Full-Spectrum Hemp Oil: Explained
What is full-spectrum hemp oil?
Well, we could just say that full-spectrum hemp oil is full-spectrum oil from the hemp plant… and that wouldn’t be wrong… but it wouldn’t be helpful either.
So let’s get into it.
Why Hemp?
Hemp isn’t a fad.
It’s long been a part of the human experience. In fact, humankind has been cultivating hemp, in some form, for medicinal, religious, and recreational use for millennia.
Hemp is the non-psychoactive member of the cannabis plant family. In fact, hemp is cannabis (commonly known as marijuana), but it’s been cultivated so that it has very little tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound in cannabis that causes you to feel “high.”
In the United States, hemp is also known as industrial or therapeutic hemp. It’s legal in all 50 states and, by law, contains 0.3% THC or less. (More on this later.)
Hemp and cannabis experienced widespread criminalization in the 20th century, but, more recently, the Agriculture Improvement Act (commonly known as the Farm Bill) of 2018 removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act, legalizing it in all states. Legally, this applies to hemp with THC concentrations of 0.3% or less.
Since legalization, research on hemp has boomed.
And recent hemp studies support a lot of what many cultures have long believed regarding hemp’s beneficial properties and effects.
Hemp’s growing popularity and the research around it is partly due to the presence of compounds in hemp called cannabinoids.
And, while much of the research on hemp and cannabinoids is new and emerging, so far, it’s showing a lot of promise.
With all this promising research, it makes sense that researchers and retailers alike would look for novel ways to quickly and easily use hemp.
Enter: Hemp oil.
Are There Different Types of Hemp Oil?
Hemp oil can be a bit of an umbrella term.
Put simply, hemp oil broadly refers to oils, tinctures, or extracts that come from the hemp plant.
That means hemp oil may also refer to oils, tinctures, and extracts commonly known as CBD oils. Again, this is because CBD is one of the most common and (and most popular) compounds found in hemp.
Why oil? Because hemp compounds like CBD are fat-soluble, meaning it’s easier for the body to absorb and digest them if they’re already dissolved in a carrier oil or another fat-based medium.
NOTE: The term hemp oil can also refer to hemp seed oil, oil pressed from hemp seeds – similar to how olive oil is made. While hemp seed oil has high amounts of healthy fatty acids, it contains almost none of the beneficial phytocannabinoids (like CBD) found in hemp.
What is Hemp Oil: Full Spectrum, Broad Spectrum, & Isolate
So hemp oil can mean a few different things and, similarly, there are a few different types.
Most of what you see sold under the hemp or CBD oil umbrella is a hemp-derived extract or isolate mixed with a carrier oil.