There is an awful lot of hype out there going around these days regarding THC-free products. Millions of people across the United States are seeking the perfect CBD experience without having to worry about being exposed to THC. Is THC such a bad thing that it should be avoided? That all depends on who you ask. However, we can shed a little light for you on the topic of what it means to have a THC-free product.
Hemp and Hemp Extracts
It is pretty easy to get confused about the types of products that are available on the market today if you don’t look closely at your options. For example, there is no such thing as full-spectrum hemp. The spectrums have to do with the type of extract that comes from the hemp plant. So, instead of saying that you have full-spectrum hemp, you would actually have a full-spectrum hemp extract. Hemp is a plant, and hemp extract is actually the essential oil that is pulled from the hemp plant solids.
The hemp extract can be crude, full-spectrum, or broad-spectrum. There can also be a CBD isolate extract where everything but pure CBD is stripped away from the extract and all that remains is CBD.
Full-Spectrum Hemp Extracts
A full-spectrum hemp extract will include the full spectrum of the hemp plant. What this means is that everything that is within the hemp plant will be extracted and separated into a tincture or an oil. The compounds that people are looking for in a hemp extract, such as the cannabinoids CBD, CBG, CBN, and even THC along with a plethora of other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids are present within the extract. This is what a full-spectrum hemp extract is.
Broad-Spectrum Hemp Extracts
When we talk about broad-spectrum hemp extracts we are referring to a type of extract where everything that the hemp plant has to offer is still available in the hemp extract, except for the THC. The science behind the entourage effect suggests that a person can still get the desired effects of the entourage phenomenon, but without THC.
The reason for this is that there is only a minuscule amount of THC that is available in a hemp plant anyway. Within a broad-spectrum hemp extract, you still have CBD, CBN, CBG, terpenes, and flavonoids. People like the THC in their hemp extract products because they believe in the power of the entourage effect, but there may not be enough THC to make a big difference anyway.
CBD Isolate Extracts and Tinctures
As for having a pure CBD experience it is possible with the extraction process that separates the CBD from the rest of the compounds in the hemp plant and isolates it into a crystalline powder, or into a tincture.
With an isolate extract, there is absolutely no THC, or any other cannabinoids in the product. As for the entourage effect, some people believe that CBD on its own is powerful enough to substantiate the wellness benefits that cannabinoids have to offer without the help of the rest of the flavonoids and terpenes. Other people believe that in order to get the full effects of any hemp product it has to contain each and every cannabinoid, flavonoid, and terpene that is within the hemp plant, including the THC.
Full-Spectrum and THC-Free
Obviously, if you have been paying attention to this article you will understand that a full-spectrum hemp extract does contain a minimal amount of THC. In fact, there is a legal limit of 3% THC content in all of the hemp plants and products within the hemp industry in order to be sold. So, to answer the question, full-spectrum does not mean THC-free.
