The Different Types of CBD--Isolate v. Full-Spectrum v. Broad-Spectrum

May 09, 2019

Many people new to cannabidiol (CBD) don’t know the differences of the types of CBD out there— CBD isolate, full-spectrum CBD, and even broad-spectrum CBD. So what are the differences and why do they matter?

 

CBD Isolate

CBD isolate is the most “basic” form of CBD you’ll find out there—it consists about 99.9% of CBD with no other cannabis compounds (besides any other additives used after the extraction process). During the extraction process all other compounds found in the cannabis plant, such as THC, flavor compounds, etc., are completely removed leaving only the CBD isolate.

If you want to only ingest CBD with no other trace compounds from the cannabis plant, make sure you are using CBD products labeled “CBD isolate”.

 

Full Spectrum CBD

Full spectrum CBD oil, unlike CBD isolate products, includes a wide range of cannabinoids from the cannabis plant. These wide range of cannabinoids taken together can provide a greater therapeutic effect when working together—this is known as the “entourage effect” (which we will explain in more detail later).

So what are these other cannabinoids we are talking about? Since scientists have now identified about 80+ different cannabinoids, lets touch upon some of the better known and more researched cannabinoids—

 

               Cannabigerol (CBG)

CBG is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, meaning that it doesn’t produce the “high” you get when using THC. This cannabinoid is not very present in any cannabis strain—generally, its content is less than 1% with most strains.

However, the interesting thing about CBG that it is the precursor to THC and CBD. This means that the CBG in a cannabis plant is eventually transformed into either THC or CBD.

CBG has also been studied by medical researchers for its own medical benefits. Primarily, it has been used in animal studies, but has great promise for some of the following ailments and diseases—glaucoma, inflammatory bowel disease, brain cell degeneration, cancer, and bladder dysfunction disorders.

 

               Cannabinol (CBN)

Another lesser known compound of the cannabis plant—CBN. While having a similar name to that of CBD, CBN offers its own unique profile of benefits that researchers are delving into. Some of the benefits CBN use supports includes pain relief, sleep, anti-inflammation, and even anti-bacterial.

CBN is known to have mild psychoactive effects but is very minor in comparison to those produced through the use of THC. Just as an example, THC content can hit highs of about 30% in dried flower where as CBN will not normally surpass 1%.  

So how is CBN formed in a plant? Well its really a degraded form of THC. As THC is exposed to oxygen over time, it converts to CBN. This is why older cannabis plants have higher levels of CBN rather than freshly cultivated flower.

 

               Cannabichromene (CBC)

CBC, while discovered in 1966, has not been the subject of much research. However, even though it is less commonly known, CBC is the second most prevalent cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant.

CBC is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid. It is thought that CBC does not produce this result due to its poor ability to bind to cannabinoid receptors in the human brain.

While not having a ton of research behind it, CBC has been suggested to support a number of different benefits—acne treatment, diarrhea, bone growth regulation, cancer, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, pain management, and anti-depression.

 

               Entourage Effect

The “entourage effect”—this sounds like the binge watching effect the mid 2000’s show Entourage had on people at its height of popularity. Well, it’s a little more scientific than that. In short, the entourage effect is used to describe the synergistic manner in which all of the compounds of the cannabis plant work together to support the many therapeutic benefits cannabis has been shown to play a role in.

When the separate components of the cannabis plant are used alone, they are not as effective when used together. A lot of the same benefits have been shown across the various compounds found in the cannabis plants. When they are used together, they accentuate their effect.

What’s the best way to get the entourage effect? Well, like eating whole foods to get the most nutrients, you have to use the whole cannabis plant. This can be done through smoking, vaping, or even using full-spectrum CBD oil

 

Broad Spectrum CBD

So, what is broad spectrum CBD? Well, it’s a little of both—broad-spectrum CBD is full-spectrum CBD without any THC. Essentially, it offers all of the entourage effects of full-spectrum CBD while avoiding the chance of ingesting THC. So for those who are looking to get the entourage effect without taking any THC, broad-spectrum CBD is the route for you.

There are two general ways in which broad-spectrum CBD is made. First is by starting with a CBD isolate and then adding the other cannabis compounds found in full spectrum CBD with the exception of THC. The second way that broad-spectrum CBD is made is through a process that removes THC from a full-spectrum CBD extract.

Many companies offer this product to provide their consumers the benefits that come with the entourage effect while avoiding the risk that they are consuming THC. Removing the THC in these broad-spectrum products helps to ensure that any legal issues around the consumption of THC don’t affect the consumers ability to use CBD.

 

What the Coach’s Offer

Right now, the Coach’s are offering a CBD isolate tincture—this is our Coach’s Secret Stuff. While it won’t have the entourage effects that either a full-spectrum or a broad-spectrum CBD product will offer, we want to ensure that our products do not have any THC content in them—we want our consumers to feel comfortable in the products they are using and aren’t in violation of a federal law (or state if applicable to them).

However, we are currently working on a solution to offer our customer’s a broad-spectrum CBD product. We are building the relationships and know how to ensure that our products really contain what we say they do instead of relying on a wholesaler to provide us a product that we know nothing about.

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