Hemp Education

If you are new to Hemp, there are many things you need to consider before making your first purchase. One of the most important choices that you will need to make when choosing a Hemp product is whether to go with full-spectrum Hemp or isolate Hemp. Even though both types of Hemp extract offer significant benefits, understanding the difference between these two types of Hemp is crucial to experience the best results.

What Is Hemp Extract?

Hemp, also known as cannabidiol, is one of the dozens of organic compounds found in hemp. In recent years, Hemp has been proven to have an array of medicinal benefits such as relieving pain, alleviating anxiety, and promoting sleep. In fact, Hemp is so effective and has become so popular among medical professionals and their patients that it is now being extracted and manufactured into products like oils, edibles, and creams.  

Is Full Spectrum Hemp Oil Legal?

The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp in the United States last December. The bill established different norms and regulations that benefit the hemp industry including removing hemp from the federal list of controlled substances and taking away the DEA’s power to treat hemp as an illicit drug.

Industrial hemp is now classified as an agricultural commodity and is regulated by the Department of Agriculture and individual state agencies. The bill has encouraged many to look into hemp-derived Hemp as a medicinal supplement and/or financial investment since experts project the Hemp industry will surpass the $20 billion mark in the next four years.

Hemp Full Spectrum vs Isolate: What’s the Difference?

When searching for Hemp products online, you will often come across the terms full-spectrum and isolate. These define the content of hemp products. Learning about these two main types of hemp products will help you make a smarter choice when purchasing Hemp online.

What Is Hemp Isolate?

Hemp isolate is a crystalline powder containing 99% pure cannabidiol from hemp. All other components of the hemp plant are removed to achieve pure Hemp extracts. Pure Hemp isolate is obtained through a purification process where all plant material minus Hemp is filtered out of the extracts. After filtration, the extracted substance goes through a more rigorous process called winterization.

Winterization removes all remaining elements that might have stuck around after filtration. This leaves a fine, white powder consisting of only Hemp.

How to Use Hemp Isolate?

The white powder known as Hemp isolate is entirely odorless and tasteless. Because of its lack of taste and odor, users around the world have learned to use Hemp isolate in a variety of ways.

By far the easiest and most effective way to take Hemp isolate is through sublingual consumption. Simply, place a dose of Hemp isolate under your tongue and hold it there for 30 to 60 seconds. This allows the Hemp to be absorbed by the capillaries under your tongue which deliver Hemp directly to your bloodstream.

Since Hemp isolate is 100% tasteless, it also makes for the perfect additive to your foods and drinks. Try it in smoothies, acai bowls, or your morning coffee. You can also use isolate powder in baked goods like cakes, cookies, and brownies. A daily dose of Hemp isolate in your foods is the best way to benefit from the properties of Hemp in a delicious and familiar way.

What is Full Spectrum Hemp?

As opposed to Hemp isolate, full-spectrum Hemp contains a combination of all other cannabinoids found in hemp. However, only minimal amounts of these cannabinoids are included in a full spectrum solution– Hemp is still the main ingredient. Some compounds in full-spectrum Hemp include CBN (cannabinol), CBG (cannabigerol), and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Even though THC is often included in full-spectrum solutions, it comes in very low concentrations (less than 0.3%), resulting in no psychoactive effects.

What Is Broad Spectrum Hemp?

Another common term you may come across in your Hemp journey is broad-spectrum Hemp, a term often erroneously used in place of full-spectrum Hemp. So, what is the difference between broad-spectrum and full-spectrum Hemp products?

As the name implies, broad-spectrum Hemp contains more compounds than just Hemp. However, unlike full spectrum Hemp, its formulas do not contain all compounds found in hemp.

What Are the Benefits of Full Spectrum Hemp?

As mentioned before, both isolate and full-spectrum Hemp offers numerous benefits. It was previously believed that products made with pure Hemp were more potent than full spectrum Hemp.  However, recent studies suggest full and broad-spectrum formulas may provide stronger relief over time because of the entourage effect.

The Entourage Effect

This phenomenon refers to the way different cannabinoids work together to deliver more potent benefits than one specific cannabinoid alone. Traces of cannabis compounds like CBN, CBG, and terpenes enhance the effects of Hemp due to these compounds also having significant medicinal properties. Broad and full-spectrum formulas even contain THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) which can also help improve how Hemp works without causing any psychoactive effects.

How to Use Full Spectrum Hemp

Like pure Hemp isolate, full-spectrum Hemp is also extremely versatile. Dozens of brands online offer full-spectrum products like full-spectrum Hemp oil, Hemp gummies, capsules, and even beverages. Most importantly, brands selling broad and full-spectrum Hemp products today have close to zero percent THC in their formulas, meaning they are completely safe and legal.

How Is Hemp Extracted?

Compounds from hemp, such as Hemp, can be extracted using different methods; however, the best by far is CO2 extraction.

CO2 extraction refers to a method that uses pressurized carbon dioxide (CO2) to create a highly concentrated form of Hemp that is suitable for human consumption. This process pulls the desired phytochemicals like Hemp out of the plant material isolating the substance and forming an extract that is free of harmful chemicals, fertilizers, and other undesired substances.

How Does the CO2 Extraction Method Work?

Under certain conditions, carbon dioxide acts like a solvent that is capable of creating a variety of end products. By manipulating temperature and pressure, manufacturers use this method to force CO2 into a state that is somewhere between liquid and gas. This state is known as a “supercritical” state.

In its supercritical state, CO2 works as a highly effective extraction solvent that has been used for years by food companies. For example, supercritical CO2 extraction is used to remove caffeine from coffee and extract essential oils from plants.

When it comes to Hemp extraction, supercritical CO2 is passed through a high-tech chamber where it pulls all of the desired chemicals (in this case Hemp) out of the plant material. After the Hemp is extracted with supercritical CO2, the temperature is changed back to room temperature, so all the CO2 evaporates leaving behind a substance that contains no solvents or unwanted chemicals.

Pure Hemp Provides Pure Relief

Supercritical CO2 extraction is the industry’s best practice for pure Hemp extraction. However, this method requires top-of-the-line high-tech equipment making it an expensive alternative to other less effective extraction methods used by many Hemp companies.

If you are considering Hemp for your daily routine, it is essential to buy from a Hemp company like Pure Relief that gets the extracts through supercritical CO2 extraction. All Pure Relief products are made using Hemp obtained through supercritical CO2 extraction. Additionally, our products are formulated by a pharmacist with years of experience in the industry ensuring each Hemp item in our collection is safe for your consumption.