5 Differences Between Hemp Seed Oil Vs CBD

The cannabis or hemp plant contains a treasure trove of compounds that boast bountiful health benefits. Its seeds produce hemp seed oil, which is packed with nutrients and essential fatty acids, while CBD oil is derived from its flowers, stems, and leaves and may support feelings of relaxation and vitality.

And if you’re looking for THC-packed marijuana, you’ll find that in the plant’s leaves and flowers.

That said, while both hemp seed oil and CBD oil come from the same plant, they’re vastly different in their composition, use, and potential health benefits.

What Is Hemp Seed Oil?

Hemp seed oil is made from the seeds of the hemp plant. It’s usually extracted by cold-pressing, the same way olive oil and other cooking oils are extracted. In cold pressing, the seeds or fruits of a plant are crushed at room temperature to release the oils. No heat is used in the process, so it’s thought to leave essential compounds and flavors intact better than heat processing.¹

Many nutrients are present in hemp seed oil, including:²

Amino acids (proteins)
Zinc
Iron
Calcium
Sulfur
Magnesium
Phosphorus
Carotene
Potassium

That said, hemp oil does not contain any cannabinoids, such as CBD, THC, or CBN. Learn more about the differences between CBD vs CBN in our recent blog post, to understand which option is best for your lifestyle.

Benefits of Hemp Seed Oil

Hemp seed oil can be used in cooking to add a rich, nutty flavor to salad dressings or vegetables. It’s also used as a dietary supplement. It’s low in saturated fat, yet rich in beneficial omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids.²

Research has found that dietary intake of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids can support:³

Skin, hair, and nail health
Healthy blood pressure levels
Cardiovascular health
Pain relief

What Is CBD Oil?

CBD is short for cannabidiol, and it can also be called hemp extract. It’s one of the bioactive compounds found in the cannabis plant. Unlike hemp seed oil, which only comes from the seeds of hemp plants, CBD can be extracted from the flowers, leaves, and stems of the plants.

CBD oil is commonly misconstrued as CBD tincture so it is important that you do your research on the differences between CBD tincture vs oil before deciding on your preference.

There are a few other important things to know about CBD before choosing a CBD product:

CBD vs. THC – Although CBD can be extracted from cannabis, it’s not intoxicating and it won’t create the “high” sensation you might associate with cannabis. THC is the compound in marijuana that creates psychoactive effects.

Legality – CBD products are legal in the United States as long as they contain less than 0.3% THC. THC is not legal in all states. This is why CBD oil is usually sourced from industrial hemp plants, which typically contain less than 0.3% THC.⁴

Benefits of CBD Oil

CBD and other cannabinoids work by interacting with a system in the body known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is responsible for keeping the body in a state of homeostasis.⁵ Homeostasis means that all of your systems are in balance and functioning properly.⁶

Your body naturally makes cannabinoids, called endocannabinoids, that interact with the ECS. The cannabinoids in CBD have a similar effect and may interact with the ECS when CBD oil is consumed or applied topically.

Since the ECS regulates your mood, sleep, pain, stress, immune function, cardiovascular systems, and more, CBD may also play a role in these systems. Scientists are still researching exactly how and why CBD works, but recent studies have found that CBD oil may help facilitate:

Digestive health⁷
Restful sleep
Muscle and joint relief⁹
Relaxation and feelings of calm⁹

What Are the Differences Between Hemp Seed Oil Vs CBD?

Now that you’ve got a better understanding of how hemp seed oil and CBD oil work, let’s take a closer look at exactly how they differ. Here are 5 key differences between hemp vs CBD oil.

#2 Composition

The biggest difference between CBD oil vs hemp oil is simple: There are no cannabinoids in hemp seed oil, including CBD.¹⁰ It may still contain THC, but again, not enough for any psychoactive effects.

That said, they also feature different properties:

Hemp seed oil – Hemp seeds contain a variety of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including linoleic and linolenic acids, omega-3, and omega-6.¹¹

CBD oil – The components of CBD oil will depend on the type of oil it is which is why it is important to understand the differences between full spectrum vs broad spectrum CBD. Full spectrum CBD oil contains terpenes, omega acids, and cannabinoids, such as THC; broad spectrum CBD oil also contains cannabinoid plant compounds, but no THC, and CBD isolate contains only CBD and no other cannabinoids.¹²

#3 Potential Health Benefits

While hemp seed oil does offer nutritional benefits like high amino acid content along with omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, its potential health benefits are more limited than CBD.

While hemp seed oil can act as an anti-inflammatory and support healthy skin,¹⁵ hemp seeds don’t contain phytocannabinoids that can interact with the ECS like CBD does.¹⁰ This is why CBD oil may be able to offer wide-ranging health benefits including sleep, mood, digestion, and joint support.

#4 Application

Because of its nutty flavor and affordability, hemp seed oil is commonly used as a household cooking ingredient. Due to the impressive skin and hair benefits offered by its high omega 3 and omega 6 content, hemp seed oil is also frequently found in hair, skin, and beauty products.¹³

CBD oil is becoming more common in skin and hair products too, but it’s still not as widely used for these applications as hemp seed oil is. Instead, CBD is found in many edible supplements, from capsules and gummies to shots. There are also a variety of CBD topical lotions and roll-ons.

#5 Where to Find Them

One last difference between hemp seed oil vs CBD oil is where you can purchase them. Since hemp seed oil is usually used for cooking and not for medicinal purposes, you’ll commonly find it in the grocery store with other cooking oils.

A CBD oil product can be found in pharmacies and dispensaries or purchased online. When ordering CBD online, be sure to choose a reputable manufacturer that offers their certificate of analysis or independent lab testing results on their website.

Do Hemp Seed Oil and CBD Oil Cause Side Effects?

One thing hemp seed oil and CBD oil have in common is that they are typically very safe for most people.¹⁰ The most common side effects are:

Fatigue
Drowsiness
Digestive upset or cramps
Irritability
Dizziness

If you do notice any side effects, they should clear up quickly when you stop using the product. You can also try reducing how much you take to find the amount that’s effective without causing side effects.

If you have chronic low blood pressure, speak to your doctor before using hemp seed oil, since dietary hempseed can lower blood pressure. This is a benefit for most people, but if your blood pressure is already low, it’s important to take that into account before trying hemp seed oil.¹⁴

How To Choose a CBD Product

When you decide to add CBD oil to your routine, you’ll have many options to choose from. A few pointers to help you select a product:

Choose quality over price – Due to issues with labeling accuracy in the CBD industry, the Mayo Clinic suggests opting for the highest quality product you can rather than deciding based on the price tag.¹⁰ Labels on less reputable products aren’t always reliable. One study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that of 84 CBD and hemp oil products studied, only 26 were accurately labeled. Most had less CBD and more THC than claimed—a significant problem for people who need to be certain their product is THC-free.¹⁵

Do your research – Keep in mind that CBD products aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration like medications because they’re considered to be nutritional supplements. It’s important that you take the time to choose a manufacturer that provides independent testing results and guarantees the CBD and THC content of its product.

Go solvent-free – The Mayo Clinic recommends choosing a product that has been produced without the use of solvents.¹⁰ Chemical solvents are often used in the extraction process for traditionally produced CBD oil. Peels CBD uses a revolutionary solvent-free process to create our bio-identical CBD.

Consider alternatives – While hemp seed oil can only be derived from hemp plants, it’s actually possible to create CBD from sources other than cannabis and hemp plants. With modern laboratory processes, molecularly identical synthetic CBD can be created from terpenes found in other plants. For example, Peels CBD oil is derived from terpenes extracted from orange rinds. The molecular structure of Peels CBD is completely identical to cannabis-derived CBD. But because it came from a non-cannabis source, it’s entirely free of THC.

Choose Clean, Pure CBD With Peels

Hemp seed oil is an ideal way to add omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids to your diet. But if you’re looking for general health support for a range of issues like relaxation, soothing tired muscles and joints, sound sleep, and mood regulation, CBD oil could be just what you’re looking for.

With the concerns surrounding accurate labeling of many CBD products, it’s important to choose a CBD oil you can trust to contain exactly what it’s supposed to.

Thanks to our proprietary Cyclic Terpene Assembly process, you can trust that Peels CBD is completely THC-free because it’s not sourced from cannabis. Peels CBD contains only what it says on the label, without any pesticides, solvents, or other additives you don’t want.

Shop Peels today, and get pure, clean worry-free CBD.

Sources:

Britannica. Oil extraction. https://www.britannica.com/science/oil-extraction#ref118270
American Oil Chemist Society. Hempseed oil in a nutshell. https://www.aocs.org/stay-informed/inform-magazine/featured-articles/hempseed-oil-in-a-nutshell-march-2010
Nutrients. Beneficial outcomes of omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on human health: an update for 2021. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8308533/
Food and Drug Administration. FDA Regulation of cannabis and cannabis-derived products, including cannabidiol (CBD). https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-regulation-cannabis-and-cannabis-derived-products-including-cannabidiol-cbd
Journal of Young Investigators. The endocannabinoid system, our universal regulator. https://www.jyi.org/2018-june/2018/6/1/the-endocannabinoid-system-our-universal-regulator.
Medicine Net. Medical definition of homeostasis. https://www.medicinenet.com/homeostasis/definition.htm
Current Neuropharmacology. Role of cannabinoids in gastrointestinal mucosal defense and inflammation. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5333598/
Current Psychiatry Reports. Cannabis, cannabinoids, and sleep: a review of the literature. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28349316/
National Library of Medicine. Cannabidiol. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Cannabidiol
Mayo Clinic. Clinician’s guide to cannabidiol and hemp oils. https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(19)30007-2/fulltext
Oklahoma State University. Hemp Seed Oil Properties. https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/hemp-seed-oil-properties.html
Medical News Today. Full-spectrum vs. broad-spectrum CBD: What is the difference? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/full-spectrum-cbd-vs-broad-spectrum-cbd#differences
Healthline. What Are the Benefits of Hemp Oil? https://www.healthline.com/health/hemp-oil-benefits
Nutrition and Metabolism. The cardiac and haemostatic effects of dietary hempseed. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2868018/
Journal of the American Medical Association. Labeling accuracy of cannabidiol extracts sold online. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/f ullarticle/2661569