Last Updated on 28th May 2020

CBD oil, or cannabidiol, is an organic molecule.

Organic, in this sense, means that a chemical is carbon-based, and has been produced by a living organism- in this case, a plant – Cannabis sativa. CBD exists in plant form and can be extracted as either ‘full spectrum’ oil, or pure cannabidiol. You can find out how to spot Pure CBD Oil in the UK below.

Full-Spectrum Hemp Oil

CBD is one of a group of compounds that are produced by the Cannabis plant genus. These are the cannabinoids, of which there are at least 113. These chemicals range widely in complexity and in biological effects. They are produced for the most part by plants of this genus, as well as a number being produced by other plants such as tea – Camellia sinensis, and plants of the Echinacea genus, among others.

READ MORE: Does Pure CBD Oil Contain Any THC?

Hemp oil has been used as medicine and for cooking for millennia throughout its cultivated timeline. In recent years the nutritional benefits of the seeds and oil have been further explored and developed. Pure CBD oil and other cannabinoids have been extracted and researched in the decades following 1940 when CBD and a number of its companion molecules were isolated.

Pure CBD Oil

Pure CBD oil, like other cannabinoids, is a fatty acid, or a lipid. Lipids are one of the building blocks of all living organisms – along with proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids. It forms the largest proportion of the cannabinoid profile of most Cannabis sativa cultivars, or ‘strains’, particularly those grown for food, fibres, building material and medicine. CBD is one of the two cannabinoids – along with Δ-9 THC – that have been studied to the greatest extent in the last half-century. Pure CBD oil is non-psychotropic – or non-intoxicating and has a number of well-researched effects.

So, What’s The Difference?

Full-spectrum hemp oil is composed of a suite of cannabinoids as they are extracted mechanically from the Cannabis sativa plant. It contains a number of nutrients, inert oils, and a minuscule proportion of Δ-9 THC (below 0.3% in most countries). Pure CBD oil is the organic chemical cannabidiol, as extracted from hemp oil in its pure form. This product will be labelled as containing ‘Pure CBD’ and is of benefit to those who want the specific benefits of cannabidiol, while ‘Full-spectrum’ oil will contain small amounts of other cannabinoids, and suits those who wish to have the other compounds present.