Differences between broad spectrum, full spectrum and isolate CBD Tinctures?

Posted by John Parker on February 16th, 2021

The world of CBD is vast, wonderful, and sometimes – very confusing. This is especially true if you are new to CBD and its many variations.

Some of the most common questions regarding CBD have to do with the difference between broad spectrum tinctures and full spectrum tinctures.

To answer these questions, let’s look at these two types of CBD tinctures and a third related type – isolate CBD.

What is full spectrum CBD?

Full spectrum tincturesare the most natural and unprocessed variant of CBD you can find. They are widely and readily available and they include all the components of the hemp plant – the terpenes, the cannabinoids, the essential oils, and yes, the THC as well.

However, in any full spectrum CBD tincture, the amount of THC will never go above 0.3% - a perfectly safe dose that will never lead to a “high”sensation.

What is broad spectrum CBD?

This type of tincture is very similar to the one above but with one key difference – no THC whatsoever. To achieve that, however, broad spectrum tinctures need to be processed more than their full spectrum counterparts.

Depending on the type of processing, some of the other cannabinoids may be destroyed so it’s important to always check on third-party lab results to make sure that the product has retained its full range of cannabinoids so can get the benefits of their vital entourage effect.

What is isolate CBD?

This is both the “purest” and the most processed type of CBD. Isolate CBD is pure cannabinoids and nothing else. This tincture goes through extensive processing to achieve this effect, much more so than broad spectrum CBD.

Isolate CBD does provide the benefits of CBD people look for, however, it’s missing certain cannabinoids due to the processing of the tincture. This means that full and broad spectrum CBD usually offer a more potent effect and isolate CBD.

Which is better for you?

Each of these three variants has its pros and cons, so let’s break them down one by one:

• The entourage effect is available through both full and broad spectrum CBD but isn’t present in isolate CBD. That’s because this therapeutic effect requires all the hemp components to work together.
• For people with THC sensitivity, broad spectrum and isolate CBD are the safer choices as they are devoid of any THC. That being said, full spectrum tinctures contain so little THC that they are usually safe as well.
• If you live in a state where THC consumption is illegal or you’re worried about work-related drug tests, full spectrum tinctures are probably not a good idea.
• As the newest of the three variants, broad spectrum CBD is still scarce and can be hard to find. For that reason, people looking to avoid THC usually have to rely on isolate CBD. If you have access to broad spectrum CBD, however, it’s a more potent and THC-free alternative to isolate CBD.