Phenolics, Terpenes, and Alkaloids of Cannabis | Molecules

Athletes: 6 Things to Know About Cannabidiol | USADA

FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD) | FDA