CBD has gained a lot of traction over the years. Just over the last decade, we’ve watched it go from a niche good to something that you can get at gas stations in some parts of the country. With this relatively quick growth, it’s only natural that people would have some things that didn’t make a lot of sense to them.
One of the most common things that we see is people wondering if broad spectrum CBD is the same thing as full-spectrum CBD and if it isn’t if it’s as good as full-spectrum CBD. It’s easy to see where the confusion here might come from, so we’re going to do our best to explain.
There is a lot to know about CBD so there’s nothing wrong with not knowing everything about it. In fact, there are still current scientific studies being done on CBD so even the leading experts in the field have all sorts of unanswered questions.
So, let’s take a trip to learn about CBD, both broad-spectrum and full-spectrum so that we can all have a better understanding of the subject before you move on to deciding which product you want to try first.
What is CBD?
Let’s start with the basics. You may or may not already know what CBD is, but if you’re going to build a house you need to start with the foundation and work your way up from there. Learning about any subject is the same, and not everyone knows what CBD is so this is especially important.
CBD is just one of many cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are chemical compounds that are found in cannabis and they interact with your cannabinoid receptors. These receptors do a lot in your body but we don’t have the time to go too deep into that. We’d have to teach you a lot about biochemistry to make that make sense.
In any case, CBD is one of the most commonly known cannabinoids. The other most commonly known is probably one that you’ve already thought of, and that cannabinoid is called THC. CBD and THC are very closely related but there’s a major difference between the two.
This might seem like a simple difference, but it’s actually a big part of the appeal of CBD. While THC is psychoactive, meaning that it gives you a high, CBD is not. In fact, CBD provides all of the benefits of THC without any of the high.
That makes it incredibly popular with people for a number of reasons. A lot of people find the high from THC to be very uncomfortable, and it makes sense. Physiologically it doesn’t make sense that it would be a comfortable experience for everyone.
That being said, CBD provides its users with all sorts of benefits and a lot of people agree that it can help with several things. Here are a few of the most popular effects of CBD:
- Help with relaxation
- An easier time getting rest
- Ease of discomfort and soreness
Of course, everyone has a different experience with CBD so it only makes sense that these aren’t exactly universal. Our physiological makeup is all a bit different, so it would be a little weird if everyone had the same exact experience with CBD.
That being said, many people swear by the calming effects of CBD. In fact, every day it seems like more and more people are adding this cannabinoid to their daily routine, whether in the morning to help them get through the day or in the evening to help them unwind a bit more easily.
What Are Broad-Spectrum and Full-Spectrum CBD?
There are a lot of buzzwords that surround the CBD industry and it can be more than a little confusing to keep up with, especially for people that are new to the topic. So what exactly do broad-spectrum CBD and full-spectrum CBD mean?
Well, before we start getting into the real definitions of things let’s just go over some cursory facts. Broad-spectrum and full-spectrum CBD are the two most common forms that you’ll be able to find CBD products.
On the full other side of things, you have CBD isolate, which is just pure CBD with nothing else in it. We’re getting a little ahead of ourselves with that, so let’s put a pin in that and come back to it once we’ve covered what broad and full-spectrum CBD is.
Broad-Spectrum vs Full-Spectrum CBD
There is a lot that these two types of CBD have in common, so let’s compare and contrast so you can have the best possible idea of what these types of CBD have to offer. Let’s start with similarities.
Both broad and full-spectrum CBD have, well, CBD in them as well as a few other compounds that are found in cannabis. That includes other cannabinoids as well as terpenes, which means that both of these can provide you with a lot of relief for a lot of things.
The biggest difference is the fact that full-spectrum CBD can contain up to 0.03% THC, while broad-spectrum never contains any THC. In states where THC is legal, you can get full-spectrum CBD with higher levels of THC, but that’s only in states where it’s legal.
CBD isolate, as we mentioned, is pure CBD. You’ll never find any other cannabinoids in isolate, just CBD. That can be a good option for those that want to get a pure CBD experience and don’t want any other cannabinoids or terpenes in their product.
Why Would You Want Any Spectrum in Your CBD?
It’s not uncommon for people to wonder why someone would want anything other than CBD in their CBD? It only makes sense that people might only want to have CBD and nothing else in their CBD.
Of course, there are people that prefer their CBD isolate products. Those people are entirely valid and there’s nothing wrong with that preference. That being said, there is a good reason why so many people enjoy broad or full-spectrum CBD products.
Studies have shown that the inclusion of other cannabinoids and terpenes can actually make the calming effects of the CBD product even more effective. Many of the terpenes and cannabinoids that are used in CBD products work synergistically with CBD to help with the effect.
Because full-spectrum CBD products don’t contain much THC legally you won’t feel any sort of a high from it. That being said, there’s not a lot of difference between the two other than that but it is important to be very careful about who you’re buying your CBD products from.
There are some companies that use broad-spectrum and full-spectrum CBD incorrectly and interchangeably, which can be a very bad thing. Only buy CBD products from supplies that you trust lest you end up with something that you don’t want in your CBD product.
Which is Better, Full-Spectrum or Broad-Spectrum CBD?
Now, here’s where we get down to brass tacks. Which is better, broad-spectrum or full-spectrum CBD? These two types of CBD are very similar so it could realistically just be a matter of preference, but for some people, it’s not.
The biggest thing that we need to look at to determine which could be universally considered better is the actual contents of the products. What is in the product is going to make a world of difference here for a number of reasons, but one reason in particular.
Full-spectrum CBD products can contain an incredibly small amount of THC. That small amount isn’t enough to get you high in the slightest because of the way that our bodies metabolize THC. That being said, even a product with 0.3% THC can do something else.
That’s right, even that small amount of THC could be enough to make you fail a drug test. For some people, that’s a big deal, depending on what kind of job you have. Most employers would say “likely story” if you told them that it’s just from a CBD product you take.
That being said, it could also not make you fail a drug test. It could really go either way and it’s hard to say until you have to take the drug test. If you have a job that regularly drug tests, you might not want to use full-spectrum.
That means that broad-spectrum have a slight advantage over full-spectrum in general but that doesn’t mean that it’s better or worse as a product. It’s a lot up to personal preference and how you prefer to enjoy your CBD.
Getting the Best CBD Experience
Hundreds of thousands of people take CBD on a daily basis, and more than take even take CBD occasionally. It’s no wonder why so many people enjoy this cannabinoid, and it also makes sense why you may want to try it.
Finding the best kind of CBD for you is important so you can get the most out of your CBD experience. You’ve got no shortage of options so your work is definitely cut out for you.