Know The Difference: Cannabis oil vs CBD oil vs Hemp oil

With the recent explosion of interest around Cannabis oil over the last number of years it is truly being normalised in society. This normalisation of Cannabis brings people with little to no previous knowledge or experience of Cannabis seeking clarity on the different naming conventions and aspects of cannabis. Read on to find out the difference of cannabis oil vs CBD oil vs Hemp oil.

It can all get a little confusing, so the following article will give you an overview of the main differences between the terms out there and enable you to distinguish between Cannabis Oil, Hemp Oil & CBD Oil and also, how does this tie in with Marijuana.

 

The Cannabaceae Family of Plants

Ultimately all of these come from the same family of plant, the Cannabaceae. According to Wikipedia, Cannabaceae is a small family of flowering plants with about 170 species grouped in 11 Genera which include Cannabis (hemp, marijuana), Humulus (hops) and Celtis (hackberries).

As we know Hops has been the predominant bittering agent of beer for hundreds of years. Cannabis, specifically Hemp has many uses and can produce items like rope, sails, paper and clothes to name but a few.

Simply put, Hemp is the term given to the ‘industrial’ uses of Cannabis and Marijuana reflects more of the recreational uses of Cannabis. Many state that Marijuana is the ‘slave name’ of Cannabis as this was the name given to it by the ‘reefer madness’ campaign perpetrated through the 1920’s.

 

Hemp Seed Oil

The first oil we will look at is Hemp Oil. Hemp Seed Oil can be easily described as a nutritional oil made out of hemp seeds. Some of the most versatile and nutritious seeds known to mankind are the Hemp seeds. There are a lot of health benefits that can be derived from them if consumed.

Hemp oil or hemp seed oil is obtained by pressing hemp seeds. Cold pressed, unrefined hemp oil is dark to clear light green in color, with a nutty flavour.

There are no Cannabinoids like CBD or THC present in Hemp Oil as the seeds are not psychoactive. Hemp Seed Oil however is a great source of unsaturated fats such as Omega 3 & Omega 6.

“All Hemp is Cannabis but not all Cannabis is Hemp.”

Cannabis Oil

Confusion arises as Cannabis Oil can mean different things to different people, technically all of the oils we will mention are Cannabis Oils in that they’re oils derived from Cannabis plants.

However in modern nomenclature Cannabis Oil generally relates to an Oil that has been not been extracted from Hemp and is an Oil that is rich in Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

So Cannabis oil or THC Oil is a type of oil made from a distinct and specific part of the “Cannabis Sativa” or “Cannabis Indica” plant which has higher deposits of particular molecules which often conjure and trigger health and mental related responses in the human body.

Therefore, THC oil is the one with the largest concentration of THC, hence it is capable of getting its users high without a reasonable focus on the health-inducing cannabinoids.

CBD Oil

The next oil we will look at is CBD Oil. Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of over 100 Cannabinoids found in the Cannabis plant but CBD is non-psychoactive so therefore does not bring the ‘high’ often associated with Cannabis.

There are multiple extraction methods but generally it involves using a solvent to ‘strip’ the Cannabinoids from the plant which can then be mixed with other oils to facilitate ingestion.

CBD oil can also be made from hemp. As a matter of fact, it usually is. CBD oil is legitimately sold over the counter due to the fact that it is not considered “prescription” medication and is therefore taken as a dietary supplement to supplement your Endocannabinoid System.

You will also hear terms like “Full Spectrum’ & ‘Broad Spectrum’ which relates to the extraction process and shows that these have the full range of phytocannabinoids from the plant. This is as opposed to when CBD has been isolated.

It is worth noting that in the UK, Isolate CBD is classed as a ‘Novel Food’ by the Food Standards Agency and is therefore not suitable in products meant for ingestion.