What’s the Difference Between CBD Isolate and Full Spectrum CBD?

Due to its non-psychoactive healing properties, Cannabidiol (CBD) has become a very popular option for patients seeking a natural alternative to treat conditions such as

As patients start to understand how CBD can be used to alleviate their symptoms, they are often faced with a choice between using products made from CBD Isolate or Full Spectrum CBD.

Now you’re probably wondering:

“So, what is the difference between CBD Isolate and Full Spectrum CBD?”

It’s quite simple actually.

When CBD is referred to as full spectrum or whole plant CBD, it means that the CBD contains all other cannabinoids found in the marijuana plant including CBN (Cannabinol), CBG (Cannabigerol), and THCV (Tetrahydrocannabivarin), to name a few. And yes, along with these cannabinoids, Full Spectrum CBD also contains trace amounts of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), but in very low concentrations (up to .3%), resulting in very minimal psychoactive stimulation. CBD Isolate, on the other hand, is simply purified CBD that has been extracted from the marijuana plant and isolated from the other cannabinoids. So why is this important, and why would a patient choose one over the other? Let’s continue!

Understanding the Benefits of Different Cannabinoids











As shown in the chart above, each cannabinoid offers different benefits for a wide variety of ailments. Notably, CBD offers nearly all the benefits of each cannabinoid combined. While there is no debate that CBD offers the most benefits compared to any single cannabinoid, many wonder if CBD alone is more effective for treating ailments than all the cannabinoids combined.

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CBD vs. Full Spectrum CBD

So, which is more effective?

It was previously believed that CBD in its isolated form was more potent and concentrated than full spectrum CBD; however, in 2015, the theory was debunked by a study from the Lautenberg Center for General Tumor Immunology in Jerusalem.

In the study:

Researchers administered full spectrum CBD and CBD isolate to two different groups of mice. When comparing the data of the two groups, the results proved that the group administered with full spectrum CBD were provided with higher levels of relief. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that full spectrum CBD continued to provide relief as the dose increased, while CBD Isolate did not provide the same effect when there was an increase in dosage.

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While there is definitely a wider range of full spectrum CBD benefits than CBD isolate benefits, it does not discredit the effectiveness of CBD Isolate. There are a wide variety of situations when CBD isolate would be preferred over Full Spectrum CBD.

For example:

You may not necessarily need the full capabilities of Full Spectrum CBD, or if you aren’t legally allowed to use THC. It is also important to note that other cannabinoids may cause negative reactions when isolated CBD wouldn’t (if the condition you are suffering from is critical, we definitely advise you speak to a medical consultant before trying out any version of CBD).

As researchers continue to study the marijuana plant, we will learn more and more about these amazing cannabinoids and what they can do for us. If you’d like to view current research on how CBD and the other cannabinoids benefit different conditions, visit our repository of medical research that covers over 50 medical conditions: click here.

We hope that this article helped you understand the difference between CBD Isolate and Full Spectrum CBD, and if you have any questions or comments, we invite you to engage in the comments section below!

Thanks for reading and stay happy!