Industrial Hemp CBD vs Cannabis-derived CBD

Industrial Hemp CBD vs Cannabis-derived CBD

Cannabidiol is also known as CBD and is one of the major Phytocannabinoids that helps activate the Endocannabinoid System (https://boorasmd.com/education/articles/clinical-endocannabinoid-deficiency/). CBD alone provides a wide variety of health benefits, but it works even better when combined with THC and the various Terpenes/Favonoids/Cannabinoids present in Cannabis (https://boorasmd.com/education/health-benefits-of-cbd/).

“A significant safety concern with CBD is that it is primarily marketed and sold as a supplement, not a medication. Currently, the FDA does not regulate the safety and purity of dietary supplements. So, you cannot know for sure that the product you buy has active ingredients at the dose listed on the label. In addition, the product may contain other (unknown) elements”. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-2018082414476

A 2017 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) demonstrated that 69% of the 84 CBD products purchased online and tested did not contain the amount of CBD labeled on the products and that some of them contained no detectable CBD at all. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2661569

Marijuana (Cannabis) and Industrial Hemp are the same species, Cannabis Sativa, but there are important differences in the two plants that are worth knowing.

By law, all of the CBD supplements available over-the-counter are derived from Industrial Hemp and contain less than 0.3% THC.

Differences in the CBD obtained from Industrial Hemp vs CBD extracted from Cannabis:

• Industrial Hemp is relatively low in its CBD production with an average of approximately 3.5%.
  Medical Marijuana (Cannabis) can reach over 20% in its CBD content.

• Terpenes/Terpenoids and Flavonoids contained in cannabis have medicinal properties and appear to work synergistically with CBD and other cannabinoids to produce “The Entourage Effect”. This means that products taken together provide more beneficial effects than the same products taken alone. This provides a variety of benefits and effects depending on the cannabis strains used.
  Industrial Hemp does not have the same terpene profile as does Cannabis. As such, it does not have the same benefits.

• Industrial Hemp is grown in large outdoor fields, planted and harvested by heavy machinery. It is not held to the same cultivation standards as Medical Marijuana (Cannabis) and could contain contaminants and toxins since Industrial Hemp is a bio-accumulator (able to draw pesticides and herbicides out of the soil in which it is grown).
  Medical Marijuana (Cannabis) is grown and nurtured in a controlled environment, most of which is indoors with much more pace between the plants, which are harvested by hand. Nutrients are provided as a delicate blend in the facilities using highly technical lighting systems and automated growth management systems to produce their specific strains.

• Industrial Hemp oil extraction requires a large amount of material to produce a small amount of hemp oil. It is federally regulated that extraction must come from stalks and seeds only. Solvents are used to extract CBD and may leave a residue on the final product. The over the counter CBD market is not regulated, so there are no testing standards applied to these products.
  Cannabis-derived CBD is extracted from the cannabis flowers, which contain the highest amount of cannabinoids.

“Hemp CBD is less efficient, taking much more plant material to produce the same amount of product, plus it may be missing other vital terpenes and cannabinoids, or worse it may be contaminated due to industrial farming practices or chemical-laden soil.

Taking time to research where your CBD supplement originated will help ensure you receive a quality product”.
https://internationalhighlife.com/hemp-cbd-vs-cannabis-cbd/

Written by Charlie Booras, MD on 10/26/2020

Updated on 11/15/2021