Chances are that if you are doing some research around Hemp, Medicinal Cannabis, or CBD Oil you are going to get a lot of terms that seems to roll together. It can get confusing and often be downright overwhelming.
Two of those terms that seems to run together and cause a lot of confusion are Hemp Oil and CBD Oil.
You may sit back and think “Are Hemp Oil and CBD Oil The Same?”. “What is the difference between Hemp Oil and CBD Oil?”
These are the typical questions that you may have while doing your research. However, never fear I am going to break down details on both CBD Oil and Hemp Oil so that its easy to understand. They are definitely not the same but can come from the same source. This causes the confusion.
Also, I have found that there is a lot of confusion understanding the differences between THC and CBD. Here is a very helpful posting I wrote recently about the difference between THC and CBD that expands on that as well, so be sure to click to check it out. I hope you find it helpful and that it brings some clarity to the subject matter.
Now lets explore Hemp Oil and CBD Oil. In this post we are going to explore some origins that can cause problems. Here is what we are going to learn
- Learn About The Hemp Plant
- What is Hemp Oil
- CBD Oil Derived From Hemp
- Should You Be Looking For Hemp Oil or CBD Oil
- Thinking About Buying CBD Oil On Amazon? Slow Your Role – Think Twice
- Putting It Together – Whats the Difference Between CBD Oil and Hemp Oil
A quick side note – I actually worked as a teacher for a few years and do enjoy explaining and teaching even though I no longer work in a classroom setting anymore. It is my hope that the simple breakdown of the headings below will simplify the subject matter because at the end we are going to pull it all together so stick with me.
Lets Learn About The Hemp Plant
The Hemp plant is part of the cannabis plant family. There are two primary species of the cannabis plant that you may know. One of which is Marijuana, the other is Hemp. Obviously, Marijuana will be the more well known because of its use as a recreational drug.
Its cousin Hemp is not as well known. If you have known about Hemp prior to the growing interest in CBD Oil then more then likely you would have seen it with consumable goods. These goods would be things such as clothes and food.
The interesting thing is that since the passage of the farm bill back in 2018 the doors have really began to open up for Hemp production and use in the United States. Although Hemp is part of the same family as Marijuana it does not have the same chemical composition.
Hemp contains a very low amount of THC (the psychoactive chemical compound that causes the high) so it doesn’t have a use as a drug. It is a very fibrous plant that can be used for so many industrial resources such as clothing and food.
If you are in the health food isles of your local grocery store you can look on the labels of products and see hemp listed as an ingredient. You can even buy Hemp snacks or Hemp seeds. They are very nutritious and great source of protein.
I have some in my kitchen pantry and even saw more varieties of bulk hemp food products at my local Costco. I personally like the flavor profile of Hemp seeds and would classify the flavor as being nutty.
Previously, much of the Hemp that is being purchased has originated from other countries. While shopping at my local super markets I took the liberty to view what country of origin the hemp was from. They all were imported out of Canada.
Laws prior to the passage of the farm bill unfortunately grouped Hemp in with its cousin Marijuana. This meant that it was not fully legal to be produced and cultivated within the United States. Many of you would be thinking by now, “Wow, Hemp has so many great uses, its not a drug so why would it be illegal?”. I would agree with you any many others would as well.
Fortunately, lawmakers have been able to look past the old laws and bring them up with the current times. Yes, the old laws may have been made with good intentions but clearly Hemp is not the same as marijuana and their uses are not the same. Now with legalization of Hemp in the United States (there are restrictions) farmers are able to produce the plant within our own borders. This will allow for more domestic production and consumption and less with imports from other countries.
Below is a video that details farmers interest to move to grow Hemp as a cash crop. Yes, its PBS but it is posted from a few years ago. I find this helpful because it gives a lot of the background information that initially led to the federal law bill passing that made growing Hemp legal.
Its a little shy of 10 minutes long but it falls in line with the some of the subject matter discussed in this post.
If you want to get even more information on the hemp plant be sure to check out my post – Hemp The Beneficial Plant Makes a Comeback.
What is Hemp Oil?
Hemp Oil (hempseed oil) is essentially the substance that is derived from pressing the hemp seeds. It originally can be a dark or greenish color. Hemp oil can be refined in which in can become more clear, be odorless and have little flavor. It has a number of health and beauty uses such as dietary supplements, soap production, shampoos or other related health and beauty products.
Hemp oil contains a lot healthy essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and omega 6 which make it very useful for it dietary, health and beauty considerations. When you read about Hemp Oil being derived from pressing the seeds this may sound similar to another very popular healthy oil found in our pantries (Olive Oil). Olive oil is derived by pressing the olives in order to gather and use the oil. Perhaps this adds to the context of the explanation.
Hemp Oil does have a lower smoke point at 330F (166C) so it may not be suitable to frying (although I would be interested if anyone has tried it.)
CBD Oil Derived From Hemp Plants
CBD Oil (Cannabidiol) is one of the many compounds found in the cannabis plant. Specifically with Hemp plants CBD is the dominate cannabinoid whereas marijuana contains higher concentrations of THC (which causes the psychoactive high). CBD Oil will not make you high!
As mentioned previously, the passage of the farm bill of 2018 legalized hemp production (there were some specific state restrictions but this law was at the federal level). One of the restrictions of hemp production was that THC levels had to be 0.3% or less. Hemp does has very low THC levels and this is the figure detailed in the law. These are the restrictions that farmers would have to abide by in order to produce Hemp.
The process to derive CBD Oil is much more technical than the pressing of seeds to produce hemp oil. CBD oil is not made from the seeds but from flowers, stems and leaves. Remember that although Hemp Oil and CBD oil can both come from Hemp – they do not come from that same part of the plant. Hemp Oil comes from the seeds whereas CBD oil comes from the flowers, stems and leaves.
More then likely manufactures would use CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) to derive the CBD Oil. This is the most advanced, cleanest and most effective process. The CO2 extraction process allows for the correct compounds to be extracted while the unwanted ones to be excluded.
Should You Be Looking For Hemp Oil Or CBD Oil
If you are looking for something topical for lotions and soaps (much like essential oils) then you may be looking for hemp oil. So hemp oil is what you will be seeking in a more health and beauty scenario.
However, if you are looking for an alternative medical treatment (ex. Replace a harmful medication with a safer alternative) then you will be seeking CBD Oil.
A Word Of Caution: Always be mindful of the quality of CBD oil products (and where they are sourced) you are purchasing. Otherwise you could have potential dangers lurking in your CBD products.
Thinking About Buying CBD Oil On Amazon? Slow Your Role – Think Twice
Amazon is one of the top online retailers, and for a reason. However, when it comes to buying CBD oil there are some things that you should bare in mind.
First, officially Amazon does not allow the sale of CBD oil on their site. Secondly, you do not know what you are going to get. Are you truly getting a product that contains the CBD you want to buy?
I will give some credit to an article that did some due diligence on the topic recently. You may be able to purchase it on the site (unofficially) but you can still run into issues with products not being what they are labeled or not containing CBD at all.
Your best bet is to be selective and find a high quality product from domestically source hemp. Top products will come from top tier manufacturers that also independently test their products.
You can still buy top quality products online. Just be mindful of selecting the right products and companies. There are some great ones but also some that are sub par.
Read More: Below are some links to some helpful CBD oil buying guides.
The Secret Ninja CBD Oil Buyers Guide
The Ultimate Beginners CBD Oil Power Guide
The Differences Between CBD Oil and Hemp Oil
As we learned here there are distinct differences between Hemp Oil and CBD Oil. Both can be derived from Hemp plants however, hemp oil is derived by pressing seeds together and extracting the fluid. CBD Oil production is a bit more technical (derived primarily from flowers) and is more then likely extracted using Carbon Dioxide. They both have beneficial uses in their own way but are not the same thing.
CBD Oil can be derived from both Marijuana and Hemp. More then likely due to the increased production of Hemp domestically CBD Oil products may be Hemp derived. Because of the overlapping of words a search for a CBD Oil product may pull up Hemp Oil or vice versa.
Now that we have been able to clearly determine the origins of both Hemp Oil and CBD Oil you are able to differentiate the two. You are empowered with knowledge to help you find what you are looking for.
I hope you found the information helpful. As always I love to hear your comments.
