CBS is one of over 120 cannabinoids which are found in the Cannabis plant. Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica have both been used for thousands of years to treat chronic pain, inflammation and neuropathy.
New studies of cannabis are now published on an almost weekly basis, which helps us to further understand the therapeutic properties of the plant. The two compounds from the plan which stand out are THC and CBD.
While THC has received most of the research, CBD has been gaining large amounts of interest in the medical community and general population. As CBD does not induce the same psychoactive effects as THC, it is marketed as a non-psychoactive cannabinoid.
However, this can be considered a little misleading, as CBD companies claim that CBD isolate helps individuals to reduce stress and anxiety, both of which imply that CBD is in fact psychoactive.
So, what is CBD isolate? And how is it different from full-spectrum CBD? Is CBD the cure for all ailments, or is it another example of hype outpacing evidence? Keep reading to find out.
CBD isolate
CBD isolate is usually made from supercritical CO2 extraction from organic hemp. This is the most efficient process for isolating CBD while eliminating THC and other minor cannabinoids which are found in hemp.
The result of this is CBD isolate powder, which is lipid-soluble, and can also be formulated in capsules, topicals, gummies and vapes for consumer products. CBD isolate powder can be considered the purest CBD that you can buy.
CBD isolate has a vast and versatile therapeutic profile, especially when it is used to treat mood disorders, ease pain, reduce inflammation and relieve stress. However, there is still plenty that we do not know about how CBD isolate works, and the dosages which are necessary to give health benefits.
CBD stimulates the body’s healing capacities by signaling for the endocannabinoid system to produce more cannabinoids, while modulating receptors in the endocannabinoid system. It is currently unclear whether CBD isolate reacts directly with each subtype of receptor, like THC, or it instead works as a molecular liaison.
Either way, just some of the benefits of CBD isolate are:
- Anti-inflammatory qualities
- Neuroprotective
- Prevents seizures
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Supports the immune system
- Gives better sleep
CBD isolate vs Full-spectrum CBD
If a product is labeled as full-spectrum CBD oil, this means that it has other plant compounds from hemp, as well as CBD isolate. CBD isolate, on the other hand, refers to products which are more than 99% CBD content, while having near-zero THC.
Because of this, you will not test positive for a drug test for cannabis if you use CBD isolate products. Many consumers have thus been rushing towards CBD isolate, as they believe that it is the best way to have their cake and eat it at the same time. However, the jury is still out in regards to whether CBD isolate has the same benefits of both full-spectrum CBD and cannabis.
You may be wondering, then, whether full-spectrum CBD oil contains THC. The answer to this is that it does, but it is only in trace amounts, so that the psychoactive effects from the THC will be almost none-existent.
That being said, using full-spectrum CBD on a regular basis may make you test positive for cannabis. THC and its metabolites collect in the body tissue, especially in fat cells. Therefore, if you are using full-spectrum CBD oil which contains 0.3% of THC, metabolites will slowly build up in your system, and you may eventually get flagged up in a drug test.
This is one of the downsides to using full-spectrum CBD oil. If you regularly get tested for cannabis, opting with CBD isolate is the better choice.
Benefits of full-spectrum CBD
Recent studies suggest that the combination of Phyto cannabinoids in hemp and cannabis work together in a manner which is not seen when these compounds are consumed in isolation. Scientists call this effect the entourage effect.
One study looked at the effects of five different cannabis extracts and their effects on seizures in mice. Each extract had the same amount of CBD but different amounts of Phyto cannabinoids.
The results from the study showed that extracts significantly performed the control group, but how powerful the effects were varied drastically among the extracts. This suggests that the other Phyto cannabinoids in CBD play a more crucial role than we had thought previously, so if you do not regularly get tested for cannabis and want stronger effects from your CBD, then you should go with full spectrum CBD formulations.