Full Spectrum vs Broad Spectrum CBD Oil

Full Spectrum vs Broad Spectrum CBD Oil

Published by Katie Thomas on Mar 29, 2021

In recent times, the worldwide perspective towards cannabis and cannabis-related products has been growing in a very positive way. People are now much more open and accepting of the cannabis plant and its vast array of medicinal properties that help in treating issues ranging from severe pain to mental health issues. For those who prefer natural alternatives to allopathic medication, this growth is a huge leap of progress.


This growing acceptance has naturally been accompanied by some confusion as well. While many people know about the cannabis plant in general, there still remain a whole lot of questions about its specific products and extracts. Most people aren’t necessarily sure about what product they should opt for to manage their specific needs.

That’s where experts like the team at Blue Key CBD come in. Blue Key CBD is here to help you figure out exactly what cannabis extract you should be using to help you in the best and healthiest way possible. Whether it’s to help deal with the effects of post traumatic stress disorder, to alleviate pain, or simply to help you get a better night of sleep, full spectrum CBD oil and broad spectrum CBD oil are here to save the day!

This article will break down the key differences between broad spectrum CBD oil and full spectrum CBD oil. Through this, Blue Key CBD is going to help you dive into the debate of full spectrum vs broad spectrum CBD oil with full knowledge.

CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is one of the many plant compounds found in the cannabis plant. The other popularly known plant compound is THC or tetrahydrocannabinol. As most of you probably already know, THC is the cannabis plant compound that’s responsible for creating a psychotropic effect on the mind and the body. Apart from THC, CBD is the most abundantly present compound of the cannabis plant.

One of the most important factors that should go into choosing your preferred CBD oil product is the extract. Knowing what extract your cannabis product contains essentially means that you know what type of CBD extract has gone into it.

Full spectrum CBD and broad spectrum CBD are two types of CBD extract. They are two of the three main kinds of extracts. The third type of CBD extract is CBD isolate.

The biggest differences between full spectrum CBD oil and broad spectrum CBD oil are to do with the naturally occurring compounds that are found in the plant itself.


WHAT IS FULL SPECTRUM CBD OIL?

Full spectrum CBD oil contains not only CBD but all of the other cannabinoids, like THC, terpenes, and fatty acids that are naturally found in the cannabis plant. That’s why full spectrum CBD is usually referred to as a full or whole plant extract.

During the cannabis extraction process, none of the cannabinoids or other compounds are removed from the oil.

While it’s true that full spectrum CBD oil has THC in it, you should make a note of the fact that it doesn’t have enough of it to create the effect of psychoactivity, also known as a high.


WHAT IS BROAD SPECTRUM CBD OIL?

Broad spectrum CBD oil is said to fall in the middle of the two other types of CBD extract. So it’s between full spectrum CBD oil and isolate CBD extract. Much like full spectrum CBD oil, it contains all of the cannabinoids and other chemical compounds, except for THC. So if you’re looking to avoid the psychoactive element of CBD, or if you’re sensitive to THC, broad spectrum CBD oil might just be what’s best for you.

There exists a phenomenon that has been studied by experts in the cannabis community for many years. This phenomenon is known as the entourage effect. The theory behind the entourage effect claims that all of the compounds in cannabis work together and that when these compounds are taken in this way, they tend to produce a better effect compared to when they’re taken alone.

Broad spectrum CBD oil has every single compound in it, except for THC. So the good news is that you’re probably still going to enjoy the benefits of the entourage effect with broad spectrum CBD oil.


FULL SPECTRUM CBD OIL VS BROAD SPECTRUM CBD OIL: WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES?

Like we’ve mentioned before, the primary distinction in the full spectrum vs broad spectrum CBD oil argument arises from an analysis of the natural plant compounds present in each type.

Full-spectrum types of CBD extracts are the most common form of cannabis that is used for its medicinal value. Along with THC, a full spectrum CBD extract will contain terpenes, flavonoids, essential oils, and all of the other cannabinoids present in the original cannabis plant.

Broad spectrum extracts are born from the exact same processes as full-spectrum extracts. The main difference is that after the extraction process, the THC compound of the cannabis is removed as a whole.

If you’re someone who’s concerned about having THC, that is, the psychotropic compound of cannabis, present in your oil, then broad spectrum CBD provides you an effective medicinal solution.


THE BENEFITS OF FULL SPECTRUM CBD OIL

There are huge medicinal benefits to be gained from using full spectrum CBD oil to manage any issues that you might suffer through. We’ve listed down a few of them below.

  1. It helps you maintain your skin’s health: A large number of scientists have backed up evidence that supports the fact that full spectrum CBD oil is useful in treating a range of skin conditions. The US National Library of Medicine has also said that “Hemp oil is useful for the treatment of eczema and a host of other skin diseases like dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, varicose eczema, psoriasis, lichen planus, and acne rosacea.” The vitamins and fatty acids found within full spectrum CBD oil help in the maintenance of healthy skin, making it resilient to all sorts of fungal, viral, and bacterial infections. Full spectrum CBD oil also works to slow down the process of aging. It even helps in the prevention of inflammation on the skin.
  2. It helps alleviate pain: CBD has been known all over the world as an excellent medicinal solution to pain. A part of CBD’s incredible power is that it is a much safer alternative to opiates. It’s not possible to overdose on CBD. It’s also nowhere near as dangerously addictive as opiates. CBD also works great for people who can’t consume opiates because of issues with their kidneys or struggles with ulcers. The cannabinoids present in full spectrum CBD oil allow it even greater success in pain relief. While it isn’t strong enough to manage severe pain, like postoperative pain or the pain that comes around after you break a bone, it’s pretty effective for chronic pain that occurs as a side effect of many bodily issues. For example, it’s proven to be useful in helping with symptoms of PMS, in easing the pain of multiple sclerosis and general nerve aches, in managing arthritis, and much much more.
  3. It helps you sleep better: Everyone knows that a good night’s sleep is essential to healthy daily functioning. There are a host of mental and physical illnesses that arise out of poor sleeping patterns or an overall lack of sleep. It’s been said that it’s harder to sleep well when you get older. The cannabinoids present in full spectrum CBD oil help in dealing with insomnia. It also helps create feelings of tranquility that make falling asleep that much easier.
  4. It helps you manage anxiety: Anxiety can be an incredibly difficult and debilitating disease to navigate. People that suffer from it find it hard to find or maintain a sense of tranquility. Full spectrum CBD oil can be extremely useful in creating a sense of calmness that comes in useful while dealing with anxiety.


THE BENEFITS OF BROAD SPECTRUM CBD OIL

The benefits of broad spectrum CBD oil are very similar to those of full spectrum CBD oil. There are just two other benefits that broad spectrum CBD oil brings to the table.

  1. It lowers your chances of experiencing euphoria: You’re probably familiar with the conventional image that cannabis has - that it’s used to get high. While this image doesn’t provide the full picture of cannabis in any way, if you’re not keen on experiencing the psychotropic effects that CBD has then maybe broad spectrum CBD oil is for you. It’s also useful for people who have to undergo drug testing as a part of work since THC won’t show up on any of your results. It automatically also has less legal implications than full spectrum CBD oil does.
  2. You’ll still be able to feel the entourage effect: As we’ve mentioned, you get to experience the entourage effect with both full spectrum CBD oil and broad spectrum CBD oil. You just won’t have to face the high of THC with broad spectrum CBD oil.


THE PROS AND CONS OF FULL SPECTRUM CBD OIL

When choosing the CBD extract you need, it’s good to go over the pros and cons of what each specific type offers. Here are some of the pros and cons of full spectrum CBD oil.

Pros:

  • Full spectrum CBD oil is slightly less processed and thus offers the full range of benefits that the cannabis plant is capable of providing.
  • Because full spectrum CBD oil is less processed, it’s more potent than broad spectrum CBD oil.
  • Full spectrum CBD oil provides the entourage effect.

Cons:

  • Since the THC compound of the plant remains in the oil, there’s potential for full spectrum CBD oil to create a minor psychotropic effect that causes a ‘high’.
  • The THC compound may also present itself on a drug test. That’s why full spectrum CBD oil might not be your best choice if your place of work requires you to test for drugs. There are also more legal implications that come with full spectrum CBD oil, due to the presence of THC.
  • Even though the THC present in full spectrum CBD oil isn’t particularly strong, it might still induce mild feelings of sedation.


THE PROS AND CONS OF BROAD SPECTRUM CBD OIL

Now that we’ve covered the pros and cons of full spectrum CBD oil, let’s check out some of the pros and cons of using broad spectrum CBD oil.

Pros:

  • With the THC compound being filtered out, there are no psychotropic effects with broad spectrum CBD oil. Simply put, you won’t feel high when you use broad spectrum CBD oil.
  • Broad spectrum CBD oil also provides the entourage effect.
  • Broad spectrum CBD oil doesn’t contain THC, so it has fewer legal implications than full spectrum CBD oil does. If your place of work requires you to take regular drug tests, broad spectrum CBD oil is probably a safe choice for you.

Cons:

  • Broad spectrum CBD oil isn’t as well researched, so there aren’t as many studies to back up its effects. Thankfully, this is slowly changing, so hopefully, we’ll see more research on broad spectrum CBD oil very soon.
  • Broad spectrum CBD oil is often mislabeled.
  • Broad spectrum CBD oil still has terpenes and other cannabinoids that give it a strong natural odor and flavor.


IN CONCLUSION: FULL SPECTRUM CBD VS BROAD SPECTRUM CBD OIL, WHICH IS BETTER?

With more and more studies and experts actively vouching for cannabis’ medicinal value, Blue Key CBD is sure to be learning a lot more about the magic of this plant and its extracts in the years to come.

In the meantime, it’s vital for all of us to understand that there’s no superior extract when it comes to the three main types of CBD extracts. It’s mostly dependent on the nature of your needs and the interaction of your body’s biochemistry with that of the cannabis plant extract you’re planning to use.

Hopefully, this article helps you better understand what works best for you in the debate of full spectrum vs broad spectrum CBD oil.