CBD oil? Hemp oil? Cannabis oil?
Which is which, what does what, how do I choose?
These are all questions we are asked frequently here at CBD Life UK.
In a world of CBD, it can seem like there are many confusing and different terms out there and with the vast amount of information being introduced constantly, its easy to confuse one term with the next.
With CBD being a relatively new field, misconceptions are common. All of the oils stated above: CBD oil, hemp and cannabis oil, all come from the cannabis plant. However, they differ in how they are grown, extracted, and then used. This blog will take you through the difference between the oils.
Before we begin, it is important to note the difference between cannabis and hemp. Hemp and cannabis are both members of the same plant species, Cannabis sativa L.
When it comes to cannabis, it comes down to the amount of THC that is produced by that specific strain. THC being the photoactive part of the plant or the bit that ‘gets you stoned’. Cannabis is high in THC whereas hemp, produces an extremely low THC content.
Hemp can be defined as products of cannabis that contains less than 0.2% THC.
Only products made from industrial hemp (less than 0.2% THC) are legal to sell, buy, consume, and ship. This single factor (0.2%) is how most people distinguish between what is classified as “hemp” and what is classified as “cannabis.”
CBD/Hemp Oil
This wonderful oil is made from high CBD and low THC hemp.
Since hemp contains only trace amounts of THC, CBD oil products are non-psychoactive. CBD is one of the most abundant cannabinoids in cannabis and it does not get you ‘high’, unlike THC.
Quite often, when people come to us to buy CBD oil and they read ‘hemp oil’ on the bottle they immediately think it is not the stuff they need. Incorrect! Our CBD oil says hemp on the bottle as it’s made from hemp-simple as that, but it is still CBD oil.
A lot of the time people call CBD oil “hemp oil”. This is accurate because both oils come from hemp. If you are buying CBD oil or hemp oil you are good to go! We chose to use the term ‘hemp oil’ on our products as it carries the least stigma- something that hopefully, as time goes on, will diminish anyway.
Hemp SEED Oil
Hemp seed oil is much different than CBD oil/hemp oil.
Hemp seed oil is a hemp extract taken from the seeds of the plant. Industrial hemp is the only plant used for this type of hemp oil. The seeds of the hemp plant can be used to create a delicious oil like olive oil.
There are no cannabinoids such as THC or CBD present in the oil since hemp seeds are not psychoactive.
Hemp seeds oil is known for its great taste and for the high values of unsaturated fats, such as Omega 3 and Omega 6.
You may notice hemp seed oil as an ingredient in some of your beauty products or while shopping at the supermarket. Although hemp seed oil is beneficial, it is different from CBD oil.
Hemp seed oil does not contain CBD.
Cannabis oil
Cannabis oil is USUALLY associated with oil that is high in THC- this is the oil that is illegal. The large difference between cannabis oil and CBD/hemp oil is literally just the amount of THC present for in hemp and CBD oil, the THC content is incredibly low- so low that you would always pass a drugs test when taking CBD/hemp oil.
The purpose of this oil is usually to specifically get high or ‘stoned’. This type of oil also contains a high concentration of CBD.
Since there is a high presence of THC in cannabis oil, it isn’t currently available to buy.
Although we do hope this blog was informative, if you are planning to buy CBD oil, and the supplier is using a different name for it, just simply query this by asking simple questions we have answered in this blog.
Is it legal?
Is it a high CBD and low THC product?
If the answers to both questions are yes, no matter what the product is listed as (hemp, CBD, cannabis oil) it is fine.
