Full Spectrum Vs. Broad Spectrum CBD

The Types Of CBD: Simplified

Full Spectrum CBD = All the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids that naturally occur in hemp, including cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabigerol (CBG).

Broad Spectrum CBD = Same as Full Spectrum, however, the cannabinoid, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been fully removed.

CBD Isolate = Features extremely high concentrations of one single type of cannabinoid called cannabidiol (CBD).

The Spectrum of Hemp And Cannabis

If you know a little about cannabis, hemp, or marijuana, you might have heard of the cannabinoids, THC and CBD before this article. But those are just two cannabinoids found in cannabis, and cannabis has a lot of them. There is CBG, CBC, THCV, and about 100 more and counting. You can find all of these guys and gals together in the trichomes located on the flowers and leaves of the cannabis plants, which give them their infamous glisten in the sunlight. Along with the cannabinoids in the trichomes, there are the compounds that give cannabis plants their classic and diverse aromas, the terpenes. During the extraction process when we first separate the trichomes from the flowers, all of these compounds are together in our early hemp extract.

So why mention these different compounds when our subject is about CBD products. Well, that’s because the vast majority of CBD products don't just contain the cannabinoid, CBD. Even though they are named after it. Instead, the majority of CBD items contain all or nearly all the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids found in cannabis plants. With full spectrum CBD products containing all of them, while broad spectrum most of them. 

What Is The Entourage Effect?

The only time you can find cannabidiol by itself is in CBD isolate products. However, while a very potent cannabinoid and likely the one with the strongest therapeutic effects who can't cause a high, CBD by itself is kind of meh.

CBD isolates are particularly more difficult to dose and don’t provide the range of effects full spectrum and broad spectrum CBD do. This happens because the cannabinoids and terpenes influence how each other interacts with the body. As well, they are able to interact in different ways, giving us the wide range of health benefits contributed to CBD medications. We call this beneficial relationship between the cannabinoids and terpenes the entourage effect. 

The entourage effect is present in most cannabis items. In fact, the same cannabinoids and terpenes that make up most legal CBD products that can’t cause a high are the same ones that make up a marijuana product that can cause a high and is illegal in many places.

However, for the most part, most cannabinoids are unable to cause a high. In fact, there is only one cannabinoid that naturally appears in large enough amounts in cannabis that can, and that is THC. 

While both broad and full spectrum CBD contain too little THC to cause a high, THC does create a major distinction between them. 

THC And The Law

Where full spectrum CBD products are limited to containing no more than 0.3% THC under federal law, broad spectrum CBD contains 0% THC by definition.  Both full spectrum and broad spectrum are derived from hemp. Broad spectrum can technically come from marijuana plants since all the THC is removed during the extraction process, but this can cause it to fall into a legal grey area.

While your broad spectrum product contains no THC, if it came from a marijuana plant with illegal amounts of THC, your area may have sloppy laws that ban it.

In the United States, CBD is federally legal when it's derived from cannabis plants containing no more than 0.3% THC (termed industrial hemp). The product must stay within the 0.3% limit as well.

So while full spectrum CBD from hemp contains trace amounts of THC, they are generally considered safe for all ages and are legal in more places than a broad spectrum derived from marijuana.

What Does Full Spectrum CBD Do?

Full spectrum means all the parts are intake and left undisturbed. Essentially, full spectrum is the cannabis plant itself, or more exactly, the trichomes that appear on the flowers and leaves. Whether it’s marijuana or hemp CBD, we only care about the trichomes as they contain all the different therapeutic terpenes and cannabinoids. Other parts of the flower are made up of chemicals like chlorophyll which serves no purpose, so we always leave it behind and don't consider it apart of the spectrum.

When the cannabinoids and terpenes are left together and in the same ratio they appeared on plants, they earn/retain the label, full spectrum. 

What Does Broad Spectrum CBD Do?

When removing the cannabinoids and terpenes from plant material and other chemicals found in hemp to create a full spectrum extract, we don’t have to stop there. Like with a CBD isolate, we can attempt to remove some of the cannabinoids. There are several reasons for this.

One thought is you can create a more potent CBD product by removing lesser cannabinoids that take up more space than help. This was the goal with CBD isolates but it was taken too far. However, we still don’t have the best knowledge of the intricacies of many of the cannabinoids. So for the most part, broad spectrum CBD products that attempt to remove them are rare and very trial-and-error. 

Another reason to create broad spectrum CBD is to remove THC. At the moment, when you come across a broad spectrum CBD item, it’s likely only THC that was removed, leaving the rest of the cannabinoids untouched.

By removing THC during the broad spectrum extraction process, people that require high doses don’t have to worry about the THC content potentially building up in their system. When that happens, no ill-effects are felt, but it can theoretically make you test positive for THC on a drug test.

Another thing broad spectrum offers is a CBD product to those sensitive to THC. A sensitivity to THC is very rare. And in the majority of cases, a full spectrum CBD oil that features a little more THC than what's currently legally allowed may be the better option.

Which Is Better Full Spectrum Or Broad-Spectrum CBD?

Unlike with a CBD isolate, broad spectrum CBD retains the entourage effect, giving it nearly identical effects to that of a full spectrum CBD oil or another item. With no THC, gone is the cannabinoid that causes a high in large amounts and makes cannabis products illegal in many places.

At first, the clear winner appears to be the broad spectrum. And for those that are sensitive to THC or worry about a drug test, it is. But in the large majority of cases, the amount of THC found in full spectrum CBD is tolerated extremely well by most. So much so that it can help create a stronger entourage effect without worries of it causing a high. In truth, while THC causes a high in large amounts, it appears to be one, if not the most, therapeutic cannabinoid found in cannabis.

In non-medical benefits between full spectrum or broad spectrum.  Broad spectrum can also give us legal CBD products derived from marijuana crops or hemp crops with too high amounts of THC. Cannabis creates THC for protection against UV light and doesn't like to naturally have the trace amounts required by federal law.

This translates into a lot of hemp crops being destroyed every year because they couldn’t stay legal. That’s a terrible loss for farmers and bad for the environment. However, above we saw that under federal law, CBD has to come from hemp crops with no more than 0.3% THC, currently preventing this non-medical advantage broad spectrum has.

How To Pick The Best CBD Product?

While many full spectrum and broad spectrum CBD products advertise they contain less than 0.3% THC, this is often not the case. Often the THC content of the CBD extract they use contains 15-20 times more THC. This happens because CBD is not regulated by the FDA, falling under the definition of a dietary supplement. So, whether you’re looking for a whole plant full spectrum CBD or a broad spectrum one, there are a few rules you should always follow.

Certificate of Analysis - This is the first and biggest thing you should look for before choosing a CBD product. A COA is the official lab analysis of the CBD product that checks how much CBD is in it along with other key compounds like THC, mold, pesticides, etc. This is done by an unaffiliated 3rd party lab, ensuring transparency of the results. 

After you’ve confirmed the COA, the other big things you want to look for is that it’s organic and has great reviews. 

Tips For Using Full Spectrum Vs. Broad Spectrum CBD

There are a lot of health benefits to using CBD, and you have a lot of options to choose from, whether you're using CBD for yourself or giving it to your dog, cat, or another pet. If you've never tried CBD before, we recommend trying out a full spectrum CBD oil as your first CBD item. They provide fast effects and allow you to try different dosages out to see what you prefer.

Like with most CBD products, besides the hemp extract that contains all the cannabinoids and other goodies, you'll notice an additional additive like a carrier oil. If you've used essential oils before, you might be familiar with the term. A carrier oil is simply a fat that greatly improves absorption of the cannabinoids like CBD.

To use a CBD oil, simply hold the oil under your tongue for 30-60 seconds for the fastest effects. Don’t worry if you accidentally swallow before the allotted time is up. All that happens if immediately swallowed is the effects will take a few minutes longer to set in. The full range of health benefits will still be there. This is why we still recommend the oil form when giving CBD to a pet for the first time.

How Much CBD?

Unlike with a CBD isolate, neither full spectrum nor broad spectrum require a precise dosage to work. As such, we recommend you start dosages out small and slowly work your way up until you find your preferred dosage. Most people take about 15 mg once or twice a day. If giving CBD to your dog or cat, check the back of the label for the recommended amount as their weight will greatly determine an appropriate dosage.

Side Effects of CBD

Next to CBD's health benefits, which help with everything from anxiety to general wellness, the other most popular thing about CBD is its relatively low ability to cause side effects. All types of CBD including full spectrum, broad spectrum and isolate are well tolerated, with most people and pets experiencing no side effects from it.

Side effects common to most medications, such as nausea and tiredness have been noted when first starting CBD or when too large of a dosage was taken.

The one side effect that should be acknowledged for any type of CBD product to their ability to interact with medications that are metabolized in the liver. This is because when a cannabinoid is metabolized, it can temporarily affect the activity of the enzyme. When a cannabinoid does this, the speed at which the enzyme breaks down other compounds can change, altering the compound's potency.

Like full spectrum, this interaction can to happen with broad spectrum CBD. However, there may be a difference since THC is absent from broad spectrum CBD, and THC is known to affect the same enzymes. At first, this might point to broad spectrum CBD being the smarter choice. However, some researchers think keeping THC in during the extraction process is the best bet, with some suggesting that the trace amounts of THC in full spectrum aren't enough even.

What Form Of CBD Is Most Effective?

Full spectrum vs broad spectrum CBD? At first, it can seem complicated choosing between full spectrum or broad spectrum, especially if you’ve never used CBD before. That’s why at Innovet, we’re here to help make the selection process fairly simple.

In most cases, going with a full spectrum CBD is best. If you are worried about THC appearing on a drug test because you're taking large doses of CBD daily, then you may wish to switch to a broad spectrum. If you’ve tried CBD full spectrum, but it leaves you feeling tired even at low doses or leaves you feeling off, you may have a sensitivity to THC. In that case, give CBD broad spectrum a try. 

If you’re looking to give CBD to your pet, full spectrum CBD is recommended. Because again, full spectrum is guaranteed to provide the strongest entourage effect. While THC can have concerning side effects at large dosages, it is quite safe in low amounts where it still has significant advantages to achieving better health. And this is typical for many medications and dietary supplements like vitamins as well. Last, research and clinical trials often prefer the effects of CBD and THC together. 

Full spectrum CBD has remained the most popular type of CBD since it first appeared. And something there is no point in changing what's already great.