The three types differ by how much of the hemp plant survives extraction. Full spectrum keeps every naturally occurring compound, including trace THC below the legal limit. Broad spectrum keeps the other compounds but has the THC stripped out. Isolate is purified CBD on its own, typically 99% or higher, with nothing else left.<\/p>\n
Hemp contains hundreds of compounds: cannabinoids such as CBD, CBDa, CBG and CBN, plus terpenes, flavonoids and plant waxes. What separates the three product types is simply how many of those compounds are still in the bottle when it reaches you.<\/p>\n
Everything else you read about these categories follows from that one fact.<\/p>\n
Full spectrum extract<\/a>\u00a0contains the complete cannabinoid and terpene profile of the hemp it came from, including the naturally occurring trace of THC. Hemp grown legally has to stay under 0.3% THC in the United States and 0.2% in most of Europe, so the amounts are small, but they are not zero.<\/p>\n Because nothing has been removed, full spectrum oils taste and smell distinctly of hemp. That earthy character is the terpenes, and it is a reasonable sign the extract has not been over-processed.<\/p>\n Broad spectrum starts as a full spectrum extract, then goes through an extra refining step that removes the THC while leaving the other cannabinoids and terpenes in place. It is the middle option: more of the plant than isolate, no detectable THC.<\/p>\n The trade-off is that the extra processing also tends to strip some terpenes, so broad spectrum products are usually milder in flavour and slightly less complete than the extract they started from.<\/p>\n Isolate is CBD refined until it is a white crystalline powder, 99% pure or better. No THC, no CBDa, no terpenes, no hemp flavour at all. It dissolves into food and drinks without changing the taste, and it makes serving sizes very easy to calculate because a milligram of isolate is a milligram of CBD.<\/p>\n All three start identically. Hemp is harvested, then the cannabinoids are pulled out of the plant material, in our case with CO2 rather than a chemical solvent. What happens next decides the category.<\/p>\n Full spectrum stops early. The crude extract is cleaned up, winterised to remove waxes and fats, then blended into a carrier oil at a set strength.<\/p>\n Broad spectrum goes a step further. The extract passes through chromatography, which separates compounds by how quickly they travel through a column, and the THC fraction is taken out.<\/p>\n Isolate goes all the way. The extract is distilled and then crystallised until nothing but cannabidiol is left.<\/p>\n Every additional step costs yield and removes something that was in the plant. That is the trade being made as you move down the list, and it is also why isolate is not automatically the premium option despite being the purest.<\/p>\nBroad spectrum CBD<\/h2>\n
CBD isolate<\/h2>\n
How each type is actually made<\/h2>\n
Side by side<\/strong><\/h2>\n