“CBD” and “hemp” tend to be used interchangeably, especially when it comes to products like skincare and food. There’s a lack of knowledge around the difference between the two, and it leads to confused consumers who are using something they didn’t intend on purchasing in the first place. Let’s go over the difference between CBD oil and hemp oil, and how to know exactly which one is used in a product.
What is Hemp Oil?
When you see a product labeled with “hemp seed oil,” “hemp oil,” or “hemp extract,” that means it came from the hemp plant, not the marijuana plant. Hemp and marijuana are the same species, but are different varieties of cannabis sativa, giving them distinctive qualities.
Legal hemp plants contain less than 0.03% THC, which is abundant in the cannabis plant. While hemp still contains tons of cannabinoids, it produces very small amounts of THC and CBD.
There are also differences to look out for within hemp products. Hemp seed oil, which is obviously extracted from the seed, is completely different than hemp oil. Hemp oil is extracted from the flowers, stems and leaves of the plant and contains tons of cannabinoids. True hemp seed oil, on the other hand, will not contain any cannabinoids. This is crucial to note because some may be looking for a medicinal cure that hemp seed oil won’t be able to provide. That’s not to say hemp seed oil doesn’t have its advantages. It provides topical benefits, and is especially popular in skincare as it’s rich in fatty acids that our skin loves.
What is CBD Oil?
CBD oil is simply CBD that has been extracted from the hemp or marijuana plant. For the most part, it’s a singular compound suspended in a carrier oil, unlike the range of compounds found in hemp oil. Full-spectrum CBD oils, on the other hand, contain trace amounts of THC (again, less than 0.03%) as well as terpenes and flavonoids that a CBD isolate won’t include. So, just like hemp oil, there are differences to explore within CBD oils.